TresSugar

Live Like the Jetsons in Japan (Almost)

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:41:16 PST

I've always said that Japan is living in the future, so it comes as no surprise that someone there would build a house fit for a futuristic utopia in the year 2062. There are no flying cars parked in its driveway, but this Toda House in Hiroshima, Japan, which was built by architect Kimihiko Okada to resemble a birds nest, seems to draw inspiration from one of my favorite TV shows growing up - The Jetsons.

In The Jetsons, the population was forced to build apartment buildings on stilts in order to find relief from the smog and pollution on the earth below, but the residents in this case just wanted a better view over their neighbors' roof. Sounds like a better deal to me. Check out a few more images of the Toda House in the gallery, but head over to FreshHome for a better look at the Hiroshima dwelling.

Studio Ghibli Bumps Beyoncé From Twitter Throne

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:51:13 PST

It was the baby bump heard 'round the world last August when Beyoncé unveiled her pregnant belly at the MTV VMAs to the tune of 8,800 tweets per second - more than the East Coast earthquake, the women's World Cup soccer final, and even the death of Osama bin Laden. It was a record. Well, until recently that is. According to Twitter, a new record was set on Dec. 9 during a TV screening of Hayao Miyazaki's Laupita: Castle in the Sky, which garnered a whopping 25,088 tweets per second in Japan.

The 1986 film is the first to be created and released by Studio Ghibli, which has amassed a cult following thanks to its library of films that also includes Kiki's Delivery Service, Ponyo, and My Neighbor Totoro, among others.

If you're ever been to Japan, be sure to check out the Studio Ghibli Museum in person - the Disneyland for Anime fans!

iOS 5 to Warn of Impending Earthquakes

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:50:41 PDT

In addition to some of the already-known iOS 5 features, citizens of Japan will get a potentially life-saving inclusion: earthquake warnings. Apple has included a built-in feature that connects Japanese iPhones to the national earthquake warning system and will allow users to opt in to push notifications that alert them of an upcoming earthquake within minutes or seconds before it hits.

Since Japan sits on three different tectonic plates, it sees an average of 1,500 earthquakes annually. And as we saw earlier this year, Japan's warning system can help save lives.

Need to catch up on the other features coming with iOS 5? Check them out after the break.

Pack a Tech Suitcase: Tokyo

GeekSugar — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:16:52 PDT

Taking your dream trip to Tokyo this Summer? There's plenty of geeky goodness to see in the land of the rising sun, so be sure to take along your tech faves and load up with these apps, accessories, and list of locations to see before you go!

Paper Cranes For Japan: A Tutorial to Benefit Tsunami Affected Tots

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 05:45:10 PDT

Fly, little bird, fly! In Japan, legend holds that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes, your wish will come true. Following last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami, as well as the powerful aftershocks that are still being felt throughout the region, several organizations have called for students to create their own paper cranes to benefit families affected by the natural events.

Students Rebuild and DoSomething.org have launched the Paper Cranes For Japan effort to collect 100,000 origami cranes and trigger a $200,000 donation from the Bezos Family Foundation to Architecture for Humanity's relief efforts. Simultaneously, OshKosh B’Gosh is in the middle of a Cranes For Kids campaign that will donate an article of clothing to Japanese children for each crane sent into the company, or uploaded to their Facebook page. Want to learn how to make the beautiful paper creations? Follow Modern Parents Messy Kids' tutorial above, or go to their site for detailed photo directions. Now get folding!

Source Modern Parents Messy Kids

Give and Get: Toys and Clothes That Support Japan

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:45:17 PDT

The aftershocks keep coming and they're felt around the world. It's just over two weeks since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and the hardest hit areas are still digging out of the rubble. While the world's top-selling artists have come together to release an album benefiting the relief efforts, local artisans have on their own missions. These clothing items and toys are designed for tots, but their impact will be felt by adults and kids alike when their profits are donated to Japan. Check them out!

Reunited and It Feels So Good

Mandy Harris — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:59:34 PDT

Rescue efforts are far from over in Japan, as clean-up and recovery after the devastating earthquake and tsunami last month continue. Luckily, our four-legged friends have not been forgotten in these efforts; for every heartbreaking story about a pet separated from his owner, there's an equally heartwarming one about a sweet reunion.

This pup spent three weeks stranded on floating debris after the tsunami, and was finally reunited with his owners late last week. Watch the amazing reunion video below.

Link Time: Oscar de la Renta Declares This "the Century of the Woman"

FabSugar — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:55:49 PDT

Oscar de la Renta: "this is the century of the woman" - The Cut
CFDA's auction to benefit Japan starts today - Vogue Daily
Carine Roitfeld joins Karl Lagerfeld's fashion circle - Vogue UK Daily
Top five ways to be a smart shopper - College Fashion
Tucker teams up with Donna Ida - FabSugarUK
You can now buy Kate Middleton's white engagement blouse - InStyle
Iman's five handbag essentials - Bag Snob
The spiky shoulder: good idea or bad idea? - Nylon Blog

How You Can Start Your Own Cause For Charity

Emily Co — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:05:02 PDT

There are so many ways to give and if you feel the urge to do something more than give a donation, you can consider starting a project to raise money and awareness for a good cause. I recently launched JustOneCrane, a small Facebook campaign to raise awareness for Japan quake and tsunami, and thought it would be great to share tips on what I have learned and how you can get there.

I definitely learned a lot through my experience and have almost reached my goal of raising a $1,000 - we're currently at about $861 and counting! Read on to learn what you should do for your own fundraising project.

A Brief History of Naked Sushi

Colleen Barrett — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:45:37 PDT

The best known sushi plate may be Samantha Jones from Sex and the City, but the practice goes way back in Japan, having its own name nyotaimori (female plates) and nantaimori (male plates). Even so, it is not commonplace or even socially acceptable, happening mostly in sex clubs and at gatherings for organized criminals.

Today photos of human sushi platters are floating around, bringing the age-old tradition front and center. Besides the obvious eroticism, why would anyone want to eat off a naked human. Find out below.