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Opening Apple's 'Lucky Bags' in Japan, where $300 can get you a MacBook Air
Happy New Year. And when it comes to shopping in Japan, that means sales and fukubukuro. These "lucky bags" are sold by all kinds of stores, and typically contain products equal in value to what you pay, but sometimes a whole lot more. Even Apple's bricks-and-mortar stores have followed the tradition since 2004, with a handful of bags housing a coveted MacBook Air. All of the bags cost 35,000 yen, roughly $300, but if you're shopping for an Apple laptop, it's a gamble. There's no guarantee what will be inside yours. This year, for the first time, Apple has added a handful of limited edition products for its crowd of dedicated Japanese fans. We visited the store in Ginza, Tokyo, today, which alone (there are three stores in the city) managed to attract 900 people before the store even opened. Let's see what 300 bucks can buy, if you're willing to risk it.
iPhone 4S landing on October 14th according to Apple Store page in Japan
Well, Tim Cook has yet to even take the stage and already the leaks are starting to pour in. It started with a pair of images buried in the Apple store's HTML code. But, perhaps more telling, was the page for the Ginza, Japan store listing the launch of the iPhone 4S as a featured event starting at 8am on October 14th. While that doesn't necessarily mean the tweaked iPhone 4 variant will launch everywhere on the same day, it seems a safe bet that the US and UK will be getting in on the action that Friday morning.Update: Well, that was short lived. The text is gone... for now.
Noby Noby Boy demoed at Apple Store in Japan
This one might require a little patience to watch, but those interested will be rewarded well, I think. The footage above is from an Apple Store in Toyko's Ginza shopping district, where none other than Keita Takahashi showed up to demo his latest iPhone game. Who's Keito Takahashi? He's the gaming auteur behind Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy, two of the weirdest yet most fascinating games of the last decade or so, and he's bringing Noby Noby Boy to the iPhone. Unfortunately, the above demo is in Japanese, but you can see what kinds of thinking is going into the game. It looks like he's completely revamping the game as a top-down physics-based version of the already very strange PS3 version. We would provide you with some more explanation, but it probably won't make things any clearer: the object of the game is to stretch out a little creature named BOY, and at the end of the level, your stretched length adds up with all the other players of the game online to another creature called GIRL, who is currently reaching out into the solar system. Told you it wouldn't help. Nevertheless, it's pretty fascinating just to watch the four videos (start here) and see what weirdness transpires in the video -- there are some interesting touchscreen controls, and lots of quick physics on the items bouncing around the iPhone's screen. It's not that great as an actual game preview, but that might not matter much anyway: Takahashi said a while back that whenever this weird monstrosity does release on Apple's handheld, "price-wise might be like free." We can't wait to see it. [via Panic]
Video: The $2,230 Ginza diorama speaker from Bandai
You're not the only ones wondering how a diorama speaker of Tokyo's Ginza district (circa 1955) could possibly cost more than $2,000. But after watching the video, somehow, it almost seems worth it. Almost. Hey, was that Lady Elaine?
Bandai's Diorama Ginza speaker recreates a place you've never been, at a price you can't afford
Well, it won't help you gals understand men any better, but if you're in the market for an obscure Japanese toy -- and have a couple thou to spare -- this one should be right up your alley. Bandai's Diorama Ginza speaker recreates this happenin' Tokyo district, circa 1955. We don't have any tech specs for this work of art, but we can tell you that it goes on sale in Japan on April 10th for ¥198,000 (that's just over $2,200) and that it's being produced in a limited edition of 200. Personally, we're holding out for "Ginza Street: 2009" featuring the new Vertu store.
Vertu opens tasteful, refined retail location in Japan
It's no secret that Vertu's delicate, understated design and real commitment to value for your hard-earned dollar have won the brand lots of fans here at Engadget -- and we're still kicking ourselves for being too busy to check out the company's store in Las Vegas during CES. Our Japanese readers are in luck, however -- come February 19, people in Ginza will have a Vertu store to call their own. Sure the thing looks a little less gaudy than we would have imagined -- an eighteen foot tall, solid gold, fire-breathing Dragon would have been nice -- but you can't really argue with a place that sets aside an entire floor for each handset line it carries (including Ferrari, Ascent and Signature). If you get a chance to visit, let us know what you think! More pics after the break.
Japanese department stores trialing virtual makeover machines
Although some women do indeed prefer an in-store (human) professional when looking for a new lineup of cosmetics to try, those independent ladies who'd rather take things solo just might prefer this method. Mitsukoshi, Shiseido, and Fujitsu have teamed up to bring a virtual, real-time makeover machine into Japanese department stores in order to give women a chance to test out a smorgasbord of shades on their virtual face before throwing down their hard earned loot. Sure, we've seen hypothetical approaches before, but this rendition lacks the mess and time requirements of previous methods by allowing customers to snap an image of their face, and then scan electronic tags of interesting looking makeup in order to dash their on-screen persona with whatever they please. The system allows the user to test endless combinations of products without causing a mess, using up samples, or demanding extra help, and the "before and after" feature should do a number on same-store sales. While there's no details about a mass rollout, the system is being tested right now in the Mitsukoshi store in Ginza, so fellas, steer your ladies clear of this one if you value your bank account.[Via PlasticBamboo]
10,000 RFID tags to blanket Tokyo's Ginza neighborhood
Now they're just making us look bad. Japan was already doing just fine making the US and A look like a technological backwater, what with the crazy phones, 1Seg, and speedy internets, but now they're running a bunch of RFID trials to further wire their cities and leave us in the dust. Most interesting is a new project in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district, which is getting blanketed with 10,000 RFID tags, along with other "beacons" to help out tourists and shoppers make their way around the area. The system includes a handheld device, featuring a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen, RFID, infrared, 429MHz wireless (for hooking up with the beacons), WiFi and Bluetooth. After nabbing location data from RFID, the handheld can look up info on the area via the internet for helping the user with directions, store specials and restaurant menus. According to Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, "In every building there are many shops, bars and clubs and it can be difficult to find the one you want. With this you can just push a button and find the where you want to go even if you're drunk!" So there you have it. Even If You're Drunk navigation is headed for its trial in Ginza starting January 21st and will run until March.
TUAW Gives Thanks: Ginza Elevator Graphics
On this day of excess tryptophan and annoying relatives, it's important to take a minute and give thanks for the things we enjoy, yet take for granted the rest of the year. This year, I'm thankful that I get to sit around and blog about a company that cares enough about design to go that extra step in everything it does, including elevators. Where other companies would put simple buttons, Apple placed an elegant masterpiece of interaction design in front of the elevator at its flagship Ginza store in Tokyo. I've long been impressed by the motion graphics work produced by Apple, but I have to say that this is by far one of my favorites. Enjoy, and happy turkey day![via Cult of Mac]
