Optimus Prime Is Prepared to Eat Tokyo

I don't particularly care for the Transformers movie -- I felt like it was a little bit overrated (Megan Fox excepted, natch) and perhaps a little too intense. And that's coming from a guy who, as a younger child, was a freaking Transformers junkie. But whatever, this video of a giant robot built in a Tokyo park (via Weird Asia News) is awesome. It's there to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gundam (giant robots) in the movies.

Japan Airlines Plane Snacks on Cargo Box

If you were an airplane, what would you eat? "Hot dog" or "bbq spare rib" come to mind immediately, but how about "a giant box of cargo?" Because that's exactly what a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 did late last night while attempting to take off from Los Angeles International Airport. There were 245 passengers on board, and fortunately nothing was hurt except for the plane's pride (this is the equivalent of your child having its head stuck in a chair at the local Chinese restaurant in the middle of a Sunday buffet with everyone in town there pointing and ... anyway, I digress.) Enjoy the video of the plane looking hungry and foolish.

Hashima Island Reopens To Travel After 20 Years

After more than 20 desolate years, Hashima Island has reopened for visitors.

Hashima Island, more commonly called Battleship Island, is one of several hundred uninhabited islands considered part of the Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan.

The island was established as a coal mining facility in 1887, but as petroleum began to replace coal in the 1960s, Hashima was shut down in 1974.

During 1959, at the height of its productivity, Hashima Island had the highest population density of any area ever measured: an astonishing 1,391 people per hectare lived in the residential district. To put that number in perspective, consider this: New York City has a population density of around 104 people per hectare. Clearly, Hashima was not for the claustrophobic.

Today the concrete buildings (including Japan's first large concreted building, which dates to 1916) and seawall are all that remains, but that could soon change. As of April 22, 2009, tourists will be allowed to set foot on this historic island (under consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Until now the only way to view the concrete buildings and industrial facilities was by sightseeing boats that made trips around the island.

Toilet Restaurants = The New Hotness

Bathrooms: they're very clearly one of the more appetizing places you can possibly sit. So why wouldn't someone have already thought of a toilet-themed restaurant? Yeah, I have no idea either.

But it's finally here now, via the Daily Fork: a restaurant chain with a toilet theme, aptly named "Modern Toilet."

Modern Toilet is a restaurant chain in Japan that was recently brought to our attention by Spike.com. The restaurant serves their food in plastic toilet bowls, to diners sitting atop (you guessed it) toilet seats.

It should also be noted, as seen in the picture, that the tables appear to be washtubs/sinks. Which is just flat out gross. I mean, sure, there's a glass table over them. But I doubt they're clean; this is, after all, a bathroom, right?

Oh, and also, re: these anywhere near where I live: DO NOT WANT. 

A different kind of art tour

If you enjoy the quirkiness and inspiration of traveling art shows, you should consider traveling yourself... the destination? Aomori, Japan.

There are plenty of great artistic and cultural experiences to be had in Japan: beautiful gardens, cherry blossom festivals, palaces, historic sites, religious temples, Kabuki theater. Most of the art and culture is steeped in rich tradition, but one area (Aomori) started taking a new approach to old designs in 1993.

Every year, farmers in the town of Inakadate in Aomori, Japan create vast works of art in their rice paddies. It’s done by planting purple and yellow-leafed rice along with their local green-leafed variety. These rice paddy images are visible during the growing season, until the harvest in September. Other images rendered have included dragons, the Mona Lisa, Mount Fuji and former emperors.

The Aomori Prefecture is roughly 550km north of Tokyo (about 3 and 1/2 hours travel time). On the way up the spine of Honshu Island, you'll be treated to some of the best mountain views Japan has to offer.