We take a look at a Japanese website that lets you transform your photos into 8-bit, Gameboy-style works of art!
filter
It’s the water bottle of the future! The OKO “advanced filtration water bottle” isn’t your average container for high quality H2O. It features a filtration system developed by NASA that’s so powerful it can filter cola into a clear, colorless liquid in seconds. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the video.
While I was fortunate to have been inland and more than 60km away from the Fukushima power plant when it ruptured, on 3 March, 2011, my co-workers and I nevertheless started to get a little anxious when, just a few hours after the initial earthquake hit north-east Japan, our water supply went off.
Heading to the nearest supermarket in search of bottled water, we were met by the sight of hundreds of locals who had had the exact same idea: buy as many provisions as possible and get back indoors. By the time we found a place to park and got into the store, there was barely anything left on the shelves; it had all been snapped up by (understandably) panicked buyers. Deciding to try our luck at the local convenience store, we drove over to 7-Eleven, but found the shelves just as bare.
Although our sitation never got anywhere close to desperate, and our supply came back on about 24 hours later, the thought of not having any clean, safe drinking water really struck home for a while there.
Until it suddenly becomes unavailable, water is something that we all take for granted on a daily basis. Turn the tap and fill up a glass, fill the kettle and make a coffee, jump in the shower, wash your clothes; we use it almost constantly and can’t get by without it.
So it comes as something of a relief to hear that there are clever people out there creating devices that can do something as unfathomable as turn chemical-filled pool water into something that’s safe to drink in an emergency…


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Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Fading Tokyo – Horikiri Station, the Arakawa River, and Kinpachi-sensei[Walking course]
Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
Japanese trains in Sapporo might be better than those in Tokyo, thanks to one special feature
Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
Japanese sandals dyed with real Uji matcha are here to whisk you off your feet
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Things Japanese Men Do at the Office that Creep the Hell Out of Women
One Piece devil fruit ice cream coming back to Baskin-Robbins Japan
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
Japanese sandals dyed with real Uji matcha are here to whisk you off your feet
Starbucks Japan releases FIVE new Frappuccinos in a day, and we try them all in 90 minutes
Things Japanese Men Do at the Office that Creep the Hell Out of Women
One Piece devil fruit ice cream coming back to Baskin-Robbins Japan
JR Hokkaido train driver in trouble for reading book about trains on stopped train
Travel to a Japanese convenience store at an active volcano
McDonald’s Japan adds new Hello Kitty and Pompompurin drinks to the menu for a limited time
Are Japanese convenience store sandwiches scamming us with their fillings?
Studio Ghibli releases new anime tea and mugs in Japan
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
One Piece ship to anchor at Japanese theme park
Does this egg timer from Japanese 100-yen store Daiso really work?