Softbank
We stumble upon Butch, possibly the last remaining iPhone liner-upper in the wild, and see what makes him tick.
We send Dragon Ball’s anime prince to listen to important businessmen talk about important business stuff.
Meet Butch, an old friend of Mr. Sato’s who is carrying the torch in the noble pursuit of iPhone launch notoriety.
Pepper, I think we need to talk about your attitude problem.
Ninety seconds is all you need to reach the “happily ever after” ending of this super-cute video.
Read More
Last month, SoftBank‘s series of commercials depicting several classic anime characters all grown up premiered. The ads star Kyoko Koizumi (Tokyo Sonata, Hanging Garden) as Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon), the proprietess at Moon Ribar an atmospheric rooftop bar. She’s assisted by Maruko-chan (Chibi Maruko-chan, played by Suzu Hirose) and welcomes guests like Fist of the North Star‘s Kenshiro (famous Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizō XI), Obocchama-kun (played by Shinnosuke Mitsushima), Duke “Golgo 13” Tōgō (played by Fumiyo Kohinata), Joe Yabuki (Ashita no Joe, played by comedian Naoki Matayoshi) and Astro Boy himself, played by Masato Sakai (Honey and Clover).
Two members of the Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation (Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto) recorded a practice session recently with an unusual musical guest: Pepper, a robot who can detect and interpret human emotions. It can also provide beats, and did so for Gotch (who plays guitar and prefers a rock tempo) and Tamaki Roy (who raps and prefers a hip-hop beat).
SoftBank’s emotional robot Pepper could be considered a hit in Japan ,with the first wave of 1,000 bots selling out in a minute and another 1,000 ready to move at the end of this month. But is Pepper’s popularity peculiar to purely people in one part of the Pacific? Perhaps.
We may soon find out according to a report in MIT Technology Review. One of their writers visited Aldebaran Robotics, the company which made Pepper along with SoftBank, and learned that an American Pepper is already well into development and has been given a significant attitude adjustment of the smart-ass kind to better fit in there.
With 1,000 units set to go on sale later this month, Japanese telecom giant SoftBank has high hopes for its domestic robot, Pepper. If the company wants to achieve its dream of a Pepper in every home, however, numerous ethical issues must be considered and overcome, one of which being the thorny matter of owners who attempt to treat their little robot like an altogether different kind of helping hand.
It seems that SoftBank is already trying to keep ahead of the curve, however, by clearly stating in its documentation for Pepper that sexual acts with the cheery robot are strictly prohibited.
On 5 June, Japanese telecom giant SoftBank announced that it will be selling a robot capable reading emotions and being a friendly companion to humans. The robot’s name is Pepper, and in addition to a chest-mounted tablet computer it comes loaded with an array of mics, cameras, and other sensors for sophisticated movement and interaction with people.
Frequently abandoned by his fellow humans, our beloved reporter Mr. Sato decided to go down to the SoftBank shop in Omotesando, Tokyo where a Pepper unit was on display. Although excited about his first chat with a robot, Mr. Sato would soon find that Pepper was actually kind of a jerk who totally dominated the conversation.
MOST POPULAR
Today
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Japanese people share 11 amusing tales relating to pregnancy and childbirth
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Shinto shrine will bless your bike helmet and give you a sacred bike helmet stamp
Bandai cancels gacha/blind-buy system for anime cosmetics, will let fans choose what they buy
Weekly
- Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
- Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo- Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details
Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]
Tsujihan sushi bowl restaurant goes viral with foreign tourists, but is it worth the hype?
Monthly
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa- Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo- New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan- Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Yearly
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
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- Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Japanese people share 11 amusing tales relating to pregnancy and childbirth
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Shinto shrine will bless your bike helmet and give you a sacred bike helmet stamp
Bandai cancels gacha/blind-buy system for anime cosmetics, will let fans choose what they buy
Only five branches of Japan’s beef bowl giant Matsuya serve milk shakes, but how do they taste?
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s Mister Donut Japan tries its hand at Taiwanese-style street food donuts
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Live-action Ghibli Princess Mononoke stage play tickets are now on sale
Counting in Japanese just became a whole lot easier with this handy infographic
War in Iran threatening Japan’s pudding production
Tokyo store makes you to pass a quiz in order to buy Pokémon cards as part of anti-scalper policy
-
