Japan

[Updated] L.A. Bakesale for Japan: Donate a Dessert for City-Wide Mega Fundraiser on April 2

TavernLA.comTavern Pastry Chef Breanne Varela's Citrus Cream Tart​ Update: This Saturday's L.A. Bakesale For Japan, the national fundraiser for Japan relief organized locally by pastry chef Breanne Varela of Tavern, has expanded beyond the original Black Cat Bakery location into a city-wide e ... More >>

Marijuana Fundraiser Called 'Joints For Japan' Aims to Send Weed Proceeds To Quake, Tsunami Victims

Compassionate Pain Management.Maui, apparently.​In that last few weeks we've seen people run for Japan, sell clothes for Japan, and dance for Japan. But this is a first (and L.A. area dispensaries, why the hell were you beaten to this punch?): A Colorado pot shop that advertises "WOWIE, WE'V ... More >>

No Nukes Vigil to Honor of Japan, Mark Three Mile Island Anniversary, Tonight in Westwood

FoxNo longer?​It feels almost like the '70s are back. Following Japan's nuclear crisis, demonstrators will hold a vigil outside the Westwood Federal Building to urge "a Non-Nuclear Future" for the United States and Japan. The action marking the thirty-second anniversary of the Three Mile Isl ... More >>

Meiji, Japan Rediscovered

Could California's Medical Marijuana Crop Be Tainted by Japanese Radiation?

This indoor weed has a healthy glow.​This passes for a serious concern in California. Our precious multi-billion-dollar marijuana crop could possibly maybe be threatened by radiation from Japan. And who wants their green glowing, well, green? It's a question posed with a sober voice in the ... More >>

Nuclear Power in the Wake of Japan: 2,452 Spent Fuel Assemblies Stored at San Onofre

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.​Southern California's San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has plenty of spent fuel on-hand, Fukushima-style. There are 2,452 spent fuel assemblies from three reactors (one is being used only as storage) there, we're told, versus 4,685 at the ailing, ra ... More >>

Radiation From Japan a No-Show in Los Angeles, But Does Arrive in Northern California

FoxHomer would be bummed.​Updated after the jump: Radiation detected in Sacramento. Should you worry about the weekend's rain? Lot of build up. No payoff. (Sorry to disappoint). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency radiation monitoring system in L.A. has found nothing above daily "back ... More >>

UCLA Pulls Students Out of Japan Following Radiation Fears; USC Students Can Stay if They Want

NoeluapUCLA students will come home.​We're hearing Tokyo, one of the world's greatest, most-bustling metropolises, is a ghost town following Japan's 9.0 rocker and subsequent nuclear crisis. And now a few more folks are headed back home to L.A. as UCLA has suspended its study abroad program i ... More >>

Japan Radiation Scam in L.A.: Email From 'Fire Department' Warns of Acid Rain, Hair Loss

hot-new-hairstyles.comNot funny, guys.​As if the mass paranoia in Southern California over that fabled radiation cloud from Japan wasn't ridiculous enough, it appears some Los Angeles email scammers are doing their part to feed the fear. Inspector Matt Levesque from the L.A. County Fire Depar ... More >>

Japan: If You Fly From LAX to Tokyo, Will You be Exposed to Radiation in the Jet Stream?

Japan Airlines​If you fly to Japan, will you be exposed to radiation, possibly in the not-so-friendly skies? It's a possibility. But you won't hear that from U.S. officials. At least not yet. The U.S. State Department issued an alert last weekend telling Americans to avoid travel to the earth ... More >>

Top 5 Ways to Give Japanese Nuclear Radiation a Proper Welcome to Southern California

FoxWelcome.​So by now you've probably heard. Some of that radiation released by Japan's ailing Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is likely headed to Los Angeles. Don't be afraid. Don't ask if you should drop a potassium iodide pill. You shouldn't. Don't ask if you should stay indoors. G ... More >>

Radioactive Clouds Antidote? A Big Fat Chill Pill For L.A., Public Health Officials Say

AirplaneCalmate, eses.​Updated after the jump: L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa weighs in with much of the same. The worst thing about radioactive clouds headed our way from Japan tomorrow? Panic, says L.A. County Public Heath chief Jonathan Fielding. "The biggest health impact is the psych ... More >>

Hollywood Tsunami Blockbuster 'Hereafter' Pulled From Japanese Theaters; Some DVD Profits to Fund Red Cross Relief

Way, way too soon.​And the Oscar for awkwardest international release date ever goes to Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter," the glamorous, fear-profitting tsunami flick that dropped in Japan on February 19, 2011. Three weeks later, as we're now brutally aware, news cameras captured a real-live vers ... More >>

Japan Earthquake Donation Backlash: Should We Give to a Wealthy Nation?

bobcareyfotoThis girl brought her piggybank to an L.A. Red Cross fund-raiser for Japan.​It's only four days after the fourth-worst earthquake in recorded human history, and already the backlash has begun. A few American pundits are saying that we shouldn't donate to the quake and tsunami relie ... More >>

Yoshiki of X Japan to Auction 'Crystal' Piano for Earthquake, Tsunami Relief

Yoshiki, drummer, pianist and songwriter for legendary Japanese hard rock band X Japan, is auctioning his "crystal" plexi-glass piano, according to a recent press release. The reason? He's raising funds for earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. This is the piano that will be up for auction. ̴ ... More >>

Japan Earthquake: Los Angeles Rallies to Help, Raise Cash

jefferson via TwitpicA crack in the earth in Japan.​Japanese Americans rallied over the weekend in Little Tokyo for victims of Japan's devastating 8.9 earthquake. People set up collection boxes in shopping areas, and one woman told TV crews she raised $3,200 Saturday alone. The Dodgers announ ... More >>

Japan Earthquake: FBI Warns Against Relief Donation Scams

U.S. NavyDevastation in Sendai, Japan.​The FBI on Monday warned the public to be wary of giving to unfamiliar Japan earthquake relief funds and to check out all charities before you open your wallet. That said, we were amazed at how many stories are out there about Japan earthquake scams, tho ... More >>

Japan 8.9: Tsunami Watch For SoCal

​Update: A National Weather Service tsunami warning for the L.A. coast has been downgraded to a tsunami advisory. After the jump: Boats damaged in Catalina. Could it happen in L.A.? See that story here. The National Weather Service issued a tsunami watch for the Southern California coast thi ... More >>

Japan 8.9: Could it Happen in Los Angeles?

​Could an earthquake like yesterday's 8.9 in Japan happen in Los Angeles? The short answer is no. But we could come close. We talked to USC's Jean-Pierre Bardet, a professor of civil engineering and a big-time quake expert, today. Here's what he says:

Japan's Terrifying Masked Monkey Waiters [VIDEO]

What could be weirder than the having your beer brought to you by pint-sized monkey waiters? How about pint-sized monkey waiters wearing human clothes and freaky horror movie masks. This is the stuff nightmare are made of, only this isn't a nightmare. Monkey waiters are real, and they work at Kaya ... More >>

Aburiya Toranoko: Lazy Ox's Cardenas Branches Out

Restaurant merges izakaya with gastropub

First Bite: Aburiya Toranoko, or Lazy Ox's Cardenas Branches Out

F. FriesemaJonagold apples​ The fetish object of the week? My money's on the uni goma tofu at the new Aburiya Toranoko in Little Tokyo, which is to say a smallish cube of firm, blackish tofu made from ground, toasted sesame seeds, served in a shallow puddle of soy and topped with a lobe of sea ... More >>

Kidding Around the Kitchen

McDonald's Going Big in Japan

​ Last Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported on what it may have perceived to be a case of irony: In Japan, where citizens traditionally eat a healthier diet, live longer, and weigh less than their American counterparts, McDonald's has launched Big America 2, a marketing campaign featuri ... More >>

Your Sushi Robot Update: Wasabi-squirting R2D2s and Orwellian Management Strategies Key to Japanese Sushi Chain's Success

Sushi-making robots aren't exactly new on the scene. Back in 1995, The New York Times reported that the Suzumo Machinery Company had designed a $86,000 droid capable of turning out a piece of nigiri sushi every three seconds. While several Japanese chains used the robots then and lowered prices ... More >>

Death By Mochi: New Year's Rice Cake Fatalities in Japan

Guzzle & NoshOshogatsu mochi​ New Year's culinary traditions can be fun, especially if they include eating Hoppin' John or tailgating at the Rose Bowl. In Japan, the traditional New Year's food is mochi, the little glutenous rice cakes that are served in soup this time of year, and they can b ... More >>

Suehiro: Little Tokyo Lunch Special

Going old-school

L.A. Rush-Hour Disaster: Big Rig Carrying Dog Food Collides With Big Rig Carrying Tires On Pomona Freeway

Japan ProbeThis heartbreaking photo from Japan has nothing to do with what happened on the Pomona Freeway last night​Just when Pomona commuters thought rush hour was petering out last night -- Ba-BOOM. Rubbery kibbles 'n' bits met tumbling hoops of man-rubber at 8 p.m. in the eastbound lanes ... More >>

Want a $31,000/hour Part-time Job? Domino's Japan Has One Open

Domino's Japan​ The global recession, or whatever we're calling it these days, seems not to apply to Domino's Japan. Last week the Japanese pizza company announced that it will be offering a special part-time job next month: a one hour gig for which the lucky employee will receive 2.5 million ... More >>

Tokyo 7-7: The Diner That Time Forgot

Long before Culver City became a happening culinary Mecca, dotted with chic brasseries and wine bars, it belonged to humble eateries like Tokyo 7-7. Tucked in an alley off Washington Blvd., this Japanese-American diner sits in the shadows, literally and metaphorically, of half-a-dozen hip, ups ... More >>

Happier Meal: Hide Sushi for the Under 10 Set

Tokyo Japanese Lifestyles & Outlet​ Whoever first came up with the whole "Happy Meal" concept is surely the world's most evil genius, so brilliantly and pointedly does it speak to the dirty (as in: crumbs on the floor, spilt milk on the table, and ketchup on that brand new Crewcuts dress) tru ... More >>

X Japan in the U.S.: From Anime Conventions to Lollapalooza to a North American Tour

Saturday night, X Japan will play live at The Wiltern. It will be the band's first full concert in Los Angeles ever. This is despite the fact that the band initially formed in the early 1980s and went on to become one of Japan's greatest rock acts, launching the visual kei movement in the process. S ... More >>

Skull Stapler: Office Supplies No One Will Steal

​ Would you pay $50 for a stapler? If it looked like this you might. Yesterday I was researching (and by "researching" I mean "random Googling") a chicken handbag by Sarut, and I came across these Skull Staplers. Their tagline: "Use your head!" The top of the head (or, in fancy medical langua ... More >>

WE SAY, "GO NISEI"

The Free Design's Chris Dedrick, RIP

Big in Japan: the Free Design​Chris Dedrick, leader and songwriter of the cult group the Free Design, died on Friday, according to his website. The Free Design released several soft-pop albums between 1967 and 1972, initially under the mentorship of easy-listening legend Enoch Light. The jazz ... More >>

Tokyo Style Billboards For Downtown L.A. Proposed

​Los Angeles is one of the world's great neon cities, but the Korean and American developers of a new high rise proposed for downtown want to take it up a notch. According to Curbed LA, the owners of the Wilshire Grand hotel -- proposed site of a 65-story building -- want to create a sign dist ... More >>

Jinya: Ramen Freaks and Noodle Geeks

Getting schooled in the finer points of broth

Izakaya Fu-ga: the Accidental Bar

A discovery in Little Tokyo

Web Surfing: A Roundup of Posts from LA Food Blogs

-- Cocktails @ The Tasting Kitchen. [Naked Sushi] -- Op Fed: Remembrances of Food Past. [Eat: Los Angeles] -- The World Cup at Guelaguetza: Mexican Glory And Chef Ludo. [Teenage Glutster] -- Dean Sin World - Dim Sum, Dumplings, and a Dating Epiphany. [The Delicious Life] -- The Future of Food T ... More >>

Whale Sushi At Santa Monica Restaurant Came From Japan Scientific Hunt

​Whale sushi purchased at a Santa Monica restaurant in September came from an endangered sei whale hunted in Japan under the guise of scientific purposes, a scientific paper published in the journal Biology Letters concludes. Scientists say genetic testing prove that that sashimi served at Th ... More >>

Got Mochi: Little Tokyo's Mikawaya Celebrates 100th Anniversary

A. ScattergoodMochi at Mikawaya​ Finish off a plate of hamachi sashimi or negitoro-maki at any sushi bar and you'll most likely have the option to bite into the colorful, chilled dessert that has come to be known as Mochi Ice Cream. With flavors ranging from Green Tea, Strawberry to Mango - t ... More >>

Sweet Streets: Art Inspired by Tokyo Street Fashion

Last week, Caro (of the great Polaroid blog hihicaro) announced that she's curating a second installment of Sweet Streets, Gallery Nucleus' group show of work inspired by Tokyo street fashion. Though the show isn't set to open until September, Caro has already launched the Sweet Streets blog, featur ... More >>

Underground Japanese Beatmaker DJ Nujabes Confirmed Dead

​It was confirmed today that underground Japanese beatmaker Jun "Nujabes" Seba died last February 26 after a car accident. His family buried him privately and the anouncement of his death did not make the news until today. Nujabes was known for delicate, often mournful beats that were respect ... More >>

Japanese Face Slimmer & Neck Stretcher: More Weird Beauty Products from Asia

Are faces really wide and necks really short in Japan? Voila, the Japanese "Face Slimmer" and "Neck Stretcher." I suspect that these products are just the tip of the iceberg where attempts to achieve the Japanese beauty ideal are concerned. ​ ​ ​ For instance, according to Japa ... More >>

Drumcell Plays Tokyo, Debuts Kontrol X1

Last week, we told you about the forthcoming collaboration between Drumcell mastermind Moe Espinosa and Richard Devine and posted a video showcasing a portion of Devine's collection of gear. Espinosa too is good with gear. He's worked with Native Instruments on the development of various products an ... More >>

BIG ADVENTUES IN LITTLE TOKYO

And In Calamari News: Giant Squid Fishing at Newport Beach

Giant squid, something that we're particularly interested in here at Squid Ink, are right now invading the waters off Newport Beach. Fishermen first started reeling in the catch last Thursday, some of which have measured up to 4 feet long and weighed in at 60 pounds. According to the L.A. Times, Rob ... More >>

JAPANORAMA

West Coast Sound: (The Other) X Takes Over L.A.

Over the Weekend: Star Wars Burlesque, X Japan, Sonic Youth and He-Man

It was one of those weekends where there was almost too much to do. Sometime in between darting back and forth across Los Angeles, we had the chance to take in the scene, whether we were at an X Japan video shoot, He-Man art show, Sonic Youth concert or Star Wars Burlesque. Behind-the-Scenes of X ... More >>