Japanese Robot Art – It’s Good, Man!
Illustration, product packaging, statues & sculpture, and even some transhumanist pin-ups; for decades Japan’s been pounding out the robot art like nobody’s business. Last week’s robotics piece examined the artistic legacy influence of giant Japanese robots on the upcoming film Pacific Rim, but this week it’s just cool robot art for the sake of looking at cool robot art.

Some readers might just see the shiny, and that’s cool – some might find a new robo-wallpaper or screensaver, and that’s fun – or, as happens more than one might suspect, the exploration and enjoyment of sci-fi imagery and entertainment can result in actual factual inspiration.

Art Can Make Science, The -Fi Drives the Sci-
A guy named Martin Cooper, inspired by the communicators from the original Star Trek series (60s), went on to lead the Motorola team that invented the first mobile phone (70s). The Panasonic/ActiveLink exoskeletal Power Loader & Power Loader Light looks a whole lot like the safety-yellow power loader from Aliens. The 1959 novel Starship Troopers has been cited as a major inspiration for those working on real-life badass robot suits. Sikorsky’s helicopters & Lake’s early submarines were heavily inspired by Jules Verne. It goes on.

Art & The Contemporary Robotics Revolution
The social and economic significance of the ongoing explosion in practical robotics shows a lot of parallels to the communications boom and media upheaval centered around the rise of the internet – in all likelihood, it’s not going to slow down. At all. And one has to wonder how many Gen-X roboticists fell in love with their field as children playing, watching, reading the Transformers, Voltron, Gundam, Star Wars, etc. Certainly went that way with at least one dorky keyboard pounder, as well.

Whatever the result, humans need art – and those of use with deep-seated robo-geekery proclivities, we need robot art. And so, enjoy the four forms below, and see the links at the bottom if you need a little more enjoyment, something that’ll look cool on your laptop or phone, and if the imagery below inspires you to invent, kindly link here when you go public, yeah?!

Form #1 – Illustration Because Illustration:
Doesn’t have to be a whole lot of practicality to robot art, just looking good is good enough. The main image above and the first work below is that of Toshiaki Takayama, who goes all kinds of robo-cyborgy on humans and dragons and other imaginary stuff:

Another great illustration is this Gundam going all robo-rage on… something, via Concept Robots, artist unfindable:

Form #2 – Transformers Box Art:
Now, this is also illustration, but for marketing and product packaging, of course. These images, perhaps modern vintage, were included on the 80s Transformers packaging. With plastic & metal toy in hand, these were the mind’s landscape.

In Japan it was this:

And across the Pacific:

Form #3 – Statues & Sculpture:
The most well-known and pun-intended visible robot statue is the life-size, 1:1-scale Gundam that pun-intended pops up from time to time around Tokyo. Ironically, this is Gundam Suit is, well, Mobile. The attention to detail is fantastic:

And just how big is the 1:1-scale Gundam? Could ask this dude:

Form #4 – Japanese Robot Art for Big Boys & Girls (CAUTION – the link below will deliver some NSFW):
For those who’d like a little more, ummm… nudity and sexuality in their robot art, a good place to begin is the work of nasty robot airbrush wizard Hajime Sorayama. His iconic and widely recognizable work was transhuman before transhumanism was cool, but his name isn’t exactly household. Below is a pretty mild sample, but if you’re like, you know, into that sorta thing, jump through the link below – but not at work or in front of grandma:

Thanks for viewing – if you’ve got a favorite Japanese or otherwise nationalitied artist who represents with the robot art, let us and other readers know down below.

• • •

Reno J. Tibke is the founder and operator of Anthrobotic.com and a contributor at the non-profit Robohub.org.

Image Sources: Toshiaki Takayama at deviantART – Gundam Gallery at Concept Robots & Blog of DARWINFISH105 – Transformers Box Art at Botch the Crab – Hajime Sorayama’s Beleaguered Website (Google Image Search is better)

Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox One, which the company is hoping will be the system in the center of all home entertainment for people everywhere.

It was unveiled in Redmond with a full press release distributed by the company. Here in Japan, we also received a Japanese version of the official company press release, and we are looking forward to the chance to get a closer look soon.

It combines gaming, viewing, sports, online functionality, photos, videos, etc., and is an aggressive roll-out by Microsoft in an area where many competitors are trying to gain dominance – being the control console for all household entertainment and digital activity.

Official Press Release:

REDMOND, Wash. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”

Introducing Xbox One

With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism, and TV obeys your commands.[1] Say “Xbox On” to launch your personalized Xbox One Home screen, discover what is popular on TV or see friends’ latest gaming achievements all using the most natural interface — your voice. The more you interact with Xbox One, the more it gets to know you and learns what you like. Some of the breakthrough Xbox One features that put you at the center of your living room entertainment include the following:

• TV on Xbox One.[1] Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.[3]

• Home. Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.

• Snap. Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.

• Skype for Xbox One. Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.

• Trending.[1] Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.

• OneGuide.[1], [2] Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network or name, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.

To create the most advanced Xbox system ever designed for games, TV and entertainment, Microsoft created a state-of-the-art gaming operating system and fused it with an equally amazing entertainment platform, so you will not have to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. An eight-core, x86 processor and more than 5 billion transistors helps make lag and load times a thing of the past, so you can instantly jump between a game and your entertainment at lightning speed or run a host of apps right alongside your game with no loss in performance.Introducing Xbox One titles and exclusives

Gaming on Xbox One immerses gamers in cinematic worlds that look like real life, with characters that feel more human than ever before. AAA blockbuster titles unveiled for Xbox One include the following:

• “Forza Motorsport 5” from Turn 10 Studios is the latest edition of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years.[3] Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel. “Forza Motorsport 5” sets a new bar for racing games and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.

• “Call of Duty: Ghosts” is the next generation of “Call of Duty” and a stunning leap forward for the franchise. It delivers an all-new world, an all-new cast of characters and an all-new story, built on a new, next-generation engine. The next-generation technical innovations built to support the incredible gameplay advancements make this the most beautiful and immersive “Call of Duty” experience yet. Activision and Microsoft also announced the renewal of their close partnership that will see both the return of the “Call of Duty® Championship,” presented by Xbox, as well as all-new downloadable content debuting first and exclusively on the Xbox platform.

• “FIFA 14,” “Madden NFL 25,” “NBA LIVE 14,” and “EA SPORTS UFC” from EA SPORTS will change the way consumers experience and play sports games. Driven by the new EA SPORTS Ignite engine, these new EA SPORTS games will deliver massive innovations in human intelligence, true player motion and living worlds. Adding to its commitment to Xbox One, EA SPORTS also announced the promise of exclusive content to be revealed in the coming months.

• “Quantum Break” from Remedy Entertainment is a revolutionary entertainment experience from the creators of “Max Payne” and “Alan Wake” that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.

In addition to the amazing lineup of games coming to Xbox One, Microsoft unveiled exclusive content partnerships with some of the top names in TV, sports and entertainment.

• “Halo” television series. Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer, Steven Spielberg will executive-produce an original “Halo” live-action television series with exclusive interactive Xbox One content, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.

• National Football League (NFL).[1] A multiyear, landmark partnership will deliver the ultimate interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve both in-game and on the sideline. The NFL on Xbox will redefine broadcast experiences through innovations around Skype, Xbox SmartGlass and player-worn technology; add an all-new fantasy football solution for the biggest screen in the house; and create a personalized NFL destination only available on Xbox One.

Introducing a new generation of Xbox Live

Xbox One is built to amplify an all-new generation of Xbox Live that is more powerful, more personal and more intelligent. Unleashing the virtually unlimited power of the cloud makes everything more convenient and accessible, from allowing games to be installed in segments so that gameplay can start quickly to updates downloading in the background. Save and store your personalized profile, games and entertainment in the cloud to access them anytime, from any Xbox One console.[4] In addition, existing Xbox Live Gold Membership for Xbox 360 will seamlessly carry over to Xbox One.[5] Xbox Live takes you deeper into the games you love with all-new features.

• Smart Match. A new Smart Match matchmaking system virtually eliminates waiting in lobbies by estimating wait times and finding people you want to play with while you are enjoying other activities — reputation fundamentally matters and helps find best matches.

• Game DVR. A dedicated Game DVR captures and accesses your magic moments, all saved to the cloud. Along with sharing tools, you will have the most amazing bragging rights with Xbox Live.

• Living Games.[6] Dynamic, living worlds evolve and improve the more you play, and advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you, so friends can play against your shadow.

• Expanded achievements. A new and expanded achievements system captures video of your epic moments, continues to grow a game’s achievements over time and rewards you in new ways, and your Gamerscore carries over from Xbox 360.

• Xbox SmartGlass.[6] Xbox SmartGlass is natively part of the Xbox One platform, built in from the beginning with the ability to quickly render content directly onto your device, and now more devices can connect at one time for multiplayer and shared entertainment.

Introducing the Xbox One look and feel

New Xbox One hardware is sleek and modern and complements any décor. The console is shaped in the 16:9 aspect ratio and employs a horizontal orientation optimized for its high-speed Blu-ray™ disc player. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

The completely redesigned, revolutionary 1080p Kinect is more precise, more responsive and more intuitive. Its unparalleled vision, motion and voice technology let you reach into games and entertainment like never before by dramatically expanding its field of view and fidelity. It works in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation.

The class-leading Xbox controller is refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit immerse all gamers in ways that are uniquely Xbox, and precision and control have been dramatically increased with all new vibrating impulse triggers.[6] The Xbox One Wireless Controller is designed to work in concert with the new Kinect, allowing the two to be paired automatically to create seamless player syncing.

Xbox One will launch in markets around the world later this year. Visit the new Xbox Wire blog at http://news.xbox.com for in-depth features on the new system, including photos and videos from the unveiling event and new and rotating content from Xbox. More details about Xbox One and blockbuster games will be explored at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music, and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass, and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Features and requirements are under development and may change prior to release. Available features and content may vary by country. Broadband Internet (ISP fees apply) and advanced TV hardware required. Games and media content sold separately. Xbox Live Gold Membership, paid subscription and other requirements apply for some Xbox Live features.

1 Live TV with Kinect navigation, Live TV with OneGuide, Trending, and NFL on Xbox available in U.S. at launch; anticipating global scale over time.

2 Kinect voice functionality only available in supported locales and languages.

3 At launch, Live TV will require a supported receiver device with HDMI output (sold separately).

4 Subject to geographical content restrictions.

5 Some Xbox Live content and features available on Xbox 360, including avatar content and some apps, are not available with Xbox Live on Xbox One.

6 In supported games.

I-O DATA is releasing a 9 mm thin USB3.0 compliant portable HDD called “Kakuusu 9″ in late June.

It has a compact body (75 x 110 x 9mm, 125g) with a stylish aluminum casing, making it a fitting accompaniment to an Ultrabook, MacBook Air, etc.

Capacity is 500GB.

It’s run with USB bus power, so an AC adapter is not needed.

Price: ¥11,000
Colors: Black, Silver, Gold
Interface: USB3.0/2.0
Power source: USB bus power
Size: 75 x 110 x 9mm
Weight: 125g

From Takara Tomy comes the must have accessory for summer fun – The Dancing Face-Stand for iPhone – it is an iPhone stand that looks like a robot. It will dance with the music you play from your iPhone. Download the dedicated app “Face sing” to your iPhone and you will be able to display your friends or family member and watch as they enjoy the dancing and singing.

The Dancing Face-Stand was seen previously at toy shows but will finally be available on June 27.

Check out the video on Takara Tomy’s site.

You can mount an iPhone with a charging cord on the stand.

It is self-powered through batteries, not through the mounted iPhone.

Price: 3,465 yen (including tax)
Colors: White, Red, Blue
Compatible with: iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPod touch (4th generation or later)
Size: 170 x 130 x 105mm
Weight: 280g
Battery: 2 x size AA battery (sold separately)

This marketing analysis tool, under development by Fujitsu, uses technology to sense people’s movement. By analyzing how customers behave in response to merchandise, entirely new kinds of marketing information will be obtainable.

“This exhibit is designed with retail stores in mind. The system determines how people choose products, whether they were interested in a product already, and what products they compare, using Kinect and a camera.”

With regular POS systems, the only information obtained is how much merchandise has been sold. But by using this system, it’s possible to find out how customers acted while contemplating the purchase of a product. This system could help with marketing by showing how customers behaved when they were thinking about buying a product, but didn’t complete the purchase.

“For example, we think this system will make it possible to analyze how a person considered two products, found it hard to decide between them, and finally chose one of them. It’ll enable analysis to go deeper, regarding whether a person who had difficulty deciding was a man or woman, and how old they were.”

“Rather than using this system by itself, we think it could be used in conjunction with RFID tags and other sensors. Also, rather than using Kinect to detect people coming and going, it could be combined with more specialized sensors. In fact, all this system does is collect data, so when it comes to analysis, it could be cross referenced with point of sale data and big data, or the system could be used to correlate information regarding the effectiveness of introducing customer loyalty points programs. So, we hope this system will be utilized in combination with Fujitsu’s all-round solutions.”

Event: Fujitsu Forum 2013

This Video is provided by DigInfo.tv, AkihabaraNews Official Partner.

Today, May 21, Sharp introduced 2 models of 4K compliant LCD TVs: AQUOS UD1 – 70 inch and AQUOS UD1 – 60 inch. The 70 inch will be released on June 15, the 60 inch will be released on August 10.

We attended their product presentation announcement (new LCD TV model press conference) held in Seavans Building in Minato ward in Tokyo and were able to review the 70 inch model.

Sharp said that the AQUOS UD1 models overcome 3 of the issues that the company considers to be the biggest impediments to great big-screen TV viewing:

1) Pixel roughness issue (The bigger the screen becomes, the rougher the pixels get)
2) Light reflection issue (The bigger the screen becomes, the more that light reflection will become a factor)
3) Installation space issue (The bigger the screen becomes, the more space it will occupy)

Solving the pixel roughness issue is the built-in “4K Moth Eye Panel”, which includes the “4K LCD panel” that has 4 times higher definition than Full HD. We saw an absolute crispness to the picture that made it feel like any detail could be shown well.

Solving the light reflection issue, is the “Moth Eye panel” part of the “4K Moth Eye Panel”. This greatly reduces reflection of outside light or other ambient light in the room. It applies the actual structure of a moth’s eyes to the panel technology. Their optical control technology made it possible to create a beautiful panel that looks uniform in lightness. We saw a demonstration of this with a crystal wine class behind a “Moth Eye panel” and another wine glass behind the normal glass used. The amount of reflection and glare that was cut with the “Moth Eye panel” was impressive.

Regarding the installation space issue, with thinner screen margins and a compact design, the amount of space this TV occupies is actually less than that of much smaller screen-size flat screen TVs from a few years ago. For example, the 57 inch LCD TV released in December, 2005 is 165.2cm wide, while the new 70 inch AQUOS UD1 series model is only 157.8cm wide.

Also, the “AQUOS UD1″ series has “AQUOS 4K-Master Engine Pro” that converts non-4K contents to 4K contents. It also has a “2.1ch front sound audio system” built-in, DuoBass woofer, SD card slot, 400MB internal memory, and so on.

The 70 inch model (LC-70UD1) has received the official “THX 4K Display Certification” which proves its recognition for HD display high image quality. Sharp is applying for certification for the 60 inch model as well.

In side-by-side comparisons between the AQUOS UD1 and recent 2K models, the difference in the picture was very apparent. While recent models could be described as bold and vibrant, the AQUOS UD1 was more life-like, and very natural – Perhaps less bold, but better and another step closer to that “just like you’re there” feeling.

Following the release of its ultra high-end model “ICC PURIOS” in February, 2013, the “AQUOS UD1″ series is Sharp’s second 4K TV release. It is targeted for family use and the price setting is much less inexpensive than “ICC PURIOS”.

The estimate price for the “AQUOS UD1″ series is 850,000 yen for the 70 inch model and 650,000 yen for the 60 inch model.

In 2013, the number of 4K TVs expected to be sold in Japan is estimated to be 50,000 units and SHARP is trying to take 20-30% of this amount.

- 70 inch model (LC-70UD1)
Release date: June 15
Size: 157.8 x 11.4 x 95.0 cm
Weight: 47.5 kg
Receivable channels: Digital terrestrial broadcasting 011ch – 528ch, BS digital 001 – 999ch, CS digital 000 – 999ch

- 60 inch model (LC-60UD1)
Release date: August 10
Size: TBD
Weight: TBD
Receivable channels: Digital terrestrial broadcasting 011ch – 528ch, BS digital 001 – 999ch, CS digital 000 – 999ch

If you are like a lot of guys, not only might your computer or touch panel need some cleaning, but your stuff may not be smelling as fresh as it could.

Now, there may be something for you. Elecom is releasing a touch panel cleaner with fragrance in late May.

There are 2 kinds:
- “Spray type” (P-FCS)
- “Tissue type” (P-FCT5P)

These cleaners remove finger prints, dirt, etc. from screens, tablets, smart phones, etc. and also add some refreshing scent to your screen. 10 kinds of scents are available.

Fragrance types:
rose, lavender, grapefruit, lemongrass, fresh fruit, musk, fruity vanilla, green tea, wood, soap

Spray type (P-FCS series)
Price: ¥1,323 (including tax)

Tissue type (P-FCT5P series)
Price: ¥640 (including tax)

Yes, everything is small in Japan but this is extreme!

Thanko released an extremely small functional camera that looks like a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Despite it’s super small size (38x33x28m, 17g), it is capable of taking photos and movies. Photos and movies can be saved on a microSD card. Battery charge is done via a USB port.

It also features a strobe that detects darkness and flashes automatically and a “Motion-sensing” function that starts taking about 2 minutes of video by detecting body movement. It’s a more useful camera than expected.

Price: 5,980 yen (including tax)
Size: 28 x 33 x 28mm
Weight: 17g
Accessories: USB cable, strap, small bag for the camera
Saving format: Movie – AVI, Photo – JPEG
Resolution: Movie – 1280×720, 1 mega pixel, Photo – 2560×1920

The Thanko miniature camera can be ordered here.

Sony has developed an A4 sized equivalent 13.3″ digital paper notepad.

The display is the first in the world to use E Ink Mobius, a new flexible electronic paper display technology developed by E Ink in collaboration with Sony. Technology developed by Sony for forming high precision thin film transistors on plastic instead of glass has been used, making the display flexible and light. It is scheduled for mass production this year.

“We’ve succeeded in mass-producing these large flexible panels, by combining E-Ink’s flexible paper technology and Sony’s mass-production technology.”

“Usually, devices are made by sandwiching TFTs between glass sheets. But these panels use plastic instead of glass, so they’re much lighter. Another feature is that, unlike glass, these panels are very durable.”

This prototype digital notepad weighs 358 g and is 6.8mm thick, with the 1200×1600 pixel display itself weighing around 60g, 50% less than if glass was used. The prototype also features a battery life of approximately three weeks.

“This is a PDF document. You can page through it with your finger. Of course, you can also write comments and draw lines in the PDF document. Also, if you choose the marker, and move your finger over text, you can highlight text like this.”

“This is still at the prototype stage. But we’re designing it to work smoothly. Also, with paper, you can rest your hand on it while you write, but with a tablet, you can’t always do that. This digital paper makes it possible to write while resting your hand on the panel.”

“We’d especially like this to be used in universities. From the second half of this year, we’re planning to do trials with Waseda, Hosei, and Ritsumeikan Universities. We also plan to release a commercial version during this year.”

Event: Educational IT Solutions Expo

This Video is provided by DigInfo.tv, AkihabaraNews Official Partner.

Fourteen years from now, when Japan’s magnetically levitated, approx. 300MPH/482KPH Chuō Shinkansen comes online, it’ll be among the world’s coolest people movers – maybe even top of the list. And the world’s most fantastic train should have equally fantastic train stations, yeah?

Maybe not.

While the existence of this train is old news, released just last week were Japan Railways’ design proposals for stations on the initial Tokyo to Nagoya route (with eventual extension to Osaka). Suffice it to say, as proposed these supertech trains would be stopping at stations with an aesthetic that aggressively bypasses any notion of post-modern minimalism and instead lands somewhere in the vicinity 1970s Soviet chic. They’re basically elevators, stairs, automated ticket counters, toilets, and tracks.

Those interested can see the plans here & here (PDF; Japanese only).

Train Stations are Not Just Train Stations (in Japan)
For one who’s never traveled here, this might not seem like such a big deal. Because it’s just a train station, for a very fast train at that, so who’s looking to linger? Well, the thing is, in Japan even medium-sized and smallish train stations can be the nuclei of entire neighborhoods or city wards, and they’re often social & economic ecosystems unto themselves; think variably sized multilevel shopping malls where trains happen to stop. This is particularly true in places like Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka where rail stations serve literally millions of passengers on a daily basis.

Japan Railways is calling the designs “modern” and “revolutionary,” but here in rapidly aging, often techno-contradictory Japan (yes, the rumors about ongoing fax machine usage are true), dispensing with the niceties and familiarities of strongly analog and strongly full-service rail travel culture might be too tall an order – the natives might revolt… which basically just means they’ll demand that their local municipalities cocoon the stations with restaurants, convenience stores, souvenir shops, coin lockers, and little out of the way cubbys with those stand-up irons to press your pants.

Remains to be seen, but we’ll keep you dialed in as things unfold.

Addendum on Nomenclature:
Oh, by the way, the ultra-utilitarian stations aren’t the only thing that could use a bit more thought: “Chuō Shinkansen” might sound exotic and Japanesey, but it really just means “Central Shinkansen.” And, though the name’s gained a domestic and international cache of high-tech coolness, “shinkansen” just means “new main line.”

Sure, a dead-sexy maglev bullet train is a concept that sells itself, but let’s hope that gets some polish. Because calling this thing the “Central Shinkansen” would be like naming the latest Ferrari “Red Car.”

• • •

Akihabara News Contributor Reno J. Tibke is the founder and operator of Anthrobotic.com.

Via RocketNews 24 via IT Media (Japanese)