My Room II from Yamaha for privacy within your home

Written by: Rebecca Milner on November 10, 2008 at 11:14 pm | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION | 3 Comments

Wow, when we mentioned the DIY Japanese-style room in our coverage of the Good Design Awards, we thought the concept of a little ambient room within a room was pretty cool. Especially considering our standard box-like dwellings.

But the My Room II from Yamaha is something else entirely—it’s like a human sized vault! This mini-room, designed to fit conveniently even in an apartment, offers the ultimate in soundproof privacy for watching TV, having important confidential discussions, or practicing karaoke.

As the name suggests, this is actually a remake of the original My Room, which debuted in 2004. Number two promises increased comfort (touch panel controls, air conditioner mounting) and reduced construction time (under an hour). When the original debuted, suspected target users included everyone from parasite-single adult children still living at home, stressed out moms, and the now retiring baby-boomer salarymen generation—and we certainly aren’t seeing a shortage of any of the above.

Yamaha also has a similar product, called Cefine, designed for home music practice, the original application for which the concept was developed.

Privacy in Japan doesn’t come cheap however, as the 1.5 tatami mat-sized My Room II retails for ¥664,650 (about $6,500). A Cefine II of the same size will set you back ¥1,039,500 to ¥1,575,000 (about $10,000-$15,000). Used ones are also available to rent for ¥10,605 to ¥20,580 (about $100-$200) per day.

Tags: Entertainment, Home, music, Privacy, Yamaha
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

AVEX Club Legend - Retro Clubs come back

Written by: Michael Keferl on October 21, 2008 at 4:53 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | No Comments

Music label giant Avex (Home to Koda Kumi, Hamasaki Ayumi, and many others) is celebrating its 20th anniversary by reliving the good old days when it lead Japan’s dance music scene.

To drive this point home, Avex is actually bringing back classic Tokyo clubs that played their tracks, but only for one night (and a different location of course). In September they did the first event by bringing back Juliana’s, a Tokyo staple for a mere three years in the early nineties, but one that left a lasting influence due to its legendary “bodicon” girls in skimpy, tight dresses. Here’s a then-and-now for the curious:

Pictures via NightFriendNews and Getty Images

Of course, the Club Legend series isn’t only events, but the “best of” albums that go along with them. Each club has its own CD that comes out a month before each “reunion” event, including club legends Twinstar, velfarre, and Maharaja.

These clubs certainly represented mainstream clubbing culture of the Bubble Days, full of glitz and conspicuous consumption, which is precisely what makes them stand out so much in the more underground and demure scene of today. The last year has been all about retro trends anyway, no doubt because of the great feeling those days gave to a generation that will soon be sending its kids to high school. Great timing!

If you’re interested in reliving the glory days of Juliana’s once again, we found a great site with lots of videos. Otherwise, this weekend is the House Nation event at Ageha for those in Tokyo.

Tags: Clubs, Entertainment, nightlife, Retro
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Hitokara at Home bridges phones with home karaoke

Written by: Michael Keferl on October 6, 2008 at 3:58 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | 1 Comment

Despite dropping numbers, karaoke is still the official after-school pastime of Japanese youth. Besides being a technology driver by being early adopters of mobile phone, e-money, and interactive loyalty programs, karaoke also plays a large role in the music industry by upping the demand for karaoke-friendly tunes.

Last year Sega released their mobile karaoke service called Hitokara, meaning (karaoke for one). The free mobile phone service began with 35,000 karaoke songs available for download, ranging from pop tunes to traditional Japanese mucis, but has since expanded to include over 43,000 free songs for it’s 1.5 million members. Now Sega has made a real world accessory for its digital service called Hitakara at Home, which connects the mobile phone to enhance the karaoke experience.

The Hitokara at Home is a miniature karaoke box including speakers, microphone and an LED lit mirror ball for when the lights go down. Users can connect the mobile phones to the device, choose the songs, and rock out at home or with a friend. Consult your doctor before mixing with karaoke pills!

Tags: Entertainment, Karaoke, Sega
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS