PHOTO of the DAY (JAPAN) Dial up warning

[AsahinaKimi]

The world's first air-powered car, the KU:RIN designed by Toyota Industries Corp., speeds along a track at the company's factory in Obu, Aichi Prefecture, on Sept. 22, 2011. The car, which requires neither electricity nor gasoline to run, was unveiled the same day. The vehicle hit speeds as high as 129 kilometers per hour on Sept. 9, and the firm plans to apply for Guinness World Records recognition. (Mainichi)

Bonus Photos

The top of Mount Fuji is lightly covered with the first snow of the season in this photo taken from the Mainichi helicopter on the morning of Sept. 24, 2011. The appearance of the snow was six days earlier than usual and one day earlier than last year. The temperature at the mountaintop was 5.3 degrees Celsius below zero at 6 a.m. on Sept. 24. (Mainichi)


Worshippers gather amid smoke from incense burned in a huge censer at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, on Saturday.


A man offers a prayer in front of a family gravestone at a cemetery in the Miyagi Prefecture city of Natori, which was devastated by the March 11 tsunami, on Sept. 23, the Autumn Equinox Day. While the rubble in residential areas has been almost completely removed, the gravestones at the cemetery remain piled on top of each other. (Mainichi)


The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a H-IIA rocket carrying an Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) from its Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at around 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 23. The satellite later separated from the rocket as planned, marking the 13th consecutive successful launch of the H-IIA. IGSs are surveillance satellites used primarily to monitor the military facilities of North Korea and other countries. The launch of the latest satellite had been delayed due to technical problems and Typhoon No. 15. (Mainichi)


The first snow of the season is seen around a mountain hut near the peak of Mount Kuro in Hokkaido on Sept. 22, 2011. The passage of Typhoon No. 15 brought in cool air on par with early October. (Photo courtesy of Rinyu Kanko Co.)


A worker checks a huge advertisement poster for a cosmetic company in Tokyo.


Snowshoes, Japan

Shoes of Straw: Waraji, Japanese traditional shoes for travelers and for samurai in battle field. Made of woven straw. Seen worn at the Kyoto Gion Matsuri.

Mainichi Ohatu -まいにちおはつ-Something new every day

[AsahinaKimi]

1. I would love to know how

That air car works..and why we haven't thought of it yet?

[Mac1949]

11. According to Autoblog.com it runs on compressed air...

and has a total range of only two miles! :shrug:

[AsahinaKimi]

12. Thanks

That's kind of depressing. Not exactly something you would drive on the Los Angeles Freeways. I guess you would need a sail go go any further, or a gas station with a tire pump station. Lets hope they combine that with the other technologies to make the vehicle more practical.

[chillspike]

13. Actually, a French inventor has been experimenting with Air driven vehicles for some time now

His name is Guy Negre and he is an ex race car driver. He has a factory in Nice France where he has produced several versions of his compressed air vehicle. Some are even being used at a French airport. They are quite stylish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RBl1LFUQ4c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If you like alternative transportation, the erocket is also a unique example:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdNI8geL7w&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Note: the price of an erocket has dropped to around $12,000USD since the video was made.

Thanks for the Japan update, Asahinakimi. This was a good one, as they all are! :)

[AsahinaKimi]

16. You are welcome

Thanks for the links.

[chillspike]

19. You're welcome

何でもありません

[AsahinaKimi]

20. heh

大声で笑う!!!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. Life - lived to the fullest. Beautiful. nt

[flying rabbit]

3. cool pics! nt

[AsahinaKimi]

17. Its amazing what comes up each day

They are amazing, ne?

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. Thank you!

[AsahinaKimi]

5. Dou itashimashite

You are most welcome.

[seabeyond]

6. i really appreciate and value what you are doing on du.... nt

[AsahinaKimi]

7. Oh! so kind of you!

Domo arigatou gozaimashita!　どうもありがとうございました！

[Suich]

8. That's a striking picture of the cemetery.

How in the world to they restore that?

I, too, would love to see more about the air-powered car! Have no idea how that works.

Thanks for posting!

:)

[AsahinaKimi]

10. Really!

The caption says it doesn't even run on electricity. I would like to know more.

[JNelson6563]

9. I always enjoy these threads!

:toast:

[AsahinaKimi]

18. glad you are pleased!

Yorokonde kurete ureshii desu.

[Auntie Bush]

14. I like the photo of the top of Mt. Fuji.

When was the last time it erupted?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. About four hundred years ago

:-)