Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Hello Kitty Condiment Set The condiment set comes in yellow and red. Red matches my kitchen, and all stocked up with salt, pepper, and chili oil, I can complete my fantasy Korean restaurant table set up at home, complete with table buzzer so I can order more soju! (Michelle Borok) Pick it up at the Link
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The old cliché, of course, is that to seriously outperform something one runs circles around it. But for a certain Englishman in Tokyo it isn’t a matter of wanting to outperform an entire city so much as it is a desire to express his deep affection for his adopted home. So he isn’t running circles around Tokyo, he’s drawing pictures with it. Since November of 2010, English transplant Joseph Tame has periodically combined his love of running with that of Tokyoto turn the city into a rather large Etch-A-Sketch. Using a GPS device and special tracking software, Tame runs routes through Tokyo that end up forming large, whimsical pictures which are plotted and traced onto a Google map of the city. In April, he ran a 50 kilometer route which formed a large heart in central Tokyo. Earlier this month, he created a “G+” icon to celebrate the launch of the Google+ social networking service. And earlier this year, he ran 45 kilometers to form an ersatz Hello Kitty face spread over the Nakano and Shinjuku wards of western Tokyo. And as you’ll see at the link, he has drawn a few other fun figures as well. We can’t wait to see where this runner’s kinetic creativity will take him next. (The Art of Running – Huge Tokyo Heart)
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“It wouldn’t be a Japanese toy show without its fair share of Anpanman, Disney, Hello Kitty and all the other character favorites with their own games, toys and digital fluffiness.” Sadly, the International Tokyo Toy Show, which was held last weekend, is over. Happily, we can bring you a couple of links which highlight some of the more interesting and innovative toys and gadgets featured at the show. One of the more nifty categories of toy-slash-gadget product is the iPhone/iPad pet app category. These are apps which are more than apps, because when you buy one and activate it, your virtual pet will complain of cold and discomfort until you wrap your iPhone or iPad in a warm, fuzzy app-specific accessory. And the accessories, of course, are additional purchases, so you can immediately see the clever yet predictable business model for this type of product. Another product we want to try (which is unfairly aimed only at kids, of course) is Takara Tomy’s foaming green bubble bath slime. It’s designed to turn your average Japanese kid’s bath tub into a big, foaming, slimy experiment, which will hopefully stimulate an interest in science as well as get all those human nooks and crannies clean. It will be interesting to see how long it takes some of these products to reach the U.S. and Europe, if they ever do. But we’re really hoping we can get the green bath slime at the local Long’s or Walgreens pretty soon (CNNGo – Best of Tokyo Toys) Japan Trends has a little more coverage and lists a few more product highlights – Japan Trends Toy Report.
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My sister’s birthday is this weekend, and every year I come to the same predicament of finding the best gift for her! Yes, I should be better prepared and expecting this. Her birthday falls on the same day each time, and I always have a year to think of something for her. Yet, every birthday I usually find myself in the same situation: What gift do I give her? I know she has two stable preferences: She likes anything cute, and she likes anything convenient. I’m fortunate that Giant Robot stocks numerous products that are both cute and convenient, but to help narrow down the search I also know that she absolutely LOVES Hello Kitty! Fortunately, Giant Robot offers so many Hello Kitty items for me to choose from! These Hello Kitty Ceramic Clocks are new to Giant Robot! They each feature the classic Hello Kitty, painted onto the front exterior of each ceramic clock. Direct from Japan, these clocks arrived in perfect condition. An opening in the bottom of the ceramic figure lets you reach inside the clock to adjust the time and settings. I think any sister would appreciate the classic design and accept it into their home. Another smart gift idea is this Hello Kitty Black Bento Box! I know that my sister packs her own lunch for work, and this bento box is both useful and adorable. Each bento box comes with a clear plastic interior case that seals tight in order to contain food, and it also comes with a bright pink elastic band to keep the lid of the bento box securely shut. The design features a unique style of bright pink sakura blossoms, adorning Hello Kitty. Giant Robot offers more cute and convenient items that feature Hello Kitty! Please follow the link below in order to peruse and purchase what we have available! What I Want for the Weekend: Hello Kitty at Giant Robot!
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