Little would you know this but perhaps the largest Disney fans of the world reside in Japan, children and adults. So much so that this country has a special and orignal Disney theme park based next to the sea called Disney Sea. This one is a different venture from the Disneyland in Tokyo that folks just love visiting too. Well, with the involvement of die-hard grown up fans, you can expect a lot of innovation (and we mean big bucks) in the merchandise sector. For instance, a jewelry store in Osaka that goes by the name of Tanaka Kikinzoku has made a beautiful Snow White in pure gold. Accompanying her are the seven dwarfs who also enjoy being cast in the gorgeous yellow metal.

No wonder, this store is gaining a lot of mileage. It is believed that this little Disney team has a total estimated worth of $335,000. That said, it is not for sale. The makers believe that their favorite Disney Princess and her ‘kawaii’ seven friends are priceless.

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We have just discovered that S.T. DuPont, a French company is making a new handset called “Pantech Sky DuPont IM-U510LE” in collaboration with Pantech, South Korea’s largest handset manufacturer. The luxurious phone is inspired by DuPont’s famous lighters, which Pantech integrates as a push-up button with the same cling sound that is produced when the lighter cap opens.

The phone comes with a lot of interesting features. It has a 3-inch touch screen display, a 2G-only connectivity, GPS, a MP3 camera with 3 megapixel, Bluetooth, mobile dictionary, and gold plated edges. The features look appealing but the DuPont phone will be available only for SK Telecom network users. It is very unfair to those who really want to buy this phone. However, around 30,000 of this handset are expected to be sold.

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Contrary to popular belief, the super-rich do have a conscience. Well, how else do you explain the endless charities and drives to save the earth? Folks like Edward Humes with a good heart and a splurging bank balance will definitely be interested in the new concept carports that are doing the roundd of the eco new world thesedays. A perfect substitute for the Bond-style pop-up garage, these are actually solar panel roofs.

A creation coming from Japan-based Sankyo Tateyama Aluminum is a great way to go green for the rich without having to compromise on their ultra-high standards of living. Referred to as M.Shade (aka M. frontage Solar Shade) this one has the ability to generate power to the capacity of 2.52kw vis-a-vis its photovoltaic cells. Other than that, it can accomodate two cars too.

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We have just discovered some new Television remote controls by Sony Japan. These remote controls have simple basic functions and they come with big buttons. This will make it easier for the users to see the buttons and change the channels easily. These remote controls are waterproof. Thank God somebody at least came up with a waterproof remote control. Mine just stopped functioning as I accidentally poured water on it.Now I can care less if it happens again.

These Sony remote controls are compatible with most TV manufacturers. They will be on sale from September 10 onwards at but only in Japan. They will be available for 2468 Yen ($29). They come in five different colors. Interestingly, the remote controls have sharp numbered buttons but the button no. zero is printed on the button no. 10 in a small size.

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In this fast moving and highly technological world, laptops are fast replacing the old desktops. Interestingly, laptops are becoming the must have electronic gadgets for many of the techno-savvy people. Well, working for long hours on the laptop is sometimes a painful task to do so. Gorocool designed by Japan’s Thanko is an amazing laptop desk that will let you work more comfortably on your laptop.

You can fix this in any seating surface like the lounges, sofas, beds and chairs. You can adjust the Gorocool according to your comfortable seating position with the help of the hinges.This will also protect your lap from getting heated up that happens often as the powerful fan inside the laptop generates a lot of heat.

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Recent surveys have revealed that iPhone is enjoying a good reign as the most popular mobile device in the tech-savvy Japan. And there is an ultra-luxe item which is being made available to mark the occasion. One of the major cell phone providers in the country, Softbank has just launched the Japan Texture Special Edition mobile accessory for iPhone which is really an attempt to bring a distinct Japanese flavor to the widely successful gadget that almost everybody owns or wants to own.

The new collection has mobiles fitted in lacquer cases that play five different designs each paying homage to the days of samurais and shoguns. In fact, the elegant presentation cases by themselves look nothing short of a work of art.

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The desire to own brisk modes of transportation is on every rich person’s list. And we are not just taking super cars here. In fact, if you are in Japan you might just see one of these speeding off in the skies thanks to the efforts of the Japanese Mori Building Co. Yes, if rumors are to be believed, then you can get to Narita airport from downtown Tokyo in a matter of just 30 minutes if you hire a Hermes helicopter.

The service will be run between a rooftop in the central district of Akasaka and Narita International Airport, which are 44 miles apart and would require an hour and a half of car travel. We are told that the helicopter ride will not just save time but will also allow the passengers the luxury of looking down the splendor of Tokyo while sitting in comfy seats made from rich-brown calf leather.

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Always expect the Japanese to think out of the box or should we say circle, this once. Well, we are told that a farmer in the town of Tsukigata in Hokkaido has grown watermelons in the shape of a pyramid. Bored of the regular shape of the juicy fruit, the man decided to grow it in a  specially shaped plastic shell and hung it upside down.

So far, some sixteen pyramid watermelons have been shipped all across Japan including the high-profile Iwataya department store in Fukuoka, where it has been kept in storage because the fruit isn’t ripe yet. We are informed that the unique watermelon is 25 centimeters high and comes for a huge $555. But then so are the other exotic fruits in Japan.

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Recession might seem like one big joke to those in Tokyo. Well, we don’t mean to only refer to the 12K yen that government shelled out per person in Japan to aid in the financial crisis, but also to the marketing strategy adopted by French jewelry store Mauboussin. Believe it or not, but as part of the launch of its new store in Ginza, the brand gave away 5,000 diamonds for free.

Each diamond was worth 0.1 carat with a cost of $55. This strategy was used to encourage people to invest in luxury gems during the hard times. But we do have serious doubts about the finances of a company who is offering diamonds like promotion cookies.

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In this fast moving world, everybody needs a break to pamper oneself once in a while. One thing that attracts me the most at the moment is Hitoma. It is a gigantic portable tea room and it has the ability to transform any ordinary room into the perfect tea or meditation retreat. We often neglect to focus on medication as we are too occupied with our daily routines.

Hitoma is originally dispatched from the Japan Brand Pop Up Shop and is currently available at NYC’s Felissimo till 30 May 2009. Besides the latest fashion accessories, kitchen props and home decor, which come straight from Japan, Hitoma is the centre of attraction. Hitoma literally signifies a room that is used to promote a time and place for relaxation. It is built using Kishu timber. It is a high quality cedar from the city of Gobo.

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