Once again, the results are in. Two weeks of votes casted by fans for the AKB48 General Elections 2012 have been tallied and the top members of AKB48 for the year 2012 have been determined. The results after the jump!

Oshima Yuko.

#1. Oshima Yuko
With Maeda Atsuko voluntarily out of the picture, is it any surprise that the number one spot defaults back to Oshima Yuko this year. She takes the top spot despite a nearly 14,000 vote drop from last year. As perhaps AKB48′s most versatile member, Oshima has been regularly taking the second spot each year, even taking over the top spot in 2010 to bring us what was the best post-election song ever, Heavy Rotation. Here’s to hoping that we get yet another great hit again this year.

Watanabe Mayu.

#2. Watanabe Mayu
If the recent pushes were any indication, Watanabe Mayu would very much be the management’s preferred successor to Maeda Atsuko. Between her being highlighted in the voting single Manatsu no Sounds Good, and the timely release of both her solo and Watarirouka Hashiritai 7′s singles, Watanabe Mayu has had no shortage of the media spotlight as of late. Her switch to a more mature image must had surely won over more fans than she had lost. She rises to comes in at number 2 with a more than 12,000 vote increase over last year.

Kashiwagi Yuki.

#3. Kashiwagi Yuki
While she has been relatively inactive outside of her subgroup French Kiss, Kashiwagi Yuki proves that her following still remains strong. Between her quirky television appearances and gracing the covers of many a gravure magazine, Kashiwagi continues to charm many into a daze. However, she loses over 3,000 votes this year to fall at 3rd place.

Sashihara Rino.

#4. Sashihara Rino
After jumping 10 spots last year, people’s idol Sashihara Rino rises to even greater heights this year. Thanks to her underdog status and constant media stunts, Sashihara has become a favorite among the masses. She jumps to the 4th spot this year despite strong competition.

Shinoda Mariko.

#5. Shinoda Mariko
Even with her scarce activities within the group, AKB48′s oldest member continues to rank well thanks to her media presence. While she no longer holds the same amount of popularity as she once did, Shinoda Mariko still remains one of the fan favorites, winning over more than 6,000 new fans.

Takahashi Minami.

#6. Takahashi Minami
As the official leader of AKB48, Takahashi Minami continues to prove herself as one of the group’s most invaluable members. Impressively, she manages to retain her position among AKB48′s top, while full devoting her time towards the group’s activities. She moves up one rank to #6.

Kojima Haruna.

#7. Kojima Haruna
While less active than some of the other AKB48 members on this list, Kojima Haruna continues to rank favorably thanks to her frequent gravure photoshoots and weekly variety show Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku. She managed to garner about 1,500 votes more than last year, dropping just one spot, to rank at 7th place.

Itano Tomomi.

#8. Itano Tomomi
Despite a solo career and strong public presence, AKB48 fashionista Itano Tomomi had a disappointing show last year, falling 4 places to number 8. Itano popularity has remained stagnant, even with the strategic timing of her new single and she remains at number 8 with only a 80 vote difference from last year’s results.

Matsui Jurina.

#9. Matsui Jurina
SKE48 ace Matsui Jurina continues strong among the AKB48 hierarchy. It has been a strong past year for SKE48 overall with many more of their members ranking in this year’s elections. And as the most active member in both SKE48 (and AKB48), its no surprise that she Matsui Jurina has ranked this well. The (still) young Matsui Jurina raised almost 18,000 votes more than last year to take 9th place and the top spot among all SKE48 members.

Matsui Rena.

#10. Matsui Rena
The other half of the SKE48 double Matsui aces. Matsui Rena found herself at number 10 in last year’s AKB48 General Elections. She returns again this year among the top members, retaining her spot at 10th place.

2012 Results
This year, instead of the usual 40, rankings go all the way until 64, giving us a better look at how the girls have done (and how the votes have been spread out).

Senbatsu
1. Oshima Yuko (108,837)
2. Watanabe Mayu (72,574)
3. Kashiwagi Yuki (71,076)
4. Sashihara Rino (67,339)
5. Shinoda Mariko (67,017)
6. Takahashi Minami (65,480)
7. Kojima Haruna (54,483)
8. Itano Tomomi (50,483)
9. Matsui Jurina (45,747)
10. Matsui Rena (42,030)
11. Miyazawa Sae (40,261)
12. Kasai Tomomi (27,005)
13. Kitahara Rie (26,531)
14. Minegishi Minami (26,038)
15. Yokoyama Yui (25,541)
16. Umeda Ayaka (24,522)

Under Girls

17. Takajo Aki (23,083)
18. Yamamoto Sayaka (23,020)
19. Watanabe Miyuki (19,159)
20. Akimoto Sayaka (19,121)
21. Sato Amina (17,009)
22. Kuramochi Asuka (14,852)
23. Shimazaki Haruka (14,633)
24. Takayanagi Akane (14,111)
25. Hata Shawako (13,920)
26. Masuda Yuka (13,166)
27. Oya Masana (12,142)
28. Yagami Kumi (11,712)
29. Suda Akari (11,323)
30. Furukawa Airi (11,179)
31. Kizaki Yuria (10,554)
32. Ogiso Shiori (9,596)

Next Girls

33. Iwasa Misaki (9,297)
34. Matsumura Kaori (9,030)
35. Mukaida Manatsu (8,552)
36. Nakaya Sayaka (8,505)
37. Nakata Chisato (8,315)
38. Miyazaki Miho (8,073)
39. Nagao Mariya (7,809)
40. Fujie Reina (7,782)
41. Kobayashi Kana (7,195)
42. Maeda Ami (7,168)
43. Fukumoto Aina (6,912)
44. Nakagawa Haruka (6,890)
45. Tano Yuka (6,694)
46. Yamada Nana (6,683)
47. Miyawaki Sakura (6,635)
48. Katayama Haruka (6,602)

Future Girls
49. Muto Tomu (6,424)
50. Ishida Haruka (6,333)
51. Kikuchi Ayaka (6,185)
52. Ota Aika (6,140)
53. Matsui Sakiko (6,058)
54. Yamauchi Suzuran (6,027)
55. Nito Moeno (6,025)
56. Kimoto Kanon (5,982)
57. Oba Mina (5,969)
58. Ichikawa Miori (5,963)
59. Oya Shizuka (5,933)
60. Ogasawara Mayu (5,919)
61. Sato Sumire (5,706)
62. Yakata Miki (5,606)
63. Nakanishi Yuka (5,592)
64. Komori Mika (5,390)

For comparison, here are our previous posts for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 results.

Votes are spread a lot thinner this year, leading to lots of unexpected ranks especially outside the senbatsu. Despite sales increasing, the number of votes among the top ranks remain roughly the same as last years’ (if not less), and more are being spread out over the lower ranks.

Among the senbatsu, one of the more pleasant surprises was AKB48 Team K’s Umeda Ayaka jumping 5 spots and finally making the cut after taking Under Girls center last year. Kasai Tomomi made an unexpected jump in rank in the sebatsu too, earning a good 5,000 votes more than last year, despite the votes for many of the other senbatsu falling. The rest of the results are mostly in line with our predictions.

Are you surprised by the results? How did you favorite AKB48 member do? Let’s see how the winners make use of this success to better further their careers.

The invent of the internet has changed the way we live our lives considerably. It has also affected the way we travel. And while travel related websites have been around since the dawn of the World Wide Web, statistically the biggest changes have been in the past couple of years. Internet travel sites have finally overtaken traditional travel agents, with more people planning and booking their holidays online than anywhere else.

Japanese search company Goo recently presented the results of a survey they conducted, compiling the thoughts of what people felt were their most visited types of sites for holiday planning. The results are a good indication of what are the top online innovations to have made planning a holiday a less daunting task.

1. Map Sites
At least in Japan, the biggest number of people survey have voted Map Sites, particularly Google Maps as the most indispensable online tool for planning a holiday. I wouldn’t disagree. The ability to look up any place on earth at a whim or even step through in first person on Google Street View is truly invaluable.

2. Search Engines
For most, Search Engines, or rather Google has become the gateway to the rest of the internet. Making sense of the internet, the search engine helps us sort through a treasure trove of resources on the internet. Be it the means to book your holiday or a site like Supermerlion, through which people can discover travel ideas and new things to love.

3. News Sites
Online News Sites provide readers with up to date information on the region allowing travelers to better plan the timing of their trip. This is especially true when looking at disaster prone areas. In some cases, those curious in a particular country might follow its news, further propagating their interest in the destination.

4. Weather Report Sites
Savvy travelers will know that considering the weather of your destination ahead of time is one of the most important things to do. At the most basic level, knowing the weather forecast will let you prepare the right clothes but also it’ll help you plan an itinerary better and minimize any possible hiccups. Yahoo! Weather still remains the most used source for weather information.

5. Travel Review Portals
Most holiday planners turn to travel review sites for introduction to their destination these days. Many incorporate hotel and flight bookings, as well as charting applications to provide a one stop place to plan your itinerary. While rarely the cheapest option, it provides a convenience that makes them the most profitable source. Popular examples include the Lonely Planet forums and TripAdvisor, possibly Asia’s most popular travel review site.

6. Credit Card Sites
When it comes to genuine offers, it takes major entities like Credit Card companies to offer the best promotions. Many credit cards have tie in with airline companies to provide either a miles program or some other sort of conversion of loyalty points. There’s always the occasional discount offers that might net you tickets for slightly less than their usual price.

7. Airline Company Sites
More often than not, the best Airplane deals can be found from the source. With Airline companies providing their own booking systems, you’ll get the most updated prices direct from their official web pages and the added benefit of being able to check-in online or change your seats at any time.

8. Social Networks
The popularity of Social Networks has changed the way people travel and seek travel more so than any other online presence in the shortest period of time. It is only second nature for most to shove travel photos down their timeline these days in an attempt to make others jealous. In fact, more than 59% of travelers have been found to post status updates about their holiday on Facebook. While not easily quantifiable, this envy is definitely something benefiting the travel industry.

9. Hotel Search Sites
Dedicated hotel pages rank low on the list, which is not unexpected. While all of the tools to plan one’s holiday is widely available, many still do not have the time to sort through all the best options manually. Instead, as statistics show most prefer to opt for the convenience of all in one tools like Expedia or Orbitz (the two market leaders), even if it means paying slightly more.

10. Travel Agents Sites
Enforcing the idea that holiday planning is now an independent task, the online presence for Travel Agents such as JTB or HIS rank at the bottom of this list.

Survey results by Goo. Statistics courtesy of Mashable and Lab42.

Earlier today, the Dentsu Innovation Institute released their findings for 2011′s top “hit products” in Japan. The list shows the top 20 items, figures and phenomenons as seen from a internet survey the company carried out earlier this month. It’s a nice representation of the current buzzwords and what’s hot in Japan right now.

#1. Smartphones
Retaining the number one spot as least year are Smartphones. Ever since the introduction of iPhones into Japan in 2008, the public had finally been exposed to a cellphone that wasn’t running the terribly chunky user interfaces they had been putting in their “keitais” since eternity. 2011 has seen Android phones overtaking the market in all but the most KY of countries and Japan is no exception. Japan has always had an unnatural reliance on cellphones, perhaps more so now that they have their hands on some that are actually easy to operate.

#2. LED Light Bulbs
The impact of the the unfortunate Tohoku earthquake and tsunami can be seen in many of the names making this list. While already gaining awareness since last year, the “setsuden” energy saving campaign that swept through Japan explains the sudden increased frenzy towards low energy consumption products, most popular being LED light bulbs.

#3. Tokyo Sky Tree
Tokyo’s new terrestrial broadcasting tower climbs up this year’s list as we ease closer towards its public launch date next May. The 634 meter structure is already the second tallest structure in the world and is hallmark towards the Japanese media’s complete shift to digital broadcasting by next year.

#4. Nadeshiko Japan
Japan women’s national football team that beat America this July to become the first Asian team ever to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

#5. AKB48
Quite literally Japan’s largest pop idol group, AKB48 continue their invasion of Japanese media and chart topping releases throughout of this year too.

#6. Ashida Mana
Popping out of nowhere to take the 6th spot is Ashida Mana. This 7 year old child actress has been clogging television screens since her appearance in popular dramas late last year. Now Ashida pops up in just about ever commercial break, ensuring you can’t ignore this child talent even if you skip all her programs. Like most other talents her age, Ashida is another victim of adultifation that leaves her looking like a creepy, middle-aged midget.

#7. Hybrid Vehicles
Japan continues their raised awareness in all things green, with hybrid vehicles jumping 9 places up.

#8. Disaster Prevention/Emergency Food Supplies
Again related to the Tohoku incident. You’d think something of such importance would rank higher though.

#9. Electric/Battery Powered Fans
During the energy saving campaign, many opted to switch out their air conditioning for more primitive alternatives. Electrical and battery powered fans became a sudden need to get item, like the other setsuden related items on this list.

#10. Digital Broadcasting Ready Widescreen LCD TVs
With 2011 being the last year before switching to full digital broadcasting, it was about time the last few people owning analog TVs moved onto more recent technology. But in lieu with the events, the complete transfer has been delayed.

#11. Chunky Chilli Oil
Singapore’s Lee Kum Kee chili oil (which they refer to as 具入り辣油 over there) has been garnering unprecedented fame over in Japan these couple of years. It drops from a number 3 spot since last year but the oil features just the right amount of spiciness for the Japanese who are so known for their cat tongues to still stay on this list.

#12. Energy Saving Home Appliances
We’ve got to wonder exactly how much good switching to the new, apparently energy saving appliances does but that certainly doesn’t stop their popularity among those not willing to compromise their existing reliant lifestyles.

#13. Lady Gaga
While attracting media attention for all the wrong reasons, Lady Gaga’s involvement with charity efforts has generated enough buzz to put her on this year’s list.

#14. Automatic Bread Makers
This time last year, Sanyo revealed the first ever rice cookers that could automatically turn normal rice into bread. The “Gopan” machines sold over 58,000 machines in its first month alone and have continued to be a major hit in the market.

#15. Tablet PCs
PCs or Pasocons as they are called, have taken far longer to see consumer use in Japan than in the rest of the world. Tablet PCs on the other hand combine the tool with the mobile technology that they so love. Which probably explains the rising interest for tablets from last year’s 19th place.

#16. B-Grade Local Gourmet Food (Casual inexpensive food)
As Japanese locals continue to hold on tightly to their wallets, casual inexpensive restaurants continue to be the food of choice.

#17. Steve Jobs
While Apple products have not seen nearly as much popularity in Japan as elsewhere, the news of Steve Jobs passing have made enough ripples to be felt worldwide.

#18. Twitter / Microblogging
Japan has been resistant to attempts by Facebook to penetrate the country, preferring instead to stick to local mobile social network systems like Gree and Mixi. Twitter is a rare exception, having struck a chord with Japan’s platform of choice. The Japanese language lends itself effectively to Twitter too, with the 140 character limit being a non-issue for oriental users. But with just about everyone having tried or on Twitter already, most of the buzz that put it at number 2 on last year’s list has vanished.

#19. Electric Cars
Though Japan leads the production of eco-cars, just like in the rest of the world acceptance has been sparse. Electric cars creep into the bottom of this year’s list, though probably only in lieu of this year’s events.

#20. K-Pop Groups
Despite the utmost efforts, the surge of K-pop that has taken the rest of Asia by storm has had little effect in Japan. Instead, Korean artists find themselves fulfilling a small niche in Japan.

While researching on wasei-eigo for a second, more interesting follow up to our popular Made In Japan English article, I came across this survey by search engine Goo where Japanese netizens answered what words they were previously most unaware of actually being Japanese Engrish.

#1. Order Make
Actually, Custom Made though Made-to-order now sees use in the English language, especially in Asia.

#2. Skinship
One of the words brought up in our previous article. Refers to personal contact but carries the extra meaning of being something valuable to the Japanese (Skin + Friendship).

#3. Consent
Power Outlet. Derived from shortening “Concentric Plug”. Not quite what you’d expect when asking for consent in Japan.

#4. Key Holder
Your usual Key Ring or Chain.

#5. Power Harassment
Bullying. Sometimes wasei-eigo does a good job at shortening stuff but often fails as much.

#6. Decoration Cake
A fanciful decorated cake.

#7. Guard Man
Security Guard.

#8. Coin Laundry
Laundromat. Arguably makes more sense than the English counterpart.

#9. Reform
Would make sense if it wasn’t only used to refer to building renovations.

#10. Revenge
A re-match in any game or sport

Waseo-eigo is actually pretty handy, sometimes being clearer than the original words but ends up being confusing when they take the form of actual English words with a different meaning.

The rest of the answers and what they really mean.

#11. Grade Up
(To) Upgrade

#12. Number Display
Caller ID

#13. Spats
Tights

#14. Free Size
One Size Fits All (Has been absorbed into most Asia vocabulary by now)

#15. Mug Cup
Mug

#16. Baby Car
Stroller/Pram

#17. Mail Magazine
Email Newsletter

#18. Note Pasocon
Notebook

#19. Panty Stocking
Stockings

#20. Mania
Enthusiasm (Used as a noun, such as “Idol Mania” referring to an obsession of idols)

#21. One Pattern
Used as an adjective to refer to someone with a repetitive manner

#22. Fried Potato
French Fries

#23. 3 Size
BWH (Breast, Waist and Hip measurements)

#24. Plus Alpha
Additional Value (Usually used as slang for bribe)

#25. Paper Test
Written Examination

#26. Restruct
Corporate Downsizing

#27. Fantajiku
Fantastic (Just a misspelling)

#28. Radio Ca-se
Derived from Radio and Casette but actually refers to Boomboxes

#29. Televi Game
Video Game

#30. Gasoline Stand
Gas Station

The list of wasei-eigo constantly grows with time and this survey was taken quite a while back and so my not be an accurate depiction of the state of Japanese English today. But it still shows some of the principal offenders.

Information collected from Goo Rankings.

Regardless of how frequent a traveler one is, there is bound to be some anxieties when taking a long trip overseas. And be it for business or pleasure, many will find it uneasy to take the first step onto new soil. Today we investigate the most common worries faced by people planning their trips.

The following information was collected from a survey conducted by Goo Rankings on what Japanese people most fear before their actual trip, though many if not most of the sentiments are universal.

Perhaps the most worrying thing, before and during travels is the fear of the unexpected. This is reflected by the number one result. While other uncertainties can be prepared for somewhat, illness and theft are two things that are often beyond control.

Amusingly, I would think of Japan as the prime example for many of these fears brought up. With the language barrier and the countries seemingly complex transportation system to first time visitors being some of the most often cited problems faced by first time visitors to Japan.

Strangely, despite being potentially the most costly factor, accommodation worries place fairly low on this list. And more of the Japanese contributors seem to be more concerned over the potential lack of extra amenities in their chosen hotel rather than the difficulties in choosing one in the first place.

While seemingly all over the place, the rest of the results have a sizable sample giving surprising answers. Perhaps owing to Goo’s predominantly female user base, many reflected their concerns over blending into the overseas fashion.

Itinerary concerns only come in at #12. With an almost equal number more worried about not being brought to enough shopping areas, which seems to be a likely primary concern of middle aged folk traveling through a tour group.

Missing is the mention of the often horrific airline food, though by the time one comes face to face with a tray of mush, it is already too late.

What is your biggest worry when traveling overseas?

Statistics courtesy of Goo Ranking.

The results for the AKB48 General Election 2011 are in! Here in photos are AKB48′s most popular members this year, as voted by the general public.

#1. Maeda Atsuko.

#1. Maeda Atsuko
After losing last year’s battle, Maeda Atsuko is back as the 2011′s face of AKB48. With Maeda appearing extensively in mainstream television this year and the release of her first solo single. It is no surprise that the girl that has been described as the personification of AKB48 reclaims her spot. Will we see a “Comeback” themed 23rd single for AKB48′s K-pop loving center?

#2. Oshima Yuko.

#2. Oshima Yuko
Despite the impressive number of total votes this year, Oshima Yuko loses her place to Maeda Atsuko by a less than 10% margin. While not quite as visible, Oshima Yuko continues to win fans over with her vigor and silly charms.

#3. Kashiwagi Yuki.

#3. Kashiwagi Yuki
It’s no secret that Kashiwagi Yuki has been going place as of late. Between her exposure as a weather girl and the debut of her sub-group French Kiss, the past year has seen her popularity rise far more so than any other AKB48 member. Which is why she takes the number three spot this year. The question remains if she will be able to bridge the sizable gap between her and second place in time to come.

#4. Shinoda Mariko.

#4. Shinoda Mariko
Regardless of her rare participation in theater performances and decreasing appearance on AKB48 related shows, Shinoda Mariko drops only a single spot this year, no doubt thanks to her exposure through other popular mediums.

#5. Watanabe Mayu.

#5. Watanabe Mayu
Watanabe Mayu continues to increase her fanbase at a steady level. Allowing her to retain her position at #5. Arguably, her timely photobook release may have helped too.

#6. Kojima Haruna.

#6. Kojima Haruna
AKB48′s lazy queen has not been standing out any more particularly than last year, with her drama career temporarily coming to a standstill. Instead Kojima opts to continue her strong presence in AKB48, variety shows and her sub-unit No Sleeves. It also helps that she appears far more frequently than any other member in publications, with it being impossible to not find at least one magazine featuring a bikini-clad Kojima on shelves on any given day. Kojima Haruna takes the sixth spot by a narrow edge of just 130 votes.

#7. Takahashi Minami.

#7. Takahashi Minami
Team A’s captain and now official leader of the entire AKB48. With no distractions with the exception of being part No Sleeves (as well), Takahashi’s hard work and dedication toward the idol group continues to garner the respect of fans all over.

#8. Itano Tomomi.

#8. Itano Tomomi
Despite her solo debut this year and her role as the face of the popular Samantha Vega, Itano Tomomi drops 4 spots this year. She doesn’t lag far behind the previous two though.

#9. Sashihara Rino.

#9. Sashihara Rino
While she had been promoted extensively for years, the past year has been especially good to Sashihara Rino. Her post Heavy Rotation feature as the video’s least prominent member and subsequent popularity stunts have struck gold with the public who find it rather difficult not to like AKB48′s most notorious wota.

#10. Matsui Rena.

#10. Matsui Rena
Long regarded as one of SKE48′s most popular members. SKE48′s hidden ace Matsui Rena had missed making last year’s top 10 by just 84 votes. This year she overtakes fellow SKE48′s Matsui Jurina (and most of the 48 groups) to become SKE48′s highest ranking representative.

As with last year. Those ranked 1-21 will form the group’s “Senbatsu” lineup to feature in the next AKB48 single, which has been scheduled for 22nd August 2011. The top 12 members will also be part of the “Media Senbatsu”, members who will represent the 48 group’s image in the mass media. The remaining girls will create the “Undergirls” team for the single’s B-side, with Umeda Ayaka leading as this group’s center.

A thing to take note is that thanks to the sheer number of votes cast this time round, even girls who have fallen in rank may have in fact gained a sizable number of news fans. And with the combined number of 48 group girls counting at 152, even the undergirls here have much to be glad for. As such, the ranking only shows their popularity in comparison to other members.

Videos of the elections should be up soon. But the girls themselves have shown a more humble thanks this year regardless of position, many of whom were touched by the increased number of fans supporting them.

How did your favorite member do?

As before a big thanks goes out to Stage48‘s Afro Stud for compiling the magazine scans.

Sure most Singaporeans will laugh at the suggestion that chicken feet will deteriorate your handwriting or eating pig brains might make you smarter. But the truth is that many still fall prey to other traditional conventions, despite the government’s efforts in providing a first class educational system. After all, thousands of years of ancestral knowledge can’t be wrong, right? Well this article ain’t about mythical dishes, it’s about some of the hogwash that manages to pass off as science this side of the world.

Oh no.

Never Mix Hot And Cold

Not too long ago, I met a researcher from the neighboring pharmaceutical company at my office in an encountered that inspired the rest of this post. The man was horrified to see me concoct a mixture of tap water with that from the boiler. He even felt the need to instruct me on the health dangers of mixing hot and cold water together. So much for 4 years of med school. But when asking around my colleagues, I found out that they too had been taught this wisdom by their parents.

The belief stems from the basic Taoist philosophy of Yin and Yang, the backbone of Chinese medical science. Yet there is nothing in Chinese teachings that would suggest that mixing hot and cold together would give you anything more sinister than warm water (liquid water falls under the category of Yin, regardless of temperature). Quite the opposite in fact, as most practicing sensei would recommend the consumption of warm water. The confusion comes about when normal family members start likening themselves experts in traditional Chinese medicine.

Cold Water During Meals Causes Cancer

Another myth suggests that drinking cold water after a meal would actually solidify the oils and clog your arteries, which might inhibit blood flow or in some cases dry up to become cancer. It was derived from 19th century Westerners observing that the Chinese and Japanese, who drank warm tea with their meals, experienced less accounts of heart disease.

There is of course, no basis for the belief and it should be common sense considering that food goes to your stomach first and not directly into your blood stream. Modern re-emergence of the lie can be attributed to marketers of herbal tea products. Shamefully, I was one of them.

Statistically, the Chinese suffer from as much cancer and heart attacks as anyone else (if not more) and we known now that the improved health of the Japanese was due to the Omega 3 acids from their diet of fish. Our Asian ancestors still had good reason as to why they drank tea with meals though, it’s a comforting low calorie beverage doesn’t interfere with the taste of the meal.

Dangerous.

Avoid Soy Sauce During Chicken pox

It’s a prevalent belief, that consuming dark soy sauce while suffering from chicken pox will result in dark spots or scars. Many even extend this to belief to recovery after cosmetic surgery (or in some cases, any surgery) and incorporate more forbidden food in the list like light soy sauce, seafood or even chicken. Suspiciously the foods on the list are some of the most common foods in any Chinese diet.

The idea is that the dark pigmentation will somehow seep into one’s skin while healing, or in the case of seafood and chicken, toxins in the food will deter healing and cause scarring.

What most fail to realize, is that scars are an unavoidable part of the healing process, regardless of what you do (or do not) eat. Most would rather blame food they’ve eaten, rather than accept their evolutionary limitations.

If you happen to be Chinese, count yourself fortunate as you are one of the few races eligible to have scars removed completely by new treatments.

The truth, is that eating soy sauce, seafood or chicken will cause complications only if you have some sort of allergy toward any of the mentioned items to begin with. Sadly, medical practices like the Changi General Hospital have to go so far as to put up notices telling people not to avoid particular foods, as doing so might reduce important protein in your diet, truly hindering recovery.

Too Much Sugar Causes Diabetes

This one’s not just a local thing, it is mistaken everywhere. However, diabetes is a particularly serious problem in Singapore where 10% of the population are diabetics (Singaporeans love being first at stuff).

Most people know that diabetes has something to do with sugar, insulin or something. And since food products advertise stuff like “low sugar” and “no sugar”, everybody seems to agree that it is a bad thing. Sugar doesn’t cause diabetes though, ignorance does.

The disease is really caused by having a lousy diet. Local hawker food, with its high sodium content and lack of fiber, ensures that Singaporeans get their daily diabetes cocktail. The obese and those with a family history of the disease are particularly at risk.

Also, all those sugar free foods are actually contributing to the problem, as artificial sweeteners have been proven to cause both weight gain and cancer. They were really meant more for people already with diabetes to control their glucose levels.

Microwaving Food Is Unhealthy

Again, many of these myths extend far beyond Asia, but Singaporeans are particularly susceptible, especially considering that almost half of the population never completed high-school.

When mentioning microwave ovens, “radiation” comes to mind. I personally know families that refuse to own a microwave out of this fear, though these people are guilty of most of the stupidity on this list.

Obviously, microwaves have nothing to do with the radiation that we fear. And food cooked in a microwave oven is completely safe for consumption. Technically, cooking with a microwave isn’t very much different from cooking by any other method, except that it is more energy efficient.

In fact, microwaving certain foods can be even better than cooking by primitive methods. Since microwaves don’t break down nutrients as much as cooking on a stove does, microwaved food are often more nutritious. Just not as tasty.

Beware.

Canned Food Is Less Nutritious

You can’t blame anyone for thinking that any food left on the shelf for months is at least less nutritious, if not outright harmful to consume. But canned food really isn’t as bad as some seem to belief. Some are even fresher than the “fresh” counterparts found in local supermarkets (if they haven’t been hanging around for too long that is).

Produce that find its way into canned food make their way into the cans soon after ripening. Some of the flavor would be lost in the canning process, but most of the nutrients at time of harvest would be preserved.

On the other hand, “fresh” fruits and vegetables are pluck before they are ripe and made to endure the long journey overseas. The additional time spent at supermarkets and in your fridge, means even more nutrients are going to be lost.

This doesn’t mean that canned food is necessarily better. Fruits and vegetables are mostly fine, but preserved meats often have an extraordinary amount of salt or worse MSG!

MSG Is Bad For You

With “No MSG” plastered across the food items in the supermarket these days Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) must be some sort of global threat.

Locally, MSG better known simply as Ajinomoto, the name of the company that makes it (because anything that sounds Japanese is more likely to kill you). While Japan was responsible for marketing it, most seem to forget that it was the Chinese who first discovered glutamates some 2,500 years ago.

Glutamates are a natural occurring salt, found in almost all protein rich food such as meat, wheat and the most classical source, soybeans. MSG probably wouldn’t be as feared a thing if it was just called soy salt instead.

Over the years, the United States government has pumped funds into MSG research, citing claims of people suffering from strange symptoms after eating Chinese food. Yet each test only served to prove that monosodium glutamate is completely safe. In fact, the only time people suffered from any ill effects was when the MSG was replaced with a placebo.

Killing me softly.

Cup Noodles Contain Wax

Another staple Japanese food item out to poison its people? It might come as a surprise to most that just like conventional noodles, instant noodles were actually a Chinese invention.

Thanks to a fake internet chain letter, many people think that the Styrofoam cups used to contain cup noodles contains a layer of wax to protect the foam. It’s not just limited to the uneducated people too, as I know of a few friends who believe this to be true.

Obviously, it makes no sense for noodle companies to coat Styrofoam with wax. Styrofoam melts at beyond boiling point, while wax has an extremely low melting point for a solid, a property which gives it its use in making candles. But how do you explain the shiny surface of the cups then?

Well, it actually takes more effort for Styrofoam to be not shiny, considering that it is a plastic and all.

Another prevalent belief is that all instant noodles of both the cup and packet variety, are coated with wax to preserve the noodle or prevent sticking. How else do you explain the starchy residue when boiling noodles?

Well the Chinese really do wax some food to preserve them but noodles is not one of them. Instant noodles actually work in an identical way to the traditional longevity noodles. The noodles are deep fried in oil and dried to become their packaged form. The so called “wax” residue is nothing but the oil used to fry the noodles.

Those who have watched Shukan’s Gekikara Challenge will be familiar with these. But for those who are up for a challenge here’s the compiled list of the 10 spiciest foods in Tokyo and directions to where you can find them.

#10.

10

#10. Chen Kenichi’s Mabo Tofu (陳建一 麻婆豆腐)
At number 10, but no less intimidating is the Mabo Tofu by the famous Iron Chef Chinese, Kenichi Chen. There are quite a few restaurants to the master chef’s name, however the show featured this branch in Kiba which specialized in his signature Mabo Tofu, made from a combination of 10 different spices.

Chen Kenichi Mabo Tofu Shop (陳建一 麻婆豆腐店)
Level 1, Fukagawa Gatharia Lotus Park
Kiba, Koto Ward, Tokyo (Map)

#9.

9

#9. Explosive Ramen (爆発ラーメン)
The Misoichi chain of Ramen eateries serves this appropriately titled Explosive Ramen noodles. Each bowl contains an entire Chinese soup spoon of ground chili padi. There are a dozen of these shops scattered throughout Tokyo but the Meguro branch is featured here.

Misoichi (味噌一)
4-5-1 Nakameguro Meguro, Tokyo (Map)

#8.

8

#8. Gekikara Habanero Shaved Ice (激辛ハバネロき氷)
Unique to Namjatown’s Soft Cream Bar is this cruel combination of Habenero Peppers and Shaved Ice. Don’t let the pleasant appearance fool you. Those hoping to down the seemingly harmless concoction quickly will be greeted with both the fury of the peppers and an unwelcome brain freeze. Habaneros are the 2nd hottest chili peppers in the world, behind only the Naga Jolokia (aka Ghost Chili), which is used in weapons like pepper spray and hand grenades.

Soft Cream Bar (ソフトクリームBAR)
Level 3, Sunshine City World Import Mart Building 2
Higashii-Ikebukuro Sanchome, Toshima Ward, Tokyo (Map)

#7.

7

#7. Mala Soup (麻辣湯)
As it’s name, Cheepao Maratan (Seven Treasures Mala Soup) is an eatery in Shibuya that specializes in Sichuan Mala. In recent years, Mala has become especially popular in Singapore too. Where it is served as the soup base in hot pots. The Sichuan peppers used to make Mala cause a distinct numbing sensation and the experience can be likened to eating anesthetic.

Cheepao Maratan (七宝麻辣湯)
Level 1, Setagaya Building
15-8 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya, Tokyo (Map)

#6.

6

#6. Super Gekikara Habanero Monjyayaki (チョー激辛ハバネロもんじゃ)
Monjyayaki is a watery version of Okonomiyaki native to Tokyo. This super spicy Monja from Asian Dining Nami includes multiple spoonfuls of chili powder and is topped off with habanero sauce for good measure.

Asian Dining Nami (ASIAN DINING NA味)
2-24-3 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo (Map)

#5.

5

#5. Gekikara Yukgaejang Gukbap (激辛ユｯケジャンクッバ)
Number five is this uniquely Korean beef stew. A mixture of rice, green chili, chili powder and fermented chili paste is left to simmer before being served in a hot pot. Interestingly, the shop is just located across the road from Cheepao Maratan.

Tondeji Korean Restaurant (韓国食堂トォンデジ)
16-7 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya, Tokyo (Map)

#4.

4

#4. Sudden Death Hamburg (サドンデスハンバーグ)
The Sudden Deah Hamburg is a spicy beef patty topped with a secret mixture of chili powder, chili paste as well as a special habanero sauce, that is 160 times spicier than Tabasco sauce. It’s served on a sizzling hot plate to ensure that the longer you procrastinate, the spicier it gets.

Devil’s Kitchen （デビルズキッチン）
PAL Shopping Mall
3-58-29, South Koenji, Suginami Ward (Map)

#3.

3

#3. Taiwan Winds Mala Hot Pot (台湾風麻辣火鍋)
At number 3, is this authentic Sichuan Mala Hot Pot. Like #7, it features a combination of chili powder, preserved chili paste as well as the numbing Sichuan peppers. Since it’s constantly boiling, the soup’s only going to get spicier as time goes by. Food items left to soak for too long will be particularly dangerous. Hopefully by then, most of your mouth would be numb.

Golden Gate (金秀門)
Level 1, S.Y. Building
3-9-13 Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward (Map)

#2.

2

#2. Dangerous Super Habanero Chicken (危険スーパーハバネロチケン)
#2 on the list was the Dangerous Super Habanero Chicken from Red Chili Restaurant. The show featured their spiciest level 5 wings. After they are fried, the wings are coated with Habanero powder, habanero paste and just for the heck of it, shreded habanero. As compared to jalapenos, which are typically used for other spicy wings, such as the ones served in Singapore, habaneros are 40-70 times spicier. SKE48′s Matsui Rena succeeded as the first person, out of the 130 who had previously tried the dish to finish the level 5 wings.

Red Chili Restaurant (赤ちり亭)
Basement 1, Center Building
25-5 Udagawacho, Shibuya , Tokyo (Map)

#2.

1

#1. Aquarius (アクエリスア)
Magic Spice is a new age fusion restaurant inspired by Indonesian cuisine. There they serve South East Asian typed curry, without the usual oiliness. The specialty here is a series of spiritual themed curries with amusing names like Awakening (the mildest), Nirvana and Paradise reflecting the near death experience. For this challenge, a special off-the-charts level curry was requested, Aquarius. It was made with chopped Prik Kee Noo, a chili from Thailand, which share a hotness level similar to the habanero on the Scoville scale.

MAGIC SPICE (マジックスパイス)
1-40-15 Kitazawa, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo (Map)

Photo from Jeda Villa Bali.

When visiting Tokyo, the iconic Tokyo Tower and Roppongi Hills are among the two most common spots to survey the city. While it’s tough to beat the romantic significance of the tower, there are a number of options for those looking for a budget view of the city.

Just for comparison. It costs, 820 yen to visit Tokyo Tower’s 150 meter tall main observatory and another 600 yen to enter the special observatory, which at 250 meters high is still the highest observatory point in Tokyo until the Tokyo Sky Tree is completed next year.

It costs 1500 yen (1200 yen if you purchase the tickets in advance from a convenience store) to visit Roppongi Hill’s 52nd floor (218 meters) and 300 yen more to gain access to the building’s roof (238 meters).

The best views of course, don’t come free. However, here’s a lesser known list of free access buildings with (still) spectacular views of the city. In no particular order.

1. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Tokyo Tochosha (東京都庁舎) or The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (is the headquarters of the governor and assembly of Tokyo. It’s just a short distance from Shinjuku station.

The large complex actually occupies 3 city blocks and is split into 3 sections. The Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building 1 is the most prominent of the three. At 243 meters, it’s also the 2nd tallest building within the city.

Building 1 has two observatories (one for each tower) which are open free of charge to the public. It offers a viewing of the city from the 45th floors, 202 meters above ground. There’s even a cafe that changes into a bar in the evening in the North tower.

The South Observatory is open from 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM while the North Observatory is open until 11 PM daily. Note that the observatories are closed during 29th December to 3rd January each year.

Front of the Main Building 1.

Part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.

The 3 stepped structure is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Main Building 2.

You can see the courtyard at the bottom left. Shinjuku NS Building is on the right.

2. Shinjuku NS Building

The Shinjuku NS Building (新宿NSビル) is located beside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Sumitomo buildings. It too has has a free viewing area on its 30th floor.

Though a much lower height than the other buildings in the area (it’s only 134 meters tall), the Shinjuku NS building offers some other points of interest for visitors such as a see through glass elevator and a sky bridge on the 29th floor. Open 11 AM to 10 PM daily.

3. Shinjuku Sumitomo Building

The Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (新宿住友ビルディング) is also located across from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. While this office building only stands at 210 meters tall, it is also the oldest building on this list.

The building’s top 5 floors house a range of restaurants (from budget to extravagant) where you can sit down and enjoy a meal while overlooking the city. Definitely the main draw to visit the building.

There’s also a free view lobby, on the 51st floor (200 meters) that is open from 10 AM to 10 PM daily.

From one of the restaurants. You can see the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Main Building 1.

4. Shinjuku Center Building

The Shinjuku Center Building (新宿センタービル) is the closest skyscraper to Shinjuku station that offers a public observatory. The top floor (210 meters) has a restaurant from which you can see Fuji and the Japanese Alps on clear days. For those on a budget, there’s a free viewing area one level below the 52nd floor. You will also be able to enjoy a view of Roppongi, Shinagawa and Shibuya from here. Open 8 AM – 11 PM daily.

5. Shinjuku Nomura Building

Yet another building in the area, the Shinjuku Nomura Building (新宿野村ビル) is located just beside the Shinjuku Center Building. The 203 meter building has a number of posh restaurants on its top floors too. For the rest, it offers a small viewing area on on level 50, outside of the restaurants.

6. Bunkyo Civic Center

The Bunkyo Civic Center (文京シビックセンター) is the government building for Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward. The 142 meter building has a free observatory lounge on its 25th floor. Though shorter than the buildings in the Shinjuku area, the Civic Center’s protruding observatory offers a clear 270 degree view of Bunkyo, Shinjuku, Akihabara and even Mount Fuji on clear days. It’s open from 9 AM – 8PM.

Bunkyo Civic Center. Image courtesy of Bunkyo Town News.

7. St. Luke’s Tower

St. Luke’s Tower (聖路加タワー) or St. Luke’s Garden is a two tower complex located along the Sumida River at Tsukiji. The 47th floor of the office tower is home to restaurant but also offers a free observatory which has a direct view of Tokyo Tower and Mount Fuji. There’s also a sky bridge linking the two towers on the 32nd floor. The building is open from 9 AM to 10.30 PM daily but the observatory closes at 7 PM.

St Luke's Tower. By Slash.

8. Dentsu Headquarters Building

For another view of the Minato Ward, you can visit the Dentsu Headquarters Building (電通本社ビル), home to the advertising giant, Dentsu. The 213 meter and 48-storey high building has free observatories on the 46th and 47th floors.

Dentsu Building. Ad Photo.

Forming the main part of Caretta Shiodome, the building is famous for its iconic sail-like design by the famous French Architect Jean Nouvel. The Dentsu Building is serviced by exactly 70 elevators and the windowed elevators are an experience in their own. There’s also a free advertising museum at the basement of the building. The building is open from 7AM to midnight.

Dentsu Building Elevator:

9. Carrot Tower

Carrot Tower (キャロットタワー) at Setagaya offers a skyline view from a free lounge on the 26th floor. Despite being only 124 meters tall, it is popular among couples as a yakei (night view) spot because of its excellent ambiance. Opens 9.30 AM – 11 PM.

Carrot Tower. By Mr Hayata.

10. Ebisu Garden Place

One of the top date spots in Tokyo, Ebisu Garden Place (恵比寿ガーデンプレイス) is a up class promenade featuring a number of restaurant, bars, luxury boutiques and museums.

There is actually a free viewing area on the 38th and 39th floors of the tower building here that gives a view of the Meguro Ward in the direction of Shibuya and Aoyama. It’s not nearly as popular with the couples though as the viewing rooms are brightly lit. If you’re wondering why, the glare reflected off the windows make viewing difficult at night (among other things).

Open 10 AM to 11 PM.

Ebisu Garden Place.

The Promenade.

During a TBS show yesterday, 300 young women in Shibuya were asked which idol group they would most like to join. The results after the jump.

10. Berryz Koubou (7 votes)
Having come a long way since functioning as backup dancers for Hello Project’s more popular talents, Berryz Koubou appears among the top 10 choices. The first shown girl gave the reason that she loved Natsuyaki Miyabi while the second mentioned about their innocence and joked that she wanted to increase their average age.

Berryz Koubou.

9. Watarirouka Hashiritai (8 votes)
The Production Ogi revival of Onyako Club’s Ushirogami Hikaretai using popular AKB members. Watarirouka Hashiritai has been actively churning out singles for the past two years and has been receiving quite a bit of attention. Reasons given include, “Because Watanabe Mayu is cute” and “Their uniforms are cute so it looks fun”.

Watarirouka Hashiritai.

8. Perfume (9 votes)
The Hiroshima trio have been pumping out catchy technopop tunes for nearly a decade and with their immense popularity the past year I’m a little surprised to see the Perfume trio taking so few votes. The main reasons for girls wanting to join the group were (of course) their cute dance moves.

Perfume.

7. C-ute (10 votes)
Hello Project’s other young girl group. Featuring more fashionable costumes and energetic dance songs. One of the girls chose C-ute because of their powerful dance moves. The second girl was asked what she could contribute to the group, she mentioned that she could be dull.

C-ute.

6. Idoling!!! (12 votes)
Fuji TV’s reality show idols come as a popular choice to many young women, no doubt because of their ample exposure on TV. The first girl diplomatically answers that she would like the experience to join the group. While the second stutters that while AKB seems cute, Idoling!!! has a more interesting image.

Idoling!!!

5. No Sleeves (13 votes)
No Sleeves (no3b) is the AKB unit formed by Takahashi Minami, Kojima Haruna and Minegishi Minami for their 2008 drama Mendol. Surprisingly the group managed to continue past the theme song and has even been charting well on the Oricon charts. One fan’s reason was because she liked Kojima Haruna while the other said that she was better off as their backdancer since she couldn’t sing.

No Sleeves.

4. Fudanjuku (16 votes)
Fudanjuku are the alter egos of the Nakano Fujoshi Sisters. They’re notably unpopular as themselves but after catering to yaoi manga fans they come in alarmingly high on the list. Reasons for their popularity include their cool boyish image and wanting to try out the whole danso (butch) thing.

Fudanjuku.

3. Morning Musume (42 votes)
Japan’s daughters still remain a popular choice among young women. One reason given was because “everyone in Morning Musume is cute” and wanting to be cute together. Another girl said she had even tried auditioning twice. When asked why she couldn’t make it, she embarrassingly says isn’t it because of her face.

Morning Musume.

2. Pabo (62 votes)
Baka idol group Pabo on the other hand is able to gain the favor of older audiences too. The variety and comedy group features popular fashion models Kinoshita Yukina, Suzanne and even former Hello Project’s Satoda Mai. When asked about the group, one woman remarks that she was suited to join the group being a bimbo herself, though she wondered if she could mix well with the rest of the members.

Pabo.

1. AKB48 (83 votes)
As the most popular female artists in Japan now, its no surprise that AKB48 comes in with the most votes. One girl stated that it was because they seemed to let pretty much anyone in. Another mentioned that she really wanted to join the group but saw on the site that the cut-off age was 19. Unfortunately she was 20.

AKB48.

Fret not if you’re favorite group didn’t place to your liking. Keep in mind the small sample size and the fact that this is after all a show but it should give you an idea of some of the popular female idol groups out there.

It has been two weeks since AKB48 released Ponytail to Shushu. The final votes for the 2010 AKB48 Senbatsu election are in and the numbers tallied. Presented are the member rankings for this year that were announced only hours ago. The results will surprise!

Oshima Yuko.

#1. Oshima Yuko
The biggest surprise is the displacement of Maeda Atsuko from the number one spot. As Team K’s cover girl, Oshima Yuko has long been regarded as the only contender for the title of AKB48′s most popular member. Yuko emerged tops this year by a lead of 597 votes. While many fans will loath the result, many more will rejoice.

Maeda Atsuko.

#2. Maeda Atsuko
For the longest time, Maeda Atsuko has been the public face of AKB48. This translated to her being the most widely recognized member of the group. Aachan fans put up a tough fight and she was seen leading in votes during the first week of the election. Still she comes in only slightly behind Yuko. Still, fans can expect to see her continue her critical role as one of the group’s main vocalists.

Shinoda Mariko.

#3. Shinoda Mariko
As the most popular member among women, Shinoda Mariko topped the popularity polls on Mixi (a Japanese social network system like Facebook) which has a primarily female audience. With AKB48′s mainstream success, Mariko was clearly a contender for the top spot. Unfortunately, it as apparent from the first week results that this wasn’t the case. While she trailed behind at the #5 during last week’s tally, fans have since bumped her back up to keep her position at 3rd place.

Itano Tomomi.

#4. Itano Tomomi
Itano Tomomi’s popularity has been surging ever since she matured into her more fashionable image. As a staple of fashion magazines a model for Shibuya 109, Itano has become another fave among the new female fans. Last year Itano made #7. During this election her she hit as high as #3 last week. Fans kept up with the votes and she eventually came in only behind Mariko.

Watanabe Mayu.

#5. Watanabe Mayu
As Team B’s most leading member, Watanabe Mayu’s popularity remains relatively unchanged. With Itano moving to 4th place, Mayuyu is displaced one place down from last year’s results with only slightly less votes than Itano.

Takahashi Minami.

#6. Takahashi Minami
While not nearly as popular as the girls above, Team A captain Takahashi Minami has long been loved as one of the group’s lead vocalists. Her fans have proportionately increased with the new audience and she drops only one spot due to Itano’s rise.

Kojima Haruna.

#7. Kojima Haruna
As a staple member of AKB48, Kojima Haruna maintains her popularity with the audience. Like Watanabe and Takahashi, Haruna is moved down one rank from last year.

Kashiwagi Yuki.

#8. Kashiwagi Yuki
As the group’s captain, Kashiwagi Yuki is Team B’s most prominent member other than Watanabe Mayu. In the past year, Yuki has been rather active in gravure work and it seems all of this is slowly paying off as she manages to rise one spot to 8th place despite this year’s fierce competition.

Miyazawa Sae.

#9. Miyazawa Sae
While Miyazawa is an active member of Team K, she is often overshadowed by many of the group’s most popular members. Unexpectedly, she outranked many of the girls to come in at #9.

Matsui Jurina.

#10. Matsui Jurina
Matsui Jurina is another unexpected face to be voted among the top this year. As SKE48′s cover girl, Jurina has been pushed into AKB48 singles to mixed reactions. She placed poorly last year, barely making it into those chosen for the singles and many were expecting SKE48′s Matsui Rena to place higher. Jurina beat Rena by a meager 86 votes to take the 10th place.

Here’s the full list of the remaining ranked members. The numbers are the votes each of the girls received. Since no other site has provided a side by side comparison yet, the numbers that follow the votes is their position last year.

This year, members of SKE48 and the Research Student (RS) team were included in the election for a total of 104 participants. With the introduction of many new members, it is only expected that some of the existing of the rankings would drop.

As before, the top 21 girls will be featured in the next single. Those ranked 22-40 will appear on B-sides as the Under Girls. While many of my faves members did not make it into the Senbatsu as hoped, it is great that they will still be appearing in releases.

About 350,000 votes were cast during the elections with the top girls getting more than 30,000 votes each. Those that didn’t make the list received about a 1,000 or less votes each. In the heat of the competition, we should spare a thought for the feelings of the many other girls that did not manage to rank among the top 40.

Credit for the magazines scans goes to Afro Stud and a special thanks to the geniuses at Adobe for creating such an easy means to remove text from pictures.

Yet another lifestyle poll from the Goo Rankings chart. A recent survey questioned Japanese locals about what moments they found happiness in each day. The results they got were amusing.

Other less popular answers included the likes of “Upon looking at a digital clock, the minute digits were all zeros” and “While shopping, the bill added up without fractions”.

Of course, most of these answers are applicable to life in Singapore as well, with the exception of the #1 result, which is only possible in Japan. There, people have grown accustomed to the convenience of having vending machines at every possible corner. Singaporeans on the other hand are more reliant on the daily Kopi & Teh.

In what moments do you find satisfaction each day? As petty as some of the results may seem, I find myself guilty too of quite a few of the examples above. Particularly, those related to traveling on the train. Unfortunately, this happens infrequently. For the most part, public transport in Singapore is a living hell.

If I had to vote though, my greatest joy comes from the rare times when I manage to receive friendly service in this country where even those paid to smile never do.

Statistics courtesy of Goo Ranking.

With a group of 48 members, it is really difficult for non-fans to tell apart one AKB48 girl from the next. Based off a public poll conducted late last year, this is a listing of the most popular members. A summary of each idol will hopefully help new viewers identify some of the members in the future.

Maeda Atsuko.

#1. Maeda Atsuko
AKB48 cover girl Maeda Atsuko has long had the most fans. As one of the lead singers from Team A, she appears in all of the group’s singles to date (and most often right in the center of videos). Other than Takahashi Minami, she provides the most vocals and boasts many solo performances in their theater shows. Apart from this, she mainly acts in low key television dramas. She is known to fans as Aachan.

Oshima Yuko.

#2. Oshima Yuko
Oshima Yuko is Team K’s most popular member, best known for her silly antics. As with the other popular members she appear regularly at the forefront of singles. She also performs solo songs in the Team K concerts, despite her lackluster vocal performance. As part of a theatrical company, her showbiz career started at the early age of 8. She was also former junior gravure model. Oshima Yuko is rarely featured outside of AKB48 but when she is it is mostly in the form of photobooks.

Shinoda Mariko.

#3. Shinoda Mariko
At 24 years of age, Shinoda Mariko is AKB48′s oldest member. While other “aged” members have been forced to leave the group, she remains one of their leading members. Originally a waitress at the cafe next to the group’s theater, Shinoda Mariko is the only member not selected through an audition. Instead, she was hired after hundreds of the cafe’s customers petitioned for her inclusion. She appears as model for fashion magazines and was also the cover girl for the recent Sony PostPet television commercials.

Watanabe Mayu.

#4. Watanabe Mayu
One of the group’s younger members, Watanabe Mayu is Team B’s most popular idol. She is the only Team B member to be featured consistently at the front of the music videos. She is famous for her cheery personality. Her fans call her Mayuyu.

Takahashi Minami.

#5. Takahashi Minami
As the lead singer, Takahashi Minami is the group’s strongest vocalist. She has provided the main vocals for all their singles so far. She is also the leader of Team A and thus the overall leader of AKB48. She is well known for her rough mannerisms. Measuring at only 148cm, Takahashi is the shortest leading member. She is often referred to as Takamina.

Kojima Haruna.

#6. Kojima Haruna
Kojima Haruna is another popular member from Team A. She has also appeared in all the group’s singles and has quite a few singing lines. She plays small roles in many popular dramas and takes the lead role in more obscure shows. She is the next oldest member after Shinoda Mariko.

Itano Tomomi.

#7. Itano Tomomi
Among all the members, Itano Tomomi has gone through the most change in terms of appearance. As one of the original Team A girls, she has been featured in all of the singles (though not as prominently as the other members). She is often seen together with the other Tomomi, Kasai Tomomi. They both belong to the HoriPro talent agency for which they play in the Xanadu loves NHC futsal team. She goes by the nickname Tomochin. She was switched to Team K at the end of last year.

Sato Amina.

#8. Sato Amina
Sato Amina is one of the newer staple members of AKB48. Originally a fan of AKB48, she later joined the group as a training backdancer during one of their later auditions. She was recently brought into Team A, the team she supported as a fan. She appears in the latest 3 singles.

Kashiwagi Yuki.

#9. Kashiwagi Yuki
Rising in popularity is Team B’s leader Kashiwagi Yuki. She has appeared in all singles since the formation of Team B though not as prominently as Watanabe Mayu. She had participated in the audition for the 8th Generation Morning Musume members back in 2006. She is known as Yukirin to fans.

Kasai Tomomi.

#10. Kasai Tomomi
Former Team K’s Kasai Tomomi has appeared in all the AKB48 singles since the team’s formation. Her most distinctive features are her droopy eyes. She also plays for the HoriPro futsal team with the other Tomomi. As of the end of last year, she was switched to Team B.

The full results of the poll with number of votes for individual members. Idols from AKB48′s sister group SKE48 were also included in the poll.

I am currently a supporter of Team A’s Shinoda Mariko. Perhaps you too can find your favorite. With time permitting, I hope to eventual cover articles for Shinoda Mariko and the other popular members I am familiar with.

Much like Christmas, Valentine’s Day in Asia is a commercial holiday which focuses around the act of gift giving to loved ones. Thanks to effective marketing campaigns by confectionery companies, Valentine’s Day is handled even more differently in Japan than the rest of Asia.

On Valentine’s Day, it is necessary for woman to give chocolates to guys they are interested in. While men are obliged to reply with more expensive gifts a month later on March 14′s “White Day”. It is also customary for women to give chocolates to male workers and not unusual for young girls to give chocolates to each other as friends.

Only in recent years have other gifts been considered. A survey of Japanese men on their most desired Valentine’s Day gifts gave the following results.

Chocolate still remains the most popular Valentine’s gift. There are also some endearing results such as having a meal together, a homemade meal or sweater. There are also some popular results that really get you wondering such as money or alcohol. On the bottom of the list were clothing items like a bag, belt or suit.

It is believed that the practice of only women giving gifts was started when local confectionery companies made a typo mistake in the advertisement posters when attempting to introduce Valentine’s Day to Japan back in 1936. To further increase output, companies later created the concept of White Day in the 1980s.

Statistics courtesy of Goo Ranking.