TDV Reports: Three Asimos Attack!
Now in XDV! (Xceptional DV)
Some close-ups of Asimo’s ankle joints, tinted face shield, and knees.
The lighting was strange/futuristic and the fluid/freaky motions of Asimo made this an intriguing clip; still one of my personal favorites. Shot at one of the Robodex Expos in Yokohama, Japan.
Originally released in 2002.
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TDV Reports: Tokyo Midtown Promo
A promo clip shown at Tokyo Midtown’s press conference last Monday.
“Various elements are intertwined to contribute to the diversity by accepting and stimulating each other.”.. Sounds fun..
The audio translation is a bit tough to pick up, but I’m not sure if it’s due to the audio level or the content of the speech.. Sometimes Japanese just doesn’t translate well.
The clip has some nice shots of the general area, and also shows how Tokyo Midtown has ‘intertwined’ Japanese cultural icons, such as the ‘torii’ and bamboo paneling.
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TDV Reports: Tokyo Midtown Visual Tour
Some of the scenery at the new skyscraper complex in Roppongi; Tokyo Midtown.
Overall, I was impressed; Lots of grass, open space in the back, and natural wood. It’s also easier to navigate than Roppongi Hills, and the water everywhere might keep it cool during summer months. Inside seems to be well lit by natural light.. A pleasant experience.
Expect it to be crowded hell for the next few months until the novelty wears off; Tokyo Midtown officially opens this Friday - 3/30/2007.
The video was quickly chopped together but has most of the main attractions.. ‘Japanese uniqueness with surrounding abundance’. 
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Japan’s Coming of Age Day
Sometime in early January, Japan celebrates twenty-year-olds becoming adults. Coming of Age Day is time for them to dress up in kimonos, gather at the local city hall, and listen to bureaucrats tell them how important ‘adults’ are.
The new adults usually get drunk before, after, and sometimes during the ceremony since they’re now legal drinking age. They can also vote at the age of twenty, so in this clip we see some right-wing black busses shouting their opinions to the newly christened voters. The wing-nuts don’t like Communists, kissing in public, or parked cars in their way.
This Coming of Age Day is probably like any other; kimonos, rabbit suits, and big black busses..
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Shibuya Paradise: Digiko Girls
On my way to another shoot in Yoyogi Park, I stumbled upon the Digiko Girls ‘performing’ outside Hachiko exit in Shibuya.
The sun glistened off their shiny black boots as they squeeked out their latest tune..
No one seemed to mind they couldn’t sing since they provided colorful energy on an otherwise monotonous day.
Hanami Season: Blossom Viewing at Kinuta
I went to Kinuta Park for Hanami this weekend. Hanami means ‘cherry blossom viewing’.. It was better than I expected; I despise crowded places, but Kinuta has enough space to allow everyone enough room. The trees were huge and the weather perfect.
Kinuta Park has an interesting history; I believe it was a Japanese military base first, then a US base, then a golf course, and now a park. Although, I can’t yet find a reference to back up my claim. It’s unique because it’s a Japanese park that actually has nice grass.. I suppose dirt parks are easier to maintain..
The video is nothing special, but it gives you a feel for Hanami Season; blue tarps, family activities, alcohol, and pink blossoms.. Oh, and random announcements of lost children.
Fertility Festival: Fertilizing the Steel Phallus (rr)
Originally published last year, but since this weekend is the Kawasaki Fertility Festival I thought a rerun was in order.
The original post explains: “Rob Pongi shows us the sites and sounds of one of Japan’s Shinto Fertility Festivals in Kawasaki. Reminding us of the 11th Commandment; Thou Shalt Worship Penis..”
Related: Watch - Karaoke Fertility | Taiko Drum Fertility
Fertility Festival: Auction, Karaoke, Sake
Another video from the Kawasaki Fertility Festival, also known as the Kanamara Matsuri.
The clip has mainly b-roll stuff thrown together: penis and vagina daikon auction, white sake drinking, live outdoor karaoke, etc.. The whole experience is a bit hard to explain.
One gaijin starts rockin’ with the Japanese band, singing ‘Go Johnny, Go, Go, Go’. The ending is cheesy, but everyone needs a little cheese now and then.
Related: Watch - Rob Pongi Explains Fertility | Taiko Drum Fertility
Fertility Festival: Taiko Throbbing
Since the Kawasaki Fertility Festival was this weekend, I decided to review some clips I made a few years ago.
Here we see a female Taiko group beat their drums to encourage fertility.. Taiko drums are impressive live; you can feel the pounding penetrate your lungs and go right through you.
The rhythm of this beating was perfect for the Fertility Festival; quick, constant, pounding, pulsating.. throbbing.
Related: Watch - Rob Pongi Explains Fertility | Karaoke Fertility
Tokyo Motor Show 2001: Mecerdes Benz F400 Carving
My first real clip of effectively mixing sound loops with video. The Mercedes Benz F400 Carving surprised me when I first saw it; it’s a real-life ‘Batmobile’!
About three weeks after I posted the clip, I got an email from Germany. It was one of the engineers who helped design the front-end steering mechanism. He was impressed with the video and wanted to know more about what I saw that day regarding the F400; the crowds, the impressions, the atmosphere, etc..
We exchanged quite a few emails, and I got the first taste of what video could bring to the Internet experience; this was in 2001 and broadband hadn’t yet matured or been utilized properly.. At the time, everyone was ’streaming’ their content. I always thought it was a waste; Downloading small packages of quality video was so much a better ‘browsing’ experience than streaming.. and I always knew what level bit-rate my viewers were watching.
You can find more on the F400 Carving at Edmunds.com: “Incorporating drive-by-wire technology, this ‘Benz controls steering and braking through computer-monitored impulses rather than conventional racks and cables. This allows for quicker responses from the car; after all, these computers are smarter than you. They override human inputs that it deems as incorrect (Hal? Hal?)..”
