Tokyo-based Zeus Computer is reaching out to deep-pocketed celebrities and the nouveau riche with a line of luxury personal computers housed in bejeweled cases crafted from precious metals. The selection includes an 80 million yen ($760,000) pure platinum “Jupiter” model and a more modestly priced 60 million yen ($570,000) solid gold “Mars” model, both of which feature a blaze of inset diamonds patterned to look like the zodiac constellations and the Milky Way. The cases contain a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6850-powered machine with a 256MB GeForce 7200GS VGA card, a 1000GB serial ATA hard drive, 2048MB of memory, a Blu-ray/HD-DVD optical drive and more, and Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate OEM comes pre-installed — but who’s going to look inside?
When nature calls at the beachside Mumin Papa Cafe in the city of Akashi (Hyogo prefecture), patrons have the luxury of using an underwater restroom built into the side of a giant aquarium filled with exotic fish and a sea turtle that likes to watch. According to the cafe owner, the 30-million-yen ($270,000) sub-aquatic restroom is designed to recreate the pleasant sensation of relieving yourself while swimming in the ocean. Unfortunately for male patrons, however, the submerged toilet is for women only. When asked about the voyeuristic turtle, the owner admits it is male and a bit of a letch.
On September 27, Sanrio announced plans to begin selling solid gold Hello Kitty playing cards, which the company will make available through its online shop beginning October 3. Each of the 54 cards (2 jokers included) measures 58 x 89 mm and is made from 0.73 gram of 99.99% pure gold. Pressed to a thickness of 7 microns with precision rolling technology developed by the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, the cards are sealed in a protective laminate printed with colorful designs that depict Hello Kitty in royal dress.
The reverse side of the cards show Hello Kitty against a background featuring the Union Jack and apples, a reference to the fact that Hello Kitty was born in London and is said to be 3 apples heavy and 5 apples tall.
Artist Tetsuya Nakamura’s Premium Unit Series of curvaceous, luxury bathroom fixtures — a tub, a pair of sinks, a step designed for insertion into a stairwell, and a decorative column — are sculpted from fiber-reinforced plastic and painted with colorful, fluid patterns meant to evoke a sense of speed. Nakamura, who created the Premium Unit Series with the DIY-er in mind, encourages the purchaser to add his or her own custom paint job, body modifications and part upgrades, despite the 3 million yen ($26,000) cost of the tub and 1.5 million yen ($13,000) price tag on each of the other items. According to the accompanying disclaimer, Nakamura’s heavy emphasis on form — and relative disregard for function — means bathers should enter the tub at their own risk, as the artist and dealer assume no responsibility for injuries or accidents that may occur.
Bandai and Ginza Tanaka have teamed up to create a Mobile Suit Gundam made from pure platinum. Called Gundam Fix Platinum, the 12.5-cm (5-in.) tall, 1.4-kg (3-lb.) work features 89 separate parts and a head adorned with a 0.15 carat diamond. Hajime Katoki, a mechanical designer and illustrator noted for his work in a range of anime and games, oversaw the two-year long production process.
According to the Bandai press release, the aim of the platinum Gundam masterpiece is to combine the pure, rare and eternal nature of platinum with the everlasting Gundam worldview. While Ginza Tanaka hopes to attract attention to the beauty and value of platinum, Bandai hopes to boost Gundam’s name recognition around the world, nearly 30 years after the first anime episode aired on Japanese TV.
The platinum Gundam will be exhibited at BASELWORLD 2007, an annual watch and jewelry show held in Basel, Switzerland beginning April 12. After that, it will return to Japan.
There are currently no plans to sell the Gundam, but Bandai estimates its value at $250,000 (30 million yen).
New Age Diamonds, a Russian company specializing in the production of gem-quality synthetic diamonds, has entered the Japanese market with a new product called the “Heart-In Baby Diamond” — a synthetic diamond made from the hair of newborn babies.
The Heart-In Baby Diamond is the latest addition to the company’s “Your Personal Diamond” (YPD) line of commemorative diamonds, which are custom-made from the hair or fur of your favorite person or pet, living or departed.
Heart-In Baby Diamond prices range from 403,000 yen (US$3,500) for a 0.2-carat canary yellow diamond to 1,934,000 yen (US$17,000) for a 0.8-carat chameleon red diamond.
As Japan’s population begins to shrink, newborn babies become all the more precious and each birth is a greater cause for celebration. In addition, fewer mouths to feed results in increased amounts of disposable household wealth. New Age Diamonds appears to be capitalizing on these two factors by offering proud new parents an innovative and luxurious way to bestow gratitude on their blessed offspring.
God does not play dice with the universe. Or maybe he does. Maybe he uses really small dice that we have difficulty noticing. If so, they might look something like these tiny dice manufactured by Iriso Seimetsu Co., Ltd.
Billed as the smallest dice in the world, each one measures 0.3 x 0.3 x 0.3 mm (for perspective, see the photo above showing one of the die next to a 0.5-mm diameter mechanical pencil lead). The tiny dice are painstakingly crafted one by one from BsBm (brass) in a 9 hour long fabrication process that relies on the latest in micromachining technology. Each one weighs 0.00016 grams and the pips measure 0.05 mm in diameter.
While the 100,275 yen (US$870) price tag includes a special case and the cost of shipping, it does not include the price of the microscope you will need to make sure nobody cheats at the craps table in your flea circus casino.
A golden lobster has been placed on display at the Ginza Tanaka jewelry store in Nagoya.
Crafted from 500 grams (1.1 lb.) of pure gold, the creature is a detailed life-sized reproduction of an Ise-ebi lobster (Japanese spiny lobster, or Panulirus japonicus). It measures 34 cm (13 in.) long and 19 cm (7 in.) tall. The asking price is 5 million yen (about US$40,000).
Ise-ebi lobsters are often bestowed as gifts on special occasions in Japan. According to a shop attendant, this golden crustacean can serve as both a celebratory offering and a good luck talisman.
Customers react in various ways when they see the realistic-looking golden lobster. Some of them say they expect it to start moving, while others say it looks delicious.
Bandai and Ginza Tanaka have teamed up to create a Mobile Suit Gundam made from pure platinum. Called Gundam Fix Platinum, the 12.5-cm (5-in.) tall, 1.4-kg (3-lb.) work features 89 separate parts and a head adorned with a 0.15 carat diamond. 
A golden lobster has been placed on display at the Ginza Tanaka jewelry store in Nagoya. 
