Japanese Culture in New York - Chopsticks NY

Panasonic shows off their newest innovation in fitness equipment with the introduction of Jōba.  This core trainer is for adults of all ages and will whip you into shape in no time!

Panasonic, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-end electronics, brings getting in shape to a new level through Joba. (Incidentally, “Joba” means “horseback riding” in Japanese!) 

The concept of Joba was first born in 1993 after a visit to Europe by a Japanese doctor, who became interested in European “horseback riding therapy” used on patients. However, at the time, Japan had few horseback riding centers, and there was low awareness of horseback riding. Despite these hurdles, and after visiting a Panasonic showroom and experiencing the “virtual reality” system, the concept of a horseback riding simulator was developed.

Through advanced research, Panasonic developed and designed this core training machine to simulate horseback riding and the “reflex movements” needed to stay on a horse. The main concept of “reflex movements” is that your upper- and lower-body unconsciously move in ways to keep itself on the horse through squeezing your legs or trying to keep your upper-body in balance with the movements of the horse. This multi-functional machine focuses on several major muscle groups: stomach, back, buttocks, legs and calves. Muscles that are not normally used in everyday life are also used when riding Joba. Through continually riding the horse, there is less of a burden on your body (compared to other forms of exercise). Even people who don’t like to exercise or people who have low physical endurance can gain the benefits of this fitness machine.

Joba has a plethora of benefits. It can help define your waistline. Through strengthening your core muscles, you can burn fat, helping you with your diet. For those who are afraid of the gym, you can get a regular workout at home just by riding Joba. Research shows that riding Joba for just 30 minutes a day (15 minutes x 2 times/day) gives you the same exercise benefits as walking for one whole hour! Improve your golf swing by strengthening your body’s core and making your body more flexible. By strengthening the muscles around you stomach and back, your posture improves for a more elegant appearance. Build endurance by building up your muscles. And, through gaining a good sense of balance and through low-impact exercise, Joba helps increase mobility, which is extremely important for seniors.

It is well-known that 70% of the human body is comprised of water. Pi Water is similar to your natural body water, which contains the energy to live. This miraculous water helps you stay young and has numerous health benefits.

Pi Water was discovered in 1964 by Dr. Akihiro Yamashita, a professor of Nagoya University while studying the of physiology of plants.  Dr. Yamashita was researching the phenomenon called florigen, which is considered to control or trigger flowering in plants. Then he discovered “living body water,” which affects the transformation of buds.  He also found that the living body water contains ferric ferrous salt (Fe2Fe3), which has the ability to control human bodily functions.  After extensive research and numerous studies, Dr. Yamashita succeeded in making this magical “living body water” artificially.  That is how Pi Water was born.

You can get Pi Water at home by simply installing the Dr. Pi Water Purifier.  The Pi Water purifying system is not artificially engineered.  The cartridge is equipped with more filter media than any other water purifier. Through 11 steps of purification and Pi Process using Pi Processed Tourmaline, ceramic, ordinally tap water becomes the best water to our body.  This is similar to the way that spring water comes out of rocks.  The water you get through this method is tasty as well as rich in minerals.

Pi Water can also bring you phenomenal health benefits.  Since the water clusters in Pi Water are very small, the human body can absorb it faster and more effectively than regular water.  It also contains more oxygen, which is essential for optimal brain and organ functions.  Water plays important role in providing oxygen and nutrients to the cells, as well as flushing out the toxins and waste.  When water with abundant oxygen is absorbed by the cells, they become more active and ultimately metabolism improves.  Anti-oxidation effects and minus ion effects are also important features of Pi Water, both of which contribute to slowing the aging process and keeping the body healthy. 

You can experience the power of Pi Water not only through consumption.  Use the water for your daily shower, and watch your hair and skin glow.  It is even clinically proven that Pi Water heals skin diseases such as eczema.  Nowdays, Pi Water is used not only in the medical field, but also for commercial and household use, including beauty salons and restaurants.  

For example, NINJA New York, an upscale Japanese restaurant, has employed Dr. Pi Water Purifier since its opening.  “It’s simply tasty and healthy.  When we serve this Pi Processed water, our customers are surprised with its quality. They say delightfully, ‘Oh that’s Ninja Water’.“ says Satoshi Shiseki, Director of the restaurant. 

About 60% of Japanese households use bidet toilet seats, and the Washlet, manufactured by TOTO, is the top model.  TOTO literally changed the way Japanese people use the bathroom by introducing the Washlet in 1980.

You may not be familiar with it, but a bidet is a device that cleans one’s genital and rectal areas with a warm spray or jet of water.  In Japan, when people talk about a bidet toilet seat, they naturally think of the Washlet.  Japanese people love it because it’s clean, comfortable, and healthy.  But only a couple of decades ago, the toilet system in Japan was completely different from that of today; toilet seats did not exist. 

In the 1970s, Japan was in the midst of a housing construction rush in the wave of rapid economic growth.  TOTO, the top manufacturer of housing fixtures at the time, was also enjoying strong sales after introducing a flush toilet to the Japanese market (the first step toward revolutionizing the Japanese toilet system). This success, however, did not last long because of the recession caused by the Oil Shock in the late 70s.  TOTO needed to produce something even more innovative.  They learned of the “Wash Air Seat,” a medical toilet seat developed by American Bidet Co., and they decided to import the product and distribute it in Japan.  Alas, the model they bought did not function properly; the temperature of the water was not stable, and the direction of the splashing water was erratic.  They decided to develop their own version, tailored to Japanese needs. 

The first task for the technicians at TOTO was to determine the ideal target position of the splashing warm water.  Since such data did not exist at the time, they had to find it by themselves. They used TOTO employees as guinea pigs and got 300 samples from which to determine the target position. 

The next riddle was temperature: what was the most comfortable temperature for the toilet user’s bottom?  The technicians got splashed with water, each time raising the temperature by 0.1 degree Celsius in the lab.  After much work, they found the appropriate temperatures:  38 degrees Celsius for the water, 36 degrees Celsius for toilet seat, and 50 degrees Celsius for the drying air. 

The toughest challenge was stabilizing the temperature.  First, they hit upon an idea of using an integrated circuit (IC), but this idea soon collided with the danger of electrification (water and electricity are a dangerous combination!).  The answer came accidentally.  One technician noticed that traffic signals continue working properly even in the rain.  This gave him the idea of using a resin-coated hybrid IC.  After much experimenting, the technicians at TOTO had finally found a way to make the perfect bidet toilet seat.