Latest news with #127
Asahi Shimbun
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Machinery boss in Shiretoko secret savior of ReraPan film
Rolls of ReraPan 127 film are lined up at a sales event held in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on June 7. (Takeo Kato) SHARI, Hokkaido--The town of Shari is forever associated with the Shiretoko Peninsula, designated as a World Natural Heritage site. But to a select few, it is cherished for another reason, too. It is the home of a type of camera film that went out of mainstream production three decades ago. Film buffs have 64-year-old Tsuyoshi Mohri to thank for that. Mohri's main business is agricultural machinery, but he also manufactures the film under the brand name of ReraPan. His company's flagship products are bulky farm equipment that sells for several million yen (tens of thousands of dollars) and up to tens of millions of yen. Each roll of ReraPan film is 46 millimeters wide and priced at under 2,000 yen. Known as 'vest pocket film' or '127,' the film was originally introduced by Eastman Kodak Co. in 1912. Although Kodak stopped producing 127 in 1995, the film has diehard fans in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. Aficionados rave about the image quality and being able to pop a roll in their pocket. Using a self-built contraption, Mohri can produce dozens of rolls a day but not a huge number. While the endeavor requires considerable time and effort for a modest return, Mohri says it is an important business. 4 YEARS IN THE MAKING Mohri's passion for photography stems from when he used to take pictures of his family. He became fascinated with vest pocket cameras in 2009 after he spotted a Primo-JR model in a used camera shop. He bought the camera even though film for it was already out of production in Japan. Imported film appeared impossible to find. But after he went online, Mohri found a manufacturer in Croatia that was still producing the film. He contacted the company and bought 100 rolls. Thinking he would only need 10 or 20 rolls, he offered the rest at an online auction. They sold out immediately. Messages of gratitude poured in, and he was flooded with requests to lay in a stock of more rolls. Mohri swiftly bought 500 more rolls. His worries whether he could sell them proved groundless as the stock ran out in no time. Mohri decided to make what had started as a hobby into a business to meet the expectations of photo film enthusiasts, and opened an online shop, Kawauso Shoten, in 2010. Then the Croatian manufacturer shut down its operation in 2012, citing mechanical issues. When a German maker followed suit, there were no companies left to produce 127 film. Alarmed that vest pocket cameras would be rendered useless without film, Mohri spent nearly a year pondering what he could do before deciding to take matters into his own hands. Mohri negotiated with an overseas film maker to cut the film stock to the width of 46 mm to fit the 127 format and deliver the material to his company. However, he ran into difficulties searching for a factory to make the spool on which the film is wound. It took two years to find one that could accommodate his request. 80% OF SALES OVERSEAS Mohri started selling black-and-white ReraPan film through his online shop in 2014 before adding color, slide and other types to the lineup. Because vest pocket cameras are still popular in the United States and Europe, overseas sales of ReraPan account for more than 80 percent of total sales. Johnny Yokoyama, an American living in Kanagawa Prefecture, is a classic camera collector. After he obtained a camera made in Britain in 1937, he was impressed to learn that he could buy 127 films from Kawauso Shoten. Yokoyama said that without Mohri, he wouldn't be able to take photos with such an old camera. He still doesn't understand why ReraPan is lesser known in Japan when the brand is so popular in the United States and Europe. 'It is almost like my mission to continue selling (ReraPan),' Mohri said. 'I want to keep offering the film at a reasonable price.'
Focus Malaysia
07-08-2025
- General
- Focus Malaysia
Discarded CIMB ATM slip displaying 6-figure balance elicits envious, hilarious responses online
FINANCIALLY straitened times lead to envious eyes. So it would seem when a discarded bank slip from an ATM (automated teller machine) bearing a six-figure balance led to all manner of remarks when shared on social media. As shared on Malaysia Viral Story Facebook page, the person in front of the poster's grandad had forgotten to collect the bank slip which bore a whopping balance of RM191,127! The post has already generated 5.7K likes, 1.7K comments and 429 shares at time of publication. With the cost-of-living crisis biting hard, this sum would come in quite handy for many, judging from the many comments posted. Apparently, this busy-body behaviour is quite common with one commenter admitting his eyes go through the slips in the waste paper basket just to see what the balance were in total strangers' bank accounts. One commenter second-guessed that it could be a 'personal loan cash, hence it was plentiful' while admitting that this was very much a sour grapes observation. Keep big sum of money in separate accounts to avoid getting scammed! That was a pertinent advice proffered by one commenter targeting specifically at senior citizens. It was also sarcastically remarked that the slip was left behind on purpose to teach the younger generation the value in saving cash. Enjoy it while you can seem to be the advice offered by one observer. If you don't, you may regret it he pointed out. Hilarity aside, one commenter did ask a very pertinent question. Why was it anybody's business? One thing to note about this story. Be very careful with your ATM slips. Prying eyes and busy bodies are everywhere. Next thing you know, your bank details (although redacted here) could very well go viral online, inviting much unwanted attention. – Aug 7, 2025
Pink Villa
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Kaiju No. 8 Chapter 127 Delayed: Manga To Return In June; Recap, Release Date, Where To Read And More
The last Kaiju No. 8 chapter opens with Mina Ashiro launching the Keraunos, though the Meireki Era Mega Monster counters with a beam attack that neutralizes it. Despite Mina's repeated firing, the attacks are deflected, nearly overloading the weapon. Kikoru Shinomiya intervenes at her limit, invoking her mother's memory to boost her power to 93%. With one final axe strike, she halts the Meireki's assault and creates an opening. Mina lands a successful shot. As Kikoru collapses, she calls on Kafka Hibino to deliver the final blow, who charges at Meireki's core. Kaiju No. 8 Chapter 127 may follow one of two paths. Kafka may succeed in breaking through Meireki's shield and destroy its core, triggering a possible psychic connection between them that reveals key lore or backstory. However, a more likely outcome involves Kafka being interrupted before the final blow lands. Since Reno Ichikawa has yet to join the battle, his arrival could coincide with Meireki narrowly escaping defeat. The monster may retreat with help from remaining kaiju forces, keeping the fight—and the arc—alive for now Kaiju No. 8 Chapter 127 is set to be released on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 12 am JST. For most international fans, this means a daytime release on Thursday, June 5. The exact timing will vary depending on your location and timezone. Fans can read Kaiju No. 8 Chapter 127 on official platforms like Viz Media's website, Shueisha's MANGA Plus site, or the Shonen Jump+ app. Viz Media and MANGA Plus offer free access to the first and latest three chapters, while a subscription to Shonen Jump+ provides complete access to the series. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates on the Kaiju No. 8 manga.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VT Governor calls for action on housing legislation
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont Governor Phil Scott issued a statement Friday that criticized the state legislature for its slow progress on passing housing bills. He wrote, 'As the legislative session comes to a close, I'm concerned we have not done nearly enough on housing. With 41,000 more homes needed by 2030 (just to catch up) we cannot afford to kick the can down the road again.' The state legislature is currently considering Senate Bill 127 and House Bill 479. Both bills include measures meant to incentivize new construction, such as a $15,000 grant to build a house foundation in an existing empty lot. The two bills differ on some details and would need to be reconciled in order to be sent to the governor's desk; for example, H. 479 allows municipalities to impose a one percent tax on short-term rentals. Shopping for a home in Vermont? How to gain an edge in a sellers' market The governor released the statement shortly after the Vermont House held an all-house caucus on S. 127 Friday morning. According to the RE/MAX national housing report released last month, Burlington, which is Vermont's largest housing market, saw a 22% increase in median house prices year-over-year, the biggest increase out of any of the metro areas surveyed. Governor Scott has promoted options such as extending exemptions to Act 250, which allow for a quicker path to building new housing in areas already deemed to have sufficient infrastructure, and modifying the tax increment financing, or TIF program, so that smaller towns can make use of it to make improvements to an area and then pay back debt later. A proposal to expand it 'would help finance essential infrastructure, like water, sewer, and roads, to enable new housing,' according to Brett Long of the Vermont Department of Economic Development. To address housing crunch, UVM will build apartments for upperclassmen 'Vermonters across the state are impacted by a lack of housing options – from renters, to first time homebuyers, and retirees looking to downsize,' wrote Governor Scott. 'Last session, the Legislature passed 70 bills in three days, so I'm confident there is still time to pass a housing bill that actually helps Vermont, because without action, we will fall further behind.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Education Association president speaks out against bill that could close low-performing schools
(Stock photo from Getty Images) The head of a statewide Ohio teachers union on Tuesday slammed a proposed bill that would automatically close low-performing Ohio public schools, saying it would harm students and communities, and force districts into counterproductive situations and decisions. Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro testified against Ohio Senate Bill 127 Tuesday morning during the Ohio Senate Education Committee meeting. The bill would revise Ohio's public school closure law and require a poor performing school to either close or take remedial action. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'S.B. 127 proposes a heavy handed and overreaching state approach to local schools that receive low ratings on state report cards,' DiMauro said. 'The impact of the actions compelled by S.B. 127 would harm students and communities. The harsh measures required by the bill ignore mitigating factors, forcing districts to make counterproductive decisions that could harm well-functioning schools.' Senate Education Committee Chair Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, introduced the bill last month and no one has submitted supporter testimony for the bill yet. Five people submitted opponent testimony while the Buckeye Institute and the pro-charter-school Thomas B. Fordham Institute submitted interested party testimony. S.B. 127 defines a poor performing school as a school (district-operated, community or STEM), serving grades four and older, that has performed in the bottom 5% among public schools based on its Performance Index Score for three consecutive years, and is in the bottom 10% based on its Value-Added Progress for three consecutive years. A poor-performing school would have the option to close at the end of the school year or replace its principal and a majority of licensed staff. Another option is the school could get the help of an Ohio Department of Education and Workforce management organization, charter management organization, education service center, or an Ohio public or private university with experience in school improvement. Ohio charter schools are automatically closed if they have three straight years of poor performance. 'Instead of offering significant support, S.B. 127 proposes significant punishments that will most likely destabilize schools where many great things are happening, even if those successes are not revealed on data printouts of standardized test scores,' DiMauro said. 'The barriers to learning caused by under-resourced schools and communities do not disappear when a state punishes a school district. Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at the Buckeye Institute, said the bill addresses chronic underperformance in public schools. 'Critics worry that closures may disrupt communities, but trapping students in the status quo cycle of underachieving schools is far more disruptive to students and their futures,' he said. Thomas B. Fordham Institute's Vice President for Ohio Policy Chad Aldis said he would support the bill if a few tweaks were made including revising the growth measure to the Ohio report card one-star rating on Value Added Progress. 'This is a clearer and more stable indicator of inadequate growth, and it better reflects the state's own definition of 'low performance,' Aldis said. 'Combining this with a bottom 5% Performance Index score would ensure that only schools with sustained low achievement and weak student progress are flagged— exactly as intended.' Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
