Latest news with #Shun
The Drive
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Go From Wake Up to Wind Down With This Japanese Truck Factory Worker
The latest car news, reviews, and features. When I was a kid, my elementary school had a program that let students shadow adults at their job for a day. The idea was to show us what working as, say, an architect was like. 'Japanese assembly plant worker' wasn't one of the options available, but a video posted on YouTube fills that void. It documents a day in the life of someone who works in a huge Isuzu factory that assembles about 500 trucks per day. The video follows a 27-year-old man named Shun who lives in an apartment owned by Isuzu. This practice is fairly common in Japan: About 41% of Japanese companies offer some type of housing, according to the narrator. After getting ready, Shun walks 25 minutes to the Isuzu plant in Fujisawa, makes a quick stop at a 7-Eleven for breakfast, clocks in, and starts his shift as a manufacturing department captain. Beyond shedding light on the daily routine of a Japanese factory worker, the video gives us a fascinating and rarely seen glimpse at what an Isuzu plant looks like from the inside. About 6,000 people work in the Fujisawa plant, and it's so big that employees rely on shuttles to get around. And yet, every section of the factory that's shown in the video is stunningly clean. The narrator explains that this cleanliness is rooted in the Japanese concept of 'sort, set in order, and shine.' The idea is that a well-organized work environment increases productivity. Another thing that stands out in the video is the number of humans working on the assembly line. Isuzu builds commercial vehicles, not niche, small-batch supercars, so payload capacity and maintenance costs are more important to buyers than old-school craftsmanship. However, human workers remain essential because there are so many different variations of Isuzu's trucks all built under the same roof. The company notably sells different models, several variants of each model, as well as gasoline- and diesel-powered trucks. Workers like Shun keep the line moving smoothly and ensure that Isuzu can build a complete truck from start to finish in approximately 150 minutes. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
WIRED
02-05-2025
- General
- WIRED
The Best Chef's Knives to Chop Anything in the Kitchen
This knife is a work of art. I loved using it, but just looking at it—she's purty. The knife is hand-hammered, creating a rippled finish that is not only beautiful but also helps reduce drag while cutting and promotes less food sticking to the blade. Shun claims each knife is crafted in a 100-step process 'inspired by ancient swordsmiths,' and the blades are crafted in Seki, Japan's 700-year-old center for samurai swords. The blade's steel core has 34 layers of micro-thin, high-carbon Damascus stainless steel on each side for increased stability and durability (with 68 total layers), and a 16-degree blade angle. The resin-infused blonde birch handle is not only beautiful, but has an ergonomic design that is comfortable to hold. This knife is lightweight, a bit short, and easy to use. I love using it for smaller, more precise tasks, although it did stand up pretty well when cutting more dense root vegetables. I minced and diced super quickly with this li'l guy, but food chunks tended to stick to the sides of the blade. Blade Material Micro-thin, high-carbon Damascus stainless steel Made in Japan Blade length 6 inches Total length 12 inches Edge 16 deg. angle Blade hardness heat-treated to 60-61 HRC Total weight 0.3 lbs Photograph: Molly Higgins This sleek Hast knife is made of Japanese carbon steel (see above for more about carbon materials) from renowned steel maker Koike. It overall feels lightweight and svelte. The ergonomic handle was very easy to grip, although it got a bit slippery (and potentially dangerous) when wet. It felt superlight, but overall didn't feel as heavy-duty, and flip-flopped a bit while cutting more dense foods like potatoes. It was able to make supersmooth cuts on softer foods, and I felt able to control it easily while mincing garlic. The ultrathin blade made of Japanese carbon steel won't get discolored as easily as others, but the lack of information regarding the hardness of its blade gives me pause as to its performance in the long term. After much searching, I found that the knife was made in China. Still, this is a remarkably affordable option for a Japanese carbon steel chef's knife that excels in making more precise cuts. Blade Material Japanese carbon steel Made in China Blade length 8 inches Total length 13.62 inches Edge 12 deg. angle Blade hardness Not specified Total weight 0.39 lbs
Korea Herald
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
More Korea-Japan collaborations to hit screens this year
Experts say K-content industry could adopt K-pop's strategy of incorporating foreign elements A slew of Korean-Japanese collaborative projects are poised to debut on screens this year, and experts promise mutual gains for both countries — with Japan aiming to globalize its traditionally localized broadcast content and Korea seeking to broaden its audience reach. On Tuesday, Kakao Entertainment announced a partnership with Japan's content studio Babel Label, unveiling plans to co-develop innovative series and films, as well as adapt popular webtoons and web novels for the screen. For their first project, the two companies will co-produce a project directed by Fujii Michihito. The acclaimed filmmaker is known for clinching six awards at the Japanese Academy Film Prize for "The Journalist," featuring Shim Eun-kyung, and earning 13 accolades at the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize for the thriller "Faceless." Meanwhile, Netflix is launching a new culinary entertainment show titled "K-foodie meets J-foodie," starring Korean singer and popular food YouTuber Sung Si-kyung alongside Yutaka Matsushige -- the star of the beloved Japanese food drama 'Solitary Gourmet.' Slated for release on Thursday, the series, developed and produced by a Korean company and featuring Japanese actors and staff, will have the two well-known foodies explore restaurants in Seoul, Tokyo and Fukuoka. Another Korea-Japan collaboration on the horizon is Japanese Netflix rom-com series "Romantic Anonymous," featuring Korean actor Han Hyo-joo and Japanese star Shun Oguri. The series follows the love story between Lee Han-na (Han) a prodigious chocolatier and Sosuke Fujiwara (Shun), the head of a popular chocolate shop. The series is directed by Sho Tsukikawa, known for the megahit romance flick "Let Me Eat Your Pancreas" (2017) and is expecting a Netflix release in 2025. One more significant venture involves the iconic Japanese sci-fi film "The Human Vapor" (1960) being adapted into a Netflix series by Yeon Sang-ho, the mastermind behind "Hellbound" and "Train to Busan." This reimagining follows the aftermath of a scientific mishap that transforms its subject into a gaseous mutant. The reboot, titled "Human Vapor," will feature a fresh plot set in contemporary Japan. The series is produced and penned by Yeon, with co-scripting by Ryu Yong-jae, known for "Parasyte: The Grey," and directed by Japanese director Shinzo Katayama. "Human Vapor" will star two Japanese actors — Shun of "Romantic Anonymous" and Yu Aoi — in the main leads, and is slated for a Netflix release in 2025. Broadcasting industry experts underscore the advantages these collaborations offer both nations. 'Japan boasts a globally successful animation sector, yet its television broadcasting remains largely localized, adhering to traditional viewership trends,' said Lee Sung-min, an associate professor in the department of media arts and sciences at Korea National Open University. 'Consequently, concerns about globalizing the broadcasting industry persist. Korea, with its experience in bringing dramas and TV content to the global stage, may provide Japan with valuable opportunities to exchange ideas and strategies, and extend its reach.' Lee further noted that Korea also stands to gain from this partnership as Korea's interest in Japanese popular culture has surged significantly. He further suggested that the Korean broadcasting industry could adopt strategies similar to K-pop, where companies integrate foreign members into groups to attract global audiences. 'The era of cultural resistance between Korea and Japan has largely dissipated, particularly among the younger generation,' Lee said. 'Since the opening of Korea's market to Japanese popular culture products in 1998, older generations may have harbored mixed feelings, but for those who grew up in the years that followed, such exchanges are natural," he added.
