Japanese space agency JAXA has recently introduced a prototype of the latest jet pack which will be used for future missions in space. Here’s the exclusive report:

Joke aside, this is from a TV show Kasou Taishou (欽ちゃん＆香取慎吾の全日本仮装大賞) in which various amateur solo artists or groups perform short skits.

In the spirit of the latest financial misadventures of the unfortunate Nicolas Cage — who just recently bought himself a pyramid mausoleum in New Orleans — let’s take a look at his legacy on Japanese TV.

In the commercials shown below Cage was hired to promote pachinko machines for a Japanese pachinko maker Sankyo. In Japan, Pachinko is a wildly popular pinball game in which small silver balls can be exchanged for money.

These commercials came out in Japan a few years ago. As far as we know, Cage hasn’t appeared in any newer commercials since then.

Nicolas Cage Japanese commercial for Sankyo pachinko pinball machines #1:

Nicolas Cage Japanese commercial for Sankyo pachinko pinball machines #2:

Nicolas Cage Japanese commercial for Sankyo pachinko pinball machines #3:

Nicolas Cage Japanese commercial for Sankyo pachinko pinball machines #4:

Nicolas Cage Japanese commercial for Sankyo pachinko pinball machines #5:

A few days ago, a Japanese dollmaker Kyugetsu unveiled a shockingly realistic hina doll that resembles Japanese figure skater Mao Asada. The company said they wanted to show support for her efforts in figure skating competitions during the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Hina dolls are traditional Japanese figurines, meant to celebrate the annual Hina Matsuri (Girl’s Day festival) which is held on the 3rd of March every year.

Let’s compare the doll with the real Mao!

Mao Asada as hina doll (left).

A news report about the Mao Asada hina doll:

Soccer is quite popular in Japan and sometimes they play it with binoculars. Let’s see what that looks like (from an 80’s Japanese TV show):

Japanese TV reports about a dog that is quite possibly Japan’s most spoiled dog. Merumo, a materialistic 10-year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a top model for Japanese dog magazines and holds the title “The Best of the Best of Breed 2004″  given by the prestigious Pedigree Award.

The TV crew visits the apartment where Merumo lives with her two owners (or servants as the case may be). The elevator has a special security system that won’t let you enter the 9th floor without owner’s permission to protect the dog from uninvited guests, curious kids, possible kidnappers, robbers and other villains.

Let’s check out some highlights from the report:

※ Merumo gets a haircut twice a month and spends 8000 yen per visit (about $90).

※ The dog is sensitive to heat so the owners invested into marble flooring for the living room at a cost of nearly 3,000,000 yen (about $34,000).

※ Merumo quenches her thirst from a silver Gucci bowl. When she goes out, they can carry her around in a Louis Vuitton bag or walk her using a Hermes brand leash worth 85,000 yen ($950) and a collar that cost separately 65,000 yen ($726).

※ The owners rent a separate room in the building that serves as a closet for Merumo’s clothes. They even sell some clothes to Merumo’s fans who want to buy her clothes for their own dogs.

※ Since Merumo is a Japanese dog, she also has her own kimono (80,000 yenov or $895).

※ The dog owns 10 fashionable fur coats (one cost 180,000 yen, about $2000) and a lot of other clothes and accessories that cost altogether about 3 million yen (around $34,000).

※ Merumo’s daily meals are prepared from expensive vegetables and first-class Matsuzaka meat. They buy his food at luxurious Takashimaya department store.

What about the owners? The husband and wife don’t have any children, run a private dance school and also have two just as spoiled cats that keep Merumo company. They don’t buy any expensive clothes for themselves and purchase cheap food from a local supermarket. At the end of the report, the wife justifies Merumo’s extravagant lifestyle by comparing him to a child. She says that many parents would spend large amounts of money to send their child to the best schools, so they spend this money on the dog instead.