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From: FIVE BY FIFTY - Asian Consumer Intelligence

Osaka-based company Vieluce has begun marketing “Fillico Beverly Hills,” a line of premium luxury spring water that goes for ¥10,500 ($100) per 750 ml bottle.

The water comes from a natural spring at the foot of Mount Rokko in Kobe, an area known for producing excellent water for sake production. The bottles are handcrafted and encrusted with genuine Swarovski rhinestones.

Special “King and Queen” sets of two bottles with caps modeled after the crown of Fredrick II of the Roman Empire and decorated withSwarovski rhinestones are also available for ¥23,000 ($230). Bottles with engraved names can be order for wedding receptions and other special occasion.

Due to limited supplies of the water and the labor-intensive handmade bottles, production is limited to 5,000 units per month.

Since the water and bottles are fully produced in Japan, the “Beverly Hills” of the name is simply to invoke the opulence of Hollywood celebrity culture.

Visit the link above to view photos of this “luxury” water.

Thought this was pretty shocking to see. Would you be willing to spend $6000 for a melon to support your local economy?

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) — There’s nothing better than a sweet, juicy watermelon on a hot summer’s day, right?

But what if you had to pay six grand for it?A marine products dealer in Japan plunked down a record $6,125 (¥650,000) Friday for a black Densuke watermelon — grown only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.Premium melons regularly go for eye-popping amounts there. Only three years ago, someone shelled out about $3,000 for one.The one that sold Friday had dark green skin — nearly black — making it look more like a bowling ball than a fruit.The nearly 18-pound (8 kg) watermelon, grown only on Hokkaido, was one of 68 sold as part of the season’s initial harvest this year and is one of only a few thousand available each year.As for the buyer, he said he wanted to support local agriculture, according to an official with a local

Japanese melon sells for more than $6,000 - CNN.com

From: Mythical 16th-century disease critters ::: Pink Tentacle

Long ago in Japan, human illness was commonly believed to be the work of tiny malevolent creatures inside the body. Harikikigaki, a book of medical knowledge written in 1568 by a now-unknown resident of Osaka, introduces 63 of these creepy-crawlies and describes how to fight them with acupuncture and herbal remedies.

Kameshaku eats rice and wears an umbrella-like hat that blocks medicine. It can be destroyed by eating wild beans.

Koshi-no-mushi flies into a host’s body and makes its way to the lower back area, where it causes diarrhea, sweating and chest pains. The herbs mokko and kanzo (licorice root) are an effective treatment.

Visit The Pink Tentacle to view the whole article.