Your Japanese word of the week is...

"choden" which means "super electric" and refers to what we'd call a superconductor. I bring this up because I just got back from looking at some of the interesting displays outside the Museum of Maritime Science in Odaiba. I didn't go inside but one of the displays there was of a superconducting electromagnetic ship propulsion system, also known as magneto-hydrodynamic drive, which involves applying a magnetic field to a conducting fluid (seawater in this case) to propel a ship. The Mitsubishi Group actually built a working prototype (the first in the world) called the Yamato1 and the engine (on the right) is on display outside the museum.

Of course, as much as I'm intrigued by technology, I didn't travel across the Rainbow Bridge and all the way to Odaiba just to see what is essentially a gigantic water squirter. No, instead, I went for the 2008 Tokyo Automotive Games.

But before that, a bit of info on Odaiba. Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, one of 6 originally built 1853 to defend Tokyo (nee Edo) from intruders. In the early 1990s, right before the Japanese economic bubble burst, Odaiba was slated to be developed as a showcase for futuristic residential living and commericial buildings.

Then everyone ran out of money, leaving Odaiba full of plans but empty of anything substantial.

In the late 90's, new investors started coming in and turned it into the tourist and general leisure area it now is. And indeed, there are some really cool things there like the Fuji TV headquarters (with it's odd spherical add-on), the Miraikan Museum which showcases emerging science and innovation, the Rainbow Bridge, a replica Statue of Liberty, and plenty of shopping malls, one of which has two floors of "Little Hong Kong" serving all that Hong Kong cuisine has to offer.

But I went for the Automotive Games show, which is kind of like a mid-level car/bike show. Taking place in a huge parking lot, there were lots of car and bike parts vendors, RC car racing, some stunt riding shows, Moto1 (dirtbike racing), FMX (dirtbike jumping), Drift shows, and Vespa racing (seriously!).

It wasn't anything amazing but there was a large variety of stuff going on and, since there is no Tokyo Motor Show, it let me get my fix of turbos, powerslides, and tire smoke.

And, as it happens sometimes with shows like these, the absolute best car of the day wasn't even part of the show- I found it in the parking lot. A Ferrari F40!!









Oh, and this..... "Ok son, get in there while I take a picture of you with the girls..."

OH!!! I almost forgot.......... there were Stormtroopers........