Car Windows Tinting

Car window tinting (Sunting in Korean-English) is quite popular among drivers in the world. While I'm going to Beijing airport today, I observe Beijing cars don't cover all front windows with tinting film. They cut out tinting sheet to see rear mirror (Both side) more clearly. Interestingly those area is same with old A pillar position. Nowadays a sedan has A and B color but there were 4 separated windows. It is counted as A,B,C,D.

In US, regulation regarding tinting on car window is different by states. Ex. In Connecticut, 35% or more of light should pass through. In Korea, you can see who is inside from 10 meter away.

The purposes of regulation on it are about safety reason to see out side from driver's viewpoint and to see inside to watch out what some wrong thing might happen in the car by police.

Anyway, it may be safer but doesn't looks good.

Reference
Sunting regulation in Korean
Wikipedia: Window Tinting
US Tinting Law

Where is Center of a Place?

It is really fun to travel around exotic place like a Wangfujing, Beijing, China. I visited the night market and look around. Actually most fascionating thing is people for me than skewered scorpions. At a corner plaza of Wangfujing, I can see a Chinese opera show on second roof.
Naturally people stop, watch and take a picture of costumed singers.

It makes a center place of Wangfujing.

Reference
Wikimapia: Wangfujing

Personal Identification Device: Ink Seal

Quick ink seal making service at Tokyo

Ink seal (Do-jang in Korean, YingZhang in Chinese and Inkan in Japanese) is a personal identification and approval tool which is used as a Signature. It is one of common tradition among east Asian countries.

In Korea, you need to register your seal in government office for an important official document. For example, you need to make a contract with registered seal for purchasing a house. The official seal should be designed unique and made by skillful & licensed craft man. Art of Dojang is one of beautiful craft art in Korea. You can choose a variety of material such as jade and calligraphy style.

Otherwise, there is more casual ink seal for every day business such as approval. It might save some time than hand written signature conveniently. Photo above is a display of quick seal making service at front of a stationary shop in Tokyo. It has 5000 kind of ready made name seal and covers 80% of a variety of Japanese name.

In Korea, computerized seal engraving machine (Mini laser CAM) is popular nowadays and replacing craftsmen. This machine is smilar with key maker. Personally I don't understand why we need an ink seal made by a machine.

REFERENCE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_(device)
http://www.handseal.co.kr/
Interview with a seal craft man
Computerized Seal maker

Serious Bicycle Riding at Tokyo

Tokyo is great place for riding a bicycle. But it seems Tokyo citizens are more serious about it than Beijing people.

Social system for bicycle is great in Japan. All bicycles should be registered so if you track down your lost bicycle or police can track you from your bicycle. Yellow number tag is attached on every bicycle.

In China, bicycle is still main stream in driveway along with car and bus but bicycle is welcomed to go along with pedestrian footpath in Tokyo. Many footpath has painted lane for bicycle (You can see dotted line for bicycle parking at photo above) Even there is a big parking lot for registered bicycle.

Otherwise, riding bicycle in Seoul is not easy as much as Japan or China. Riding bicycle is regarded as more leisure sports than regular commuting transportation.

What if a future personal commuting transportation is invented (ex. Segway)? Social / Traffic control policy can be ready for it? I observed speed is a matter. Small electric one manned car for elder citizen is welcomed at footpath in Japan and Korea. As long as it is slow, it will be OK.

So we will have slow (walking speed), mid (car speed) and high (train speed) way in our future city?