Okay, this sign actually reads “Don’t Give Food To The Pigeons!” but it goes on to give a rather elaborate rationale for withholding bread crumbs from the little beggars. It seems that not only will feeding them provoke an unnatural population explosion, the poop from all those extra pigeons will be a scourge on localContinueContinue reading “Pooping On Laundry Prohibited!”
Monthly Archives: June 2013
Today’s Beauty Quiz: Are You Young Enough To Have Gray Hair?
Elephant Gray. In case you want to look big, as well as gray. These days in Tokyo, the only people with black hair are those whose hair is actually gray, and the only people with gray hair are those whose hair is naturally black. To determine which group you should be in, take this handyContinueContinue reading “Today’s Beauty Quiz: Are You Young Enough To Have Gray Hair?”
Monkey Business
I was walking around the Decks shopping complex in Odaiba, and suddenly, MONKEY SHOW. Seriously. Right in the middle of the mall. A monkey show. Of course, trained monkeys have been entertaining people for a long time in Japan – the tradition dates back to before the samurai era – but usually you have toContinueContinue reading “Monkey Business”
The Boyfriend Of Your Dreams For Only $70!
He doesn’t leave his socks on the floor, he doesn’t hog the remote, and he doesn’t snore! But when you close your eyes and wrap your arms around your full-body-size hunk of burnin’ love and plug in your earphones, he’ll lull you to sleep by whispering sweet nothings in your ear! You’ll never have toContinueContinue reading “The Boyfriend Of Your Dreams For Only $70!”
Slightly Unclear On The Concept: Cookies & Creme Muffins
Isn’t the whole purpose of “cookies & creme” flavored snackables to allow us to deceive ourselves about just how many Oreos we’re pounding down, disguised as a more sophisticated food item? Not in Japan! Front and center, baby, with sugar on top! •
Tokyo Streets At Night, Shining In The Rain
It’s rainy season in Tokyo right now. But the steamy, gray, days turn into magical warm nights, the pavement shining like a river of melted neon… •
My Beautiful Handwashed Trash
Check this out. I totally have the cleanest trash in all the land. If I lived in America, (this would be some weird parallel universe America that has the same insane garbage rules as Japan, which require that recyclables be CLEAN before they are put out for collection on the appointed day), I’d have putContinueContinue reading “My Beautiful Handwashed Trash”
A Whole New Kind Of Fast Food
If you’ve got a need for speed when lunchtime rolls around, what could be faster than a couple of bullet train rice balls? And just so you don’t have to be up at 5:00 a.m. with your tweezers and nail scissors, this little bento-making set comes complete with a mold for the sticky rice andContinueContinue reading “A Whole New Kind Of Fast Food”
What’s Long & Skinny And Not What You Think It Is?
Hey, I was visiting the Togenuki Jizo and I got you a present. Wow, thanks. What is it? Guess. Oh no. On second thought, I don’t want it. It’s something weird, I just know it. It’s not weird! I swear, after you try it, you won’t be able to live without it. What’s this writingContinueContinue reading “What’s Long & Skinny And Not What You Think It Is?”
Job Description: Wizard of Oz
It’s amazing that a Japanese train ticket machine has never been in the running when it’s time to elect a new pope, because they are about as close to infallible as a machine can get. You stick in your money, and – unlike the ticket machine I once encountered in San Francisco, which rained downContinueContinue reading “Job Description: Wizard of Oz”
Doggie Diner
Even pooches who haven’t perfected the essential Sad Begging Face can score doggie-licious snacks at the Dog Department café! No trying to choose which knee might belong to the most sympathetic diner, no patient waiting for a gravity-assisted food mishap – all that lucky canines have to do is order off the menu! Choose fromContinueContinue reading “Doggie Diner”
Only In Japan 