Posted April 14, 2013 by Jonelle Patrick1 Comment WTF Japan?

The Fake Sea Slug Vending Machine

“Mommy, mommy, I want a nudibranch! All the other kids have nudibranchs! Pleeeeeze can I have ¥200? Pleeeeeze?”

“No. Last time you cried when you got the Bornella anguilla instead of the Chromodoris annai and I had to take you out of the store because everybody thought I was abusing you or something.“

“I won’t cry! Really I won’t. I promise. Even if I get another Bornella. Pleeze?”

Ahaha, we know where that one is going. Of course, I didn’t actually witness such a scene, on account of there were no mobs of kids lined up to buy rubber nudibranchs from this gachopon vending machine in the Decks mall in Odaiba. I was kind of tempted to go back and get one myself, though, since I’ve always had a soft spot for nudibranchs, but then I discovered ChromoCrochet’s patterns on Craftsy and might have to start a new hobby instead…

If I learned how to crochet, I could make a whole bunch of retractable sea anemones too! — If I learned how to crochet, I could make a whole army of retractable sea anemones too!

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When Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death wasn’t an accident, his life begins to unravel…*read more*

Jonelle Patrick View All

Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!