Category Archives: Misc Frantery

October 11

In Which We Report On Being Hammered By Typhoon Hagibis In Tokyo

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FRIDAY Pre-typhoon festivities: At Meidi-ya (the swanky “Japanese” supermarket): Lines fifteen deep with bulging baskets as every Japanese person in my neighborhood panic-buys foods that still qualify as gourmet without cooking or refrigeration. Meanwhile, at National Azabu (the “foreign foods” supermarket): Business as usual (except with rather more wine bottles in the baskets ahead of […]

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October 19

Modern Day Tweets From The Pillow Book

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• @seishonagon A latecomer pushes in front of you at a festival and holds up his huge ipad to take pictures #hatefulthings @seishonagon Someone wearing a bright orange jacket is standing around texting on his phone, smack in the middle of a famous photo spot #hatefulthings @seishonagon You step off the train to let other […]

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July 10

Famous Japanese Art Improved By Neko Atsume

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Because procrastination is my middle name and I currently have a Boaty McBoatload of editing to do, it became clear to me that the best use of my time this morning would be to see how much Japanese art could be improved by the addition of Tubbs & Co… • Read a novel set in Tokyo…

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August 19

Vending Machine Panties

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…for your water bottle! (*_*) Yes, Japanese PET bottles have suddenly developed a taste for modesty after years of flaunting their unseemly summer nudity, and now there are gachagacha vending machines devoted to dispensing adorable undies for every occasion! But apparently PET bottles aren’t the only inanimate objects suddenly ashamed of their nakedness. I mean, as soon as I stepped out for an […]

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December 31

Top Ten Posts Of 2014

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#1 INSIDE JAPAN’S WILDEST HOST CLUBS Turn down the lights, hire a bunch of cute hosts, and keep the drinks coming, and it shouldn’t matter what your club looks like, right? Actually, no. Designing host clubs is a lot like designing casinos and supermarkets – if you want to inspire women to spend money like water, you better make sure […]

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December 31

New Year’s Food Scandal!

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What’s wrong with this box of traditional new year’s food (besides the fact that two measly boxes of cold appetizers cost $525)? Well, if it came from any one of the swanky department stores that was recently snagged for mislabeling ingredients, those costly “Shiba” prawns might be proletarian shrimp from India, that “Japanese wagyu beef” was […]

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September 16

You Go, Gurl!

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“Active man has inside herself to be confident, fulfilled, happy and healthy. Active man power! The power to speak your mind, to stand up for yourself!” This sandalwood X bergamot body mist promises to deliver all the spray-on confidence and assertiveness a he/she could want! Just sayin’. • Read a novel set in Tokyo…

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