WTF Japan? | Jonelle Patrick's Only In Japan

June 26

Funeral For A…What?

So, I was walking through the stately Ikegami Hongan-ji temple grounds this spring, and I saw this sign. I guess with the shrinking population and all, the number of regular funerals is going down, so they’re branching out into…pet funerals. Yes, for about $350, you can have a real priest chant real sutras over your […]

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November 06

Most Useless Subway Poster In The History Of Useless Subway Posters

posted by Jonelle Patrick

Yesterday I was walking through Ueno Station, and I spotted this I’ve posted before about silly subway posters that warn against kicking the ticket wicket, pitching a beer in the station attendant’s face and walking while rockabilly, but this one takes the cake for sheer WHAT THE HELL? Because some faceless bureaucrat (yes, this is a […]

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October 30

Hallowrong

posted by Jonelle Patrick

This insidious Halloween snowman’s got a world-class #xmasmissioncreep game going on, but I’m going to choose not to be reminded that the Japanese Christmas glitter bomb is poised to hit us right between the eyes at 12:01 a.m. on November first. Tip o’ the thank you scream mask to my friend Shuri T, for telling me […]

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July 01

When You REALLY Hate Your Neighbors

posted by Jonelle Patrick

Making my way back to Kamakura Station after tossing a few plates at the Dish-Breaking Shrine, I was walking through a totally normal-looking neighborhood when I chanced upon this. A hedge. But not just any old hedge – isn’t this the freakin’ unfriendliest alt picket fence you’ve ever seen? I mean, it’s all thorns, all the […]

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June 11

Cream Puffs You Can…Drink

posted by Jonelle Patrick

Hanging out waiting for a train this spring, my intrepid fellow adventurer and I spotted THIS in a vending machine! Of all the unlikely tastes to come in a can, this has got to be one of the WTFiest. I mean, do any of you actually find yourselves craving the innards of a cream puff […]

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