Monkey (or mini) bikes, as the name implies, aren’t exactly massive, but presumably this little machine,
is about as miniaturised as motorbikes can get.
Tiny Tokyo transportation
General
Japanese jubilation
Yesterday saw the Japanese royal family and the people as a whole celebrate the first birthday of Prince Hisahito, a little fella who delighted countless traditionalists by being the first new male member of the Imperial family in 41 years; the youngster’s timely arrival averting the supposedly disastrous consequences of a female becoming Japan’s utterly powerless and purely symbolic head of state.
However somewhat unexpectedly, the day’s festivities were further added to when it was also announced that the family had won this year’s hugely prestigious and hotly contested, ‘Most Unsettling Royal Household Of The Year’ award. A prize that, according to the judges, they won due to their decidedly disquieting mix of maniacal smiles and morbid stares.
Hello Kitty hero?
With Japan’s ‘Disaster Preparedness Week’ drawing to a close today, those in charge can congratulate themselves on a job well done, as regardless of how well such things are planned, promotion is pivotal as far as overall success is concerned.
And with this in mind, what (or indeed, who) could be better at furthering interest in such an educational event than everyone’s favourite feline firefighter, Hello Kitty?
This somewhat unexpected move into the emergency services perhaps finally proving that there is absolutely nothing Japan’s most celebrated cat can’t do.
Well, apart from forming facial expressions that is.
Tokyo housing huddle
Japanese houses, it has to be said, are lacking in longevity somewhat, with an average lifespan of around 25 years. A number that perhaps doesn’t paint the country’s construction companies in a particularly good light.
But whilst constructing things to last may be somewhere near the bottom of Japanese builders’ abilities, making the most of the meagre amount of land available is something they excel at.
Like the art of having houses so close together that if they weren’t different colours it would be hard to tell them apart, for example.
However the more experienced are able to cleverly construct round corners to create valuable extra space and rooms, with some of the latter big enough for a small child to lie down in, or even swing their arms about.
Albeit it in a rather restrained manner.
Rina Akiyama rears up
The Japanese media’s big news story of late has been the baking summer heat and the holiday horrors that have accompanied it, with the temperature in some areas hitting the record figure of 40.9 degrees Celsius. Yet in regards to non-weather-related news, it would appear that actress Rina Akiyama made something of a splash with a Sailor Moon-themed cosplay show. A story that presumably gained more attention than it really deserved to due to Akiyama-san being famed for the delectability of her derriere — the 21-year-old boasting what are believed to be the nicest buttocks in Japanese show business.
In fact, her posterior is said to be so peachy that the youngster has garnered the nickname ‘Oshirina’, a clever combination of her name and the word for one’s nether regions (oshiri). A rare honour it has to be said, with possibly the only other recipient of a body part-related moniker being Eri ‘suikappu’ Furuse, whose massive mammaries are likened to melons.
However moving swiftly back to bottoms, Akiyama is thankfully blessed with several other talents apart from a nice set of buns.
Although when talk inevitably returns to her bum, it admittedly has little trouble beating off the opposition.
So to speak.
Tokyo tumble
How much truth there is in the much favoured phrase “60 is the new 40†is certainly open to question, but if it is considered credible, then where does it leave the Japanese? As undoubtedly the longest living people in the world, could 70 actually be the new 40 in Japan?
In fact for some so-called elderly Japanese, even such a claim could be classed as conservative, with more adventurous activities still being continued well into later life. Take skateboarding for example. Whereas many of their western counterparts may weary of their wheels before reaching 30, Japanese boarders never surrender — they simply support themselves with sticks instead.
(image from Nero’s great uncle, via the FG forums)