Tokyo Times

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Odd

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Sharp shooter

In an act that simply beggars belief, a mid-ranking employee of electronics giant Sharp has been arrested for pouring his own excretion over a stranger.

It appears that 39-year-old Kazumasa Kurimoto took the trouble of carefully collecting his excreta in a plastic bottle. Then inexplicably he went out in his car, driving up behind an unsuspecting female victim and emptying the contents of the container over her. He then sped off; leaving the poor woman in a state that simply doesn’t bear thinking about.

excreta

Fortunately an eyewitness took note of the discharge devotee’s number plate, which eventually led to Kurimoto’s arrest. Under questioning the section manager admitted to the allegations, attempting to explain his behaviour by saying, “I did it for fun.”

With fourteen similar cases in the area remaining unsolved, it appears Kurimoto-san may have been enjoying himself a little bit too much of late. Although as of writing he hasn’t confessed to any other excreta related incidents.

Categorized: Odd

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Cig cinema

As Japan’s smokers begin to feel the pinch with an increasing number of bars, restaurants and public places restricting the use of cigarettes, Japan Tobacco has stepped in to briefly ease the pain.

The tobacco titan is kindly offering 150 lottery winners the chance to see a preview of the film Sin City in a restriction-free and smoke-friendly cinema. The one condition being that the applicant is a smoker — preferably a heavy one.

smoking manner japan

Japan Tobacco spokesman Tsuyoshi Miyashita gleefully wheezed, “The event is to provide a rare opportunity for smokers to light up freely while watching the movie, so they can enjoy the film without suppressing their urge to smoke. I remember seeing filmgoers smoke in theatres, though it’s impossible today.”

smoking manner japan

This is the first such promotion in Japan; and with the number of smokers falling to an all-time low of under thirty percent, it presumably won’t be the last. This inaugural event being part of the tobacco company’s ‘Smart Smoke’ campaign, which highlights the introduction of odour reduced cigarettes.

smoking manner japan

Miyashita-san however added that the guests would be able to smoke any cigarette they fancied, although whether the use of pipes and cigars would be permitted wasn’t mentioned. Similarly, the availability of oxygen or iron lungs wasn’t discussed.

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Peko pilferers

Earlier this year, Tetsuji Shibuya was sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison for stealing Peko-chan dolls; and in a decision that further underlines the gravity of such a crime, his accomplice, Hiroyuki Cho, was sentenced to an even heftier 7 years behind bars this week.

peko-chan

As you can see from the picture, Peko-chan dolls aren’t the most attractive of figurines, but the mascot of Fujiya cakes and sweets — which made its first appearance 45 years ago — has become something of a collectors item, especially as the promotional dolls are not for sale. Creating a situation where they are stolen and then sold illicitly over the internet and at flea markets. The life-size versions that are placed outside shops sometimes selling for as much as 100,000 yen (500 pound) a piece.

peko

It is said that the Peko pair managed to steal around 15 life-size versions of the doll, making a relatively impressive 1.1 million yen (5,500 pound). This unprecedented number of thefts — of which some included violence — prompted prosecutors to demand an 11-year prison sentence for Cho, as he was considered the mastermind behind the Peko pilfering plan. Judge Takeshi Kaneko agreed, adding that Cho-san had shown no signs of repentance, despite being the brains behind the operation. The unemployed 39-year-old found guilty of emailing instructions to his sidekick Shibuya.

An alleged copy of one of the incriminating electronic messages is shown below, after apparently being leaked by the prosecution. The email outlining the planning and intelligence needed for such a delicate operation.

A document that was inexplicably written in English.

email

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Beetle battle

As it’s possible to get away with bull sumo, and even a version of the sport involving crying babies, I suppose a stag beetle sumo contest shouldn’t raise too many eyebrows.

beetle sumo

The tournament, recently held in Tokyo’s popular Odaiba district, pitted the horrible looking beasties against each other; some beetles really getting into the spirit of the competition, deftly clamping onto their opponents and flipping them over. A feat that presumably drew hoots of pleasure from the enthralled crowd. Perhaps even the odd high-five. Other contestants however failed to grasp the finer points of the sport, scuttling out of the ring as fast as their numerous little legs could carry them.

The competition was probably organized to cash in on the increasing popularity of the video game Mushi King, and the multitude of cards that accompany it. A title that allows game players to control a variety of beetles in a format similar to sumo. However one game-loving youngster went as far as saying, “The video game is not the same as the real game.”

mushi king japan

That said, the middle-aged man overseeing the fight appears to be having far more fun than the rather bored looking kids in the audience.

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Silicone satisfaction

For some time now, a few companies in the sex trade have been offering rubber doll rentals. A service that, for want of a better description, has been going down very well indeed — despite the relatively high price and potential hygiene problems.

However, perhaps not surprisingly, this demand for dolls has resulted in the opening of a downtown establishment for silicone sex seekers. The difference being that rather than having the dolls shipped out to customers, LaLa rents out private rooms that are furnished with a bath, toilet, and most importantly, a latex lover.

japanese latex doll

The shop currently has a staff of 17 ‘ladies’, with a going rate of 12,000 yen (60 pound) for 90 minutes. A price that obviously doesn’t deter many potential customers, as the store’s manager claims that, “On a really good day we get as many as 30 customers.” In regards to the kind of patrons LaLa attracts, he says that they “age from teens to men in their 60’s. For the most part they appear to be quiet, timid types, who probably feel more at ease with a doll than a young woman. Some bring along shopping bags with a couple of extra costumes. I suppose they enjoy dressing up the dolls and taking snapshots.”

blow up dolls

In an attempt to get the low-down on this burgeoning business, Dacapo magazine sent two intrepid students to try out the service. First up, so to speak, was 21-year-old Hiroshi. Opting to watch a racy video beforehand to get himself in the mood, he was disappointed to find that, “After I undressed her, I was upset to see that her head hadn’t been properly screwed on.” This inauspicious start set the tone for Hiroshi’s rubber rendezvous, and despite a few tender moments, the experience wasn’t an especially good one. “I felt something, but it also gave me something of a guilt trip, and I was asking myself, ‘What am I doing here?’ and I guess at that point I got completely turned off.”

latex doll head

Not exactly a glowing report for the new service it has to be said, but Hiroshi’s friend Takuya had a slightly more enjoyable experience. Finding himself in a room with a doll dressed as a flight attendant, he wasted no time on the preliminaries, quickly finding out that “there was no problem in the missionary position.” However it wasn’t all plain sailing, as “with some of the other positions we tried I had to hold her up, and since she was quite heavy my arms got tired.” Not that these minor setbacks slowed Takuya’s progress too much, as he confessed that “after thinking of previous enjoyable experiences, I was finally able to go all the way.”

Yet with LaLa’s service costing the same as establishments offering real women, coupled with the mixed reactions of the two students mentioned above, the shop might have its work cut out to survive in the long term, despite its early success. Even the temporarily relieved Takuya pondered after his exertions, “It made me realize how futile it can feel to convey love that doesn’t get reciprocated.”

latex doll face

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Mountain meeting

In the hotly contested most-bizarre-place-to-hold-an-interview competition, Japanese internet retailer ImageNET is currently leading the way, as yesterday the company held interviews on top of Mount Fuji.

Pretty unconventional it has to be said. Yet not content with potentially bagging a prize for the unique location of the interview, the online trader attempted to muscle in on the corniest-line-used-by-a-retailer award too, saying, “The job interview was held atop Japan’s highest mountain to make sure new employees have what it takes to scale the heights of business”

interview on fuji

It turns out that only 11 of the 20 applicants reached the summit, and with four jobs on offer, the climb looks to have been well worth the effort for those involved. However a rumour that the young candidate pictured above was heavily penalised for being a mere 10 minutes late after his 3,776-metre slog has yet to be confirmed.