Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Odd

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Hard Gay humour

Variety shows on Japanese television don’t shy away from over the top stereotypes. Far from it in fact. Comedy and entertainment (although I use the terms loosely) come before any sense of responsibility – or indeed sensibility.

The introduction of the character Hard Gay however arguably takes this approach to a whole new level.

hard gay

The young chap it would appear struts the streets of Tokyo; performing acts of ‘social improvement’and shouting “Wooooo!” or “Hard Gay!” a lot. All interspersed with liberal doses of hip thrusting — his trademark movement.

hard gay

Although some thrusts it has to be said are more extreme than others.

hard gay

For any fans interested in copying their favourite comedy character, internet shopping site Rakuten is currently offering a Hard Gay costume set. The pack consisting of a hat, vest, hot pants and wristband. All for the very reasonable price of just under 6,000 yen (30 pound).

hard gay

However for those not willing to take the plunge but still looking for a Hard Gay fix, by clicking here you can see a video of him in hip thrusting action.

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Bikini-clad bureaucrat

Whilst taking a day off work last week, a 41-year-old government official in konan, Shiga Prefecture, was arrested for trespassing in a women’s changing room at a local leisure facility.

Ryuhei Kameda was dressed as a woman when he was apprehended, but in his defence he told the police, “I know I am a man, but I want to live as a woman.” How this information will affect the bureaucrat’s case is unknown, but Kameda-san may well have gotten away with his changing room misdemeanour had he managed to curtail his cross-dressing activities a little more.

It turns out that before his capture, the 41-year-old had been for a swim. Yet as innocuous as such an activity may sound, rather surprisingly Kameda chose to wear a decidedly un-government like bikini. A decision which eventually led to his downfall, as facility staff were alerted by other users to be on the look out for a ‘strange person’.

Such complaints presumably meaning that the skimpy swimming attire wasn’t especially flattering.

Categorized: Odd

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Cab con

Japanese taxis aren’t the cheapest, and that’s an understatement. But this apparently minor detail didn’t worry Koichi Machida of Aichi Prefecture — not in the slightest.

The 36-year-old man in question ordered a taxi in Toyohashi, with the destination being Aomori, his hometown. An ordinary sounding request on the surface, and one made even more understandable by Machida-san giving the reason for his journey as, “My relative is now critically ill. I want you to take me to Aomori where I will have money.” The potential customer’s mention of money however hints at the slightly unusual nature of the request: Toyohashi to Aomori is a whopping 1,115-kilometre journey.

japan cab

Surprisingly unfazed by the distance, the cab company arranged a car and two drivers for the trip, and upon arrival in Aomori the meter showed a phenomenal 352,900 yen (1,777 pound) fare. The only problem was that Mr. Machida didn’t have the money, so instead of going to the bank as promised, he promptly ran off without paying.

The fare dodging fraudster was later picked up by the police in a nearby hotel, and found with the princely sum of 13,000 yen (65 pound) in his pocket. Machida later confessed that after losing his job in Toyohashi, he simply wanted to return home to Aomori. However why he didn’t just take the train wasn’t disclosed.

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Pick up a penguin

Amid all the furore concerning Japan’s scientific whale hunting and the introduction of blubber burgers in some restaurants, the nation’s penchant for penguin might just go unnoticed.

penguin bar

Ok, I’ll admit that the restaurant/bar doesn’t actually serve penguin — at least not that I’m aware of — but it does claim to have one of the comical and flightless birds on the premises.

For what reason is anybodies guess.

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Tanuki terror

The ever popular and harmless looking tanuki is a familiar sight outside shops and restaurants. The little chap welcoming customers with his cute face and comedy potbelly. Plus, it goes without saying, his exposed genitalia. And yes, they are his testicles hanging down to the floor.

Yet one poor specimen appears to have suffered at the hands of a rogue scientist. An experiment that left the poor animal like this.

tanuki

A deranged and disturbing looking beast for sure.

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Atom and Anne

As popular as manga now is, it has simply never appealed to me. Yet that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate it as an art form, and in Japan especially, it is used to introduce a whole host of ideas and issues. Invariably garnering a much wider audience than the more traditional text-only format.

That said, some things one would presume don’t really need the manga treatment. The story and message resonating strongly enough without pictures. Or in the case below, the cute contrast of perennial favourite Atom Boy.

anne frank

Yes, The Diary Of Anne Frank is available not only in manga format, but Atom Boy, his sister Uran, and the dodgy looking Dr. Ochanomizu kindly help the story flow. The cheery little chaps guiding the reader along in their usual jaunty and jolly manner.

anne frank japan