Here’s a rare bit of beauty on Tokyo Times. And probably for the first time, one that doesn’t come dressed in a bikini.
I think it’s a lily.
Photographs from a small group of islands
Here’s a rare bit of beauty on Tokyo Times. And probably for the first time, one that doesn’t come dressed in a bikini.
I think it’s a lily.
The controversy surrounding Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine is well documented. The enshrinement of Class A war criminals coupled with Prime Minister Koizumi’s yearly visits make it an issue of extreme tension (to say the least) between Japan and its neighbours.
Meaning Yasukuni is a magnet for right-wing fanatics and revisionists alike. And needles to say the chaps below weren’t singing the latest Hamasaki Ayumi single, or knocking out a rousing rendition of ‘Give Peace A Chance’.
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.
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.
Tokyo has enough bars to cater for most people’s needs. Plus if one is prepared to venture into the seedier side of town, it can be upgraded to all people and all needs.
A good example being that on a recent stroll around Shinjuku’s sleazy kabukicho district, I came across the bar of my dreams.
To paraphrase Belinda Carlisle, heaven is indeed a place on earth.
Now I’m aware that rice is the staple diet in Japan, and consequently the consumption of bread isn’t as important (or indeed commonplace) as it is in my native Britain. Yet even bearing this in mind, it’s nevertheless rather disturbing to see what horrors the humble loaf is occasionally subjected to.
Like this bizarre ice cream, banana, and bread combination for example.
A creation so preposterous that one can only hope that eating instructions are supplied. Providing of course that you’d want to even try.
In a crime that is baffling to say the least, a 34-year-old Tokyoite has been arrested for throwing acid at the buttocks of several women. The charge being an almost equally bizarre ‘willful destruction of property’.
Tsukasa Saito it seems acquired the acid from the metalworking company he’s employed by, and riding his mountain bike he would hurl it at the bottoms of denim wearing women. His victims luckily suffering no physical injuries, although their jeans had holes burned in them.
Saito-san has apparently admitted to the allegations, and explained his behaviour by saying, “It really turned me on to see a bottom in a pair of Jeans.†Although why this should prompt the aforementioned posterior to be doused in acid remains a mystery.
News of the acid flinging arse maniac’s arrest was greeted with joy amongst the capital’s denim wearing population. Prompting those who had fled to the countryside in fear of an attack to make plans for a speedy return.