Now I’ll admit that exported Japanese cars have silly names such as Shogun and Samurai, but would you ever consider riding around in a Bongo?
Dodgy date
An unnamed teenager was arrested on Wednesday for stealing the wallet of a 46-year-old company employee. But this was no ordinary theft, as the incident occurred when the two met for a date. And it was no ordinary date either, as the youngster was a 16-year-old boy in a miniskirt trying to pass himself off as a woman.
How the man and the miniskirt wearing youth planned the date wasn’t disclosed, but theft was the only thing on the boy’s mind. In cahoots with another male, he demanded a fee upon meeting his date, and when the man handed over his wallet the young chap promptly ran away. Although presumably not very quickly considering what he was wearing.
This was when the accomplice stepped in. Feigning innocence, he stopped the man from giving immediate chase and asked what was wrong. After a brief explanation, the two then searched for the boy, but the planned interference had stalled the man long enough to allow his date to demurely flee the scene.
All in all a relatively interesting story, but thankfully one promoted to memorable by a police statement. As the investigating officer’s comment on the incident was, “Men don’t realize when other men dress up as girls.â€
A gentleman who perhaps knows more than he’s prepared to give away…
Pillow talk
No Japanese model worth her salt is without a stack of DVDs and calendars bearing her image. But the people behind Misako Yasuda have managed to pull off a blinder in the spin-off product department. Namely the Tugging Hugging Pillow.
The life-size pillow is presumably well made and constructed of resilient material considering it retails at a rather pricey 16,000 yen (80 pound). Meaning a good rub should get rid of even the most troublesome of stains. Its size also means that it could be used to jerk work off a bit of stress as a novelty punch bag. A few thrusts and pokes easing any pent-up frustration.
And for would-be wankers bankers, the option of a pillow and sheets (pictured below) pack for 23,000 yen makes shrewd economic sense. A saving of 2,000 yen (10 pound).
Ok, that’s enough. You’ll be glad to know I’m schoolboy humoured out.
(Not so) Mobile Suit Gundam
Forget your impressive but decidedly diminutive robots such as Asimo, EMIEW, and nuvo. Instead, welcome the new titan of robot technology: The Land Walker.
This colossal beast stands an impressive 3.4 metres high, and weighs a whopping 1-ton. Plus, with the use of four pedals in the cockpit, it can be manoeuvred forward, backward and sideways, although admittedly it’s not what you’d call swift, strolling at a somewhat sedate 1.5 kph.
However, any concerns about speed can be instantly dismissed by the fact that the Land Walker is equipped with two air guns positioned next to the cockpit, allowing the driver to fire sponge bullets at flabbergasted onlookers who dare to mock the machine’s lack of pace.
The robust robot was designed almost single-handedly by 32-year-old Masaki Nagumo, who works for the company Sakakibara Kikai, based in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture. Nagumo’s aim it turns out was to develop a device like those in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam, saying, “I wanted to see a robot on which people ride and operate, like Gundam.â€
For other Gundam fans, Sakakibara Kikai will happily make the Land Walker to order. The only stumbling block (apart from shipping I suppose) is that it costs a cool 36 million yen (180,000 pound). But fear not those on a tight budget, as the company says the price will be lowered if enough people place orders.
Mildly amusing English usage #11
Now admittedly my knowledge of fashion is far from extensive, but since when have style and smell had anything to do with each other?
Yet as bizarre as the concept of aroma fashion is, it’s arguably nothing compared to smell based fashion sewing.
Cuffed captive
In what hopefully isn’t a new craze amongst, erm, the crazed, a man was arrested on Monday for keeping a high school girl prisoner for 22 days. Less than a week after the capture of another man for a disturbingly similar abduction.
Dried fruit vendor Takayuki Kawamoto met his 17-year-old victim through a mobile phone matchmaking site, and then kept her captive with the use of handcuffs. Even using them during trips out in the car together, when Kawamoto would handcuff his victim to the steering wheel if he needed to get out.
After his arrest he told the police, “I kept her prisoner because I wanted to be with her.†And if in any further proof was needed in regards to the abductor’s inability to grasp basic social norms and dating techniques, he allegedly ordered the girl to fall in love with him. Threatening to kill her if she didn’t.
Kawamoto’s shift from love to laziness however was his downfall, as forcing the girl to work at his dried fruit stall allowed her a shot at freedom. A chance the young woman took, managing to flee to a nearby police box before Kawamoto could recapture her.
And as an added bit of oddness, Kawamoto shared an apartment with his mother and brother. Neither of who appear to have raised any questions (or indeed an alarm) in regards to their family member and his confined cohabiter.