It’s a well-known fact that during a lifetime, the Japanese take on average approximately 7,312 pictures of cherry blossom.
Of which, 93.7% are as badly executed as the one above.
Obligatory blossom
Culture
Sausage sorcery
As youngsters all over Japan take entrance examinations in the hope of bagging a place at their school or university of choice, snack manufacturers are equally busy trying to extract as much money as possible from these sleep deprived and stressed out students.
Nestle for one has it easy, as ‘Kit Kat’ is similar sounding to the Japanese for ‘definitely win’; meaning the multinational need only release different flavours of the popular biscuit to have the nation’s youth clamouring desperately for a bit of sugar-based superstitious success.
Yet despite having a much bigger mountain to climb, fish-based foodstuff maker Maruha has made a bid of its own for a piece of this lucrative market. The wily company bringing out a special edition of its, erm, fish sausages.
Realising early on that the product could be a tough sell, Maruha has ingeniously stamped each and every snack with the word gokaku (pass), encouraging students to mistakenly believe that sucking on a sausage will ultimately bring success.
But even after packing its ‘lucky’ product with extra DHA, given the choice of nibbling on this:
Instead of this:
The word ‘pass’ could become more appropriate than Maruha ever imagined.
Shivering shindig
A recent festival in Gunma Prefecture saw resilient male residents don their loincloths and brave the winter temperatures; the hardy bunch intent on continuing a tradition that goes back about 400 years.
As well as wearing only their underwear, the 40 or so members were split into two groups — the red and white teams. Both of which made liberal use of the region’s natural hot spring water, enthusiastically throwing it over their different coloured rivals.
Having no winners or losers, this hurling of warm water rather bizarrely seems to be all there is to it, although the proceedings are enlivened somewhat by the shivery shouts of the participants. A vocal accompaniment that appears to be compulsory, with cries along the lines of, “Are you sure my bottom doesn’t look big in this?†and, “Honestly ladies, it’s only because of the cold†helping to entertain any bemused onlookers.
Flowery flavour
Giving its famous chocolate covered biscuit something of a makeover, Kit Kat manufacturer Nestle has come up with this rather novel cherry blossom variety.
But before you question the introduction of a spring themed product in the middle of winter, its arrival is timed to perfectly coincide with the commencement of school entrance examinations; the humble snack having become something of a lucky charm of late, its name sounding very similar to the Japanese for ‘definitely win’ (click here for a more detailed explanation).
A phrase that may ultimately ring hollow for many Kit Kat recipients, but not, one can safely assume, for Nestle.
Taiko titillation
With its primeval pounding and frenzied movements, taiko is a breathtaking spectacle. The ancient art form requiring a tricky combination of both skill and stamina.
Yet by opting for a slightly unconventional approach, an all-female group has given the medium a novel new twist — naked taiko. The lithe and lively members more than happy to bang the night away, exhibiting barely a care in the world in regards to how much noise they make.
Clicking on the picture above will take you to a video of one of their performances. Which, due to a complete disregard for clothing and wanton jiggling of body parts, is definitely not safe for work.