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General

Jun 23 2006 5 Comments

Intercourse indifference

“44 percent of the people who said they weren’t having much sex felt that having a relationship with the opposite sex was ‘very tiresome’ or ‘tiresome’.”

Figures from a report by the Japan Family Planning Association after interviewing 936 people aged between 16 and 49.

Such forlorn findings appear to confirm that Japan’s already low birth rate is set to continue falling, and the nation’s unenviable position at the bottom of the ‘who’s getting it the most’ league table looks very secure indeed — apathy rather than ‘action’ very much the name of the game.

going down?

A sorry state of affairs that makes the self-explanatory term sexless marriage — coined in the early 1990’s — seem more appropriate than ever, with another recent poll overseen by the snappily named Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development suggesting that the situation is only set to get worse.

Conducted between March and April this year, the survey asked 3,900 newly hired employees what they would do if they were ordered to do overtime on a day they had already scheduled a date, with a whopping 85% of them saying they would work — the highest figure since the survey began in 1972.

A situation that perhaps unexpectedly means that sexless marriages could well become a thing of the past, as if people aren’t dating, and therefore not having sex, then presumably they’ll never get to the marriage stage and stop having sex because they won’t have been having it in the first place.

Or something like that.

Categorized: General, Sex

Jun 16 2006 2 Comments

Strenuous stroll

On a nice sunny day, kids appear to like nothing better than running and playing in the park, enjoying the freedom and fres being pulled around the park by their hot and harassed teachers.

kids in a cart

(click image for heftier haul)

Categorized: General, Photography

Jun 15 2006 3 Comments

Tokyo tinkle

For the commuter who simply can’t get enough of being pushed and prodded onto a busy train, help is finally at hand — or at least at the foot of the futon. This awfully geeky alarm clock adding a little rattle and roll to weekday awakenings.

yamanote line clock

Yet as impressive to look at as this miniature recreation of Tokyo’s Yamanote loop line is, it’s nothing compared to the clock’s chipper chimes. Based on several stations mindless squeeze-in-everybody-the doors-are-about-to-close music, it includes such classic compositions as Shinjuku’s timeless ‘Twilight’, and Ikebukuro’s sumptuous ‘Spring Box’. Melodies so memorable they’ll have even the most brow-beaten salary man bursting out of bed and whistling his way to work. A selection of samples stored on this site give a good idea of some of the delightful ditties on offer.

Such gems make the clock something of a steal at 7,980 yen (38 pound); and for an extra 300 yen it can be delivered to the station of your choice — elevating the experience even further.

Perhaps.

Categorized: General

Jun 14 2006 10 Comments

Cosplay confessional

The music started, the chapel doors opened, and there was no turning back — not now. Then, seemingly as one, the guests turned towards the opened doors, and with a last deep breath I set off down the aisle, guiding my shaking legs tentatively towards the platform ahead.

wedding chapel

Rather worryingly there appeared to be a lot more people present than anticipated, but I squeezed out a nervous smile and the odd polite nod. Then, checking that the groom was close behind, it was up on to the platform and behind the podium, tightly clasping my bible and ceremony notes. Yes, I was performing my first ‘Christian’ wedding ceremony, and with somewhere in the region of 100 Japanese guests looking on expectantly, I was nervous to say the least.

But why be nervous? If nothing else I looked the part in my newly acquired robe — complete with a rather natty stole and embroidered crosses.

robe

And if that wasn’t enough, surely my 3 hours or so of ‘training’ and the resultant certificate would get me through the proceedings. I was now authorized for goodness sake.

priestly permit

In both English and Japanese.

priestly permit part 2

The trusty robe manufacturers certainly thought so anyway, as I wasn’t plain old Mr Lee Chapman anymore. No, not by a long shot. I was going up in the world, perhaps quite literally.

priestly promotion

Such a rapid rise leading me to believe that I’d be a bishop before I knew it. Or at least I would have been if I hadn’t opted for early retirement — it being a lot of Sunday work and all that.

Categorized: General, Odd, Religion

Jun 13 2006 1 Comment

Web wonder

Japan crowned its first ever internet beauty queen over the weekend, after whittling down a winner from around 5,500 entries. Yet in a bid to make sure that the victor didn’t turn out to be a balding and bearded middle-aged man living with his parents and known online as Judith, the organizers asked the 20 best contestants — chosen by internet voting — to appear in person for the final judgment.

The contest’s eventual champion turned out to be 19-year-old Rena Tomabechi, a university student from Aomori Prefecture. A young lady who fortunately for the organizers appears to be anything but a wildly unpredictable web weirdo.

internet beauty

The teenage student managed to bag the top spot after performing a walk in a bathing suit, which received a winning eja evaluation from the juiced up judges. An award that netted her a tidy 1 million yen (4,750 pound) in cash and a free trip to Hong Kong. Triumphant Tomabechi also proving that she’s far more than just a pretty face, wowing the gathered throng during her acceptance speech by saying, “I still can’t believe it. When I wake up tomorrow, I’ll probably be all confused, thinking ‘What shall I do? I’ve won’.”

High school student ‘Namie’ (pictured below) came a close second.

freaky cosplay

Apparently.

Categorized: General, Web/Tech

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