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General

May 17 2006 Leave a Comment

Feline felony?

Clearing out an apartment after a tenant had been evicted, the unfortunate real estate employee assigned to the task stumbled upon rather more than a few bits of discarded underwear and some unwashed dishes — the bodies of 100 or so dead cats.

The woman who was forced out from the second floor apartment in March for not paying her rent is said to have kept stray cats there — presumably of the live variety — but the dead ones were found in plastic bags stored in either drawers or cardboard boxes; although whether the animals died naturally on the premises, were brought in inanimate, or were actually killed there isn’t clear.

The latter is arguably the least likely though, as the financially strapped feline fanatic had lovingly written the cats’ names on each bag.

Which was a nice touch.

I suppose.

Categorized: General, Odd

May 10 2006 Leave a Comment

Showa shivers

Pictured below is a poster for an exhibition in Tokyo detailing the lives of children during the Showa era (1926-1989) — focusing primarily on the years after the war. An event that should prove nostalgic to those brought up during the period, and a source of interest to much younger viewers, allowing them a peek into a relatively recent yet radically different world.

japanese dolls

However regardless of its obvious educational merits, the deranged and disturbing dolls on show look set to put off even the most valiant of visitors.

japanese dolls

(click image for heightened horrors)

Categorized: General, Photography

May 09 2006 4 Comments

Marital misery

“I wanted him to keep working but I’ve accepted now he’s going to come home. I’m just going to spend more time out of the house. I’d divorce him, but it’s too much trouble at my age.”

Hatae Ishizaki expressing distinct reservations about her 59-year-old husband’s impending retirement.

Well, virtual stranger glimpsed late at night or in between games of golf her husband may be, but numerous years spent enjoying long luncheons and trips with friends means that yes, divorce probably is ‘too much trouble’. Come next year however, when the law changes and allows women up to 50% of their husband’s retirement benefits, it might be a very different story altogether.

A situation that means Mr Ishizaki and millions more like him had better realise that it’s time to start talking and taking an interest, or alternatively it’ll be time to take up cooking lessons and work out how that contraption in the corner that cleans clothes works.

Categorized: General

May 04 2006 6 Comments

Golden goodness?

After four months of hard slog since the New Year break, most Japanese can now kick back and enjoy the current Golden Week holidays. A rather aptly named spot of time off, as prices for flights and hotels double at the very least, shamelessly shafting the millions of people trying to make the most of this short vacation.

Still, why worry about money when the chance of a stress-relieving holiday presents itself? Yet whilst getting away from it all is arguably more important than financial concerns, it’s a pity that the actual getting away part is such a hassle.

Certainly doing battle at the airport is not for the faint-hearted.

There again, a journey on a shinkansen may be even worse, seat occupancy ranging from a decidedly uncomfortable 130%, to a quite frankly bloody awful 180%. Statistics that mean sights like the one below will be reserved solely for those who manage to push and prod their way on to the carriage first.

Yet being crammed and crushed on a train for several hours may well be preferable to traveling by car, with several routes out of Tokyo inflicting over 50-kilometre traffic jams on heroic holidaymakers yesterday.

That said, when they all eventually reach their destinations, it’ll at last be rest and relaxation time. A few days to idle away with the masses of other want-away workers and holiday-starved sightseers…

Categorized: General, Travel

Apr 26 2006 2 Comments

Nag-free narcotics?

“He nagged only us. We hoped the drug might make him kinder.”

An excuse made by two junior high school students after being rumbled for lacing their teacher’s lunch with antidepressants.

After a trip to the hospital due to feeling dizzy and generally unwell, how ‘kind’ the 39-year-old teacher will be upon his return wasn’t disclosed.

Categorized: General

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