Tokyo Times

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Watch out there’s a chikan about

On this site you’ll find plenty of posts regarding perverts (chikan) and the lengths they’ll go to get a glimpse of underwear, a crafty feel, or just a bit of old fashioned voyerism.

But it seems that people are fighting back, and kids are being warned to be on their guard from a very young age. Here’s a notice I found outside an elementary school I visited yesterday.

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As unsettling as the picture is, what’s perhaps more disturbing is that the hands look uncannily like those belonging to Mr. Burns of The Simpsons fame.

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Watch TV?

Ever felt that your watch would be so much better if it had a built in TV? No, me neither. But if you ever do, the clever folk at Tokyo’s NHJ Limited have come up with this nifty little number.

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That is a football game that’s showing though. You know what? It might not be such a bad idea after all.

And apologies for the corny title. But it’s quite a clever play on words don’t you think?

Oh, ok then.

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The crying game

Here are two young participants in the 2004 baby sumo crying tournament.

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Babies born in 2003 were eligible for this year’s contest, and the fighter judged the loudest crier took home the much coveted title. With this year seeing 70 of the noisy little creatures entered, it makes for an event worth avoiding at all costs.

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Golden week goodness

Today, and then Saturday to Wednesday is Golden Week here in Japan. It’s basically 4 national holidays bunched together. Today for example is Green Day. A title that gives me the ahem, golden opportunity of making a joke linking it to the similarly named pop group. But at best it would be a lame effort. So I shall refrain.

Why it’s called Golden Week I don’t know, but it’s quite apt in that prices for hotels, flights, and holidays in general reach ridiculous levels. But for many people this is the only time they can get off work, so the travel companies have them by proverbials. A gold card for Golden Week would be very useful, if not essential.

But expensive as it may be to travel, it’s still time off work. Never something to be sniffed at. And also, as next Wednesday is Boys Day, there are lots of koinobori brightening up the landscape. These are kind of Koi Carp kites that represent the family. The bigger ones are the parents, and the smaller ones the kids. There admittedly is a lot more to it than that, but it’s too difficult to explain. And if I’m being honest, I’m not 100% sure myself. I’ve heard so many different variations I don’t know what is right or wrong. Are you buying that excuse?

But whatever the true meaning, they are always a welcome sight.

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Although this group that I came across must belong to a family that never got around to buying a TV. That’s a lot of kids!

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Serial panty pilferer nabbed

A nation breathes easier today, as arguably Japan’s worst recorded panty poacher is now safely behind bars.

55-year-old Kazumasa Ota was arrested this month after being apprehended by an unidentified company employee. The diligent citizen spotted Mr. Ota attempting to snatch a 4th piece of underwear from an apartment balcony, and bravely detained him until the police arrived.

The underwear-loving thief is suspected of being a keen panty plunderer for over 30 years. And after searching his house, police found 30 cardboard boxes packed with more than 4,000 items of women’s underwear. All carefully folded up and protected with moth repellant.

When questioned by police, Mr. Ota said, “I like women’s underwear.” Surely a contender for understatement of the year.

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