Odd

Due to being born and bred in the Japanese capital, on her first visit to my native northern England, Mrs Tokyo Times was captivated by the amount of cows that can be seen when simply out and about in the car. Yet after some admittedly far from fair Tokyo-based teasing, she defiantly proclaimed that she had seen a cow before, it just happened to have been in a zoo that’s all.

But cow-related quaintness aside, she quite plainly walks around with her eyes closed, as there’s no shortage of cows in the capital. They just happen to live at the side of the road,

in colour co-ordinated accommodation,

which quite plainly isn’t as much fun as a field.

With Japan’s love of cute characters, it’s perhaps not surprising to find that the humble hand towel (oshibori) now has its own hero, although Dobby The Oshibori is a little more disturbing than adorable.

That said, the funny-looking little fella does have his own manga, and unlike many characters, he is fairly well travelled,

and laudably likes the odd lager.

His creator, the Fujinami Towel Service, also has a museum, where there are other, more cuddly creations, such as penguins,

and pets,

although unfortunately, the famed phallus is suspiciously absent.

However, as luck would have it, this video is conveniently at hand to sort of redress the balance somewhat.

(via the FG Forums)

For Japanese party goers, the playful game of pulling pants off a partner’s head is probably about as puerile a practice as most people are prepared to participate in. However, for those looking to relive their younger days with fashion rather than mere frivolity, there’s always the option of procuring a pair of school pants (スクール パンツ), which are apparently ideal for the purchaser, or indeed their partner, to parade about in.

Alternatively, for those looking to make a real splash, there’s the rather more salacious school swim suit, which is either sickeningly sentimental,

or simply sinister.