Photographs from a small group of islands
The promotion of pachinko parlours — or indeed a plethora of other pastimes — by handing out tissue paper and holding up placards may well be worthwhile, or at the very least not just a wearisome waste of time.
However, for those people picked out for such purposes, the only possible pleasure can presumably be packing an iPod.
And, at the same time, desperately praying that the battery doesn’t pack in.
The strong yen and sluggish sales have, understandably, caused massive damage to Japan’s main car manufacturers, with a new round of temporary closures and large job losses hinting at further hardships on the horizon.
But that’s not say that the current crisis is confined to car makers of course, and rather surprisingly the nation’s usually far from flaccid sex industry seems to be suffering too, resulting in that veritable mainstay of many merchants, the vibrator, being sold at apparently preposterously low prices.
Which, as stimulus packages go, is novel to say the least.
Quite possibly the people below always practice outside, or perhaps on this particular day they just wanted somewhere different from the dojo, but either way, if one is tackling something traditional, then it’s arguably quite a treat to train in a setting that’s equally aged.
However, on a cold and cloudy winter’s day, standing barefoot and unbending as the sensei sets out the session can’t be much fun.
Especially as the bald one demands the team’s total attention.
Although when his back is briefly turned, there’s fortunately the chance for a furtive few words.
And, despite the climate and lack of clobber, even a little bit of laughter is allowed.
(click images for mega-sized martial arts)
With the somewhat cumbersome but quite possibly comfortable loincloth (fundoshi) making a comeback of sorts, it’s perhaps not surprising to now see the ladies looking to get in on some loose undies action.
But no plain and boring white ones for the fairer sex. No, there are designs that are a bit daring.
Some even devilishly so.
And others that can be donned when doing the housework.
Plus, for those who don’t want to get a bite round their bits in the summer, there are even a couple of mesh-based offerings imaginatively made to keep those maddening mosquitoes out.
Maybe.
(click images for full-sized but still badly photographed fundoshi)
With Tokyo’s appearance constantly changing, as buildings are unceremoniously ripped down and others rebuilt, the clichéd cry — at least in my native northern Britain — of, ‘it was all fields round here when I were a lad’, is really rather apt.
However, at least as far as this pensioner is concerned, it’s possibly quite the opposite, as the place wasn’t a field but a factory, and one that was ferociously bombed into a fiery inferno.
Which, it has to be said, is a considerable contrast to contemplate.