Photographs from a small group of islands
At this time of year, relaxing around a roaring open fire whilst roasting chestnuts may well be considered traditional, if a little trite.
Yet despite the absence of nuts, and indeed Nat King Cole, convening instead around a comfortingly old kettle isn’t necessarily too bad a trade.
Plus it keeps the cliché encouragingly complete.
An unscientific but still somewhat assiduous study of the bouffants boasted by most Japanese men would almost certainly suggest that baldness isn’t as big a blight on the nation’s blokes as it is back in my native Britain.
Or there again maybe, just maybe, wigs are a well used but equally well kept secret, with a rug being as readily donned as a raincoat. However, while that is very much open to debate, what isn’t is that just like the latter, wigs do wear, and this poor fella’s equally poor hairpiece,
is possibly now about as hirsute as his head.
(click images for super-sized syrup)
Having to wait a while to cross the road when one really needs to get back to work is annoying — no doubt about it.
But that said, it’s obviously far less infuriating than a funny looking foreigner taking your photo.
As every man and his dog now has a mobile phone — the latter possibly quite literally the way canines are cared for in this country — telephone boxes in Japan are becoming fast fading features; especially as they don’t conveniently double up as lager-fuelled lavatories as they do in my native Britain.
However, there are a few still left, and possibly, if they were all as daringly designed as this one, people would be more prone to patronise them.
Perhaps.
For those of you that indulge in a spot of gift giving at this time of year, I sincerely hope that Santa-san brings you a couple of sizeable sacks that will keep you suitably absorbed for some time to come.
Or failing that, a perky pair of puppies perhaps.
Merry Christmas!