Photographs from a small group of islands
Unfortunately, whether this Japanese mother is as jaunty as her bicycle boldly boasts remains a mystery, as during the time I was there, she maddeningly never materialised.
Still, some things are apparently best left to the imagination, so she may well have been the image of young-ish mum and mega famous musician, Amuro Namie.
A performer whose appearance is admittedly not everyone’s cup of tea, so please feel free to take a bit of time to ponder a suitably perky parent.
Japanese beverage giant, Calpis, is best known for, erm, Calpis, but the company has also opted to diversify its drinks range somewhat, and now offers more nutritional — although equally memorably named — merchandise.
Like Gun Gun Gurt for example.
A yoghurty, almost Yakult-like concoction, that, while not exactly reaching the dizzy heights of g-g-great, is nonetheless still good.
And, if its creamy and pleasant nature wasn’t enough of a sales point, it is also crammed full of calcium, which apparently makes it ideal for those not terribly tall.
Or, in rapidly ageing Japan, it could well be the perfect potion for pensioners hoping to impede osteoporosis.
Perhaps.
When it comes to TV talents and models, Japan certainly isn’t lacking, with the majority of them, it has to be said, effortlessly conforming to the current characterisation of beauty. Like young Yuri Ebihara for example,
or even that mainstay of the media for the last decade or so, Norika Fujiwara. Who, at almost 37 years of age, is a veritable veteran.
A trek back in time, however, reveals significantly different sensibilities, as bygone beauties boasted decidedly dissimilar features, as well as fashion.
For starters, there’s Hisako Ichijou, a star of the Asakusa Opera, who tragically died at 17 due to lead poisoning from the white face paint she wore during performances. A penchant for paleness that is still very popular today, although fortunately the products used now are distinctly less damaging.
Then there’s Yukiko Tsukuba, who was born in 1906 and became a famous actress, plus a little later in life, a geisha. And while her looks may not necessarily link her with today’s leading ladies, the fact that she was involved in a scandal surrounding some supposedly nude pictures, definitely does.
Plus, for an entertainer prone to eccentricity, Aiko Takashima neatly fits the bill, as the actress burned down her house by putting hot braziers with her woollens to keep them warm in the winter.
Although that said, she doesn’t hold a torch, so to speak, to Chiyoko Sakai, as her elaborate hairstyles, or even hats, were allegedly legendary.
(via the mega source that is Mulboyne at the FG Forums)
After years of losing ground at the breakfast table to bread and its tasty little brother toast, rice has recently seen something of a resurgence, due to the ever-increasing prices of wheat and flour. A shift that has obviously not gone unnoticed by Japan’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, which has launched a public relations blitz in an attempt to take advantage of the trend — resulting in comical, if not necessarily convincing, campaigns such as this.
A situation that is obviously good news for Japan’s rice producers, and one that, should sales really start to soar, may even force this old fella to forego his time-honoured method and finally fork out for something more mechanical.
With their predilection for recklessly riding round the streets late at night and rebelliously revving their engines, Japan’s bosozoku bike gangs are a nightmare for many neighbourhoods, as the youngsters manage to create a ferocious amount of noise, if not exactly fear, on their meticulously modified motorbikes.
But regardless of the disruptive din they make, such gang members are easily identifiable, as their jingoistically emblazoned jumpsuits,
and technicolour transportation, are a far cry from the far less noticeable norm.
However, despite being regularly regarded as ideal recruits for the yakuza, and as role models of sorts for teenage troublemakers, bosozoku numbers have been steadily declining of late — a crackdown by the police and the possible realisation that making a racket and running the odd red light isn’t all that revolutionary, presumably taking their toll.
Plus, when the powers that be come up with a cute and colourful campaign that, it is hoped, will herald a hiatus, it’s probably time to pack in the practice anyway.
Still, sly digs aside, the bosozoku are an interesting breed, and for a much more insightful, and indeed sympathetic, look at them, this video is well worth a watch.