Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

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Nail nonsense

For Japanese singer Kumi Koda, these are heady days indeed, as after already bagging this year’s much coveted Best Jeanist award, the Kyoto born star has now been named a Nail Queen.

The prize — perhaps unsurprisingly sponsored by the Japan Nailist Association — honours those deemed to have reached the pinnacle in finger-related fashion. And, as the picture below amply proves, the 24-year-old does indeed have a lovely set.

kumi koda

Other winners included the equally famous but far less photogenic Akiko Wada; plus, somewhat surprisingly, an Italian bloke.

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Tokyo tormentor

Police in Saitama Prefecture, just north of Tokyo, charged a 20-year-old on Monday for violating the animal protection law after allegedly killing a cat and then posting pictures of the dead pet on the internet.

The unnamed man is suspected of capturing the unfortunate animal in a nearby park, and then repeatedly stomping on it in the bathroom of his Tokyo apartment — the disturbing deed later recorded on a camera-equipped mobile phone.

Numerous complaints about the images eventually spurred the police into action; however regardless of the rather unsavoury nature of the incident, the accused appears utterly unrepentant, telling investigating officers that he finished off the feline out of a sense of justice because cats torment squirrels and mice.

A sentiment that despite garnering huge support amongst Japan’s large rodent population is expected to have somewhat less of an effect on the nation’s judiciary.

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Not so jolly Japanese

A six-month study that questioned young people in 14 countries, found that only 43 percent of those aged between 16 and 34 admitted to feeling happy with their lives. The MTV Networks International survey concluding that those from developing nations are far more likely to feel light-hearted about their lot in life, with Indians topping the tinkled pink table.

The Japanese on the other hand miserably moped in last, a meagre 8 percent of those asked claiming contentment.

Not that you’d ever guess.

miserable japanese

(click image for mega-sized miserableness)

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Multitudinous mirrors

Japan’s narrow roads are often far from ideal for the common cyclist, especially in Tokyo; an abundance of amber gamblers further adding to the danger, with the practice appearing to be a requirement for the majority of motorists rather than a relatively rare risk.

A concern seemingly not lost on the bicycling old boy below, who, after a touch of two-wheeled tinkering, should have no problems whatsoever keeping an eye out for possible perils.

tokyo cyclist

All blind spots well and truly banished.

cyclist japan

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Beaujolais bath

Japan may well be the world’s largest importer of Beaujolais Nouveau — having overtaken the United States in 2004 — but it appears that many Japanese wine drinkers have begun to wake up to the fact that despite all the fanfare, the fruity tipple is more than a tad overrated.

So much so in fact, that a group of wealthy wine lovers in Hakone, near Tokyo, opted to rather wastefully have a wash in the stuff.

beaujolais japan

One off the group cheekily chirping, “At least it has a bit of body now.”

Or something along those lines.

Perhaps.