Tokyo Times

Jul 04 2006 7 Comments

The hard sell

The Xbox 360 may be the current king in Europe and North America, but in Japan, Microsoft’s supposed Sony silencer is floundering — badly. With lackluster sales right from the start, the next-generation nonstarter is arguably dead and buried already; paltry sales of just over 1,000 units in the 3rd week of June amply proving this, especially when compared to the 25,467 PlayStation 2s shifted over the same period.

That said, when it comes to promotional events, Microsoft can still attract a good crowd — in particular when scantily clad models are involved. Pin-up queens Natsuki Yoshihara (right) and Haruka managing to wow avid gamers over the weekend with their prowess at the wartime epic ‘Call of Duty 2’.

Decked out in casual gaming attire, the two young ladies impressed the surprisingly all-male gathering with their joystick mastery and — with the addition of a few excited squeals — how quickly they managed to get their characters to release their load.

Young Yoshihara-san later claimed that the game’s voice-chatting feature had gripped her attention. The audience however confessed to being gripped by matters a little closer to hand.

Jul 03 2006 Leave a Comment

Elderly economics

With convenience store chain am/pm already blazing a trail in the niche customer stakes with its fella-free store in the country’s capital, competitor Lawson Inc. has decided to enter the fray with a couple of shops aimed solely at the aged.

In a bid to attract their desired clientele, the two trial stores have wider than usual aisles to accommodate shopping carts; and the shelves are stocked with traditional sweets, local specialties and other products popular with the elderly — whatever they may be. Each outlet also boasts a rest area equipped with tables, massage chairs and a television, with the latter presumably set to a suitably deafening volume.

However rumours of impromptu games of bingo amongst regulars, and the inclusion of a mattress-cum-bank for customers to store their life savings under, have yet to be confirmed.

Jun 30 2006 66 Comments

Whale for sale

With the prospect of Japan getting the go-ahead to resume commercial whaling in the not so necessarily distant future, the people in power are desperately trying to get rid of the nation’s growing stock of scientific research by-products — or whale meat as it’s more commonly known. School children in certain prefectures are being served it for lunch, one restaurant chain is offering whale burgers, and, in a rather desperate measure, dogs are allegedly being fed the stuff, whether they like it or not.

Yet as the sale of the meat helps in part to fund Japan’s very important whale-related research, it’s imperative that the stuff is sold, with these brightly coloured and jolly looking tins surely tempting both dedicated devourers and the uninitiated alike.

And with the addition of an unheralded ‘buy one get as many as you want free’ offer, who could possibly resist? Ideal as a talking point when surreptitiously served at a dinner party, or alternatively as a light snack, perhaps with a bit of veal.

(click image for bigger mammal meal)

Jun 29 2006 1 Comment

Brace yourself

There are a plethora of pitiable award ceremonies in Japan, with those for the best leathernist, best jeanist and nail queen immediately springing to mind. Yet even such shameless product promotions passed off as prizes pale into insignificance in the credibility stakes when compared to the recent Beautiful E-line Award — an honour bestowed upon a (preferably pretty) young lady judged to have best promoted the importance of orthodontics. The accolade funded, funnily enough, by the Japan Association of Adult Orthodontics.

This year’s proud winner being 20-year-old actress and current flavour of the month, Aya Ueto.

A young lady who, it has to be said, does have lovely teeth.

Jun 28 2006 Leave a Comment

Tasty Tokyo

The proprietor of the restaurant pictured below appears desperate to prove that there’ll be no foreign or flavourless food served on the premises whatsoever. In fact, so fantastic is the fare on offer, that the lack of a double ‘n’ in dining is simply unthinkable.

(click image for tastier Taisho)

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