Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

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Cat custody

Despite a crazed feline biting off the toes of an elderly woman, the animal protection centre where the captured beast was being held received over 160 calls from cat lovers, pleading that the toe loving tabby’s life be spared.

japanese socks

Yet even with such a history, officials at the centre initially allowed the animal to play with visitors whilst a decision was being made. However perhaps not surprisingly, they quickly noticed that the cat was untamed; although whether this had anything to do with the animal looking menacingly at guests’ fingers or toes wasn’t disclosed.

Based on these findings, the protection centre decided to wash its hands of the feline and give it a new home. An official saying, “The general public was worried about the future of the cat. Considering the opinions of those who did not want the cat put down, we decided to give it to an animal lover.”

nasty cat

Rather them than me.

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Maid in Japan

Whilst the latest Harry Potter movie is currently pulling in millions at the box office, the biggest sleeper hit of the winter could well be ‘Popular Maids’.

maid japan

It’s a heart-warming tale set in a small Tokyo cafe, and with a heady mix of tea and titillation, it will surely go down well with film lovers all over the world.

Perhaps.

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Bouffant balls-up

Apparent regulations that require at least one hairdressing shop on every single street in Tokyo, could now be on the verge of collapsing; after a disgruntled customer successfully sued her stylist for a supposedly horrible haircut.

The plaintiff was a 27-year-old cabaret club hostess, and despite only receiving 240,000 yen (1,160 pound) — following a 6 million yen compensation claim — the ruling could set a worrying precedent for the nation’s hordes of hairdressers.

Presiding Judge, Yuki Mizuno, explained the court’s decision by saying, “Hairstyles are a major influence on appearance. A hairstyle is a selling point for a cabaret club hostess and there was a period when her self-confidence was affected when she waited on customers.”

The woman’s claim it seems was based on the issue of her haircut being shorter than she requested — and also the wrong colour. This allegedly leaked photo proving that the young woman may have been justified in her actions.

japanese hairstyle

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Toilet techno

Not content with making the bathroom a place for the leisurely perusal of poetry, toilet trailblazer TOTO has produced a lavatory with a built-in music player.

apricot toilet

As well as the now almost standard wash and dry facilities, TOTO’s unusually named Apricot N5A has the ability to bang out a few tunes, whilst you, erm, bang out other things. A company spokesperson saying, “We conducted a survey in 2002 where we asked people to tell us what they wanted from a toilet. The most common response was a heated water cleaning system, which was closely followed by the desire for audio-visual functions.”

Yet don’t for a minute think that this means some kind of cheap stereo with an inbuilt muzak soundtrack. Far from it. The inclusion of a memory card slot means that users can set the music to suit their needs. A couple of short and snappy pop ditties could be ideal backing for an equally brief ‘business trip’. Alternatively, a 1970’s prog rock marathon would perhaps be better suited to those looking at a more prolonged visit. The addition of volume control allowing any embarrassing splashes or splatters to be easily drowned out by a timely cymbal crash or screeching guitar solo.

music playing toilet

With the Apricot N5A however, the fun doesn’t stop with musical accompaniment. For those whose bowels run like clockwork, the toilet seat can be set to warm-up at specified times. Plus the embarrassment of frantic flushing after a particularly large and stubborn deposit should be a thing of the past, as the intelligent toilet is capable of analyzing what it’s dealing with; taking the appropriate action once dimensions and consistency have been accurately calculated. Yet perhaps the Apricot’s biggest boon — at least for the ladies — is that the seat puts itself down automatically.

automatic toilet seat

Whilst such lavish lavvies may seem a little over the top to some, Kuo Ue, director of the Japan Toilet Association, claims to know why such advancements have become so attractive. “Japanese are a people who have placed great importance on hygiene since the olden days and really focused their attention on the toilet. There’s even a saying that if you want to be beautiful, you should first clean your toilet.” Finishing off with a slightly controversial parting shot. “There’s a tendency for toilet talk to be taboo in the West, so they haven’t progressed.”