Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

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Record greed

“We are strongly pushing for the iPod tax.”

Taizo Shinya, spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of Japan, which supports a copyright law revision to charge royalties on digital music players.

Not content with already fleecing music buyers with ludicrously high prices, Japanese recording companies are now after even more easy money. This time from anybody who has the temerity to buy a digital music player. The appropriately named ‘iPod tax’ being touted as somewhere between 2 and 5 percent of a portable player’s retail price.

Now admittedly the illegal downloading of music is still rife, but when you look at the prices of CDs in Japan, it’s hardly surprising. Take this early release from singing sensation Ayumi Hamasaki.

ayumi hamasaki

Nice cover and all that, but LOVEppears retails at a staggering 3,392 yen (almost 17 pound). A figure that could — generously, looking at many other CDs — be described as an averagely priced album. And when you consider that Apple’s iTunes Music Store is already a success in Japan — recently racking up a whopping 1 million sales in its first four days — the record industry’s greed appears to know no bounds. Or feel any shame for that matter.

BitTorrent beckons…

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Extra early Xmas

It may only be mid-October, but that hasn’t stopped my local supermarket from dusting off some merry merchandise. Yes, Christmas trees, lights and decorations are now good to go. After all, there are only 69 days of shopping left.

christmas tree japan

Not that the Japanese celebrate Christmas of course…

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Cafe (non-)conflict

It is often said that the Japanese will do anything to avoid conflict. An assumption that arguably contains a fair amount of truth. Or at least it does if you consider the recent case of a man arrested for overstaying his welcome at a manga/internet cafe in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture.

Homeless Kentaro Shimada it seems quite enjoyed his private room at the cafe. So much so in fact that he stayed there for almost two months. Yes, you read that right — two months! He strolled in there on August 2nd, and didn’t leave again until September 26th.

Japanese manga cafe

Unusual it has to be said, but hardly a crime. Except that after his elongated stay, the 33-year-old fled without paying — leaving behind a whopping 520,000 yen (2,593 pound) bill. A figure that amongst other things included 140 drinks.

To their credit, the staff had asked Shimada-san to pay up; but the impudent internet lover waved them away each time, claiming he’d pay later — much later obviously.

Surprisingly, the fact that young Shimada is homeless – and manga cafes boast a whole host of amenities – has seemingly escaped the attentions of the police. The on the ball officers reportedly grilling him over his motives.

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Restoration risk

The Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry supported the import of Propecia this week, the first orally taken hair-restoring agent to be approved in Japan.

It will go on prescription-only sale later in the year, with the only downside being that it may decrease the user’s libido. Potentially leaving floppy fringe fanatics with an equally malleable member.

Japanese barcode

A tough call for sure.

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Teacher tirade

“Simple logical thinking is beyond them. Their vocabulary is childish, their grasp of mathematics feeble, their curiosity nowhere in evidence.”

Saitama University Professor Tsuneharu Okabe, expressing astonishment and indignation at the immaturity and ignorance of many students.

Other than that, you couldn’t wish for a better a group of people to entrust the future of your country with.