Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

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Canine connoisseurs

It has to be said that on occasions, pet lovers can go a bit too far. Such things as dog dye and cat cosplay outfits adequately proving the point. Yet even these preposterous products seem semi-sensible compared to dog wine.

dog wine

A beverage that for all those interested can be purchased from the internet shopping site Rakuten. A snip at 400 yen (2 pound) a bottle. Glass not included.

doggie wine

Whilst the drink is just non-alcoholic grape juice, man’s best friend appears none the wiser. The classy canine below demurely sipping on a glass of the stuff. A nice treat for any pooch after successfully defecating outside rather than on the living room carpet.

drinking_dog

As an ideal companion, dog cigarettes are now rumoured to be in production, with the manufacturers looking at an early 2006 release.

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Game show girlies

As far as video games go, the 2005 Tokyo Game Show was something of a let down. Microsoft to its credit had the Xbox 360 up and running, yet the playable games on offer hardly sent the pulse racing. Sony on the other hand managed to do nothing but frustrate, showing only videos of future PlayStation 3 software, the majority of which contained very little (if any) in-game footage.

Thankfully the ubiquitous booth babes saved the day, the scantily clad young ladies more than making up for the lack of quality games on offer.

japanese cutie

Yet amazingly, this bevy of beauties was upstaged by the event’s massive cosplay contingent. A few of which drew huge crowds due to their looks and outlandish outfits. These three stunners in particular garnered a lot of well-deserved interest.

cosplay freaks

However despite the coy smiles and tasteful wigs, I think it was the shapely legs and green leotard of the group’s feminine leader that grabbed most people’s attention.

cosplay beauty

(Click on the images for larger leotard loveliness)

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Sharp shooter

In an act that simply beggars belief, a mid-ranking employee of electronics giant Sharp has been arrested for pouring his own excretion over a stranger.

It appears that 39-year-old Kazumasa Kurimoto took the trouble of carefully collecting his excreta in a plastic bottle. Then inexplicably he went out in his car, driving up behind an unsuspecting female victim and emptying the contents of the container over her. He then sped off; leaving the poor woman in a state that simply doesn’t bear thinking about.

excreta

Fortunately an eyewitness took note of the discharge devotee’s number plate, which eventually led to Kurimoto’s arrest. Under questioning the section manager admitted to the allegations, attempting to explain his behaviour by saying, “I did it for fun.”

With fourteen similar cases in the area remaining unsolved, it appears Kurimoto-san may have been enjoying himself a little bit too much of late. Although as of writing he hasn’t confessed to any other excreta related incidents.

Categorized: Odd

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Holiday homage

Today is a national holiday; and as is the custom here, it has a name/purpose — Respect The Aged Day.

This year the day off falls at a rather apt time, as figures have just been released stating that by the end of September — barring any untimely falls or bouts of pneumonia — the number of centenarians in Japan will reach 25,554. Meaning there’s going to be an awful lot of ‘respecting’ going on.

Not surprisingly women make up the majority of this hardy bunch, accounting for a whopping 85% of all those who reach this memorable (or not as the case may be) milestone. Old salary man Suzuki having usually popped his clogs a long time before reaching 100; the years of excessive overtime and marathon commutes exacting a decidedly terminal toll.

gin-san and kin-san

This geriatric gang is a relatively modern phenomenon, and has been increasing in numbers for the last 35 years — steadily growing each and every year. The fact that there were only 153 centenarians in 1963 proving how exclusive the club once was.

The oldest person (as of writing) is 112-year-old Yone Minagawa. Although as impressive as this is, Mr. and Mrs. Semba’s record for the world’s oldest couple is even more staggering. Yae Semba plods along at a sprightly 100-years-old, whilst her husband Nisaburo clocks in at an impressive — and statistic contradicting — 107. The pair narrowly edging out Yoichi and Gomi kazono of Kanagawa. A couple that also boasts a combined age of 207.

old Japanese

Now this is all well and good, but having already lived here for seven years and in no rush to go home anytime soon, will some of this longevity rub off on me?

It’d certainly be nice to think so.

Perhaps.

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Canine comprehension

Dogs in Japan are understandably offay with the local language, happily responding to all the basics like sit, walkies and attack. Yet when it comes to reading they are generally at a complete loss.

Like myself, man’s best friend simply can’t get to grips with the memory minefield that is kanji. However perhaps rather surprisingly, written English appears to be no problem whatsoever.

japanese dog