Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

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Site spammed

Apologies for the lack of updates, but thanks to an online gambling emporium, Tokyo Times was knocked out by a slurry of spiteful spam.

Yes, it’s so nice to know that for the sake of a higher Google ranking, such unsavoury types are happy to target and practically destroy harmless and (perhaps I’m being a little optimistic here) fun sites like this.

But after a few very frustrating days, with many an hour spent swearing at my computer and wishing unpleasantness upon my attackers, Tokyo Times is back.

Not bigger, or even better, but back nonetheless.

So once again I can look forward to treating you to more thought provoking and potentially life changing posts concerning used panties, up-skirt picture takers, and loose bowelled commuters…

Let the good times roll!

*This site is now run using WordPress and was hastily (and I fear unskillfully) put together. So any feedback concerning errors or site design will be gratefully received. Thanks.)

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Elderly electronics

Yesterday, Business Design Laboratory Co (maker of the Hello Kitty robot) released the ifbot, a 45-centimetre robot designed to converse with the elderly.

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For reasons unknown, the little chap is kitted out in an astronaut suit, whereas considering its target audience, a dirty old cardigan and food-stained shirt/blouse would have perhaps been more appropriate. But on the other hand it does have a glowing face (which I’m presuming is good). And as far as conversational competence goes, the ifbot has a similar ability to a 5-year-old, which is said to be just enough to help stave off senility.

As an example of the robot’s capabilities, given the question, “Today I’m in bad health,” the ifbot responds with, “Perhaps you are overtired. Why don’t you rest today?” And using its internal clock, it can join in a conversation about the weather by knowing what season it is. An absolute necessity it would seem when dealing with the weather obsessed elderly.

Combined with these conversational skills, the ifbot is also programmed to keep the aged healthy and their minds active, and as a result has a large repertoire of songs, quizzes, and old news stories. Although whether the perennial pensioner favourite bingo is amongst them wasn’t disclosed.

Also not mentioned in the ifbot’s design specs is the ability to respond to its owner’s everyday moans and complaints. And with a price tag of a pension busting 576,000 yen (2,900 pounds), its owners will certainly have something to grumble about.

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Used panty purchasers beware

Whilst the selling of used underwear in Tokyo is now illegal, from all accounts the trade in such items is still brisk. As despite shops now receiving hefty fines if caught in possession, a burgeoning cottage industry has developed to counter the ban, allowing panty perverts to still get their fix.

But this rather amusing video highlights the potential pitfalls of panty purchasing.

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Fourteen-year-old forger

With a great deal of fanfare, the Bank of Japan recently released new and improved bills to reduce the growing number of forgeries in circulation. With their intricate designs, watermarks, and even holograms, the new notes are thought to be almost impossible to reproduce.

It’s a good job they did too, as on Wednesday Tokyo police arrested a 14-year-old-boy for copying old (but still in use) 1,000 yen bills on his home computer. Using nothing more advanced than a standard printer and scanner, the entrepreneurial youngster managed to produce notes that when compared with the genuine article were relatively easy to detect, but on their own would not have aroused suspicion.

And it seems that once again the evil internet played a telling part. The crafty counterfeiter learnt how to forge bills from an article in a magazine that he bought online.

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Cut, paste, print, and you are all done

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Pimping parent

An unnamed 40-year-old mother, who was millions of yen in debt, opted for an unusual and cruel method of repayment. Rather than getting an extra job or selling off valuable possessions, she forced her daughter to work full-time at an adult-entertainment business. Knowing full well that her offspring would be doing considerably more than pouring drinks and cleaning up.

The mother owed money to a couple, and they kindly introduced her to the adult business in question. Resulting in the 17-year-old daughter being forced to drop out of school and begin her new career. The nature of the introduction, and the fact that practically all the girl’s earnings went to the couple, has lead investigators to suspect they played a decisive role in the events. Prompting the police to arrest them, plus the owner of the business where the girl was employed.

The whole sorry affair came to an end when the distressed teenager approached one of her ex-teachers and said, “I can’t stand the work.” She is now in custody at a local government facility, which whilst perhaps not the nicest place in the world, must be better than living with her callous mother.