Tokyo Stories

The Faces Of Obama In Japan

Mark weitzman — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:15:15 GMT

User-designed Obama tee shirts appeared within minutes after the U.S. Presidential election results were announced in Japan.

The ClubT instant-printing tee shirts Japan-based website became well-known here in September when outgoing Japan Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda was pictured in the media holding a user-created tee shirt featuring his image and words "I am not like you!".Fukuda had challenged a reporter at a press conference. Japan Prime Minister Taro Aso is currently pictured on the ClubT website – he holds a shirt that displays his image and the words "Samurai Taro". Aso approved use of the design. Japanese comedian Nozomu Sato began impersonating Barack Obama in February. Obama City, Japan took notice of Mr. Obama in February, using the connection to promote tourism. The Embassy of Japan said Prime Minister Taro Aso spoke by phone to President-elect Barack Obama on November 6. The embassy press release said that Mr. Obama "mentioned that he feels a strong affinity towards Japan and knows about Obama City in Japan."

Search ClubT: with keywords in English ok: Change; Yes We Can; Obama

Read more: Impersonator
See more: Obama tee Shirts Japan: Yes We Can

Female Train Workers Issued Defensive Device

Mark weitzman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:31:53 GMT

Female conductors and refreshment vendors on one long-distance railway in Japan are being given pepper spray defensive canisters. Twice this year, women working in the first-class “green car” of a Shinkansen bullet train were assaulted in men’s restrooms on late night and early morning runs.

There are fewer passengers on those runs. Nine people work on the midnight to early morning Shinkansens. The number of carriages of a Shinkansen train varies depending on model. In early November, Central Japan Railway (JR Tokai) began issuing pepper spray devices to all female train employees.

The railway will distribute the palm-size pepper spray devices to a total of 1300 female employees. The spray mixture temporarily incapacitates perpetrators.

Conductor jobs on JR Tokaido Shinkansens were opened to women in 1999. Also beginning in 1999, female employees on JR Tokai routes - including the “green attendants” in the first class carriages - were given personal portable alarm devices.

Read more and see news video: Female Train Staff Get Self Defense Spray.

One Japanese website that sells personal safety gear for women offers a stun gun, a pepper spray canister, and a Hello Kitty personal alarm set for JPY 11000. (Or get the Hello Kitty alarm separately.) The site also has stun guns that look like phones, and menacing collapsible batons. See the cute stun gun animation.

The attendants on Shinkansens sell food and drinks, including beer, and bento – boxed food– known as ekiben.

Ekiben can be purchased on the long distance trains, or at stations.

RELATED: Sexism in Japan: Japan's concrete ceiling; Japan's innovation problem. Crime in Japan: Are foreign women safe in Japan?; Japan’s rising crime rate. Shinkansen information: (1) (2) PHOTOS: ekiben display; green attendant in train; eating in train; round ekiben; square ekiben; ekiben shop; attendants on platform; Mace set; stun gun scene; Shinkansen exterior; toilet.

Kids Cute Karaoke Cube

Mark weitzman — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:21:08 GMT

Singing karaoke goes portable now with the Hi-Kara battery-powered digital sing-a-long system for teens. It seems Japanese kids desired to sing karaoke anywhere, but no compact take-anywhere karaoke system for teens was available. This device solves that problem.

Hi-Kara, by the toymaker Takara-Tomy fits in a handbag and comes with a headset mic and a special USB downloader terminal to access the music downloads via PC from the Hi-Kara music website.

The plug-in music cartridges provide the lyrics that are displayed on the Hi-Kara LCD screen. Singers hear the music and their own voice in the headphones. Two users can share one cube to sing together.

Adults and teenagers, and kids accompanied by adults, have always been able to sing karaoke at the special karaoke booths in Japanese "karaoke box" entertainment centers.

Some karaoke chains are now creating kids rooms, for children accompanied by adults.

Families could enjoy karaoke in private singing rooms in some restaurants.

And anyone could sing at home with a variety of Mister Microphone-like options or a home karaoke machine connected to a TV.

Hear how to pronounce "karaoke" ("kah rah oh kay")
Hello Kitty karaoke and more photos about karaoke from Japan.

F*ing Brand - Not Kidding!

Mark weitzman — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:50:37 GMT

These stockings are not angering wearers. This F*ing brand is the name of a new line of hosiery in Japan. There are F*ing ads on TV and there are F*ing billboards.

The ad campaign features Yuri Ebihara, (nicknamed "Ebi-chan" – ebi means "shrimp" and adding "-chan" makes her a friendly shrimp) and Moe Oshikiri.

Ebi is an actress and model and has been a spokesmodel for McDonald's (including its Ebi Filet-o shrimp burger), and for Shiseido's Anessa sunsceen, among many other products. (Watch Ebi on the beach in the Anessa TV commercial, and see a photo gallery.)

Moe is also an actress and a top model and spokesmodel. She designs kimono too. Here's Moe in her kimono photo gallery.

Have a Nice Baby

Mark weitzman — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:32:39 GMT

Display your maternity mark and make people notice your baby in belly.
A variety of badges, pins and tags for pregnant women are available in Japan. The idea for the free badges originated at a railway company in Tokyo. Now private businesses offer other “Baby in Me” goods and designs. Japan Airlines also started offering free “maternity mark” badges. And if you’re driving, there are a lot of “Baby on Board” symbols available in Japan too.

More photos and details.

technorati link

Mark weitzman — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:25:09 GMT

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