AltJapan

Eat, Sleep, NEET

 Currently in heavy rotation on Japanese blogs: a shot from Japanese TV, purporting to show the schedule of a "normal" person (left) versus that of a "NEET" (right). NEET is a British acronym for someone who is Not Employed, in Education, or Training; in Japan, it's a less offensive way of calling someone an "otaku." Translation after the jump. How's YOUR schedule measure up?

Ganbare, Robocon

 

I never in a million years expected to see Robocon a trending topic on CNN alongside the crisis in Darfur, but there you have it. Read all about it on CNNgo!

Loving the Larva

It's almost Valentine's Day, and you know what that means... Ordering grub-shaped chocolates from Komatsuya Honten! Read all about it in my latest piece on CNNgo.

Amekomi

It sure can be tough to sell foreign characters in the land of Japanimation, so Kichijoji's Carnival market gives the rack of Pez dispensers a helping hand...

"The Simpsons: a family of idiots from Australia. (Actually, only the dad is an idiot.) This is Bart-kun. He's cool. He skateboards into his house."

 

"The terrifying Yoda-zombie. Gyahhhhhh!"

 

"Very popular with children! A no-brainer of a gift."

 
 "Best of Pixar Pez! Huh!? Is this Nemo? I think it's Nemo..."

Tokyo Lucky Hole

Shinjuku, 6:30pm. Hiroko and I are waiting at the light to cross Yasukuni-dori into Kabukicho when a taxi pulls up aside us. I catch a glimpse of a familiar mustache and pair of hair-tufts in the back seat... It can't be. But when the door swings open and the occupant steps out, there's no doubt. 

"Jesus Christ! That's Nobuyoshi Araki!" I mutter.

"Who?" asks Hiroko.

"The photographer! Ah, damn, I wish we had a camera..." 

But it's already too late; Araki, wearing sunglasses even at this dim hour and clutching a suspiciously innocuous-looking package, is already rushing off into the crowd. 

"So what's the big deal?" asks Hiroko, as we miss the light to cross.

"You know how Umezz lives in Kichijoji? Araki's habitat is Kabukicho," I explain. "This is like...  Like spotting a panda in the Qinling Mountains. Or, or... catching a rare Pokémon. I don't know." 

"What's he famous for, again?"

"Uh... Tying up sex workers and taking photographs of them."

"Oh, that guy. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't bring the camera."