AltJapan

Kyushu Otaku

Another pic from recent adventures down south: a series of statues randomly spotted in a one-horse town about an hour outside of Kumamoto. Ultraman, Gundam, Inu Yasha, and Bruce Lee (I think?), rendered in what appeared to be sculpted fiberglas, miniature golf course style.

Size: six to seven feet each. Purpose? To get tourists to slow down and get out of their cars, apparently. Guess this means we can chalk up yet another giant-sized Gundam in the wilds of Japan!

Smokin' Clean

Aruki tabako

Yokunai ne!

SELFISH!

----

Walking while smoking

Is bad, you know!

SELFISH!

(Spotted in Yutenji) 

Good Touch / Bad Touch

Spotted whilst changing trains in far-flung Kitakami station in Iwate Prefecture... Local train etiquette posters! This is just a wild theory, but I suspect the Japanese may have a penchant for using "cartoons" in situations you wouldn't see in the West.

Discs of PR0N

This metal bin, which stands near my apartment, has always intrigued me. Placed in front of the local ward office, it is a receptacle for "magazines and other things that wouldn't be good for boys." In other words: a place to toss your porn rather than leaving it out on the curb for wandering schoolkids to stumble upon and "enrich" their learning experience.

I've often wondered what sorts of freaky things slumber within the sealed metal walls of this chamber. I've never seen anyone actually using it. The inherent uncertainty makes it a veritable Schrodinger's box of pornography. Whatever its actual contents, I like to think of it as a silent monument to the collective fantasies of this otherwise quiet suburban neighborhood.

Summertime in Suburbia

Spotted alongside an otherwise innocuous riverbank in Kita-Ku: "Incidents of peeping-tom photographers have occurred here. Take care when your children change clothes." Interesting that this is such an issue that signs needed to be erected (if you'll pardon the term). 

Ironically, the culprit appears to look exactly like the "political extremists" (tagline: "They could be lurking as your neighbors!") portrayed on posters at police boxes throughout Japan. 

Life in Suburbia 3D

Nothing like a stroll through the Tokyo suburbs to get the ol' blood pumping... And speaking of engorged blood vessels, there's a couple of porn vending machines with charming reflective front covers! Wonder what having one of these on your front lawn does for property values? Maybe little Ken-chan can put down a few rounds of Beer for Good Kids and practice using it, just like dad.

Forget the porn, here's the REAL problem afflicting the neigborhood. It's A Young Girl's First Step Into Meth Addicition: The One-Panel Comic! (Captions: "'Want to get thin? Try this!' 'Okay, maybe just once.') It's the perfect sequel to that perennial favorite, Your Daughter May Be Turning Tricks. It also presumably leads to those dastardly Super Deformed Convenience Store Robberies at Knifepoint.

First porn, then meth... now the cutest l'il kidnapping in the world. And here you thought the streets of Japan were safe. Beware of sweaty, scruffy-haired guys who zip their jackets all the way up, kids: they could be otaku.

Life in Suburbia, Part II

It's the Super Deformed Robbery at Knifepoint! "Reports of Convienience Store Robberies On the Rise," exclaims this photocopied sheet that's been appearing on bulletin boards around the Mitaka area. Being an American, the thought of using a knife in a hold-up sounds almost quaint to me. In my country, the illustration would probably feature a .357 Magnum or a rocket launcher or whatever the kids are using to rob 7-11s these days.

Life in Suburbia

Found tacked to a local community bulletin board: Is your schoolgirl daughter locking herself in her room and ignoring you? Is she dressing 'flashier' than usual? Is she suddenly in posession of large amounts of cash or expensive items she normally couldn't afford? SHE COULD BE TURNING TRICKS!