AltJapan

Separated at Birth?

Above, "Twintail" from Ultraman. Below, the "Slide-Rock Bolter" from Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods, a 1910 guide to mysterious creatures of North America.

Save the Earth

Forget the goddamn radioactive cows. Hiroko and I discovered this wedged between two rocks just off the coast of the Miura peninsula. Look familiar? Yeah, I thought so. Sure, he's small now, but in the blink of an eye:

I'm pretty sure this means we're all dead. Eventually. Or maybe not.

Ge Ge Ge no D'oh

Spotted in an 1968 episode of "Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro" -- is that Smithers from the Simpsons!?

 

Hi-Chew

 Separated at birth? At left, an ad spotted on the train for Morinaga's new "Hi-Chew" candy. At right, a still from some quality entertainment that's fun for the whole family.

Two Enter, One Leaves

Wakuranba from Lion Maru meets his match in this strange fellow spotted deep in a Nagano forest.

Little Big Man

Separated at birth: Chucky.... And Captain Harlock? 

"Chucklock" on the right is a particularly fine vintage of French "Albator" product. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. C'est la guerre! 

Sock Puppet Conspiracy

A friend of Hiroko's was sending us links to old Muppet Show clips on YouTube when it hit me: Kermit's no frog! He's a kappa! I mean, c'mon...

Frog.

 

Kermit and a suspiciously similar-looking lifeform supposedly recovered off the coast of Mito in 1836:

You make the call. Hey, it wouldn't be the first time a famous American icon was found to have yokai skeletons in his closet...

Superdeformed

Long-lost brothers?

Doublas M2 from "Mazinger Z":

Two-headed turtle found in Moriyama:

(Photo courtesy Mainichi Daily News / Reuters)

Separated At Birth

 

Bandai "Redking" vinyl / Okinawan palm tree.