Showing posts with label tokyo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tokyo. Show all posts

8/2/13

Hamish & Andy 'Ultimate Japanese Wingman'

Hamish & Andy Ultimate Japanese Wingman

Last month, Australia's dynamic comedy duo Hamish and Andy filmed some of episode three of their popular TV show "Hamish & Andy's Asia Gap Year" in downtown Shibuya, Tokyo. A segment of that third chapter is entitled "Ultimate Japanese Wingman" in which Hamish tries his best to find a new girlfriend for his buddy Andy. This hilarious skit starts out simple and cute but then snowballs right over the top!



Hamish & Andy Ultimate Japanese Wingman

See also:

"Japanese Tour Guide" w/ Tom Green

SNL: J-Pop America Fun Time Now!

5/13/13

Kraftwerk Live in Tokyo May 13, 2013

Kraftwerk Live in Tokyo May 13, 2013
Photo courtesy of Udo Artists News.

Last night Germany's legendary electronic music group Kraftwerk performed their sixth of eight shows at Tokyo's Akasaka Blitz. Their setlist included their eighth studio album "Computer World" which was first released in May 1981. Many believe this to be Kraftwerk's peak period. Kraftwerk is one of the first groups to popularize electronic music and are considered pioneers in the field. Below is a video from last night's performance of their 1974 worldwide hit "Autobahn":


Video courtesy of Peter Jacobs.

Related:

Kraftwerk Live in Tokyo @ NO NUKES

3/6/13

Tokyo David Bowie Cafe Opening Soon!

Tokyo David Bowie Cafe Opening Soon!

Via Rocket News March 7, 2013

As a promotion of David Bowie's soon-to-be-released new album "The Next Day" Sony Music Japan will be converting part of it's building into the David Bowie Cafe from March 9th - March 24th. This new cafe will feature music from the new album and a special selection of food and drinks as inspired by Bowie. Pub Cardinal, a British Pub on the first floor of the Sony Building will be converted into a cafe decorated with various photos, posters, album covers etc. from the now five-decade career of the The Thin White Duke.

Moar...

Related:

Bowie's "Where Are We Now?" #6 on UK Top 40

New David Bowie Single & Album Comeback

12/17/12

Kraftwerk Live in Tokyo @ NO NUKES



Kraftwerk performs "Geiger Counter" and "Radioactivity" live in Tokyo at Makuhari Messe on July 7, 2012. This performance was part of the No Nukes 2012 music festival which was started by composer Ryūichi Sakamoto and included many celebrity musicians and bands. All of the event's proceeds were donated to the anti-nuclear group Sayonara Genpatsu of which Sakamoto is a member.



See also:

Makoto Wada Anti Nuclear Poster

Jimcarrey.com on The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

11/12/12

Yukihiro Shoda's Tower Records Shibuya CM

Yukihiro Shoda's Tower Records Shibuya CM

Just released last week, here is an incredible short promo video directed by Yukihiro Shoda entitled Tower Records Live Liveful! Concept Movie:



Shoda previously wrote and directed the popular post-nuclear short "Blind". Be sure to see more of his short films on Vimeo. And don't forget to stop by one of the world's largest music retail outlets Tower Records Shibuya.

See also:

WTF Japanese Milk Commercial #2

1996 Mario Kart 64 Japanese TV Commercial

9/15/12

"Amamiya Anna" Stopped by Tokyo Cops

Amamiya Anna Stopped by Tokyo Cops

Via Kotaku September 14, 2012

It has been reported by Tokyo Sports newspaper that an "anime face" beautiful young woman was recently sighted and questioned by police in Shibuya, Tokyo. The police spotted the woman in front of the Hachikō statue near the Shibuya JR railway station. The police questioned her briefly and had her identify herself before letting her go.

Could this have been the mysterious and beautiful Amamiya Anna character gone wild again? Stay tuned for more details on this story as they come in.



Related: Japan's Forever Alone Amamiya Anna Gone Wild

7/25/12

John Lennon & George Harrison Japan 1966

John Lennon & George Harrison Backstage Japan 1966

Here is a rare photo of John Lennon and George Harrison tuning up their guitars backstage in Tokyo, Japan in 1966. From June 30 to July 2 of that year, the Beatles performed five concerts at the Nippon Budokan indoor arena in Tokyo. Of course, all the shows were sold out and the live television broadcasts captured an incredible 60% audience rating. These concerts were the first musical events ever held at the Budokan arena, which was originally dedicated for the competition of traditional martial arts. These landmark shows also inspired many young Japanese to start playing guitars and the biggest ever Japanese rock band revolution soon followed. That movement forever changed the direction of the Japanese popular music scene.

Perhaps the above photo was taken prior to the start of this show:



See also:

David Bowie tribute to John Lennon - 'Mother'

7/3/12

Japan's 'Flying Female Panties Day' 3-6-10

Japan's Flying Female Panties Day 3-6-10

Today we discovered that back on March 6, 2010, Japan had it's first 'Flying Female Panties Day' in Akihabara, Tokyo. According to Hobby Media, this started as a collaboration between the award-winning science fiction writer Hōsuke Nojiri and a company known as Questioners and some other geeks including Nico Nico Video's [NHK] Live Webcast group and others. So they all got together planned and promoted this one-day event and also developed a unique "ornithopter" made of elastic, balsa wood and women's undergarments for the "Sky Festival" that was held in Akihabara, Tokyo.

Akihabara or "Akiba" is commonly known as "Electric Town" and nowadays it has become Tokyo's sexy central with various cos-play fashion stores, maid cafes and a very popular 7-story sex shop known as m's.

Prior to the "Sky Festival", they also produced a very cute very annoying Japanese language video showing how to correctly make the bikini briefs into flying sexual harassment machines:



So to summarize, basically, the Questioners company developed and sold some 2,000 yen “Panty ornithopter” kits that were then made into some rubber-band powered perverted planes. Other people brought other planes and flew them too and Nico Live [NHK] braodcast the entire day's activities live on the internet. At this point, it is very tempting to just say "Because Japan" on all of this. But, actually, there was a reason for this production. And that was that this event was inspired by a viral web video entitled "Sora No Otoshimono Ending 2" which depicts hundreds of women’s panties magically flying like birds:

Yes folks, believe it or not, they reenacted a famous anime TV show ending! Now that is some serious loyalty, indeed. It should also be noted that the Sora no Otoshimono "Heaven's Lost Property" show is a very well-known "romantic comedy" loved by millions of people in Japan and throughout the world.

See also:

NSFW Japanese Program Squeezes Out Breast Milk

New Japanese Bukkake Doll "Aya Aya"

5/26/12

Japan's Third Banana Vending Machine (Photo)

In a press release from last November, Dole Japan announced it's new banana vending machine to be installed at Tokyo station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi train/subway line. This is the first machine to be installed on Tokyo's Metro lines. Here is a photo of that machine:

Japan's First Banana Vending Machine Photo

XXX Large Size

Dole Japan has another banana vending machine in Shibuya, Tokyo and another one in Fukuoka. These machines dispense "Bobby Bananas" 「ボビーバナナ」in sets of five for 390 yen ($4.89) or singles for 130 yen ($1.63).

Related:

Japanese Dog Washing Machine

Dry Ice Esthetic Machine Demonstration Video

3/5/12

WTF Cherry Sexual Harassment Space

As the reigning world champion superpower of WTF, Japan has defended its coveted title yet again with this sign for the "Cherry Sexual Harassment Space":

Cherry Sexual Harassment Space in Japan

So WTF is this?!?!?

It is a sign for a cabaret club in Tokyo, Japan.

WTF is a cabaret club???

In Japan a cabaret club or kyabakura キャバクラ is a place for men to go and talk with young girls, engage in excessive drinking and sing KARAOKE. Much like hostess clubs, cabaret clubs are expensive and do not allow customers to engage in sexual activities with any women inside of the clubs. Outside of the clubs it is a different story altogether. Also, within the past few years or so, jobs as a hostess, club girl or male host have become more desirable as they have evolved into a higher social status level. Now there is a trade union for employees and besides who wouldn't want to make six figures a year by having fun?

Miura Atsushi, a market researcher and author defines the cabaret club as a “theme park of traditional gender roles” that allow men to relive the past when women were not so educated and independent and less likely to complain of "sexual harassment" in the workplace or at home. Here men can get as drunk as possible, yell, scream, blow off stressful steam and be treated like a king. Thus clubs like this one thrive within the modern-day Japanese society.

Mmmmkaaaay... So does "having fun" in Japan include being sexually harassed? This is not easily understood and if this whole thing is still somewhat confusing, perhaps the below google translate Engrish description of this cabaret club in Tokyo may help to explain it all better:

"It soon becomes warm and cold even irresponsible way everyone Thank you for visit us last night ☆ 彡毎 Sun! It will be filled with-feeling ('· _ · `)"

"Everyone greet the beginning of the week in such a feeling! Our shop is sure to warm the retainer body and soul) Tashitashi (~Tsu (No~e `*)) Lori Kawaero 彡激 studded Girl ☆ let go in too hot tonight of course! ! It just does not end'll (● ^ o ^ ●)? ? What it is All Time \ 3000.OFF and miss something when Nana Nana ('゚ ゚ A `) Uyoyoyo loss today, the absolute loss (_'Д` _) ☆ it is determined to Cherry (* ^ ^) v "


For more information visit the website of the Cherry Sexual Harassment Space. (Japanese only)

To see more pictures and a historical perspective on this kind of cabaret club check out these articles ‘Cherry’—sexual harassment company in Japan of course and Tokyo Gropers School.

See also:

Japan's Blow-Up Doll Pro Wrestler: Yoshihiko

Photographer Hal's WTF Japan Plastic People Photos

12/5/11

Forever Alone Karaoke in Tokyo Japan

ウンカラIn addition to Japan's New Communication w/ Yourself Invention and Japan's Hand(job) iPhone Case Forever Alone Model, last month a company called One Kara 「ウンカラ」just opened Japan's very first Forever Alone single-person Karaoke shop in Kanda:



One Kara charges one person 600 - 1,100 yen per hour plus a single headphone rental fee. There is also a "Night Pack" service that runs 2,600 yen from midnight to 5am. This is very similar to other internet cafes in Japan, many of which have shower facilities enabling people to actually live there full time. (@_@)

For more information, visit ウンカラ

See also: Japanese Forever Alone Baseball in Space

11/23/11

Ex Japanese CEO Arrested, Yakuza Ties Suspected

Here we go again...

Tokyo Police Arrest Ex-Ceo For Stock Market Manipulation; Yakuza Links NOVEMBER 23, 2011 | JAKE ADELSTEIN

On charges of violating the financial instruments and exchange law (金融商品取引法違反容疑), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Organized Crime Control Division (警視庁組織犯罪対策部)arrested the ex-CEO of a Tokyo Stock Exchange listed company on November 22rd. Members of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan’s largest crime syndicate, a yakuza group, are said to have been involved in the crime.
The company was not Olympus and the man arrested was not Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, the former CEO of Olympus. Continued...

See also: Blendtec's Olympus Camera Prophecy Video

10/26/11

Japan's Chim↑Pom‬ 'Super Rats' Attack Tokyo

Via Huffington Post 10/25/11

Just after the 3-11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that struck Fukushima, world wide media immediately focused on Japan. Shortly after that, a group of Japanese artists known as ‪Chim↑Pom‬ launched their own nuclear art attack on Tokyo's Shibuya station and added a very relevant and explosive guerrilla installation to Taro Okamoto's "Myth of Tomorrow" mural which is an historical homage to Japan's previous nuclear holocausts:




This installation piece entitled "Level 7 feat. Myth of Tomorrow" created a big scandal as at first it was anonymously featured in world news and Japanese headlines. This work was very skillfully done in order to blend in with Okamoto's style. Within an hour from installation it was all over Twitter and other social sites. Then it was quickly reported by mainstream Japanese media. A day later it was taken down by the police and called "graffiti" and "malicious mischief." A police investigation followed and public debates in the press and on the internet discussed whether or not it was a crime. Soon afterwards ‪Chim↑Pom‬ released this video on Youtube:



and created even more controversy! Following that the group held a press conference and admitted that it was their work and added it to their ensuing "Real Times" exhibition which was held from May 20th - May 25th in Tokyo and from June 20th - 27th in Osaka. After both exhibitions, the police came and investigated the group's leaders and the "graffiti" case was sent to court early in July.

Well, now ‪Chim↑Pom‬ is making world wide headlines once again with their new "Super Rat" exhibit. In this installation they have further developed their shock art style by catching a bunch of big, huge rats in Shibuya's Centa Gai area and making them into taxidermic Pikachus aimed at Japanese girls who dress up as the famous anime character and ravage Shibuya in hordes:



Here is a recent interview with the group:



IMHO, more of this kind of art really needs to be made in Japan today. For more information about the legendary ‪Chim↑Pom‬, please visit their official website.


10/8/11

David Bowie "Five Years" Tokyo Live

For decades, people all around the world have listened to David Bowie's Five Years and/or watched this live in Tokyo video or other video versions of it millions and millions of times. But watching and listening to it today, one can really understand this song's profound significance:

"Pushing thru the market square, so many mothers sighing
News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in
News guy wept and told us, earth was really dying
Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying..."





See also: David Bowie's "Toy" Internet Smash Hit

9/18/11

Tokyo May Have To Be Evacuated

Via Al Jazeera English

"The need to evacuate parts of the sprawling capital of 35 million, may have once seemed an incredible prospect, but some experts say the possibility can no longer be ignored."



See also: Japan Prediction: Nuclear Holocaust, Tokyo Evacuated

8/12/11

Lego Godzilla Attacks Lego Japanese in Tokyo!

Recently a Godzilla-like creature was spotted off the coast near Fukushima. Well now Sad Old Biker has released proof that a Lego Godzilla is attacking Tokyo:



RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

«(°__°)»



8/6/11

Tokyo's Governor Drops A Nuclear Bomb

Nowadays it seems that "WTF Japan News" is becoming even stranger than the usual "WTF Japan" entertainment media. Remember back in March when Tokyo's governor Shintaro "Blinky" Ishihara said that the devastating 3-11 earthquake and tsunami were divine punishment for the selfish greed of Japanese people? Well, believe it or not, "Blinky" just dropped another bomb by stating that Japan needs nuclear weapons!

“Japan Must Become a Nuclear Armed Military State” - Governor Shintaro Ishihara via Sankaku Complex



Perhaps he should go to Hiroshima or Nagasaki and try to sell that same pitch! Or maybe he should just watch the below video which features footage from a 1984 NHK documentary about nuclear war:



Music: "Nuclear War" by Sun Ra as performed by Yo La Tengo