VPN's "Midnight Cooking" Enka TV Show

Vermillion Pleasure Night was a very funny, offbeat late-night TV comedy show that was so popular some DVDs of the show were released as well as a CD of the show's many soundtracks. In addition to that, a complete collection of all the Vermillion Pleasure Night show segments was released in early 2009. For a TV show that was only on the air for about a half year in 2000, that's really something special, indeed.

In this short skit, two beautiful Japanese "cooking teachers" ham it up while singing karaoke-style enka and showing us how not to prepare seaweed soup, pickles and curried rice on VPN's "Midnight Cooking" TV segment. This version includes English subtitles and will probably be taken down soon so check it out!





Related:

OH! Mikey: "Our New Life in Japan"

Funny Japanese TV: "Oh Mikey!"

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":



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

Forever Alone Karaoke in Tokyo Japan

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

North Korean Karaoke - 'Anarchy in the DPRK'

In March 2008, Shane Smith and Eddy Moretti risked their lives and liberty and crossed over the Chinese-North Korean border and filmed a truly amazing documentary of their trip into 'The Hermit Kingdom' in The Vice Guide to North Korea:

"Getting into North Korea was one of the hardest and weirdest processes VBS has ever dealt with. After we went back and forth with their representatives for months, they finally said they were going to allow 16 journalists into the country to cover the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang. Then, ten days before we were supposed to go, they said, “No, nobody can come.” Then they said, “OK, OK, you can come. But only as tourists.” We had no idea what that was supposed to mean. They already knew we were journalists, and over there if you get caught being a journalist when you’re supposed to be a tourist you go to jail. We don’t like jail. And we’re willing to bet we’d hate jail in North Korea."

"But we went for it...."

And they certainly got it! Check out this quite surreal and somewhat humorous episode: