Pray for Japan

Tokyo has these electronic public prayer stations all around the city, like in the film THX-1138. You put some coins in, kneel before the screen, punch a few buttons, and you can talk to a priest who speaks through a hole in the wall. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you get connected straight through to God. When you are done, a piece of paper is printed from the machine. The paper tells you where you are going in the future. People hold onto the piece of paper until they get there.

Sad Robot

I love this robot. I think he used to fly one of the Star Tours Starspeeders. Now he just works as a lonely parking lot attendant in Tokyo.

Missing?

This old lady (hard to guess her age) is often hanging out on the streets of Yotsuya Sanchome. She wears big sunglasses, has long ponytails, and carries a big, gold bag with Ayumi Hamasaki's logo stamped on it. She loves talking, to herself and to anybody that will listen. Snapped this pic months ago, and just today I realized that I haven't seen her around in a while. 

Anti-Smoking Sticker

Smelly. Dirty. Uncool.

I wholeheartedly agree.

I also hate when old men walk around with their shirts off and their lungs exposed.

Ultraman Pachinko

666. The number of the beast. Or the number of Ultraman?

As my friend said to me, "Are you playing for money or for your soul?"

Merry in the Gloom

The other night in Korakuen. In the rain.

Puffy Love

Another recent basement find. This was part of a series of keychains featuring the Japanese female pop duo Puffy. They eventually changed their name to Puffy AmiYumi when they promoted themselves in the US because of possible confusion or legal trouble with Puff Daddy whose nickname was Puffy. But then Puff Daddy became P. Diddy, and then just Diddy. .

Puffy never stopped being Puffy in Japan, though.

This item appears to be worth about $15 or more, but I wouldn't sell it. It's sentimental. The first Japanese song I sang at karaoke was Puffy's "Ai no Shirushi."

New New is the Old New

I have a fascination with the New Shimbashi building. First of all, it's hardly new, although it was at one time when it was built in the late 1960s. Then it's name, when translated literally, ends up reading as New New Bridge Building, because Shin means new in Japanese.

The old Shimbashi Station building has been preserved as a museum to the railroad, although the line no longer runs through it. But when they built a new Shimbashi Station, they didn't bother calling it the New Shimbashi Station.

Book of the Month

Look what I found in the basement. Can't wait to start reading it.