8.22.2012

Working girls

























Don't let those colorful, sexy silhouettes fool you. This is not a poster for a new Charlie's Angels movie. This is a sign for Girls Office Tokyo, an OL-style maid cafe and bar. OL stands for "office lady," a term used for female staff who do clerical work. It's a more modern take on the maid cafes that started years ago in Akihabara and are now all over the country. (I just saw one on my recent trip to Hiroshima.) There are maid cafes where the staff wears French maid outfits, rabbit ears, and even traditional Japanese kimono. I guess someone thought those costumes were too fantastical or realized that some men fantasize about the women in their offices. In many Japanese companies, OLs wear uniforms (that means skirts). I went out with an OL on a date once, and she wore her uniform because she thought I'd be turned on by it. Wrong. Touching the stiff material (polyester?) just made me think of old people in a hospital.


8.20.2012

Avengers' acidophilus

























The Avengers Assemble has opened in Japan. Back in May, I saw it in the U.S., where it was just called The Avengers. In addition to the plain movie title there, I also had to be content with boring yogurt flavors. Not in Japan, the land that gave us Lipovitan! Here I can eat Energy Yogurt that is fortified with royal jelly and vitamin B. Sorry, Iron Man, but it's not fortified with iron. Its sour flavor, though, might make anyone except the Hulk turn green. Tastes like Oronamin C gone rancid.

8.10.2012

Fembot floorshow

Last Saturday night I checked out the new Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku with some friends. Be warned, though. . it's more of a show than a restaurant. All you get for 3000 yen is an unappealing cold bento box (I've had better convenience store bentos) and some drinks. But the flashing lights, silicone in bikinis, and giant mannequins on wheels sort of make up for it. Do not bring your epileptic friends unless you want to see them on the floor, too.