The Washington Post has a feature up on their website about Halloween in Japan. The article’s main focus is on Yokai, the Japanese tradition of "otherworldly" monsters, and includes plenty of examples.
Read it here: The Washington Post
It also includes a neat video. Check it out.
As the video explained, Japanese don’t go trick-or-treating. Where I lived, outside of Nagoya, there wasn’t much Halloween spirit at all. Not even in the stores. There may have been a Halloween party or two over the years that I heard about, but they were initiated through the foreigners at the office where I worked.
Perhaps that explains why Halloween seems like it’s a bigger deal in Tokyo. More foreigners around to spread the word, and so people (or at least the stores) get more into the spirit.
That brings me to the “Halloween Train” phenomenon. Every year, around Halloween, huge numbers of people (80% foreigners) get dressed up, some get hammered, and all get on a Yamanote line train. There are tones of videos up on youtube about it.
However, I must say that it appears that the locals aren’t too pleased about it. JR is posting signs saying that “gatherings” or parties are not allowed on the train, and are beefing up security.
Take a look at this
Alex
Not since “Blood, Crack & Anime” have we seen such artistry at work. In the fear that my pregnant wife discovers this video via my browsing history. I am currently removing all coathangers from the house.
Note: I saw this via the excellent, Anime-82.
For those who can’t get enough Japanese vending machines, need to check out the picture-of-the-day at Japantoday.com. It has a picture of a vending machine with a surveillance camera and phone installed.
Alex
When I first moved to Japan, one of first things I did was make a short video to send back home. I entitled it “Never-ending Vending”. It was about vending machines. Yes, vending machines. An article at Wired Magazine’s blog reminded me of that video. So I though for my first post at our new blogging home, I would write about the Japanese love of Vending machines.
The first thing anyone notices when they go to Japan is probably not what you might think. Not the high tech gizmos or the blade runner like city streets. Not the inordinate number of lovely fit ladies, or the fact that a lot of Japanese cars (kei-cars) could quite possibly fit in the back of the average American SUV. No, I think the one thing that strikes most people is the inordinate number of vending machines.
It is safe to say that in any given city in Japan that that city has one or more vending machines on literally every block, and quite possibly every corner. Even the more remote suburbs have vending machines on most streets.
This led to the hilarious development of the Vending Machine dress disguise. Dane and I talked about it on a previous Anime Pacific episode. It is a dress that can quickly fold up into a fake vending machine (to hide from a would-be molester one can only assume). See if you can spot the fake one in this picture.
I lived for a few months in a sort of shed (or small cabin) in the back yard of my wife’s (then girl-friends) family. That wasn’t so bad since I had a roof over my head rent free, and across the street from my wife’s parent’s house were two vending machines. And down the street a hundred feet or so were two more. Keep in mind that this was in a Japanese suburb. There were so many, that in my “never-ending vending” video, I walked a good mile or so just walking from vending machine to vending machine.
Since this was a residential neighbourhood, besides the occasional dog walker, it’s not like there was a lot of foot traffic. I had to have been the best customer for the vending machines across the street. Frankly, I don’t know how they stayed in business. But I have to say, you never have to worry about finding a place to quench your thirst in Japan. At any time, all you have to do is stop look around, and there is bound to be a vending machine in your sightline.
The only thing more surprising then the sheer number of vending machines is the huge variety. For example, the video I shot, in my somewhat rural suburb of Handa-shi, had a vending machine that sold pornographic videos and one that sold bags of rice!
I have to see if I can dig up that “never-ending vending” video. I think I mailed a copy to Dane. Perhaps he still has it. And I should have some photos somewhere of them too. Ill try to dig them up.
In the meantime, make sure you check out the post at the wired blog about the world’s weirdest vending machines (staring Japan for the most part, not surprisingly).
Wired vending machine blog post
Alex
There was a time in Japan when toys weren’t merely sexual outlets for repressed nerds; Nerds who believe that the greatest declaration of love is to post up anigifs of themselves jizzing all over their latest garage kit. (Word to the wise: don’t buy second hand garage kits!)
These old toy designs, care of the Ningyo-Do Library website, are ingenious, to say the least.
Among my favourites:
The first Japanese Console? This "portable" Sumo game wagon includes some roly-poly Sumo wrestlers.
The wooden ox cart tricycle. I can’t see any peddles, so I’m assuming this is peddled "Flintstones style".
Some other cool devices. (Yes, I purposely wrote that so people looking for Cool Devices would be directed here.) I like the little toy cart thingy.
Near my desk today, I noticed one of those delightful propeller toys which was confiscated from a student; Remember those things? Little plastic propellers which would go off and fly when you pull the little plastic line. Often selling for about $2 in newspaper shops across the globe and created for the sole purpose of flying over the fence into your neighbour’s back yard.
I was lost in nostalgia upon examing the toy, my arms moving and rotating about, "Mr. Roboto" style, swinging my head around, the golden hair of my imaginary mullet gracefullly swinging about. My attention started to shift… Which Muppet Baby should I get with my happy meal this week? I thought.. There were still a few Fozzie’s left and….
…a sharp pain in my pinky plucked me from the 1980’s and back into the present.
So…Muppet Babies is not on this afternoon? I thought. My mood worsened.
I fingered my hair. No mullet. My mood greatly improved.
I took the sharp propeller blade out of my pinky, it was incredibly hard to the touch, not to mention sharp. I probably should have erred on the side of caution when I noticed that this propeller is set off by a giant winding knob with a button at the end.
Oh, I confiscated that from a student, remarked the Taminator. It’s a "water goods".
Water goods; It’s kind of a cantonese slang for something (usually from the mainland) often of dubious quality, and usually a pale imitation of a better (and safer) product.
Unlike the rest of the media at the moment, I don’t instantly connect "Made in China" to mean instant doom. Let’s face it. Pretty much everything is made in China, right?
You see, there’s Made In China, and there’s "Made In China(!)"; The latter not neccesarily ment for foreign consumption; even in Hong Kong, where I live; these coveted items are relatively scarce.
However, I work in a district quite well known for it’s new mainland immigrant population. Generally in these areas, little shops which contain these coveted trinkets spring up around the surrounding area.
These shops generally don’t last long and with the advent of "The Link", the privatization of car parks and retail areas previously managed by the Hong Kong housing authority, means that these lovable, but admittedly, crappy little trinket shops are fast dissapearing.
Among the "water goods" I’ve encountered (and confiscated) include:
The Palm Crossbow
An honest to goodness "palm crossbow", found in a teacher’s desk at a primary school in Daqing, North China. I’d be over the moon everytime I looked inside the coveted "draw of confiscated goods".
This little baby sold for about 20 cents and was made to fit in a rubber band for the bow string, and a little hole for placing toothpicks in. It would then fire with alarming power and accuracy.
Naturally, as a responsible teacher, I removed the item from the drawer and proceeded to play with it for weeks after.
The Hokuto No Ken Sword
Kenshiro’s too man for a sword, that’s why it was pretty apparent that these Hokuto No Ken figurines, wielding mighty Chinese-esque swords were "water goods" as soon as I layed eyes on them.
The designers of these toys figured that while it’s impossible to give a plastic toy the powers of "Hokuto Shinken", they might as well give them the next best thing.
Those little plastic swords drew more blood than the Napoleonic and Hellenistic ages combined. Eventually, for my own safety, I put poor lil’ Kenshiro in a box.
Several years later, during renovation, I cut my leg on something as I was moving a box. The little bastard’s sword sliced right through the box, all those years later. Kenshiro still packed a punch.
The "Forse" Feedback Mouse
I was mulling at the prospect of getting a force feedback mouse for quite some time; The Logitech force feedback mouse looked infinitely appealing to me when I saw it displayed in the Causeway Bay computer plaza. The unique yet convenient design, the gorgeous shiny covering; Yes, I was going to get it. Then in the slop’ er…bargain bin (If you get that last sentence, I think I love you) I noticed the "forse feedback mouse". It had the exact same design as the logitech force feedback mouse. Furthermore, it had the EXACT SAME description; Water goods if ever I saw them. Always affectionate against blatant inferior rip-offs, I decided to buy the mouse. At ten Hong Kong dollars it wasn’t like it was a big investment. And for a force feedback mouse, no matter how crappy, that was a steal!
I opened the box and took out the mouse. The suspiciously light mouse. I plugged in that suspiciously light mouse. It worked! Hazzah!
I had no force feedback functions whatsoever and open opening the mouse, I discovered that the inside was TOTALLY EMPTY. I doubt whoever manufactured the mouse even knew what a force feedback mouse was.
It WAS a pretty decent mouse though and lived for several years. I still miss the easy to press thumb button. *sigh*
Europe has always had it good when it comes to Anime; While Carl Macek was frantically working hard on implementing the latest in digital technology to change those barbarous chopsticks into knives and forks on Robotech, Europeans were going "batpoo insane" for Space Adventure Cobra and Fist of the North Star. Titles which were just as at home on European TV’s as, say, Rainbow Bright or The Smurfs.
Thus, it should come to absolutely no suprise at all that MD Geist was far from the "Anime co-production".
"Vicky The Viking", a.k.a Chīsana Viking Bikke ( 小さなバイキング ビッケ ) was a co-production between The Axis Powers Germany, Austria and Japan; Bouts of tearful nostalgia are practically inevitable upon mentioning this in some European territories.
Riding the nostalgia wave brought on by Transformers, a live action, "Vicky The Viking" is currently underway.
Coincidently enough, it’s directed by famous German comedian, Michael "Bully" Herbig who starred in something I subbed a while back. Pictures below:
Two classic 80’s anime for your viewing pleasure are in the pipeline from Bubbysubs, Heaven Wars Shurato (a.k.a Tenkuu Senki Shurato) and Yume Senshi Wingman.
Heaven Wars Shurato is revered in Europe and Latin America and I’ve been told it’s the perfect thing to fill in the gaping hole of manliness (my co-host Alex is always quick to volunteer doing just that!) that is permeating the universe now that Heart Of Madness have finished subbing “Hokuto No Ken”. Produced by the legendary (and soon to be Capcom adversaries) Tatsunoko Produtions.
Taken from ANIDB:
A 16-year-old boy named Shulato and his friend Guy happen to be drawn into a gigantic ball of light while competing in the final match of a martial art tournament and when they regain their senses, they find themselves transferred to a mystic heavenly sphere with a divine atmosphere. Then it is known that Shulato used to be the governing king of the unearthly world and that he has only been brought to his original state. However, Shulato is shocked as Guy suddenly turns hostile to him. After this unfortunate incident, a spectacular yet fantastic drama develops involving the two.
Yume Senshi Wingman, on the other hand, could be best described as a Superhero show with semi-naked women. It’s also kind of a precursor to “Death Note”.
How so, you ask?
The hero discovers some mystical book, known as a “Dream note”. Like any socially awkward Otaku (are there any other kind?) he starts doodling himself as a Super Sentai-esque superhero, and of course, magically becomes one.
“Wingman” may or may not be subbed to completion, as my supplier is basing his translations off of a French translation which is currently “stalled”.
But hey.. some is better than none, right?
For someone “Twisted and Evil”, Darth Vader doesn’t handle roller coasters too well…
The daring attack on the secret Rebel compound on the barren Tundras of Regina Hoth, could have been the Coup de grâce against the waning Rebel Alliance. Instead, the desert born Vader, decided that victory could wait, a bit of a frolicking in the snow couldn’t.
Welcome to ANIPAC; a mutation of our previous project, Anime Pacific. Were I to equate Anime Pacific to a Roman Emperor, Claudius would be a no-brainer. Much like Claudius, Anime Pacific was well meaning and succesful in what it sought to achieve yet due to several afflictions, not all were willing to embrace it.
ANIPAC aspires to be a semi-regular podcast and blog. You can expect the following topics to be discussed and/or covered:
- Anime
- Hong Kong Cinema (Yes it deserves it’s own catagory as opposed to Asian Cinema!)
- Asian Cinema
- Retro-Gaming
- Tales from Asia
- Discussions about the latest happenings in Asia and to a lesser extent, the rest of the world.
- General geekery with a somewhat personal touch.
