Pointy Max finds pointy symmetry with Mt. Fuji.
Pointy Max seeks solace in Aokigahara Jukai Forest in Japan.
Pointy Max pauses to reflect upon the beauty of Shiraito Falls.
Pointy Max visits Mt. Fuji
Samenyan is AWESOME
Samenyan (“Shark-Meow”) is a new character by a company called Mofusand.
Oh my gosh, this cat is so cute I could just SCREAM.
So in case you haven’t noticed, Japan is weird. I am weird. My wife is weird. Our daughter is weird. My motto is you’re either weird or boring. I choose weird.
Meow.
Strawberry Switchblade
You may not have ever heard of these two girls from Scotland, but Strawberry Switchblade made a HUGE impact on Japanese pop music and culture in the ’80s. Resembling something like dime store doll versions of Siouxsie, these two girls harmonized wonderfully to make cheerful New Wave pop music, infusing bubblegum sweet melodies with lyrics of melancholy. That android from Robot Carnival immediately comes to mind when I see their clothes. When you watch them, you can see their impact on ’80s J-pop and Harajuku fashion echoes their cute, punk rock doll aesthetic to this day. I see where Strawberry Switchblade heavily influenced the J-pop singing duo Wink in the ’80s. I can definitely see how their fashion aesthetic was a precursor to the “goth loli” fashion which sprang out of Osaka 20+ years ago.
While I was building the KUKQ playlist I mentioned in my previous post, their video for “Since Yesterday” kept showing up in my recommendations on YouTube. I finally clicked on it and loved what I heard. Then the more I thought about it, I unlocked a forgotten memory. I remember hearing a song by them on KUKQ when I was in high school, which was probably this same song. I remember hearing the name of the band and thought that they were so cool, but since I didn’t write it down and I never heard them again on the radio, I forgot all about them.
Their song “Since Yesterday”:
“Poor Hearts” (I particularly love the chiming guitar in this song, and it reminds me of a cross between Siouxsie & the Banshees and Kitchens of Distinction
A brief history on Strawberry Switchblade:
Interviews on Japanese TV:
Super neat stuff. I bought their CD, and hopefully it will arrive sometime this week.
Spy Family coffee
I dunno whether to call the show “Spy Family” or “Spy x Family.” I’Ve seen a lot of Suntory Coffee Boss Spy Family products at drug stores lately. The top picture is peanut-flavored café au lait. I bought this box, but I have yet to try it. I’ll show this in the next Japanese snacks video I upload to my YT and Odysee channels.
Unfortunately, the Spy Family movie won’t be out until December! By that time, it will have been a year since the 2nd season on TV ended. They’re making us wait a whole year.
Suga Shrine lanterns during Numata Matsuri
I attended the Numata Matsuri on Thursday night.
Paper lanterns for Takasaki Matsuri
I took this picture last week at the east exit of Takasaki Station. These lanterns were put up for the Takasaki summer festival, which is for the last weekend in August, the 26th and 27th. I love Japanese paper lanterns.
Tokyo night photography from January 2000
When I flew to Japan in January 2000 to propose to Mayu, I took a second camera loaded with slide film. I took these pictures on Fujicolor 200 slide film. First up is Shibuya.
Next is Akihabara.
These slides have been packed away in a box for so many years. I recently took them to a photo shop in town and dropped them off. They were sent away, scanned, and put onto a CD-ROM for me. I am so glad to have these now.
Jiji on a chalkboard outside a bar in town
On the chalkboard outside of a bar near one of the schools I work at, this big drawing of Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service welcomes customers. This is one of the many things you’ll never see in the United States. I can’t imagine anything as cute and charming at a bar where I am from, nor even a chalkboard, really.
Mayu in Kyoto, May 2001
Last month, our daughter Ulan visited Kyoto for her 3rd year JHS school trip and had a great time. It was her first time away from her parents, so it was a big deal. It made me want to look at photos of Kyoto the last time I ever visited there. When Mayu and I had been married for less than two months, we visited Kyoto in May 2001. I cannot remember where this photo was taken in Kyoto, but I just thought that this is a cute glance over the shoulder picture.
Japanese bra Engrish lulz
This is too funny. Mayu and I were at the drug store and found these bras with the ridiculous ENGRISH descriptions. We had a good laugh. People in Japan generally don’t understand English, and those responsible for the packaging of these items obviously do not either. Let’s start with the night time bra.
“Bust care while sleeping. Keep bust and side meat down.”
I’m sorry… what? Side meat? Keep it down? No, keep it in the fridge. That’s tomorrow’s dinner.
“This bra is just put on and a fat of a side and back is pulled.”
Well yeah, so you say it’s just put on, right? But that’s when it gets complicated. “A fat of a side?” Who are you calling fat? And your back is pulled? What’s going on again? I’m confused now.
This is what happens when you use a foreign language for decoration. Especially when you use Google Translate or something because you don’t know the language. There are stories like that one tattoo artist who was tattooing “spicy tofu” onto vapid people who didn’t know crap about Chinese characters but wanted to get permanently tattooed because they are vacuous trendies. Guys like that are heroes as far as I care.