Now admittedly my knowledge of fashion is far from extensive, but since when have style and smell had anything to do with each other?
Yet as bizarre as the concept of aroma fashion is, it’s arguably nothing compared to smell based fashion sewing.
Photographs from a small group of islands
Now admittedly my knowledge of fashion is far from extensive, but since when have style and smell had anything to do with each other?
Yet as bizarre as the concept of aroma fashion is, it’s arguably nothing compared to smell based fashion sewing.
In what hopefully isn’t a new craze amongst, erm, the crazed, a man was arrested on Monday for keeping a high school girl prisoner for 22 days. Less than a week after the capture of another man for a disturbingly similar abduction.
Dried fruit vendor Takayuki Kawamoto met his 17-year-old victim through a mobile phone matchmaking site, and then kept her captive with the use of handcuffs. Even using them during trips out in the car together, when Kawamoto would handcuff his victim to the steering wheel if he needed to get out.
After his arrest he told the police, “I kept her prisoner because I wanted to be with her.†And if in any further proof was needed in regards to the abductor’s inability to grasp basic social norms and dating techniques, he allegedly ordered the girl to fall in love with him. Threatening to kill her if she didn’t.
Kawamoto’s shift from love to laziness however was his downfall, as forcing the girl to work at his dried fruit stall allowed her a shot at freedom. A chance the young woman took, managing to flee to a nearby police box before Kawamoto could recapture her.
And as an added bit of oddness, Kawamoto shared an apartment with his mother and brother. Neither of who appear to have raised any questions (or indeed an alarm) in regards to their family member and his confined cohabiter.
Suntory released a limited edition single-malt whisky last week. Which in itself isn’t exactly big news. Neither is the fact that it’s called Yamazaki 50 Years after the distillery it mellowed in for half a century.
What makes this an event of modest interest however is that despite costing a whopping 1 million yen (5,000 pound) each, the 50 bottles up for grabs sold out within 24 hours.
The country’s elongated recession it seems is really beginning to bite hard…
In a move that will no doubt deny this site a lot of sex related posts, the governing Liberal Democratic Party has proposed a new law specifically targeting upskirt photographers and other nefarious users of concealed cameras.
Not that such activity isn’t already illegal, but currently anyone caught up to no good can only be prosecuted under prefectural ordinances and the Minor Offence Law. Meaning many perpetrators get away with just a small fine. And perhaps if they are famous or hold a public position, a spot of unwanted publicity too.
The new legislation is expected to include (at the very least) a unified set of penalties for the misuse of concealed cameras. Punishment for those who knowingly sell images taken with such devices. And owners of places like hotels and public baths being forced to protect their patrons from unwittingly becoming stars of films or websites
The news of this proposed legislation comes at a time when the use of hidden cameras is said to be reaching epidemic proportions. Figures from the National Police Agency state there were 1,892 arrests and apprehensions for upskirt photography and concealed camera use last year. But the actual figure is said to be considerably higher as those arrested for trespassing were not included.
But with these changes in the law, and women only carriages becoming widespread, what’s next for the nation’s devious deviants?
Women-only carriages seem to be here to stay, and after their initial introduction during rush hour in Tokyo, more train operators have jumped on the single-sex bandwagon.
The women-only promotional poster below shows just how stress-free and quiet early morning commutes can be. As there’s plenty of room to move around, read a book, or simply smile serenely at the wonders of the world.
Poor old salary man Suzuki however is still having a torrid old time.
Traditional Japanese weddings may well be overly formal, particularly in relation to both clothing and conduct. With the former being especially applicable to the bride, who has to endure wearing an uncomfortable outfit and an elaborate and heavy headdress. And all of the above is especially true if the ceremony is held at Tokyo’s famous Meiji Shrine like the one pictured below.
But despite all the pomp and circumstance, there’s no denying that it makes for quite a spectacle.
(Due to the purchase of a rather fancy digital camera, from now on all Random Images posts are going to be clickable like the two above. Which means that my haphazardly taken photos will be viewable in all their high-resolution glory. A few previous posts have also been granted this new and dazzling feature. The nationalist admittedly still isn’t all that impressive, but the Harajuku girls certainly benefit from a clearer and brighter image. And even if I say so myself, the street performer is very dramatic. If a little scary.)