Irasshaimase!

I was reminded of Japanese touts in Kabukicho dragging tourists in as they yell "Welcome to our establishment!  This way, please!"

 

Errant Rose

Or, if I might wax poetic for a moment -- at the risk of sounding like *William McGonagall..,

"O The Fate of Innocent Beauty -- due in no part to her own fault, she is initially praised and extolled, then as time takes its sad toll she eventually is abandoned, then briefly trampled upon and at last forgotten..."

*Fairly or unfairly, William McGonagall has come to be known as the very spirit of Bad Poetry.

On the other hand, it occurs to me that this image might well find sincere fans in Japan, where the concept of the Tragic/Pitiable Transient Beauty is actually an aesthetic ideal^

"Hiruma"

A Japanese restaurant I came across.  The name ひるま  means "daytime".  But anyway, how kawaii!

So Japanese (take it any way you like -- I probably meant it that way 😉).

 

Funny Coincidence

Just now, I was reading a news article about the economic plight of young Japanese who migrated to Australia on "working holidays".  The comment section was full of negative statements from Japanese netizens, many of them expressing disapproval of the policies of the previous administration under the late former prime minister Shinzo Abe (the so-called "Abenomics").  At the same time I was listening to "The Girl from Ipanema" as covered by Andrea Bocelli.  As my eyes alighted on the word "Abe", Andrea sang "... a beleza que existe..."

Errant Kuromi

Came across this cute/evil Japanese cartoon character (cutely evil? is that an existing phrase?) somebody dropped at the Hwajeong subway station entrance.

Speaking of which, I am reminded that I am wont to say -- with tongue firmly in cheek -- "Japan used to have a wonderful aesthetic tradition, but then came the invasion of the 'kawaii'...".

Oh, and just for a moment, I thought those pink buttons were NIPPLES.

Related posts:  Errant Bunny, Errant Teddy, Errant Sparrow, Errant Concrete Mixer

And Before The Day Is Over...

This "memory" for today popped up on my Facebook page.

I remember actually driving by this restaurant in Westwood, just to see if there was anything unusual about it, like a map of Echigo province on the sign or maybe an image of the monk Ryokan, but no, there wasn't.

A Japan Thing

Speaking of Japan, here's something I made a long time ago, titled 'Japan'. There's a pin on the back so you can actually wear it as a brooch (it's tiny).

Yes, the severed finger is a Yakuza reference.

2 Mendicant Monks(?)

That I met on my aforementioned trip to Japan. I came across them on the streets of Tokyo. In return for alms the younger one gave me a piece of paper imprinted with what I at first thought was a mantra or something, but it turned out to be the lyrics to the Kimigayo, the national anthem of Japan O_oa (scratching head).  Maybe they weren't monks..?

A Pornographic Dinner with Mom in Japan

Is お好み焼き THAT Exciting?

This is from a few years back, when I traveled to Japan with my mother. There was this restaurant in Tokyo that specialized in okonomiyaki お好み焼き(a kind of pancake that's got little bits of meat or seafood and other delectables mixed in) and we went in for dinner. I actually had high expectations because I was somewhat familiar with the dish, having seen it depicted many times in anime (forgive me). For example, there was this girl character in the very popular series 'Ranma 1/2' who was an okonomiyaki cook; she carried an enormous spatula strapped to her back, which she used as a weapon in martial arts tournaments (forgive me, again).

Anyway, I guess I was expecting it to be similar to bindaeddeok 빈대떡, the popular Korean pancake with bits of pork and veggies mixed in (crispy on the outside, soft and absolutely delicious inside), but whether it was the restaurant or my own overly high expectations, the okonomiyaki unfortunately turned out not to be so great. It was a big disappointment, I have to say, after so much anticipation. But the dinner was not a complete loss; I noticed this very interesting spice bottle on a little shelf by the table. Put a little barrel around it, and it's a stand-in for one of those funny tiki guys with the huge springy erections (see below, courtesy of the internet). Thank goodness it wasn't a vinegar bottle...