While in Japan, one of the great joys of mine is riding the train from Kanagawa to Tokyo, standing by the doors, ear buds in my ears, and staring out of the door windows watching the countryside and the neighborhoods as they whiz by, while every once in a while catching a glimpse at the person opposite me as they, presumably, do the exact same thing.
This is the extent of my picture taking ability... while on a train. Do not judge me.
Japanese train culture is absolutely one of the reasons I love Japan. In the day time, it differs slightly than the nighttime experience, the riders each in their own worlds. DAY: some standing listening to music, some sitting and, in most cases
involuntarily, catching some shut eye, some lost in their phones and
books. NIGHT: All of the same types as mentioned, except imagine them drunk and vomiting on themselves.
Yes, vomit soaked subway seats bring me immense joy. Do not judge me... again.
The above photograph is of a scene I captured of something that happened well before I entered the car. A woman's purse was vomited on by some passenger that had since departed the train. I felt sorry for her, as she warily carried her bag off the train holding it at arms length by one strap. I doubt she was as happy as I felt at that moment. Not because of what had happened to her, but because of the complete randomness of the event. This is something that can happen anywhere, and it probably has, but I doubt as frequently as it happens in Japan.
For agoraphobics, people with horrible cases of OCD, and people who just generally dislike large crowds, the group with which I usually identify, the over crowded early morning and late night sardine can nature of the trains, as well as the ever bustling and impossibly crowded train stations, can be absolute Hell.
I call it Heaven.
I find it all strangely comforting. It's gets so bad at times that you can actually lean against a person instead of grabbing onto a strap to hold your balance. And no one cares about the chaos as they are undoubtedly used to it all.
This article from Rocket News showcases photographs from a Dutch photographer that nicely captures Japan's train culture in the process.
The culture is not the only reason I love the trains there. Living in L.A., horribly inaccurate arrival times can make riding public transportation here a truly frustrating experience. But in Japan, you can set your watches by the train schedules.
If ever in Japan, be sure to experience train culture for yourself. I don't find it possible to miss it as it may be a necessity to travel by it. If you do, say hi to this guy for me.
Although, I doubt he remembers me because he was busy driving the train when I took this.
I am a man. And as such, I enjoy my fair share of pornography. I can't speak for every male, but about 95% of the ones I've met in my lifetime has indeed expressed a similar fondness for it, as well as a couple of females I've talked to. Although, I'm not sure of how actual sales of porn in the U.S. are faring, especially with a lot of people now being able to very easily access it online, it still does incredible business in Japan.
No matter the commodity, whether it be music or food or manga, Japan has always catered to a wide variety of audiences. I believe, despite a few (apparently large) hiccups in recent years, it's why they've been so economically sound for so long. If you have a like, they will provide you with apt products.
And pornography is no exception. Japanese pornography isn't the only to feature bestiality or extreme bathroom fetishes, neither of which I am a fan of (oh, I hope you believe me. PLEASE BELIEVE ME!), but I've been fascinated as to what would drive an actress to hang upside down from an apparatus while vomiting on an individual, or, to perform sexual acts on a dog.
Hmm, it kind of tastes like chick-- Nope, dog rectum. It definitely tastes like dog rectum.
For a while now, I've also had an interest in someday being able to
interview an actress or two to ask them why they got into the business,
amongst the aforementioned questions. I've wanted to interview one mainly because I've had a script idea in mind about a Japanese pornographic actress. Despite knowing a couple people vaguely connected to the business in some way or another, I have yet to have my chance. I find the psyche involved with that sort of decision to be fascinating. Most people, as well as myself, would just assume that money would be the driving force behind that kind of choice, and indeed you may be correct, but there's no really knowing until you hear it straight from the source. Why Japanese specifically? I feel that because Japan is looked at as such a sexually repressed society that it's much more interesting looking into their minds than it would a much American or Russian actress in the same field.
Well, if I never get that interview, at least I have gained a little insight into what some actresses do after the business, thanks to this Rocket News article entitled, “What Happens to Japanese Porn Stars After They Retire?” Inside the Mind of an Adult Video Model. A lot
of them apparently, and perhaps not surprisingly, enter the ever
sustaining sex industry. As an experiment, (you gotta believe me here) I, as a gaijin, once tried my hand at getting into one of these places, with the help of a friend, since I've heard about how hard it is for a person of non-Japanese ancestry to get into them. And the rumors were correct, as place after place (really only about two or three) turned me down. But it wasn't like I was actually going to enter them even if they had accepted me. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Today, I've just found out that a documentary about Japan's adult film industry will be coming out very soon.
I was really surprised to find that, while there are over 4,000 girls in the biz, there are ONLY 70 regular male actors. No wonder I see the same ugly mugs over and over in films. I wonder what the casting process is for men that so little are allowed in their world. Or is it just that it's some kind of exclusive club that's been established years ago that the sons of the forefathers of Japanese pornography are now running and they only allow friends in to. I don't know if the bestiality questions will be answered in this doc, but hopefully, as it suggests in the trailer above, they will touch on why so few men are in the business.
Also, if you're not a fan of mosaic (pixelation) in your Japanese porn, there's good news, provided to can wait another 38 years. But your grandchildren will be able to enjoy censor-less adult videos, so there's that. I myself have become accustomed to it over the years.
Here's an interesting article on some actress named, Yumi Kazama. I've never seen her work, but she looks like she's been successful for a while in a business that spits out girls like pornographic actresses spit out... I will not go any further for I've gone on for far too long on this subject.
Thanks to Rocket News for the inspiration on this and many posts to come.
As I've said before, and I'll definitely say it many more times for the foreseeable future, Japan does food absolutely right. And one of the dishes they completely own is Ramen. One of the joys in my life is tucking into a nice, big bowl of tasty, porky, oily bowl of noodles. I know that may sound unappealing, but it's not. Despite its Chinese origins, once the Japanese got their hands on it, they totally made it their own and now, food wise, it's synonymous with the name Japan. It baffles me that some Americans still think of ramen as just a brittle block of pre-fried noodles only available in a little plastic bag bought at a local grocery store for pennies.
Why would I go out and pay 7 bucks for what I can buy for 30¢ and prepare myself? Enjoy your pricy ramen, loser!
2012 was a pretty big ramen year for me. While I traveled to Tokyo over the summer every chance I got I went for a big bowl of ramen.
Pictures of all the ramen I ate in Japan. I swear I did other things while I was there.... I think.
Living in L.A., it used to be near impossible to find a good ramen place. There were always a lot open, but few, if any, were something that could have been considered anything near good. But over the last couple pf years, L.A. has stepped up their game and we're currently in something of a ramen revolution. Some times they get it quite right:
They may look similar, but trust me, they're different. Look at the egg in the first one and compare it to the last one. See? Different.
And sometimes they get it horribly wrong:
Okay, I know what you're thinking, it's indistinguishable from all the others, but... oh screw it. They all look the same.
The name of this place was... whatever, it's closed down now anyway. Which has proven to me that if I find a bowl of ramen unsatisfactory, that shop closes down. That's right, this town's ramen shops live or die on my taste buds!
Ramen comes in many types of soup bases like Tonkotsu (豚骨 pork bone broth), Shoyu (醤油 soy sauce), Miso (みそ) and Shio (塩 salt). I've recently read of strawberry milk ramen, pineapple ramen and milk flavored broth ramen. And a while back on a Japanese television program I even saw ramen lined with lemons. My personal favorite is tonkotsu ramen with the noodles on the hard side. What's your favorite?
Here's a couple of links to some of my favorite ramen joints:
A lot of things are said about Japan (a lot of ignorant, inaccurate obscene things, as well as a lot of very thoroughly researched accurate obscene things), but If there's one thing Japan knows how to do right it's instant noodles.
From ramen to yakisoba (basically Japanese chow mein for those not in the know), they have an almost impossibly wide variety of all things instant, and they're all usually delicious as well, an important trait they seem to throw out when they make the import to America for whatever reason.
Last Summer my friend came back from a trip to Japan bearing gifts from her sister who is also a friend of mine. Amongst various snacks such as chocolate covered and cheese covered soy sauce rice crackers, which were tastier than that sounds, she also included a popular brand of yakisoba called Peyangu (ペヤング). This was different from their normal flavor, as it had the words "spiciness level MAX" sprawled under their logo. Now, when a Japanese food product is labeled spicy they are usually anything but. Japanese like their food salty, sometimes sweet, but you will rarely find anything that is truly spicy. That's just not their thing. Koreans do spicy. Thais do spicy. Japanese do NOT do spicy.
And if anyone mentions wasabi to me, I will throat chop them. Wasabi is not spicy. Wasabi, as Wikipedia accurately points out, stimulates the nasal passages more than the tongue. Whenever someone in an western TV show and/or movie eats wasabi they wave air on their tongue and immediately go for the water. That is wildly inaccurate and makes me shake with fury as I imagine reaching into the television and strangling the writers to death while rubbing wasabi into their eyes.
I digress.
Anyway, as I'm not accustomed to Japanese food actually being spicy, I was skeptical and dismissed the "MAX", written all in caps, in English even, warning me to be careful, and prepared it as instructed on the package and partook of the instant noodle snack.
Now, I don't believe in the devil, but if he does indeed exist and is a fan of Japan, this is his go to Japanese snack of choice.
As it is displayed on the shelves of various Japanese convenient stores... in HELL!
I was quite lucky that I ate this a couple of days before my own trip to Japan, because had I eaten this the day of, I would have definitely missed my flight. The effects of the yakisoba didn't take place until the day after consumption, but when they did I was in for the fight of my life, as it lit my bathroom, and my rectum, ablaze. To hell with TMI, you will know my pain.
On that trip to Japan, I visited a book store known for strange and unusual and sometimes jokey products, as well as books, called Village Vanguard. When I went there I saw this particular flavor of Peyang displayed and wondered if my friend hadn't intentionally played an awful and heinous trick on me.
So evil, only Empirical Storm Troopers there have licenses to sell it.
My final assessment: if you like, no, LOVE spicy foods and don't mind not being to taste anything other than said spiciness, and you love yakisoba then give it a try. Your belly, your tongue and rectum will hate you for it, but your heart will... no, actually that will hate you, too.
Four stars. One star off for destroying my innards. :(
Hi. Here's a new blog about a place that has been talked about and blogged about on the net and is still being talked about and blogged about everyday. A place that is near and dear to my heart, most due to my heritage, but not limited to it. A place that I both love, and sometimes hate. A place that seems to baffle most Americans. That place is called Japan.
A land filled with delicious food, timely train service, the best customer service, copious amounts of alcohol, and (perhaps my favorite part) tiny girls in tiny skirts. A place where the convenient stores are actually, gasp, dare I say it, convenient! A place where you can buy alcohol and porn from a vending machine. But make sure you do it when no ones watching, because people will perhaps judge you harshly for doing so.
I'll offer nothing new that hasn't been said before, but as I've spent quite a large amount of time there, I hope to offer another fresh and different perspective on it.
I'd also like to hear other people's experiences there and their thoughts on it in general. I will try to offer interesting tidbits and news I hear about Japan whenever I they come my way.
So, welcome to Japan in General. Come for the ramen, stay for the unconventional dating simulations and drunken people randomly sleeping and vomiting on the streets and trains.... or, you know, what other more attractive reasons you may have.
