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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Final Saga

Japan is famous for it's complicated but very efficient transport network.
Tokyo trains can be very crowded (actually Singapore is already reaching that level it seems). And so as part of the effort to combat Chikan (street groping), there are designated women-only passenger cars.
We like taking the Yamanote Line because it’s the easiest to figure out and it has stations in every major area. Later I read that this particular train that loops the central Tokyo area is often where molests happen!
So guess what? An ingenious businessman conceptualized the Train café. A members only club that is staffed by young women dressed in school uniforms or office clothes. Membership costs 5,000 yen (78 SGD) and there is a 2,000 yen (31 SGD) payment for a cup of tea levied with each visit. A subsequent payment of 3,600 yen (56 SGD) for 20 minutes permits members to partake of Train Cafe's services. So, I was right! If I had wanted to sit at the classroom desk, I will have to pay more!
Those services are carried out in a room refurbished so that it looks exactly like the inside of a carriage on the Yamanote Line, the train that loops the central Tokyo area. Young women stand at strategic points in the carriage and patrons are permitted to fondle them in whatever way they please. An extra payment of 5,000 yen gives patrons the option of selecting the woman they want to ride with for a 15-minute period.
Male customers, of who the club says there are 4,000, are not allowed to ejaculate in the establishment....
"During the 20 minute session, the trip takes you from Ikebukuro to Meguro (about one-third of the Yamanote Line's 60-minute complete loop). With each stop, the doors of the carriage open and the girls get on and off the train. We use actual recordings of the conductors' announcements and LCD screens outside the window display actual footage of the trip along the Yamanote Line," Train Cafe's operator tells Weekly Playboy. "We cannot be beaten when it comes to reality."

Train Cafe's operator tells the weekly that the club's membership is largely based on men in the early to mid-40s. He adds that many customers enter the establishment saying that they had just ridden trains and been driven almost mad by temptation, but made it to the club before tackling an innocent woman commuter.

"We have a crime reducing effect," the operator says.

Far from feeling demeaned, women working at the club say they enjoy it.

"I loath real chikan [gropers]. But if I'm attacked by one, I'm too scared to do anything and just shut up. I really, really hate it," 20-year-old Rin tells the weekly. "But here, all the customers are members. You know you're going to be felt up and it's a good place to make friends, so I enjoy it."

The Train Cafe: where you meet a better class of groper.
Images borrowed from http://yanai.blackmage.org/ and article from the Train Cafe (via Japundit):
You know, i'm intrigued with the fetish industry.Did the industry create fetishes that humans then catch on or did the industry do their market research before creating that product? Who is sicker? The industry or the people?

It seems like a chicken and egg question. But I believe in something called conditioning. I had been exposed to so much moaning and melons in the numerous adult shops I checked out due to curiosity, after I stepped out when I heard a baby cry on the train, it sounded like a woman moaning to me! In a society filled with sex, does it then curb temptations or it fuels temptations?
Watch this documentary on Youtube. It disallows embedding. Japan seems like a safe country, yet not really. They even have cartoons glorifying rape. A superhero named Rapeman. It is NOT hentai, but a real cartoon whereby the “superhero” goes round raping women who “deserve it”. Watch Rape Club.
I really don't know what HAND MAID CAFE means.
I suppose when they touch you, you get all melty and then you get cured!

Frankly, most of the café spokesperson I see on the streets giving out flyers is NOT pretty. Even their poster girls are not pretty. Guess the pretty ones are all either AV stars or you have to pay $1500 a night.
They have poker/majong clubs where you can play a game with the maids too.
There is no gender discrimination when it comes to sexual needs. They have quite afew ladies bar too. This ladies bar welcomes office ladies, students, housewives. If you're inexperienced, it's ok! Ok in Japanese is dai jio bu. However the Chinese characters used 大丈夫  to translate that actually means Big Husband/ Male Chauvinist! Often you see this Chinese character 无料, they're like information booths where you can get an overview of which working girl is where, which club, her rates etc. I'm guessing you can book her through the outlet too.

We peeked in. There's usually a big burly guy standing at the door step, we were chicken. What do you expect. Chinese chicken remember? You can sorta see pictures of girls on the wall through that tiny crack.
They are known to be elitist and not serve foreigners.
 
What do you think? Legit?
The rates are all about $150-$300. Here in Singapore, a Japanese is considered premium grade= very expensive. Over there, it's no more exotic. Heheh. But too bad, they don't serve foreigners, so you can't be a typical Singaporean who goes over to JB for cheap petrol.
The Japanese office men are always decked out smartly in suits. Alas, they can't hold their liquor well.
Funny sign about forgetting your umbrellas.
They LOVE hanging a huge bunch of ding dongs on their handphones.
I'm actually intellectual ok. I went to visit Meiji University. They have a history and cultural museum, free admission. What i was interested in was the criminology museum. It's a very small hall, in summary it has some displays and many pictures to illustrate how criminals were dealt with in the Edo period. Human activists say the punishments were inhumane. Come to think of it, do we really know what the law is? Has anyone read to us what the law is? In that case, do we really know our rights?
An ancient chastity belt.
I'm tickled that they thought of adding flowers and hearts to make it look attractive to wear!
They have many ways in beheading a criminal. Including SAWING off a head. This is one sentence a person can get. He is not imprisoned but serves his sentence by having this board locked around his head for 2 years or more (however long his sentence is). This is a form of humiliation as punishment as he will not be able to eat, bathe, pee on his own.
I'm sure this guitar is photogenic!
It's probably the voting season so we see alot of politicians going around neighbourhoods and blaring their speech through speakers. I received this flyer and found her fingers/hand REALLY ODD! Abit like what was spotted on a magazine cover recently
So i had to go shake her hand to see for myself. Aiya, another photoshop case done wrongly! Maybe she wanted to slim down her fingers.
                                                              
                                        
It's good to familiarize yourself with the Chinese names of places. Helps at the subway. The above is Aikibahara.
                                      
I had to seriously control myself from buying all things silly. This is a mouse pad and you rest your wrist in between.
                                             
                                         
Also had to resist buying all things cute.

But i couldn't resist buying all things stupid. Like this pair of Light Sabre chopsticks
                                            
 and this pair of earphones that make you look like you've gone bananas!
And i love the games they have. Sushi and Cup noodle! Perfect for parties!
                            
Ok, that's a money note fan i got too. Singapore very hot mah.
                                     
In Takashimaya, they have a counter where you can make your own perfumes. 150ml= $300. Yowser. We have such service in Arab Street too. Takashimaya is great. They even have Mandarin and English interpretator for tourists.
                                       
If i had the dough to spare, i'd like to concoct up green moss perfume!
Ready to see what's in the porn magazines now?? I had the honour of unwrapping the brown paper.
                                                       
Some of them comes with a freebie. Panties! Attached with a picture of a model wearing them. That's fueling the used panties fetish.
 
Funny right!! The girl's private part is also blanked out. It's soooo contradicting. The sex industry in Japan. On one hand, it totally blows your mind away with the absurdity, on the other hand uncensored porn IS ILLEGAL. No point buying porn in Japan then because most likely you'll get them mosaic ed.
                                                 
Hentai is more explicit.
                                             
The Japanese are such perfectionist. They refused to take my business just because we can't understand each other's langauge. They were afraid that they won't be able to give me satisfactory service and that i wouldn't be pleased with my hairdo. But i insisted because i know they can't mess up with giving me curls. A perm is only $60, i had to do it!
Love motels can be found everywhere. Signs outside advertising the rate for rest and stay is a hint. Most of them are in dull looking, unattractive buildings. This one is one of the nicer ones, with a little deco. Not feeling like a Chinese Chicken, i barged in to check it out.
There is no reception, but a machine (picture on left) where you serve yourself by choosing which room you want. The ones lighted up are available, as you can see quite alot of rooms are already occupied. Such motels are essential to the culture there as the live in tiny boxes and walls were paper thin. Unfortunately, we did not come across the themed love hotels.
                                        
 Not all bad English signs come from China, don't be prejudiced! LOL. I bought the humping dog one, where you plug in and it humps away. BUT IT HAS NO USB MEMORY!!! Grrrrr.....
                                                
Just some funny ad.
                                    
Travel agencies advertise tours for women to go on them to become beautiful! Guess where the tour takes them to? Plastic surgeons. Nah, kidding. Hot springs.
                                       
They have LV underground in Ikkeburro train station! Too bad i didn't have time to check it out. I wonder if it's a different range. LV can actually have a no frills outlet.
                                        
I wrote an earllier post asking if Japan is for real. Well, i still didn't see vending machines selling weird stuff other than cigies and drinks but I know what's real are the fruits there are @##$*(@# expensive! One small basket can be a thousand bucks. You can’t resist the packaging of food stuff in Japan! Look at these cute tiny apple cakes i bought as gifts.
                                    
                                 
Goodies of all sorts. The Melon pokey stick is yummy. Designer Pokey is $3 there, compared to $6-$8 here. Kit Kat comes in all sorts of flavours. We tried the Wasabi one (leaves an aftertaste), strawberry cheescake (nice), green tea (haven't tried) and milk tea (haven't tried). Oh, and squid ink preztel sticks! Salty, thin and vaguely taste squid ink.
                                               
I find anything that comes sushi-like cute! This gummy lets you make your own sushi sweet. Gums come in all sorts of flavours too. Although didn't see anything ridiculous.
You know how novelty chocolates can sometimes taste like cardboard? Not these naughty ones. Velvety smooth...yuummm...
                                       
My dad always embarrasses us by being so obviously tourist sometimes. Like wearing socks with sandles, doing push-ups in the airport, because no body supposedly recognises him. But my dad has a six pec.
                                       
On my last night, we went to Alcatraz ER in Shibuya. Took us an hour to find, it’s hidden in a small dark lane, second floor of a building. It’s pretty expensive to dine there, $54 per person for an ala carte buffet. I think it’s meant to be like a mental hospital, where we’re all patients who have to be locked up. Press your blood type to enter, just a gimmick. Any button will do. LOL.
                           
The deco is quite nice, we’re excited children running around taking pictures. The ONLY ones doing it, as the Japanese patrons take their role play VERY SERIOUSLY. They stayed in their cell the entire time and never did once open the gates once they’re “locked in”.
                         
                            
I didn’t even see anyone in the rest room!That’s, eerie.
As with all concept restaurants (the non seedy ones), I bet this one when it first opened was bustling with people and the waiters were actors. The waiters now aren’t in character; we weren’t really treated like prisoners. Instead, the waiters were exceptionally apologetic when their service was slow.
                                        
Hey, I came to be manhandled not the other way round!
                                         
                          
                                    
They really can't understand English. I tried asking this waiter to pose with me, fine, ROLE PLAY with me. But he didn't understand my directing. So I placed his hand on my shoulder trying to explain to him i want him to be rough, to push me. But he thought i WANTED A HUG!!Yikes!LOL. In the end he understood, and yes he was rough.
                                  
I don't know what she is supposed to be. Guess they just threw her this costume coz well, sex sells.
                                 
See what i mean?
                       
The food was ok. Kinda like bar food. Chicken wings, kimchi fried rice, avocado sushi, curry wedges and the likes. No, i didn't try grilled Hormones.
                      
It’s worthwhile to go if you’re in a big group and DRINK ALCOHO because the basic alcohols (your vodka and sort) is FREE FLOW. Special mixers like these ones are chargeable.

So, the whole idea is to be locked in,
then wipe yourself down,
and clang the grills with a baton to call for service.
Then place your order through the grills,
and they deliver your food OUTSIDE of the grills, barely within reach.
And you eat like that, with your hands and through the grills. Dehumanizing isn’t it?
But my super power is stretchy hands!
This reminds me, the concept is like Clinic at Clarke Quay! But I’ve never patronized that one. Guess when you’re a tourist, you become a sucker for such things.

At the end of 90 minutes, your all-you-can-eat ends. Please don't waste food, don't over order. The portions are pretty big.
I had to hide my Kimchi fried rice in various places, like Mr Bean did. Somewhere they wrote on the menu that they charge for wastage, per 100ml.
Careful now, don't get caught!

The bill came in a medication slip, saying you’re now discharged. They also gave a return voucher of 1,000 Yen discount (SGD 15). Anybody wants? Email me with your address and I’ll send it over. Expires in August. I can also give you the address of it.
Other than sex toys, lingerie and shoes Japan are good to buy too. I like that they come with sturdy thick heels as I can’t really walk on stilettos. They’re also comfortable but it seems like their sizing is smaller than ours. And I think Singapore’s humidity expanded my feet, it’s SO TIGHT now! Or maybe I should bite my shoes before it bites me, does it work?

In general, shopping IS expensive in Japan. And Singapore is such a shopping haven that we have almost everything here, almost I say. I love shopping in Harajuku, Ikkeburro and Tokyu Hands. You've to look hard for cheap buys. I don't even have time to cover totally shopping haunts like Shibuya and Ginza (but this one high end).
I am not an accessory kinda girl (too lazy to match), but i can't resist buying them! They ought to come in handy, some day.
Tax is a bitch in Japan, almost all of them don't understand Tax Refund. You do not get tax refunds at the airport as in most cases, instead you get them at the shops immediately. However, you've to spend above $150 (10,000 Y) and only in certain departmental stores (Takashimaya does) offers that.
So that sums up my Japan trip. Go experience for yourself some day!

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