Vending machines stocked with used schoolgirl panties may be one of the most oft-quoted Japanese urban legends, but do they actually exist? Is there any truth behind the lurid rumors? The answer may surprise, even shock you! read more »
Japan and the Japanese do so many things well, it's easy to overlook where they trail the pack. From saving the whales to reaching for the stars, Japan falls miserably short - and that's just the tip of the rice-berg. Come explore the dark side of Japan, where the rising sun never shines! read more »
Time and time again, Japan has been handed a ball someone else made and scored a touchdown. From cell phones to toilets to world peace, the Japanese just do it better! read more »
Those amazing Japanese "washlets" pretty much do it all, from raising their lids in greeting as you enter the bathroom to washing and drying you off when you're done. Seems like Japanese toilets can do everything but fly... well guess again! read more »
N700 Shinkansen Bullet Train Japan's new N700 model Bullet Train is a kinder, gentler choo-choo... kinder on the environment and gentler on its passengers. read more »
There are few things that are as essentially Japanese as sumo wrestling, which is why the need to pad thinning ranks with foreign sumo wrestlers is a bone in the throats of Japan's cultural traditionalists. read more »
The provocatively named "Ghetto Japanese Cellphone Holster" combines gleaming polished chromed steel and black patent leather to hug your cell in a grip the Marquis de Sade would envy. read more »
Leave it to the Japanese, the same folks who invented** the transistor radio, to come up with a multitude of ways to miniaturize their lives and save valuable space. "Livin' Large"? Not here, buster! read more »
Tokyo Bottled Tap Water If you or I bottled tap water and started selling it on the street for a buck a pop, that would be a crime. When the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks does it, it's called a public awareness campaign. read more »