I have been scouring the internet to find some unique and interesting vending machines of Japan and here are 10 of them that I have found to be interesting. You will not be seeing any of these in the USA, well not anytime soon anyway. It is sad that we do not have some of these machines in the US, some of them are quite ingenious and convenient. And here they are:

10) Umbrella Vending Machine:

Stuck out in the rain? No stores open? Japan has found a solution. The convenience of it all, I must admit it, I have been stuck out on rainy days and this would have been extremely useful in those situations.

9) Flower Vending Machine:

The flower machine seems to be a good idea, especially in Japan. Most businessmen are expected to work late (one of the hardest working country I have ever known or seen), and then socialize with co-workers at a nearby bar; so the 24-hour availability of flowers seems to be a good way to apologize to the misses after being away all day and night.

8) Flight Insurance Vending Machine?:

You can conveniently purchase flight/travel insurance near your boarding gate in Tokyo. I suppose this is a good idea for “just in case” situations but somehow this would make me feel a little uncomfortable and awkward as I step onto my plane.

7) Alcohol Vending Machine:

Ahh nothing like a little booze whenever you need it. I find this to be really interesting and weird due to the fact that the sales of alcohol here in the States is quite strict. In New York, you can find beer at the convenience store and supermarkets, however, in many other states you can only find beer in liquor stores. Therefore seeing beer for sale in a vending machine is just well new and refreshing. I wonder how they check someones identification with these machines though…

6) Hot Meal and Hot Ramen Vending Machines:

It is a tie for number 6 alright. Both are weird but damn it I sure wish I had a hot food vending machine around the corner of my house…man that would have solved many hungry nights. Luckily for me there is always a convenience store that is open 24hrs not too far away and the local 7-11 but this is still too damn convenient to live without if you ask me.

5) Fresh Eggs Vending Machine:

Sometimes you just need eggs. Just didn’t think it was urgent enough to warrant a Vending Machine dedicated to it. I wonder how fresh they really are…

4) Condoms Vending Machine:

There isn’t much I can say about this one except that these vending machines are conveniently located between the drink and porn machines. You can actually find some of these in the US, not out on the streets but in certain locations.

3) Lingerie Vending Machine:

Lingerie vending machine which is apparently quite common in large cities (I never actually saw one when I was in Japan but then again I wasn’t exactly looking for one). But hey its available anytime you need one. *Wink Wink*

2) Porn Vending Machine:

All nothing like good ole HEALTH ITEMS for those lonely nights. Again having these out on the street is just awkward. How do they stop little horny teenage punks from getting these??

1) Lobster Vending Machine (kinda):

Now I know this isn’t exactly a vending machine..but it is kinda like one. Nonetheless it is still extremely unique and again in a way it is like a vending machine…just not something that gives you a prize every time you put money in. Ok, well this baby as you can see is shaped like those claw machines (you know those machines which are always friggen rigged!!). Now for a few yen you can catch your own lobster dinner, mmm CHEAP AND GOOD! Well not really cheap (I bet it is rigged), you would probably spend a lot of money just to catch one, but it is fun though! You can find this in Osaka if you want to give it a try.

Sources for this article such as the pictures are from: Dark Roasted Blend, PhotoMann, and Japan Guidebook.

If you enjoyed this posting then you might want to check out my postings: Five Funny Engrish Photos and Eight Interesting albeit Odd Japanese Items.

• Nickname: Nonamin
• Profession: Actress and ‘gravure idol’ (Japanese term: swimsuit/bikini model)
• Date of Birth: 14 December, 1985
• Birthplace: Saitama, Japan
• Height: 155 cm (5 feet and 1.0 inch)
• Measurements: B95 W59 H85 cm (B37.4 W23.2 H33.5 inches)
• Talent Agency: Kabushiki Kaisha Macbee

Keep in mind there is no nudity but this is still a hot girl in bikini and what not so view at your own discretion (try not to do it at work if it’ll cause you trouble):

[Show as slideshow]

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In Japan, if you have the money you can sort out virtually any problem in your love life. If you want to get rid of an unwanted spouse, retrieve a straying one, get back with an ex or even get together with someone you’ve seen but don’t yet know, there are companies that will help you, using all the technology and expertise in human psychology at their disposal. Not so long ago Japanese wives put up with any amount of infidelity and abuse. A divorced woman was shunned and unlikely to marry again. But these days “people want to be happy”, says Tomiya. The result has been an enormous increase in divorces and in companies such as GNC.

Jobs such as separating Mr A from his wife take an average of two to four months. For this the client pays £2,500 a month, plus expenses.

News Via: Japan Probe, The Original Article

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkJ6dLMMEHM

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyg750zxgec

Whoever thought of this was either a lunatic or a genius, either way it is quite disturbing to see grown men willingly let themselves be spanked (more like seriously whacked) in the buttocks and testicles on National television. Then again different culture equals different values. I have to admit though, I laughed a lot….

This next one was just amazingly well done, wow just wow.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyU0pe6EFBQ

According to some interesting statistics:

Around 19,000 of the babies had non-Japanese fathers, 26,000 had non- Japanese mothers, while both parents of 9,000 originated abroad, according to the survey.

North and South Korean nationals formed the largest group among non- Japanese fathers, followed by Chinese and Brazilians. Among the non- Japanese mothers, Chinese formed the largest group, followed by Filipinas, and North and South Koreans.

The trend reflects the increasing number of foreigners marrying Japanese nationals. Of the newly registered marriages in Japan in 6.6 percent, or 49,000 involved at least one foreign national.

Of the 49,000 marriages, about 36,000 involved a Japanese husband and a non-Japanese wife.

Of the babies with at least one non-Japanese parent, 5.7 percent were born in Tokyo, followed by 4.9 percent in Aichi Prefecture and 4.5 percent in Mie Prefecture.

Perhaps the information that I once perceived of Japanese marriages were true, if so, this only indicates the changing factors within Japanese culture and perhaps the world. What do you all think of this? Do you find this an interesting and noteworthy information?

News Via: breitbart.com

As you all know, I cannot speak Japanese, however, I feel that I have researched this enough to give a brief explanation of Japanese honorific titles.  So let us begin!

I will be using excerpts from tofugu.com because he did a great job explaining the titles, much better than I ever could.

San:

Overview: This is the most common. It can be used on boys or girls. It can be used in formal and (somewhat) informal situations. Pretty much, san is your fail safe when you don’t know which one to use. You probably won’t get in trouble if you use this one, so it’s good to use with frequency.

Do Not: Refer to yourself as [your name]-san. This is very rude. You might as well start asking people to get on their knees and bow down to you. Only use this on other people.

Other Uses: You can also attach san to some nouns, usually jobs. For example, booksellers are called honya-san. I know that some uses like this are more common than others so I’d say it’s best not to jump to conclusions and start turning every noun you see into name-honorific enders.

Trivial Fact: Ever notice how a lot of Japanese user names on the net end with three? I just read this on Wikipedia, and it completely makes sense. Since the number three in Japanese is san, some people use this to end their names. I think it’s clever, anyways.

Sama

Overview: Most likely, you’ll never run into an appropriate situation to use sama,
unless of course you want to be a little sarcastic. The only time
you’ll be using sama is if 1) you’re working for a company and you’re
talking to a customer, or 2) you want to be sarcastic about someone who
thinks really highly about themselves.

Do Not: EVER refer
to yourself as sama…well, that is, unless you’re making fun of
yourself. Otherwise, there’s no reason to do it, and if you do it with
a serious face, people will think you’re a big stuck up snob.

Trivial Fact: Apparently, there’s also a “Chama” version of sama. Typically, you would use this when talking to someone who is older.

Kun

Overview: This is where you start getting more casual. Kun is primarily used when referring to other males, usually by someone of high status to someone younger / lower status than them. A good example would be a teacher talking to a (usually male) student. Some (masculine) females get called (name)-kun, though this is less common.

Do Not: Use this on someone of higher status than you. That means teachers, people that are older than you, parents, etc. You get the picture. If you aren’t sure, then just use san – at least you’ll be safe that way.

Chan

Overview: Now we’re in deep waters. Chan is primarily used on children, female family members, lovers, and close friends. Really, it’s a term of endearment. Often times, one’s name will be shortened to add chan to it.

Do Not: (once again), use it on anyone of higher status than you. If you are using chan, the person should be much younger, or you better know that person really well.

Trivial Fact: Unlike all the other name honorifics, it’s actually not too horrible to refer to yourself and add the chan to the end. Children do this a lot, but so do some adults. Adding chan to a name can sometimes become a nickname that’s used instead of the real name, at which point it becomes acceptable to refer to yourself while using the honorific.

Another interesting thing about chan is that it is paired up with ojii and obaa (oji-chan / oba-chan), roughly meaning grandma and grandpa. Once Gma and Gpa get old, they come full circle, and you get to use the honorific reserved for children on them. Poor guys.

Excerpt from: tofugu.com

Now if you are going to Japan, I suggest you stay at a “Gaijin House”. A “Gaijin House” is pretty much a Japanese apartment targeted towards foreigners. Japanese real estate can be somewhat confusing and uncooperative when it comes to a foreigner, but a gaijin house is one that is specifically made to accommodate foreigners who plan to stay in Japan.

Now one may be thinking “Why not stay at a hotel?,” a hotel is fine and all but not for a prolonged stay. Now my knowledge of Japanese Hotel rates is not exactly up to date (last time I went to Japan was 4 years ago) but I would say it is roughly 70 USD a night (More or Less depending on Hotel). Now if you plan to stay for 10 days that equates to approximately 700 USD. A “Gaijin House” apartment can range from as little as 450 USD to over 1000 USD a month, depending on the size and area. They also offer weekly and daily prices, so anyone with common sense will realize that this will ultimately be cheaper than a standard hotel.

A rented Japanese apartment could be a regular apartment or a shared living complex (Both of which I have tried, and they are both quite fun actually). It is nothing like a hostel for those European travelers, it is a lot more cozy and home-like. Lets start off with the shared living complex, they tend to give you a room (could be single or shared), and shared quarters such as kitchen, common room (think TV room), bathroom (it could be single or shared depending on the place).

Now there are also regular apartments for rent at a Gaijin House. These can range from studios to 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, etc. These tend to be slightly more expensive but also depends on the location and size of the apartment being rented. Its best to familiarize ourselves with Japanese real estate terms. LDK is an abbreviation frequently used in the world of Japanese real estate to describe apartments. It stands for Living, Dining and Kitchen area, and is preceded by the number of rooms. Example:

1K       = one room apartment with kitchen
1DK       = one room apartment with dining and kitchen area
1LDK       = one room apartment with a living, dining and kitchen area

With this you can start searching for the type of apartment you want in Japan. Normal Japanese apartments don’t usually cover any utilities but luckily the “Gaijin Houses” rent generally covers all utilities and also provides internet access for those who are staying. Most if not all Gaijin Houses are also near train stations, so you are never too far from a ride to the local hangout spot.

So next time you guys are visiting Japan, don’t forget to plan ahead and search for a Gaijin House in the Japanese real estate so you can have a cool place to stay at. I always loved the Gaijin House because it gives you the feel of how a Japanese resident would feel staying in an authentic Japanese apartment. Some well known “Gaijin Houses” can be found online such as the “Sakura House” or “Tohto Guest House” and many others. I hope for all of those who are heading to Japan to have fun and enjoy that amazing country as much as they could. Good Luck and Have Fun! Visit Akihabara for me if you are heading to Tokyo!!!