Even though this cat and dog washing machine report is months/years old, but for past 48 hours I have seen a flurry of “news” including BBC International, none of which is original or accurate.
Let’s go to the real fun!

It turns out the Hello Kitty Washing Machine shown in the above video is NOT an idea from “gadget-mad Japan” as claimed by many major news outlets. The washer is a product from the USA (petspausa.com) where it has been in use for over 15 years. Not exactly “news,” is it?

The Joyful Honda pet superstore in Tokyo only has installed a localized Japanese version of the PetSpa Cabin. With the “recent” interest of the video, one of the major Pet Spa Cabin operators in the US felt compelled to make a formal statement regarding this video back in February of 2007.

9news — Pet Washing Machine slideshow

petspausa.com : “If it is safe for people, it is safe for pets. Customers have gone in the Cabin.”

Sounds like South Park’s “Cheesing” to me.

This is not a Japanese “race queen” but Japan’s car queen of Lilliput poses with a platinum Tomica “Nissan Fairlady Z432″ (Z432 was a Japan-only model sharing the same drivetrain of the C10 Skyline GT-R). This is a replica of the first edition die-cast created by Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry for the Takara Tomy Company of Japan to celebrate their 40th anniversary of Tomica toys.

At an estimated price of $80,000 USD, the toy Z432 car is a bargain since it is, “Still Cheaper Than The Real Thing” ; that is, the Nissan Fairlady Z432 is extremely rare would cost more than the toy according to the japanesenostalgiccar.com blog.

Gee, what can I say but that it is time for the preliminaries of the 10th Japan Fashion Week here in Tokyo.

Via

The pisser here is that these poor filipinas are being arrested as “men” after they took the hormones, “had the chop,” got married, and obtained residential status as spouses of Japanese nationals.

3 Filipinos arrested for illegal entry
AP – March 16, 2010
Three Filipino men have been arrested in the city of Fukuoka for entering Japan on passports with women’s names after undergoing sex change operations, police said. Although it is not legally possible in the Philippines to change one’s registered gender, the three, aged 30, 43 and 44, have formally married Japanese men…more…

Fair use – Parody: The above picture shameless adapted from japanprobe.com.

Listen to the ‘radiko‘ Japan–web simulcast of Tokyo’s radio stations.
http://radiko.jp/
(Yes, yes, I know that Japan radio has waaay too many commercials with 90% Japanese gibbering and only 10% music. However, it is good Japanese practice for those of you learning the “Devil’s language.”)
…
Thanks to the charming Mari Blog for this ‘radiko‘ link.

I was shopping yesterday I noticed that the store had “Mini-Giant” icecream cones on sale for 60 yen (about 66 cents US), which is quite a bit cheaper than the Giant Cone™ selling for 100 yen.

Then looking at the label, I chuckled to myself wondering out loud:
“If a Giant Cone™ is giant, then a Mini Giant Cone™ ought to be regular size…”

…NOT.

Here’s a “mini giant close-up” of the kind of the kimoi/creepy Mini Giant character made of text who is not as entertaining as ….

….the past spokesman for Giant Cone, the late great GIANT BABA, a 3-time NWA Champion and co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Giant Baba Cone

Learn more at the official website: www.Glico.co.jp/ice/giant (crazy machine translation).

As shown above, the “new” Miss Japan 2010, Maiko Itai, who appears to be yet another Riyo Mori (Miss Japan / Miss Universe 2007) lookalike, only skinnier.

This year there has been more grumbling among Japanese folks about same/alien look of all the Miss Japan candidates. Their French trainer, Ine Ligron, prefers a very unJapanese look: Japanese prefer a hyper-cute look over the typical Miss Universe fashion model look. However, no one can argue that Ms. Ligron was the main reason that Japan reached three top five finishes and one Miss Universe title since 1998.

Check out the videos below showing the “making” Miss Japans as well as the previous 3Yen report about Miss Japan 2010.

Here are the final three contestants for Miss Japan 2010.

The 2010 Miss Japan finalists with their French coach, Ms. Ligron, in the middle.

Enlarge to 600×403 px.

According to Google Image Search, I am the world expert on “Japanese nose-picking.”

As I have said before on the 3Yen back in 2006, Even the Buddha has to pick his nose.

GETTohTY IMAGES March 13, 2010—

Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito visits the Kenyan National Museum in Nairobi…arrived in Kenya late Wednesday for a three-day visit to the East African nation…more...

Sometimes you just gotta feel sorry about the Japanese royal family and the bizzare crap they have to deal with….especially this Alien Blob!

On Sunday afternoon photo shoots at Harajuku’s cosplay Bridge, I often meet my crazy photographer buddy, Masa-sensei “ninja shooting” the freakaziods (as shown below).

Another Japanese subculture that Masa-sensei likes to shoot are the bosozoku, the “violent running tribes,” who he captured last weekend. I first I thought this photo was a weaponized bosozoku sling shot car.

However, the yellow slingshot turns out to be two huge collapsable flag poles that the bosozoku use to fly their gang flags and banners during their terror runs through the neighborhoods.

The Violent Running Tribe’s main entertainment is to modify their exhaust systems to be extra loud and drive through town late at night, waving imperial Japanese flags and shouting obscenities, occasionally throwing Molotov cocktails and carrying swords spears, and generally having noisy fun.

Refer to my previous 3Yen report: Japan’s noise tribe — the Bbosozoku