Taro's aunt Tatan got all hipster and bought a bubblecar. Cute. But Strange.

In Taro's genkan. I think this is the shipping box for a Meinl djembe or other African drum. Not really African since they're made in Thailand, but in this great age of ameliorization, why be picky?

Taken, of course, at Taro's house. I wouldn't keep this dreck in my collection. I mean, I bought the Bee Gees and Air Supply separately, thank you! Coincidence of coincedences, this movie was on the tube last night and I was determined to watch as much of is as possible... JT is soooo lucky he did Pulp Fiction because at least Gen Y kids won't associate him with the GAYEST MOVIE EVER MADE.

This is Taro's wife's cat. Miki is the meanest fucking cat in the world, besides the three-legged one with rotting skin that I saw pounce on a rat in Osaka a few years ago. It is so fucking mean, I saw it hiss at its own shadow once. One time it wouldn't get out of the bathroom when I slept over at their house, and I came this close to pissing on its head out of spite. This is seriously one of the most fun cats to kick because whether you like cats or not, it will hiss and claw and generally make you feel like kicking it more and more as time goes on. Every time I see it I want to buy a big Rottweiler. And I generally hate killkillkill dogs. I like the intellectual ones that will look around and make sure nobody is looking before licking balls.

The cheapest cure for hangovers in Spain. 500 yen bottle on sale at Yamada-ya in Nara.

This is one of the cheapest escort services I have ever seen in Japan. This poster was attached to an empty oil drum in the deserted parking lot of the semi-Autobacs "Hashiriya no Tengoku" on Hanna Doro in Nara (I was waiting for them to open to get a line on some used Orion amps - the aluminum cases had short marks so I passed). I wonder if some bored housewife, lacking any startup capital whatsoever, decided to launch a business from home and hand-wrote these posters... She needs to get real about the pricing, though. Nobody in their right minds would go for this. Especially since the phone number is toll-free... So, like, 1998, ya know? All serious escort services use prepaid cellphones, dear.

All bow to the king of drive-thru car wash "Ultra-sheen Rain Repellant" settings! 800 yen every time I go!

The masterminds at Mickey D's Japan bring you... Shrimp and Chicken Nuggets! Three deep-fried shrimp paste nuggets Three chicken McNuggets And all-new packaging! Only sold as a set with the "Chinese-styled braised pork in rice bun" burger! If only I were joking... Pardon my French, but Bon Fucking Appetit.

Reserved, fools! It's too late to come up with the brilliant copy "Gourmet Mush" on your mushroom packaging. Interestingly enough, "mush" is slang for "magic mushroom" in street Japanese (that's a bit o' underground wasei-eigo I doubt you will find on any other site). Whoever designed this package ate a few too many, I think.

Warnings printed on the protective bag of the printer we set up yesterday. Surreal.

I get the strangest notions in my head about what would make an interesting subject at those godforsken hours.

Crazy cool image, but I have no idea how this effect was created. Special things happen in the wee hours of the night.

The lamp next to my bed is powered with Chinese electronics and a Russian lightbulb that burns long into the night, a veritable beacon of perestroika.

Taro's judgement is getting a little questionable. This is strictly swap meet material IMHO, but he's displaying it at Bill's. Heh.

"Beware of Fuel-air Explosives", as seen on the high-output generators bought and shipped directly from the salvage company in Tora Bora, Afghanistan.