5 Outlandish Tech Myths About Japan

Over at Dvice they have an interesting article about how outrageous claims are about robots, vending machines, etc. are in Japan.

Here's a snippet from 5 Outlandish Tech Myths About Japan:

Of the roughly 5.5 million vending machines in Japan (the highest density of such machines on the planet), the beverage component (including beer) generated a staggering $27 billion last year. The remaining machines dole out things like candy, food, cigarettes, tickets, and toys. But if you follow the sensational random reports from various blogs, you'd think the streets were lined with machines spitting out lady's undergarments, and various other perverse curios of Japanese arcana.


The truth is that although there are indeed vending machines that dispense such underground items, these machines are almost exclusively limited to specialized establishments that cater to, well, unique customers. You could spend a year traveling throughout Japan and never see anything more threatening in the public machines than a fattening chocolate snack.

Read more about Japan's robots, Internet Cafes, school girls (yes, it's an article about Japan so school girls are required), and Electric City at Dvice.

 

Japanese Girls in Maid Costumes in Akihabara

You just can't make this stuff up...

With the Japanese male obsession, especially amongst "Otaku" (geeks), with young girls in uniform, you'd think that this sort of thing would be relegated to the pages of dorky comic books and hostess bars. You'd never expect to see this fetishism bandied about in public, would you?

Oh, yeah. Excuse me. You would. Especially since this is Japan were talking about.

Now, in Akihabara, they are celebrating their fetishism publicly by having "information girls" in maid costumes giving out travel tips and information to tourists.

Breitbart reports:

A short but in-depth tour led by guides dressed as maids has been helping newcomers in Tokyo's Akihabara district, a home of Japanese subculture dotted with shops including some that are difficult to figure out at a glance.

The tour begins at the tourist center right next to JR Akihabara Station and first heads to a rental showcase shop called Astop. People can use a transparent box as their own ministore to display figure models, stuffed animals or whatever else they want to sell.

At the Bukiya imitation weapons store, the visitors can take a look at Japanese and western swords, military gear and samurai armor. Akiba Garage, which sells micromini hidden cameras and stun guns, is another popular destination.

The highlight of the tour is the maid cafe Usagi no mori L-R (Forest of Bunnies). The tourists can ask waitresses clad in frilly tops and miniskirts to draw figures such as that of a rabbit with ketchup on their omelet.

The two-hour tour for 2,980 yen starts twice a day from 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Courses can be arranged.

Reread that second to last paragraph: "The highlight of the tour is a maid cafe Usagi no mori L-R (Forest of Bunnies). The tourists can ask waitresses clad in frilly tops and miniskirts to draw figures such as that of a rabbit with ketchup on their omelet"!!!??? My god! What a thrill of a lifetime! Jeez! What kind of moronic pervert gets turned on by that enough to pay for it?