Got a chance to go back to Japan for a few weeks recently. Being in Japan's like going to your five favorite places in the world all at the same time. Here's a few random pics from the trip.

Latest inexplicable ad campaign by Tommy Lee Jones for Suntory's 'Boss' canned coffee. Think of that scene in 'Lost in Translation': "Needs..... more... intensity!!!". From what I can tell the campaign revolves around Tommy Lee Jones being told he has untreatable colon cancer (a possible side effect from too much chemically-heated-in-the-can Japanese coffee). The first pic above shows Jones going through the 'denial' phase...

Later pics show his bleak resignation and gradual physical disintegration (left my camera at home so thanks to Halcyon Realms.com for this one). I wish I was a Hollywood movie star so I could be paid millions to look like shit.

Blogging is a great way that people from all over the world can share photos of the ramen soup they had for lunch, or anything else they've chosen to break down into human waste. Don't have any photos of me eating ramen, but I did want to show you what's possibly the filthiest burger ever made. This is the limited edition 'Zeppin' Ultimate Cheeseburger, the pride of Japanese burger chain Lotteria. It's the only burger that's got more cholesterol than the person eating it. The thing had sweat patches. (Actually, it was surprisingly good, despite probably having shaved six years off my life expectancy). 

Japanese men still get off on their urban people movers and small to medium sized utility vehicles. Kind of like Mad Max in an ice-cream truck.

Stayed an extra night in Tokyo and bunked in at a capsule hotel. Here's what they look like from the inside. Kind of like human tupperware. You leave with a strange empathy for day old meatloaf.

Decided to hang around Tokyo the extra day for New Japan Pro Wrestling's 'Wrestle Kingdom II' main event at the Tokyo Dome. What follows is the first and last of Slam's new semi-regular columns dedicated to Japanese pro wrestling. Anyone who doesn't appreciate the finer points of this, the 'Shakespeare of sports' should skip immediately to the next paragraph. OK, here's the run down. It was a cross-promotion card with America's TNA. 27,000 in attendance, slightly disappointing historically but understandable in the present marketplace and expected given that the top tiers to the dome were no opened. Surprisingly entertaining night, despite TNA bringing over their deadwood, with the standout being the Kurt Angle vs Yuji Nagata unofficial IWGP title bout. Probably the best Angle match I've seen in five years. Scored a 9 from Japan's 'Weekly Pro Wrestling' magazine. Check it out if you can find it. New Japan Pro Wrestling sells itself as 'King of Sports', and it's refreshing to see a promotion that takes itself seriously as a sport rather than lazily resorting to the same cheesy, exploitative, b-grade soapdish 'Entertainment'. 

Speaking of New Japan Pro Wrestling, I found this bottle of what appears to be a urine sample by the company's founder, the great Antonio Inoki, on sale at a New Years gift counter at Tokyu Hands. Inoki also popped up on public broadcaster NHK, which aired a special on New Years Day where a camera crew accompanied him to a sleepy Japanese seaside village where he invited townsfolk to be slapped in the mouth. Most seemed grateful for the honor.

Good catching up Ume! Thanks for the Crash Bearbrick.

A  trip to Kyoto. "How's the Serenity!"

Japan's full of warning signs pointing to the impending danger in doing everything. This one warns you not to bump your head on the dangling perspex sign that carries this sticker warning you not to bump your head on dangling perspex signs.

As always, the strangled, random English on stationary items at cheap hundred yen stores seldom disappoints. Take this photo album. I can't tell you much about Morlin and Satoshi, but it's increasingly clear that they love pussy.

Sayonara!

-K Moto