Japan to introduce Soviet-style minders for international tourists

These tourists have no idea how disrespectful it is to walk around sacred grounds with your hands in your pockets.

In response to poor behaviour by visitors from overseas, the Japanese government announced that tourists would soon be assigned minders upon arrival in the country. “The current situation has forced this upon us, to be honest,” explained spokesman Jun Tawagoto at Friday’s press conference in Kasumigaseki. “I’d like to call it a government initiative, but that’s not the case. We are simply reacting to an issue that regularly features on daytime television. I’d be lying if I said that we had a clear goal.”

Under the new policy, each tourist will be assigned a “Cultural Compliance Officer,” or as locals have already dubbed them, “The Politeness Police.” These minders will shadow visitors 24/7, ensuring they don’t litter, overcrowd public transport, or attempt to force geishas into selfies. “Think of it as a personal guide to omotenashi, except instead of anticipating your needs, they’ll anticipate your missteps,” Tawagoto quipped.

The cringe factor is hitting extreme, but these tourists should be applauded for trying to get on board with Japanese culture.

The announcement, which has sparked memories of how Russia handled curious useful idiots in the past, has been met with mixed reaction. Some locals in Kyoto, where overtourism has turned tranquil gardens into mosh pits, are cautiously optimistic. “Maybe now I can ride the bus without hearing someone yell ‘Golly gee!  Check that out!’ upon seeing a funky-looking vending machine,” said a Kyoto resident who wished to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a 7-Eleven manager shrugged, noting that his store had already adapted by labelling rice balls in English for confused foreigners. “If the minders can stop tourists from asking if our onigiri is sushi, and also step in when one of those complete morons tries to arrange a date with one of our staff members, I’m all for it,” he said.

The blonde tourist should be applauded for not sticking tattoos all over herself, and maintaining her dignity unlike so many other westerners eager to look like common tramps.

However, not everyone is on board. Jason Gibson, a 29-year-old New Yorker who recently enjoyed a mock Japanese high school experience in Kimitsu City, said the policy was a bit over the top. “I came here to live my anime dreams, not to be babysat,” he protested, still wearing his borrowed school uniform. “What’s next, a minder to stop me from striking up a conversation about Tottoro with a hot 18 year old who’s simply trying to get through her commute in peace?”

The government has yet to clarify how the minders will be selected or trained, but Tawagoto hinted at a rigorous vetting process. “We’re looking for individuals with the patience of a saint, the sternness of a schoolteacher, and the ability to smile through gritted teeth,” he said. Some speculate that the program might be a covert way to get hikikomori out and about, with thousands of new jobs opening up for “tourist wranglers.”  Others have suggested that the government will recruit by simply acquiring a list of those who didn’t make the cut at Tokyo Disney.

Don’t let the smile fool you, this dancer and her comrades are just going through the motions.

Adding to the chaos, the timing couldn’t be worse. A notorious union has infiltrated the Nippon Ham Fighters cheer girls, and they’re threatening strike action over the right to introduce a new dance as they’re all bored out of their minds doing the fox dance between innings.  Union activity is something that the tourism industry has always feared, however nobody expected cheer girls to be on the front line.

“There always has to be commies getting in the way at all levels,” groaned a travel agent in Paris. “French people visit Japan to escape workers burning tires and welding trains to tracks. My clients just want to see cute girls dancing, cute girls playing guitar, and cute girls selling themselves in Kabukicho.  They definitely do not want to be trailed by a government babysitter tut-tutting them.”

A bunch of enthusiastic sightseers enjoy green tea.

Rumors of an international movement to encourage a pull-back on the new measures are swirling.  Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are said to be forming an alliance.  “Men… err… people… deserve the right to enjoy their time in Japan,” asserted Kasai resident Duleep Sharma.  “They don’t want to be constantly told to pay the full train fare, refrain from taking photos of schoolgirls, and keep their hands to themselves.  I assume that’s what these minders will be saying to everyone who comes here.  That is why this group of countries from all parts of the world are concerned about this.”

As Japan gears up for its ambitious goal of 60 million annual visitors by the end of the decade, the minder program may be just the beginning. Whispers of additional measures, like a “no selfie” zone in Shibuya and a ban on pasty-white westerners wearing kimonos, are already circulating.  For now, tourists planning a trip to Japan might want to develop sophisticated drinking skills, learn to dress a little more sophisticated, and – in the case of Australians – learn to speak with a more sophisticated accent.

A polished performance – fake priest caught beating the bishop at the opera

Rinaldi managed to pop into a sound check prior to the performance.

“I didn’t deserve that.  I mean, sure, I wanted someone non-Japanese at my concert to make it look like an international event.  But, I could never have known that he was going to… y’know… do that. When we do weddings together he’s always straight down the line. I’ve never heard him comment on the sexiness of a bride, nor seen his gaze linger on a cleavage.”

Mizore Komorebi is referring to her colleague Tony Rinaldi brazenly bopping his baloney during her opera performance in Tokyo earlier this year.  The pair work together as priest (although he’s as much a man of the cloth as Vanilla Ice is a creator of great bass lines) and choir girl at a reception centre in Omiya, and had developed a fine professional relationship built on trust, respect, and a strong sense of teamwork.  It had been only natural for Komorebi to invite Rinaldi to her recital in front of 70 or so people.

Rinaldi, for his part, was delighted to get the invite.  “It showed that she respects me. I’m a perfectionist.  I work hard to give value for money, unlike some of those other schmucks who do weddings here.  They either read everything from the page, or make basic Japanese errors frequently.  I deliver though.  I give people the best wedding experience through the role that I perform.”

Part of the appreciative crowd at the intimate event.

A perfectionist with a professional attitude he may be, but that still didn’t stop him from behaving in a deplorable manner at his colleague’s big event.  “I’ve always thought Mizore was attractive in her choir girl gown, but she was looking smoking hot on stage in her stylish dress.  I was imagining the two of us hooking up backstage and going at it with our clothes on; she giving herself to me as I plunged into her warm, moistened, quivering figa.  It was winter.  I was in the back row.  My coat was over my lap.  I decided to up the entertainment factor for myself.”

The 46 year old Rinaldi wasn’t counting on a senior opera lover to search for a rear seat as she encountered a bout of flatulence that was brought on by the cabbage soup served as part of the venue’s Austrian Culture Month. “She caught me just as a song was finishing, so the whole hall heard her involuntary shrieks.  It was a bit embarrassing when everyone started repeating what she was saying.  Japanese people often do that.  So, suddenly you could hear dozens of people saying the word “masturbation” and looking at me at the same time.  Funnily enough, the word is basically the same in Japanese and German, so it was kind of keeping with the vibe of Austrian Culture Month.  I guess I should have left at that point, but I still had a raging boner.”

The moment.

Owing to monthly financial obligations, Komorebi and Rinaldi have been continuing to work together, although the healthy conversation during quiet moments has, perhaps understandably, turned into awkward silence.  For while Rinaldi had to deal with the embarrassment of being caught beating off in public, Komorebi has had to deal with not only bringing a depraved foreigner into her field of art, but also discovering that she’s been the subject of at least one of her colleague’s reality wanks. 

Says the alluring Komorebi, “I’m touched in the knowledge that he feels that I’m hot enough to jerk off over.  I’m not going to lie.  As a woman it’s one of the things that you can give you confidence and reassurance.  It definitely is creepy though.  We’ve been working together for a while.  Just how much mentally undressing and perverse fantasizing is going on in that head of his!?” 

Patrons were shocked, yet couldn’t resist staring.

This talk of concern over her colleague jacking it to her shouldn’t overshadow the upheaval in Komorebi’s musical pursuits, however.  The outcry has hit the smooth olive-skinned Komorebi hard.  Despite assurances that the incident would be quickly forgotten, she has found herself unable to face anyone in the opera fraternity.  Not one to cry into a pillow at home, she’s already branched out into jazz, forming her own group and performing in cool Koenji bars and live houses. 

“The jazz audience reaction is much better than with opera, as it’s spontaneous,” explains the seductively-voiced 32 year old.  “The bond with the audience can be formed quickly and the clubs have a much more intimate atmosphere.  There’s also more action in the audience, so even if someone’s masturbating, it’s a lot harder to notice.” 

Newcomer rips Japan a new one – “This is nothing short of an ergonomic nightmare!”

These posh London parties are a thing of the past for Pankhurst, the far-east venturer.

“I kneecap myself on a daily basis on the desks,” moans Darrell Pankhurst.  “Both the desks and the chairs are too low for the bodies of modern people.  The state of all the office furniture is awful, and the working conditions in general are absolutely appalling.  Management doesn’t know what OH&S means.  I find it abhorrent that we leave our homes and make our way to the this distant Oriental land, only to be treated like low ranking sailors on a Victorian era naval vessel.  Our treatment is probably worse, to be honest, because we don’t receive a daily ration of fresh fruit and rum, and we don’t have an exercise regime featuring sea shanties.

A frown to go with the dissatisfaction of living in Japan.

Pankhurst has been in Japan for only three weeks, but that hasn’t stopped him from quickly summing up the situation with the brash assertiveness that he acquired through his public school education.“My colleagues aren’t of the right stock either.  Some of them end sentences with prepositions, which I find absolutely ghastly.  It doesn’t matter if they’re from Canada, America, or the Antipodes.  These people butcher the language the same way a bunch of unruly Vietnamese peasants will butcher a buffalo.  

Tables… The lower the better as far as Japan is concerned.

“Most of all, however, I’m dismayed at the horrid selection of biscuits in the teachers room.  I mean, they look like nice, round, yummy biscuits, but it’s a case of style over content.  When you try to dunk these in tea, the biscuit falls apart in record time.  That’s because there’s no substance to them here.  The bread’s largely the same way, too.  It’s a funny old world, isn’t it?  I find that I can easily manage without my weekly walk through Hampstead Heath or my monthly dose of discipline from a stern-faced woman of Jamaican heritage.  Yes, indeed. What I’ve found is that it’s the little things that really matter.

Sitting’ pretty. The boss gets a big desk with a nice view.

“Oh, what I’d do for a good pint of beer, a decent biscuit with tea, and a buxom woman with love handles just beginning to make the presence known, who you can roger from behind without getting her to position herself on a phonebook first. That brings me to the width of sandwiches.  A BLT here does have bacon, lettuce, and tomato, but it’s a minimum of serving for each.  Your typical Japanese sandwich could easily fit through a letter box opening.  Package sizes reflect the breast sizes here.  You’re just not getting enough.  Ten tea bags in a pack!?  Don’t make me laugh.”

Even a beloved cup of tea can’t fully soothe the perennial whinger.

Despite all the complaints, Pankhurst shakes his head when the suggestion of returning home is brought up.  “That would be fine, except the people at my company here need me.  If I’m not here, then the critical things won’t be done, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself heading home under those circumstances.  Now… where was I… ?  Oh, yes – restaurants; serving sizes in restaurants are a joke too.  Who’s satisfied with 150 grams of mince in a hamburg steak with a minute portion of potato wedges?  My goodness!  They could measure everything with a teaspoon in this country.  What on earth is going on in this bloody country?  Are we experiencing a second Siege of Khartoum or something here!?”

Slightly Creepy ALT relieved to have made the cut

Their happy because their favourite teacher is returning.

Paul Foschini is back.  He’s back at high school in Kanagawa and enjoying his teaching once again after an anxious spring break.  At the end of the 2024/25 school year, there had been concerns that Paul’s creepy record was finally hitting tipping point.  But, in a land where teachers can avoid prison time altogether and get quietly moved on after banging a student, Paul has his twelve month contract safely in his breast pocket.

Fearing that his behaviour, his statements (“Some of these girls really know to rock a uniform,” and, “If I were ten years younger, I’d be deeper than Jacques Cousteau in that class”), and his general gazing habits had caught up with him, Foschini had been checking airfares for a one-way ticket to Brisbane via Thailand.  A buttock fondling incident, where he was found to have caressed a 16 year old girl’s backside, is all in the past after the hierarchy accepted his excuse that he had mistaken a short pleated skirt for his poorly placed tartan-patterned concertina file.

A classic tartan-patterned concertina file; an accident waiting to happen.

Foschini’s plans aren’t all geared towards keeping his innermost desires in check, however.  An avid guitarist and singer/songwriter, Foschini still has plans to come up with more songs.  “I’ll make an effort to continue to play my acoustic guitar in a park after school while chugging beers, but I won’t be choosing to do that in the park located between the school and the train station.  I’ll also be clearing out my hard-drive, but I have to make sure that I don’t recklessly delete pics of my wife and daughter at the same time.  

“Yes – things weren’t looking rosy after the buttock fondling scandal, but now I’m looking forward to the 2025/26 school year, and my goals are not to ride in the school elevator with a student, not to have unnecessary conversations with students in hallways during the ten minute breaks, not to take loads of photographs of students during sports day, and not to make moves on any teachers, especially if they’re married,” beamed the 38 year old Queenslander.

Foschini often likes to spend time at the bottom of stairs in order to promote safety at the school.

A man known to be discerning in his choice of sacrifices, Foschini outlined his intentions to hang on to at least one other habit.  “My all-nighters in Roppongi before a morning schedule will probably remain in my regime.  Sure, I may stink like a Nui Dat brothel when I stagger into school, but it gives a certain edge to the class, which students wouldn’t get with a responsible, professionally-minded teacher.”

Not content to simply renew the controversial teacher’s contract, the school has decided to assign him more lessons this year.  Faculty head Hizamazuku Kareshimae explained that the injection of color and dynamism was behind the decision.  “He brings that je ne sais quoi to the lessons As you know, most foreign teachers here often have all the personality of a worm’s desiccated semen.  We know he’s a Section 8, a FUBAR, but if we wanted quality we wouldn’t be recruiting from within Japan where you can almost certainly only find deadbeat beta losers.  As long as he doesn’t hover too long at the base of the staircase to get a glimpse of panties we believe we can handle him.”

The celebrities’ favourite tour guide sits down to answer your questions

A fun-loving group of westerners enjoying a stroll through Ginza.

Last month’s in-depth article about tour guide Todd Featherby’s fall from grace has resulted in a huge response from readers from around the world, most who just wanted juicier stories about famous people. Pathetic, really.  Anyway, although showing regret over his decision to spill his guts to us last month, Featherby apparently had nothing better to do than to address your enquiries.  So, it’s over to you, dear readers…

The Clooneys went casual for their big day out in Tokyo.

Dezső Kárpáti, Hungary:  Did you end up getting a tip out of George Clooney?

TF:  Let me tell you – yes!  He gave me a couple of crisp notes and then Amal suggested a beer in the park.  The Clooneys both had a can of Ebisu, while I had a Green label Kirin!  Now, this drink is really disgusting.  It’s the preferred beverage of the Ibaragi warehouse worker.  I can’t stand the stuff, so I just took tiny sips while chatting away with them.  I thought George would be a good sport about it, but he refused to make eye contact with me throughout the 20 minutes that we spent chilling in the park.

Shibuya gets to witness the last days of the quiff.

Pedro Anselmo, Uruguay:  What was the frostiest exchange between Morrissey and Johnny Marr?

TF:  Oh wow!  Where do I start?  Morrissey would just relate everything back to when he was a big star in America in the 90’s.  He’d say stuff like, “I was told about this shrine when I was in Chicago in 1993, just after I’d played my second sold out show there.  The crowd loved those shows more for the great guitar riffs than my singing, really.”  Marr, for his part, would go in deep by saying, “Shall I ring the bell at this place, or do you want to?  I’m asking because we don’t want you running back home to your mum like you did while recording our last album.”  They both traded barbs like, “This tori gate is enormous, almost as big as your ego, eh Moz.”  It was back and forth all day.

More wa than thou.

Juma Lumago, Uganda:  How annoying did Ed Norton get during the tour?

TF:  Ed’s one of those people who knows if it’s left over right or right over left when putting on a yukata.  He chooses to take a dump in a Japanese toilet.  He knows the type of flowers associated with mourning.  I lost patience when he talked about the Japanese words which hadn’t an English equivalent.  I managed to offer English words or phases each time which he did not like at all.  We’re talking about hatanai (fleeting), mizore (sleet), and komorebi (sunlight filtering through the trees).  Ed didn’t like that and then talked about how, as an actor, he had a special relationship with the essence of words and phrases on an existential level.  Make of that what you will.

The vast array of hosts can be overwhelming.

Elita Jurkjāne, Latvia:  Did you get intimate with any of the people on your tours?

TF:  I had the chance with a couple of fading stars.  I had a lovely day out with a woman who I got along really well with. We had been sharing jokes and stories, and then she said to me, “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”  So, I took her to one of those garish host clubs where those over-coiffed gigolos get women to order over-priced champagne.  With the glitter balls and the stench of hairspray and cologne, she got sensory overload as soon as she walked into to place, and she hated it.  She looked around for five minutes and then pouted at me, whining, “This isn’t what I meant.”  Then she stormed off in a huff.  I guess no one told her it was gonna be that way.

Hay fever prevention is taken seriously at the Neighborhood Harmony Preservation Society.

Shaina Faria Tisha, Bangladesh:  Can you tell us more about the Neighborhood Harmony Preservation Society?

TF:  Where shall I begin?  They basically just exist, without doing anything of note, like Canada at a G7 summit. They’re a little bit like Neighborhood Watch, a little bit lefty NGO, a little bit Secret Police, a little bit bored retirees looking for a reason to get out of bed, and a little bit progressive group sex ring.  You’ve really gotta be careful about approaching them.  If you don’t get your timing right, well…

Time to stay at least an arm’s length away from the man.

Moetai le Gayic, Tahiti:  I applaud you on the way you spoke so diplomatically with regard to your celebrity clients.  Having said that, however, I’d love to hear some dirt on Russell Crowe.

TF:  A lot of rich people have bodyguards to keep the public away from them, but in the case of Russell Crowe, his minder is there to keep Russell away from the general public.  Crowe liked the izakaya that I took him to.  He liked the karaage, the yakitori, and the squid.  He liked the sake too, both hot and cold.  I mean… Crowe was a nice guy until the 10th glass of sake.  He had lost count of how many red lanterns that he’d bought, and he accused me of stealing one while he was taking a pee.  He just wouldn’t believe me no matter how many times I denied it.  In the end he said, “I’d give you a tip, but it seems like you’ve already helped yourself to one.”  He called me two days later to apologise after he’d checked his receipt.  I accepted his apology, but you can’t forget something like that.

Just how many dead bodies might this disused shaft be hosting?

And that’s where we’ll leave Featherby, as he moves into the future, positioning himself to be fully prepared for when the beautiful people decide that the remote, kangaroo poo dotted Western Australian Goldfields is the place to visit.


Tour Guide to the stars run out of town by local grumps

“You know… my tours were fantastic,” says Todd Featherby over a quiet beer.  “So many people came on them, and they all learned a great deal and had a lot of fun.  I used to tell people stuff that wasn’t even related to the site that we were at.  It’s hard sitting here in Kalgoorlie, trying to start up a new tour business, knowing that someone else is there in Japan doing what I used to do, but not doing as good a job as I used to do.”

Serenity now? That all depends on local attitudes.

Featherby is sitting by a window in a pub in Western Australia’s gold mining heartland, a completely different world to the one he left behind.  It was a world of adventure, where famous people came to him with the expectation of being led around the historic wonders of Tokyo.  “Yeah…  I had some big names on my bespoke tours.  It didn’t start out that way.  I certainly didn’t set out to cater to celebrities, but I guess after taking care of a couple of big players, my name was shared around on their exclusive celebrity network that they have.”

Just dont make eye-contact with him when hes drinking.

Ordinary people also took Featherby’s tours, but nobody cares about them, so I just asked for some stories about world famous stars and if they did anything weird or obnoxious on the tours.  “One of my first clients was Russell Crowe,” embarks Featherby.  “He was alright, until he got a bit of sake into him.  Then you had to be a bit careful.  I took him to Kappabashi where he bought some red lanterns for his garden.  Apparently he used to hang out at a pub which had them, but then he was banned after some kind of incident which wasn’t even his fault.  So he wanted to replicate the aura of that pub’s beer garden by doing the same thing at home.  Clever guy!

More in tune with the wa than thou.

“Ed Norton came on one of my tours, too,” explains the sinewy 41 year old Australian.  “Nice guy, but really proud of the time that he spent in Japan a long time ago.  He kept telling me that it wasn’t the first time he’d been in Japan, and he wanted me to know that he was down with Japan more than me.  I don’t know why he just didn’t sightsee by himself, to be honest.”

Morrissey and Johnny Marr getting some peace, love, and harmony.

Once you get a name in the sightseeing industry, demand for your services can skyrocket.  A good tour guide will manage their schedule well, but even then hiccups can occur, as Featherby found out.  “Probably the most bizarre experience that I had was when Morrissey and Johnny Marr ended up on my tour on the same day.  I got my bookings wrong and I just about died when I went to the hotel to collect Morrissey, only to see Marr there too.

Sometimes people just enjoy themselves a little too much.

“I’m sure you can imagine how I felt!  Well, I tried my best to lighten the mood and get them to enjoy the day sightseeing.  I really did.  I even hoped that the serenity of a temple would be just what they needed to patch things up and start recording together again.  Instead, the three of us spent a tense day together.  It was super awkward, to be honest.  Still, they both paid me full price, and neither of them tried to screw me over like they had done to the other guys in The Smiths.”

It’s all smiles until someone mentions the Japanese tv commercials.

“George Clooney and his hot altruistic wife were another attractive couple that I took around for a few hours.  They’re a really charming pair, but George got a little abrasive with me when I brought up the subject of his Kirin Green Label happoshu commercials a few years back.  He quickly took me to one side and told me to shut up about those ads if I wanted a good tip.  I guess he’s never told Amal about his role in promoting such a bad product.”

Clooney and the low-brow beverage that he once put his name to.

It wasn’t just a bunch of people of European stock that Featherby showed around town.  His services were available to anyone who signed up, and that included Osaka Naomi.  “She was super proud of being able to write her name in hiragana, and she pointed out that as she was Japanese she didn’t write her name in katakana.  However, when I asked her if she watched Anpanman or Doraemon with her child, she told me that she didn’t know what the hell I was talking about.”

Osaka Naomi showing off her hiragana skills.

I even took care of one of the stars of Bad Boys, Martin Lawrence.  It was a bit daunting having to look after such a big name.  I suggested to him that being in Japan must be nice as he can go around being unrecognised for a change.  He just smiled wistfully and looked off into the distance silently, perhaps just realising for the first time how far he’d come in show business.” 

Lawrence sightseeing stealthily, and avoiding his legion of fans.

Being a tour guide to the stars, Featherby was clearly top dog in the sightseeing game.  He had people wanting to have coffee with him, actors wanting to kick on partying with him, and women wanting to sleep with him.  It seemed too good to go on forever, and it didn’t.

Just remember to keep it solemn and sincere at religious sites.

“It fell apart so quickly,” sighs Featherby.  “I was making bank every day, but then a local busybody started getting on my case.  First she snapped at my clients for blocking footpaths.  Then she accused me of being a modern crusader trying to bring Christianity to the temples and shrines. 

Beer-swilling westerners didn’t exactly endear locals to Featherby’s cause.

“Finally, she and her time-rich buddies claimed that we were clapping without due sincerity at the beginning of prayers made at the shrines.  It’s just a single clap that you do when you pray or make a wish.  They determined that my clients weren’t doing it with the appropriate level of spirituality.  That was the basis of their campaign.  It sank me.  They launched a hate campaign and rag-dolled me at every turn.

The Neighborhood Harmony Preservation Society were largely unsympathetic to Featherby’s situation.

“I tried to suck up to them to get them to end their campaign.  I asked them to teach me the spiritually correct way to clap when praying, but they just told me that as I was a foreigner there was no way I could acquire the right technique. I tried to appeal to the influential Neighborhood Harmony Preservation Society, but they just sipped their green tea and mumbled. Look, I can see incredulity written all over your face, but this actually happens in Japan.  If you think that this is unbelievable, just wait to hear my hook-up stories.”

Featherby with the 1000 yard stare as the memories come flooding back.

As I left the modestly furbished pub, I wished Featherby luck in getting his Goldfields tour up and running.  You just never know, maybe the Clooneys and their friends will be contacting him so that they can check out a deep fly-blown hole containing a dead body in Australia’s arid interior in the near future.  In the sightseeing world, you just never know.

Old man hospitalized with oral swelling after finding himself surrounded by western tourists – Clicks tongue non-stop for five minutes while trying to escape

78 year old Ibaraki local Shukketsu Komon was forced to spend three days in hospital due to the intense pain that came from an incident which led to a grossly swollen tongue.  It appears that Komon inadvertently became mixed up with a group of western sightseers at one of Ibaraki’s barely-worth-visiting old temples, which lead to a xenophobic passive-aggressive panic attack.

“I was so surprised, because they weren’t supposed to be where I saw them.”

According to bystanders, Komon appeared rattled, before collecting himself and recovering to a state of contempt for the people in his vicinity. However, as Komon tried to escape from the barbarians, one of them asked him in broken, but understandable, Japanese if he happened to know where the toilets were located.  It was at this point that Komon’s tongue went into full clicking overdrive.  Not knowing that he was showing his disgust for the white man, the considerate holidaymakers thought he was having a seizure, and gathered around him to help. 

A temple

Trying to awaken from his nightmare, Komon frantically continued looking for an escape route, but there was none to be found.  Said one witness, “He was like a fish on the docks, wriggling around and gasping for oxygen.”  The cultural-bridge building tourists eventually helped him to the police box to get assistance, only to be met with slow-witted cops whose first thought was to check the foreigners’ passports.  Onlookers stated that the tongue-clicking had been going on the entire time these actions were taking place.

“I’m still in so much shock that I’ve forgotten how to do my pants up.”

Now occupying a comfortable bed in the local old-folks home, Komon has shown signs of recovery, although with the in-house tv channel showing Bad News Bears Go To Japan, Mr Baseball, and You Only Live Twice on a loop, along with the special McDonald’s Monday lunch, Komon many have a long road ahead of him.

Kiwi go-getter shares his key tips for picking up Japanese girls

Hot babes like these are absolutely everywhere in Tokyo.

“In the northern hemisphere, the water swirls around the drain clockwise, whereas in the southern hemisphere it drains anti-clockwise.”  It was merely a well-know fact and it certainly shouldn’t have resulted in the young lady’s knickers moistening.  Yet moisten they did, and 23 year old Asami Makino made up her mind that she would get to know the fact bearer, Tyrone Mosely, more intimately that evening.  

Alcohol is still a vital element in the dating game.

It came as no surprise to Mosely, who carries the little fun fact with him to all the bars around Tokyo.  “It’s just a bit of trivia that barely any local chicks know about.  I’ve had success with it a few times,” explains the slightly annoying man from Dunedin as we enjoyed tea and scones at an establishment located just off Takeshita Street, Harajuku.  “I often like to follow that by explaining that New Zealand and Japan are basically in the same timezone.  I use that line to establish feelings of solidarity.”

Tokyo has the finest bar staff all ready to facilitate casual dating. Some may even slip you a mickey if you let your guard down.

Mosely, who has never been able to successfully pick up a girl in New Zealand,  reels off name after name of local ladies and the bars where he’s met them.  A meticulous Nampa-Meister, he even carefully records the lines he uses so that he can statistically improve his chances of getting laid at least twice a month.  “I have a fun-fact which I like to call my daisy-cutter, and it’s where I explain that Christmas is in summer in New Zealand, and that we spend all day outside by the pool.  I can usually start thinking about which love hotel to visit upon delivering that one.”

Stylish bars with highly qualified bar staff, and less riff-raff, are common throughout Tokyo.

Despite the apparent ease of getting girls into the sack, picking up isn’t  always a cakewalk for the 31 year old.  “Sometimes I feel that the chick needs a little more mental stimulation.  That’s when I’ll lead us into an argument over whether or not lamb is delicious.  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard that line about Japanese people not liking lamb.  So, I like to deliver my haymaker, which is asking, ‘So what about lamb barbecue in Hokkaido?  Are you saying that all those people aren’t Japanese!?’  Heads spin after that, and I’ll suggest a love hotel when she’s off balance.  After our urgent love making, I like to ask, “So… Are you still anti-lamb?’ That question always gets a vigorous shake of the head.”

Ordering sake by name can be one way to impress a local lass. Not all will be impressed though, so this may not necessarily boost your chances.

Reminding Mosely that I would be publishing our interview, I asked him if he was worried about other Antipodeans coming to Japan and cutting his grass.  “Not at all,” he laughed.  “In fact, if my tips lead to more sex for my Southern Cross brethren, I’ll be rejoicing.  Just as long as they all steer clear of the Ebisu/Gotanda area, mind you.  I’m seeing more and more familiar faces these days.  It’s like the western players are fighting it out over the same small pool of accessible babes.  The words “stirring” and “porridge” are kind of hard to avoid, to be honest.  While all this skirt chasing is fun,  if I were a man with any self-respect, I would have gotten out of this game a long time ago.”

Your reactions to our review of Tokyo Pedestrian 2

Last month’s review of the much-anticipated Tokyo Pedestrian 2 has prompted many of our loyal readers to contact us, keen to put their views forward.   So, we thought that it would only be fair to share as many perspectives on the game as possible with all our readers.  Here we go…

Glen Forrest: Tell me.  Do you have some kind of contract with Mari Cart?  They feature in the game, yet you chose to ignore them in your game review.  What’s the deal with that?  Are you on their books now, being paid not to present them in a negative light?

GJ: I have no relationship whatsoever with the organisation that you’ve mentioned.  Since you’ve brought the subject up, I’ll tell you about something that apparently happened last week. One Canadian tourist objected to wearing a costume, claiming that they were “silly”.  The tour guide wasn’t having any of that attitude though.  He got right in the tourist’s face and said, “You think the costumes are silly, do you!? Let me tell you about something else that is silly; grown adults paying to ride around these busy city streets in go-karts while 10 ton trucks driven by juiced up Ibaraki rednecks pass within touching distance.  Put your costume on before I shove that go-pro up your jacksie, film it, and put it on Tik Tok so that all your followers can see what a clown you are!” It seems that customers have to hand in their international driving licenses, their day-packs, and their self-respect before going on a tour.

Nurete Hibaritsuku: I played the game over the weekend, and I was disappointed to find that there were no Russian prostitutes at all on the streets.  I live in Roppongi and I when I leave my apartment in the morning I occasionally have to dodge the girls who are still searching for that last customer of the night.  They perform a vital role in removing the frustration from randy punters who have failed to get anywhere with a decent girl.  It’s criminal that these hard working girls have been overlooked.

GJ: The way some of the western tourists dress, it’s hard to distinguish who is who on the streets, to be honest.

Ryozen Ichimoku: Have the games creators gone woke?  There’s not one Nigerian tout on the streets in the night version of the game.  And you say that the creative team have their finger on the pulse of modern Tokyo!?  That’s absolute nonsense.  “Reality based” – my arse!

GJ: You obviously haven’t reached the higher stages of the night version yet.  Keep trying, and the Nigerians will appear.  Just don’t engage with them!

Bruce Jefferson: I’m concerned about the personal information that you included in your article about Professor Allen Tunks. Wouldn’t you call the details regarding his awkward and humiliating domestic situation an invasion of privacy?

GJ: I was hesitant to include those details. However, when I asked Professor Tunks if I could quote him on the relevant comments, he snapped and ranted about self-censoring journalists. His most pertinent words were, “If I don’t want to be quoted on something, then I damn well won’t say anything. I stand by any words that come out of my mouth. Just do your job and print them.”

Thatcher Menzies: I’ve got a beef with this Grant Swanbourne chap (the game’s chief developer).  He speaks disparagingly of the young women’s fashions in Tokyo.  He’s really shown that he has the blinkers on, I’m afraid.  Sure, the Victorian style long dresses can be seen and, yes, they are a rather big cock softener.  However, the classic Tokyo combo of the short skirt and CFM boots can still be seen every day in places like Ebisu, Daikanyama, and Naka Meguro.  He can DM me if he wants proof.  I have plenty of pictures and video.

GJ: Thanks for this information.  By complete coincidence, our plans for our end-of-year functions have been finalised, and they will be held in each of these places.

Hilary Whitford: You need to give credit where it’s due.  I can’t believe how many people there are who either walk or ride their bicycle diagonally across the zebra crossing.  They treat the road like a demolition derby.  They don’t care about anyone.  It’s like they’re shopping in the Costco meat section.  The game’s creators have cleverly included this aspect of Tokyo, and it’s just one of the things I love about it.

GJ: You are quite right.  It is a part of life in Tokyo.  The feeling of shoulder checking this kind of person is so satisfying.  It’s good to do it in the game too.

Tig Bergenson: Is it just me or are there barely any schoolgirls in the game?  I was kind of hoping that I’d be able to interact with a few of them as I walked around Tokyo.

GJ: You want to fraternize with Japanese high school girls, do you? What are you going to talk about; K-pop, strawberry desserts, or fashion accessories?

And… that’s where we’ll end this little bit of interaction.  Keep the feedback coming, and keep your support coming.  In this day and age of failing news sources, your feedback and support means so much to us.  Don’t forget; when you keep us informed, we can keep everyone informed.