Takamatsu/Tokyo trip phone pics. Trains and Toy Story!

OK, Ayumi fans will have to wait another day for my blurry bootlegs from her show. In the meanwhile, here are the (tons) of pictures from my cell phone cam during my trip last week. (sequel to the award winning blog entries - Takamatsu and Tokyo pictures...)

From the Bullet Train:

Hikari Railstar bullet train i took to Okayama, pretty badass! :-)

Doh, not nearly as badass... the Marine Liner I took to Takamatsu

I already shared this one, but just in case any Udon nuts missed it...

As I mentioned, the 'QB Just Cut House' (1000 yen hair cut special shop), just 10 minutes! :-P

So this place is super efficient, prepaid ticket system like the ramen shops, and the platform the chair is on has a flip-up door in the back and the guy just sweeps all the hair into there and goes straight to the next customer.

Another cool thing is they have a traffic light thing outside the door that tells you how long the wait is (you can see the key in the picture there, red=15 minutes or more wait, yellow = 5 minutes, green = no wait).

That said... i wasn't incredibly thrilled by the actual hair cut itself. ;-)

Another random train shot, on my way to Kyoto, that's the woman who pushes the snack cart up and down the train all day long.

While I was waiting at the Sharp lobby, I took a picture of these T-mobile USA GSM models they had on display (which of course don't work here in Japan).

The Keikyu train back to Kyoto. (can you see a pattern forming here? I took a LOT of trains... and I like to take pictures of them).

Speaking of which.... once I got to Tokyo, took the Yamanote line A LOT... right now they have these 'Brand Fair' ads all over the cars....

Near my hotel in Ueno was a cool japanese toy store... all kinds of figures, models, toys of all types (Anime, US, etc).

They had a section for 'classic Nintendo' toys, etc. Those are cell phone straps from old school NES games like Excitebike and SMB.... and they had magnetic figures of pixelated Super Mario characters that you could stick to any of several backgrounds (shown = squating mario in front of 'big pipes' backdrop?)

Godzilla destroying the Fukuoka Tower? I thought he only attacked Tokyo? Actually it was funny I looked at this toy and I'm like 'where the hell do I know that building from?!?' after about a minute i realized its the fricking Fukuoka tower that I can see from my front door everytime I enter or leave my house.

Why limit yourself to the perverted toys commercially produced, when you can make your own perverted toys using these generic figurines, complete with anatomically impossible breasts.

Everyone's favorite Pride Shootfighter! I'd almost buy this... if it didn't cost $37...

What the hell is that? Its a random guy trying to break dance in a subway tunnel... by himself.

Another humourous train station poster admonishing people for violating all kinds of rules (including listening to loud headphones, sitting on the floor (hippy bum!), stuffing dogs into your purse(?) and snoozing inthe priority seating while Grandma has to stand up and break her hip at the next bump... I can't figure out what that other guy is doing there on the top left, but its probably something perverted)

blurry pic of the Eye Toy kiosk in the PlayStation floor of the Sony Building.

When I went to Chiba for a meeting, I passed by the Japan HQ for BMW and Mini... no time to visit...

Last but not least... I wanted to share a picture of this guy in the vest with everyone... his job is to stand in the airport next to a shop and sing the praises of Tokyo Banana

(a local specialty that they sell all over the place at the airport and train stations). I waited at this spot for about 15 minutes for my boss to show up and I got a nonstop barrage of " Tokyo Banana... blah blah blah... Tokyo Banana... blah blah blah... Tokyo Banana... blah blah blah..." he must run out of things to say towards the 8th hour.