Contrary to most of the fashion shows which only invite celebrity guests, TGC is opened to public with an affordable fee (¥3,000-10,000; ~USD30-100). [Hat tip to KN]

Make no mistake though, despite the cheap entrance fee, the show is still as glamourous as other top fashion shows, albeit more casual, with participation of top brands & models, and performances by popular artists (TVXQ, Leah Dizon, DJ Ozma etc).

The crowd and models at TGC 2008 Spring/Summer (Image via GW)

A Coming-of-Age ceremony (成人式; Seijin shiki) is normally held in the morning at local city offices where politicians and academicians will give speeches reminding the new adults of their social responsibilities.

The young adults would often visit a shrine after the ceremony to make their wishes before started partying (with plenty of drinks I guess).

Ladies coming-of-age are often seen wearing furisode (a style of kimono) on the day, which makes it a special day for otaku photographers as well…

Photographers’ paradise (Image courtesy of MyMapOfJapan)

(Image courtesy of Arditpg and Papageno2236)

Peace peace… (Image courtesy of Akumach)

Young adults in Kobe (Image courtesy of Japannavigator)

TSE female workers in kimono (Image courtesy of Xinhuanet)

The traditional Japanese costume didn’t bring much luck though, as the Nikkei 225 index was down 616.37 points on closing… their lowest in one and a half years.

Japanese model Yuko Ishisda
with My Chopstick Bra

The bra was introduced on November 7 in Tokyo to promote the use of reusable chopsticks instead of the the disposable wooden kind.

Japan is one of the largest users of disposable chopsticks (waribashi) in the world, probably the 2nd largest behind China.

China has recently announced their plan to stop the export of disposable chopsticks to reduce the deforestation. It is estimated that 25 millions trees are cut in China each year just to produce disposable chopsticks.

The good thing is that Japanese youngsters these days are having more awareness on environmental issues… carrying a pair of personal reusable chopsticks are seen as a trendy move.

The lingerie model Yuko Ishida is a chopstick carrier herself. I am not sure if she would want to wear that bra on daily basis though.

Below is a video that shows more details about the bra concept…

Btw, as Japundit pointed out… it is not something new, but merely a “repackaging of a story that made the rounds on the Internet back in 2005.”

Vending machine camouflage in the Tokyo streets (Image courtesy of Nytimes)

World Cosplay Summit 2007 (Image courtesy of Kuanhoong)

Don’t get over-excited, the person behind the mask could be a macho man…

2 videos during the parade…

Cosplay fans gathered at a news conference in Tokyo on August 1, ahead of the World Cosplay Summit 2007.

Cosplay fans posed at the news conference (Image courtesy of Mainichi)

The annual event is moving into its 5th anniversary; the summit will be held in the central Japanese city of Nagoya this weekend.

Cosplay, which originated in Japan, is a combination of the words “costume” and “play”. In cosplay, people dress mainly as characters from Japanese anime, as well as graphic manga novels and video games. [Reuters]

There is a new business in Tokyo, aiming at Otaku (anime and manga fan) who love 2D girls but can’t stand the face of real girls – satsueikai (photo session) of hybrid models called Anigao which means ‘anime face’.

Cute or freaky? (Image courtesy of Anigao)

From Danny Choo…

Anigao Girls offer you the exciting chance to pay a measly 10,000 yen to take photos of an Anigao Girl for one whole hour. The session is 1 on 1 and you get to choose what costume you want her to wear.

It costs 1,000 yen per extra costume and if you bring your own costume for her to wear then it’s going to cost you an extra 1,500 yen. If you want her to wear a bikini then it’s an extra 2,500 yen. (1,000 yen ~ USD8.30)

Below are some videos of the Anigao Girls in action…

This got to be one of the freakiest business idea I have ever seen, but I bet there are going to make some good money. One thing though, I wonder how the girls will look without the mask.

Hundreds of Otaku took part in the ‘Akihabara Liberation Demonstration’ last Saturday (June 30) to protest against otaku discrimination.

Akihabara Liberation Demo (Image courtesy of Danny Choo)

Otaku is a Japanese term commonly used to refer to people with obsessive hobbies, mostly with anime, manga and gaming. Akihabara neighbourhood of Tokyo is a popular gathering place for Otaku.

It looks kinda fun actually… (Image courtesy of Hector)

According to Hector who joined the demo…

They claimed respect from traditional media that sometimes treats otakus people in general as “criminals” and also the “liberation of Akihabara and otaku emancipation”. Lately many big department stores are conquering Akihabara, little shops are disappearing, and with them the “authentic Akihabara spirit” is also being destroyed.

The main message according to Danny Choo, translated from the official Japanese website…

* We make our own future!
* We wont let anybody stop what we like doing!
* In order to make enjoyment, lets stand together!