Kazoku sorrote no seppuku ga yokatta.

December 5, 2003 2:49 PM

To add to the recent JapanFilter phenom, here are two unrelated items: a brief tutorial on using Japanese commodes, and a list of Japanese car names. Interested in buying a Nissan Homy? A Mitsubishi Bravo Exceed, perhaps?
posted by antifreez_ (9 comments total)

Funny. On my screen, I swear I read `Nissan Horny.'
posted by NewBornHippy at 3:01 PM on December 5, 2003

Ditto, NewBorn. Which is much, much funnier.
posted by rhapsodie at 3:12 PM on December 5, 2003

I think the Japanese are mocking our environmental sensibilities
posted by stbalbach at 3:13 PM on December 5, 2003

"If you lost balance, you gonna fall down on shit."

btdt
posted by MrBaliHai at 3:25 PM on December 5, 2003

reminds me of the Tokyo Toilet map.

When I was in Tokyo I noticed a curious phenomenon. There are public toilets all over the place, and yet come nightfall, pissing in the streets is de rigour (I suppose rebellion in any form is amusing to some extent, but boy does it smell like Soho. Is it an island nation complex?).

Also, there aren't many free-standing public trashcans in the city and none in the subway tunnels (thanks om!) and the ones that are publicly available are typically located near vending machine facilities. Yet, there is far less litter in the streets than one might expect given the size of the city and the trashcan to human ratio. Amusingly, many folks will imbibe their vended snack within a few feet of the machine and then dispose of the wrapper properly. Very civilized. (of course, this isn't applicable to the porn vending machines, but that's another can of worms).

Oh, and while I'm talking trash, they have like 5 different garbage collection days a week. Recycleables, yard waste, burnables, non-combustibles and compostables, I think. They also have no way of disposing of large items like electronics without paying someone to come get it, which in turn results in a lot of illegal dumping.
posted by shoepal at 3:56 PM on December 5, 2003

So, wait, according to the instructions for the Japanese toilet, you stand over the "bowel" (physiologically impossible I'd have though, but if you're limber enough...) then yank your pants down and squat...

Isn't that going to end with your pants landing on/in the "bowel"? Or does a Japanese toilet have a trouser guard? :)
posted by kaemaril at 4:05 PM on December 5, 2003

An older but more complete list of Japanese car names (full disclosure: it's on a page I administer).
posted by adamrice at 5:09 PM on December 5, 2003

Don't knock the Nissan Homy - drove a turbo diesel when I was in university.

The car seats ten and rocks on camping trips. You can also fit a mountain bike and a small 50cc scooter in the back (you'll have fun trying to get the scooter in and out, though). If you take out all of the incredibly heavy seating in the back you get enough acceleration to beat a Benz to the ramp right out of the expressway gates (of course, the Benz will have you eating dust once you actually get onto the expressway).

Trivia: In local Kyushu dialects, Homy refers to a certain part of the female anatomy that a lot of men spend nine months trying to get out of and the rest of their life trying to get back in.
posted by cup at 6:12 PM on December 5, 2003

Wow, they didn't have ANY of my favorite car names on that list:

Autozam Carol MeLady
Nissan Fairlady (the macho 300ZX in US)
Mazda Bongo Friendee
posted by planetkyoto at 2:35 AM on December 6, 2003