TOKYOMANGO

Urawaza: How to Clean Up Spilled Egg Yolk

In this video, Brian shows us one of the tricks from my book, Urawaza. I spilled egg yolk on the floor this morning. By sprinkling salt on top of it, though, we were able to change the texture of the egg so that it's easier to clean up. It really works!

For more Urawaza videos, click here.

Or even better, pick up your own copy of the book here.

Homeless Lady Lived in a Guy's Closet for 1 Year

A man who obviously doesn't clean out his stuff that often found a 58-year old homeless woman residing in his closet. She had been there for an entire year, and he didn't know until he noticed that food was missing from his fridge.

Japanese closets usually have two layers—a top shelf and a bottom shelf. They're deliberately made to be deep and dark so you can store blankets and mattresses inside. (Traditionally, Japanese sleep on mattresses on the floor; they put them away during the day to make space.) When he finally became suspicious, the guy put security cameras in his house and had timed images sent to his cell phone. He saw movement in the middle of the day, so he called the cops. But they didn't find any evidence of a break-in. MSNBC quotes investigators as saying:

“We searched the house ... checking everywhere someone could possibly hide. When we slid open the shelf closet, there she was, nervously curled up on her side."

I wonder where the poor lady will go next. Maybe she can hide in his bathtub.

(Thanks, Brian & Jason!)

Me on CBC Radio Talking about Hiroyuki Wired Feature

I was interviewed by this guy, Jian Ghomeshi, on the CBC's popular radio program, Q, yesterday morning. The topic was my Wired feature on Hiroyuki Nishimura. He asked me about how I found him (everyone asks—Hiroyuki is notoriously hard to track down), why he's so unconventional, and whether 2channel and NND were going to lead to a revolution in the formality of Japan.

Listen to it here

Super-Realistic Machine Guns for Kids

These two bad ass little boys are part of Japan's new SWAT team. A company called Tokyo Marui sells a vast collection of illegal guns and weapons. They're not real, of course—but they're super realistic "air soft" guns that run on batteries and shoot BBs. This particular series is called "Automatic Electric Gun Boys," and features a line of submachine guns made just for kids. Nice!

Link (Thanks, Baker!)

Canine Massages, Spa Baths, and Hair Dye for Human Prices

Does your dog need a professional massage? Here at this Doggie Reflexology spa in Azabu Juban, your dog can get 15 minutes of bliss for just 1575 yen ($16). Ridiculous, right? You can also buy her an onsen-style bath for $30, a trim for $60, and—get this—a henna hair dye job for $30.

Anyway, why wouldn't a dog owner want to massage her own dog? I love rubbing Ruby's ears and neck. It brings me just as much relaxation as it does to her. And I know her snout has started to gray (she turned five this year), but seriously? I am not about to get it professionally colored.

But I will not judge those who are into this stuff. In fact, may I recommend the canine oxygen cell for those who want their dogs to acquire instant beauty and health.