The goddess is back, and wearing white

Welcome back, gorgeous! We’ve missed you.

And, thanks, for correcting Beyonce’s lyrics in Partition. The gentleman clearly “Bill Clinton’d all over my gown” in the back of the limo.

Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo apologizes for drunken brawl

Nothing’s better than a full-on Japanese apology, except perhaps when performed by an illustrious actor. This time it was Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo apologizing for getting into a drunk brawl in posh Nishi Azabu that caused injuries including a fractured left cheek bone, two chipped front teeth, and multiple internal and head bruises.

The “prince of Kabuki”stands to lose 100 to 200 million yen in product endorsements (US$1.2 to 2.4 million). And in true Japanese fashion, his shame threatens the overall image of kabuki, or so some say. The Yomiuri covers the facial reconstruction side of the story.

I’d like to think about how long his vow- “I won’t feel like having a drink for a while”– will last, particularly in light of this handsome actor’s drunken wedding image below.

Update: After reaching some sort of out of court settlement post-Xmas, Ebizo’s explanation for the fight: “Ebizo has claimed he was struck without warning when he was providing care to the man, who had been drinking heavily.”

Condom machine: latest technology in disappearing POS

The husband told me that condom vending machines used to be everywhere in Tokyo. This bit of antiquated technology, designed to eliminate any shame around condom purchasing, boasts the latest in Japanese technology: .02 millimeter thinness. I love how the machine is in a totally residential neighborhood, and hope it gets lots of loving use!

The innocence of sleep

Call me a pervert. It won’t be the first time. But there’s something deliciously innocent about watching men sleeping. In Japan, people sleep in public with neither shame nor fear.