Marui Nakano opens tomorrow!

Marui Nakano is re-opening in its new building tomorrow, January 28. I admit I am pretty excited for this burst of renewal on the south side of the JR Nakano station.

They are advertising a Tokyo Hands. I hope they’ll also have Le Petit Mec, their great French bakery, or the Italian gelato store (both at Marui’s Shinjuku San Chome store). Will there be a food court in the basement?

I took this photo a few weeks ago, and marveled at the pride of the construction workers who line up their super-clean equipment in front of Nakano’s only department store.

Demolition workers in summer rain shower

As soon as these workers finished chopping down a 10 meter tree and scraping a 30 year house to fresh soil, a sudden downpour appeared like a biblical reaction to the plant violence. Kind of hot, no?

It rained so hard that the demolition worker wrings out his clothes. The rain looks fake because it’s so thick.

Cat rescue in Nakano Sun Mall

Walking in Nakano’s Sun Mall plaza recently, I saw everyone staring up at the ceiling of this 1970s commercial corridor. And then I saw the uniformed rescue workers. Following their gaze, I saw a white cat perched on the “catwalk” two floors above the ground. The husband had to explain to me that this is dangerous for the cat. Doesn’t it have 9 lives? I am not much of a cat-lover, but I do enjoy the chance to see so many concerned men.

Japanese construction workers are best dressed!

There should be a global competition for construction worker fashion, and Japanese would definitely score gold. From the Yoji Yamamoto wide pants to the ever present small towels to the super plucked eyebrows, Japanese construction workers are always riveting. Plus, what’s with workers wearing white rubber boots?! I find that *very* hot.

All images from a website where you can order these fashions, called Tobi.jp.

Male maid cafes

The Japan Times features a wonderful Christmas Eve story about the growing popularity of male maid cafes. What I love is that this trend of men assuming the maid costume is presented as having nothing to do with sexuality or gender identity.

1. Men like dressing as women, and it’s becoming more acceptable.

Behind this nascent trend, observers say, is that more men are beginning to enjoy dressing as a woman from a fashion viewpoint, and society is becoming more tolerant of the practice.

2. There are not enough women workers.

It started when one of the regular waitresses quit.

3. Male customers feel more comfortable being served by men.

“Men who are not used to being served by women can feel relaxed and talk to the ‘maids’ easily because they are male,” said Chaan Sarin, who heads the cafe’s waitstaff.

4. For the maids, cross-dressing provides stress-relief from work. It’s only temporary, the girlfriend does not know, and this personal therapy will be ended with marriage.

“I become a totally different person to release my stress from work. I have the feelings of a man and I will quit once I get married,” he said.

5. Manga makes them do it.

More male fans are also dressing like their favorite female characters in “anime’ animation and computer games.

6. Publishing houses are helping men look better in drag.

Cashing in on this trend, Osaka-based Yu-time Publishing released the book “Otokonoko no Tameno Henshin Gaido” (“Guide for Boys to Transform Themselves”) in October 2008.

7. Tolerance is related to looking pretty, and new media sources allow men to be prettier women today.

“People began to accept men dressed as women, saying it is OK as long as they are beautiful. At the same time, as there is more information nowadays on how to dress like women, men have gotten dramatically better at it.”

Japan has the most awesome combination of extreme kinkiness and feigned innocence.

Skilled laborers singing karaoke together

You don’t need to be Donald Richie— noted American film critic, high culture interlocutor, and lover of Tokyo construction workers– to swoon over this neighborhood banner celebrating the association of skilled laborers. In Japanese, they are called gatenkei no hito (ガテン系のひと).

What says solidarity more than singing karaoke in hard hats and head towels? The husband reminds me that skilled workers, like yakuza, have a reputation for chosen male families and gay sex.