Monday, March 30, 2009

Porn In Vending Machines | See But Not Notice


PornVending-Sakuragawa-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

I don't know what books and classes it came from, but I've been taught there's a cultural trait of Japanese to not notice things. Better said, to notice things, but not pay them any heed. Loud kids on the train, people littering, not stopping at stop signs, drunk salary men passed out on a park bench, drunken gaijin speaking loudly, porn in vending machines are good examples. I'm sometimes drawn back at this power to disregard things. Once walking through a redlight district in Osaka, one where girls sit in doorways while the Mama-sans call out to men walking down the street, I witnessed a family riding their bikes oblivious to their surroundings more than once. I wish I could have taken a picture of the scene, but my nerves said that might not be the best idea. I wondered what happens when the little daughter asks what are those pretty girls doing all dressed up sitting there. I wonder if they even ask.

I saw this vending machine next to a chain discount store near Sakuragawa station in Osaka. The machine had 16 magazines in it all around ¥700. As I was taking the photo, late in the evening mind you, 2 elementary aged children walked behind me.

Am I bothered by this. No. I find it all so interesting. I love juxtaposition, if that is what this is.

6 comments:

demoon said...

well,i think that must be a part of their life.so,nothing been worried or surprised.

浪心 said...

In Japan,maybe this is a normal situation

sleepytako said...

I don't think it's bad by any means. It's absolutely normal to me. I guess I was trying to use is as an example of this trait.

浪心 said...

if you are in china, maybe you won't find those things. That's why I love and I hate my homeland. XD

Anonymous said...

av stuff is everywhere and kinda mainstream don't you think? av stars can even have their own TV shows
http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/jav-stars-maria-ozawa-and-sora-host-osaka-tv-variety-show/

sleepytako said...

Yea, I was hoping for, perhaps trolling for, negative comments to be truthful.

I live in Kansai and I've never seen that show, but there is the Saturday night Love Hotel review show that my friends were into for a while which I've seen a few times.