'HO, HO, HO!' Post retarded Japanese Kurisumasu news here

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo: Origami Tree unvelied at American Museum of Natural History in N.Y.

[Taro Toporific]

Evil Alien Transexual Santa

AFP/Getty Images, 1 Dec 2005 12:00 AM, aption:
TOKYO, JAPAN:A little boy cries after being frightened by members of the US charity group "Goodwill Santa Tour" clad in Santa Claus outfits, at a Tokyo hotel, 01 December 2005.

[Mulboyne]

Evil Alien Transexual Santa

Here they are in the lobby of the Imperial Hotel (from the Asahi):

[Taro Toporific]

[ichigo partygirl]

Very good Mr Pongi.

This isnt news but a Christmas related question. Does anyone know of any places that do a tradition Christmas lunch in the Tokyo/Yokohama area??

[Charles]

[devicenull]

oh god, it's another one of these.... xmas away from home on the other side of the world.

[Mulboyne]

Edible advent calendar in a Hokkaido hotel lobby. Presumably built to Aneha's earthquake resistance specifications.

[Mulboyne]

Canon unveils a 3m tall ice chistmas tree at Roppongi Hills as part of their IXY DIGITAL L3 campaign.

[L S]

Very good Mr Pongi.

This isnt news but a Christmas related question. Does anyone know of any places that do a tradition Christmas lunch in the Tokyo/Yokohama area??

I usually go to one of the big hotels. Spendy but usually tasty. Shinjuku Hyatt, Shinjuku Hilton and Roppongi Hills Grand Hyatt come to mind.

I know GJ and other swear by Pink Cow, but I always feel like I am eating potluck at some distant relative's house.

[Mulboyne]

[Mulboyne]

[Taro Toporific]

Here's bit of Japanese Christmas cheer.
Hello Kitty Christmas Tree!


It's only 12 cm high so I think it may fit a normal Japanese apartment with some squeezing. 520 yen

[ichigo partygirl]

I know this isnt Japan- related but its funny.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4539180.stm

Bad Santas run wild in Auckland

The Auckland "Santas" said they were part of a global movement
A gang of "Santas" cut a trail of havoc across New Zealand's biggest city in what was meant to be a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas.

About 40 men in ill-fitting Father Christmas costumes ran around Auckland vandalising or stealing property, and throwing bottles, police say.

Two security guards were injured and three of the men were arrested.

A police spokesman described it as "fairly average behaviour" from "an organised group of idiots".

The gang first drew attention when they appeared on a motorway bridge on Saturday afternoon to urinate on passing cars and smash beer bottles, police said.

They then kicked over litter bins in a public park, hurled bottles and sprayed graffiti on office buildings.

'More like clowns'

According to the New Zealand Herald, they entered a casino where several of them vandalised a giant Christmas tree in the foyer.

When one of them climbed the mooring line of a cruise ship he was ordered down by the captain and arrested.

Other Santas attacked security staff in protest and two had to be treated for injuries.

The remaining Santas entered a convenience store in the city centre and stole beer and soft drinks.

"They came in, said 'Merry Christmas' and then helped themselves," said store owner Changa Manakynda.

Alex Dyer, a spokesman for the group, said Santarchy was a worldwide movement designed to protest the commercialisation of Christmas.

Senior Sergeant Matt Rogers of the police said no warning had been received of the protest and the men had acted more like clowns than Santas.

But he added that identification of alleged wrongdoers might be problematic.

"With a number of people dressed in the same outfit, it was difficult for any witnesses to confirm the identity of who was doing what," Sergeant Rogers told Reuters news agency.

[Taro Toporific]

Bad Santas run wild in Auckland
...A gang of "Santas" cut a trail of havoc across New Zealand's biggest city in what was meant to be a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas.
About 40 men in ill-fitting Father Christmas costumes ran around ....

YIKES! These suspicious guys look like the same gang of sick Santas in "ill-fitting Father Christmas costumes" have hit Tokyo!

AFP/Getty Images, 17 Dec 2005 12:00 AM
TOKYO, JAPAN:An elevator is crowded with Santa Claus as department sales clerks are ready to greet their customers at the entrance of Tokyo's Mitsukoshi department store...more...

[kurohinge1]

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo via Japan Today: Y200 mil Christmas cake on sale at Takashimaya department store
TOKYO — A diamond-sprinkled Christmas cake was put on sale for 200 million yen, or about $1.71 million, at a Takashimaya department store in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Tuesday as part of its Christmas shopping fair. The two-layered, hexagonal fruitcake is coated with rose color sugar and is embedded with 223 pieces of diamonds, including a five-carat heart-shaped one. The 20 centimeter-high cake can be preserved for a year at room temperature, the store said. It was made by London-based Diamond Trading Co, a part of the world's largest rough diamond provider De Beers Group, and Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo.

[Greji]

I know this isnt Japan- related but its funny.

-snip-

Other Santas attacked security staff in protest and two had to be treated for injuries.

What a great way of saying "if you f**k with the bull, you get the horn!"

The remaining Santas entered a convenience store in the city centre and stole beer and soft drinks.

That's just your basic Kiwi there mate, although I don't know why they needed the soft drinks unless they were short of mix!

Ichigo, you were in Yokohama then weren't you? You didn't by chance go home for the Christmas festivities did you?
hehehe

[Taro Toporific]

... Bad Santas run wild in Auckland
The Auckland "Santas" said they were part of a global movement
A gang of "Santas" cut a trail of havoc across New Zealand's biggest city in what was meant to be a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas.
About 40 men in ill-fitting Father Christmas costumes ran around Auckland vandalising or stealing property, and throwing bottles, police say.
Two security guards were injured and three of the men were arrested.
... Alex Dyer, a spokesman for the group, said Santarchy was a worldwide movement designed to protest the commercialisation of Christmas ...

Are they suggesting that Christmas be replaced with a festival focused on vandalising and stealing property?

Scratchin the Surface [blog]. December 22, 2005
Are you ready for Tokyo Santarchy??

The annual Santarchy event is descending upon Tokyo tomorrow. Have you got your Santa suit ready? Available at Don Quixote all over Japan for a mere 1000 yen.

Anyone interested in coming?

Santarchy will start at Hachiko in Shibuya from 12:00 in the afternoon and last for a few hours I believe. Bring your Christmas cheer and Christmas beer and we'll have a good time.

Anyone interested in going give me an email.

http://www.magarisugi.com/

Clearly Tokyo Santarchy is a bit weak compared with other locales, but I think that my addition to the lineup this year may tip the scales against Santarchy Antarctica (or Santarctica).

[Mulboyne]

This isnt news but a Christmas related question. Does anyone know of any places that do a tradition Christmas lunch in the Tokyo/Yokohama area??

This Japan Times article gives details of a number of pubs in Tokyo (scroll down). I would imagine The Tavern in Yokohama will do the same.

[Taro Toporific]

The Seventh Seal has opened!

22 December 2005, AFP/Getty Images
TOKYO, JAPAN: A female trainer clad in a Santa Claus outfit smiles as she puts reindeer antlers on a sea lion at Tokyo's Sunshine International Aquarium,

[Taro Toporific]

Bad Santas run wild in Auckland
...A gang of "Santas" cut a trail of havoc across New Zealand's biggest city in what was meant to be a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas.....

Shdwspn's Santarchy Tokyo 2005 slideshow on Flickr
Santa Rampages across Tokyo. Fails to find his arch-nemesis, Godzilla. Instead, finds beer.

[ichigo partygirl]

I know this isnt Japan- related but its funny.

-snip-

Other Santas attacked security staff in protest and two had to be treated for injuries.

What a great way of saying "if you f**k with the bull, you get the horn!"

The remaining Santas entered a convenience store in the city centre and stole beer and soft drinks.

That's just your basic Kiwi there mate, although I don't know why they needed the soft drinks unless they were short of mix!

Ichigo, you were in Yokohama then weren't you? You didn't by chance go home for the Christmas festivities did you?
hehehe

ohh i just saw your rather witty comment now. No i did not go home unfortuantly i am stuck here for Christmas. Ill just eat too much and get drunk and it will be the same as any other Christmas except i dont have to be nice to my boring relatives.

[Mulboyne]

Asahi

Christmas cakes for dogs.

[Mulboyne]

Mainichi: Famous shop recalls Christmas cakes over food poisoning scare
A company that runs a well known cake and fruit shop has begun recalling chestnut tarts it sold as Christmas cakes after a virus that causes food poisoning was detected in them, officials of the company said. Officials of Shinjuku Takano said that they learned that 79 chestnut tarts had been sold after Morinaga Angel Dessert firm, which produced the cakes, informed the company that the virus, Staphylococcus aureus, was detected in them. Each tart was priced at 3,150 yen. Shinjuku Takano told customers who had reserved the tart of the outbreak on Sunday, Dec. 25, only after Morinaga officials gave detailed explanations, and put a notice about the matter in Monday's newspapers. "We began informing our customers about the problem on Dec. 25, because we believed we had to obtain detailed investigation data," a Shinjuku Takano executive said. "We didn"t delay the announcement of the problem because of lucrative Christmas sales." No food poisoning from the tarts has been reported yet.

[Taro Toporific]

It's that time of year again....



Christmas Events Begin At Aquarium In Japan
AFP/Getty Images, Caption:
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 18: White Beluga whales wear Christmas hats [sic] during a show at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise Aquarium

[Buraku]

I don't think they would be allowed do that advert in the west

[Mulboyne]

Playmate Hiromi Oshima

[Captain Japan]

The diving Santa appears inside a fish tank at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in Osaka's Minato-ku on Friday. (Mainichi)

[maraboutslim]

Playmate Hiromi Oshima

I'm going to need a bigger stocking.