Akihabara Massage Parlour Wants Foreign Customers

[Mulboyne]

This is Tsubaki-san. According to this Iza article (Japanese), she studied as a beautician and massage therapist in London and now works at the recently opened Akihabara branch of Yamamoto Mimigaki Nadeshiko An. The company already has branches in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro but decided they wanted to bring what they call "Neo Classical Japanese Style" massage services to foreigners in Akihabara who are only going to maid cafes and cosplay stores. They employed a staff of English speakers like Tsubaki-san but, so far, it seems that they haven't had any foreign customers. The cheapest service with an opening discount is 4,000 yen (usually 5,000) with prices rising to 16,000 (usually 20,000).

[Greji]

The cheapest service with an opening discount is 4,000 yen (usually 5,000) with prices rising to 16,000 (usually 20,000)

Ahh, what does the 20K course feature?

[Bz350z]

I went to the website for this parlour. I thinking that if they want more foreign customers, she should make the web site in English too.... The girls look very cute, but I too would like to know what all the course descriptions are. If I could get this info then I would actually consider making the trip to Akihabara to give them a visit......

[Kanchou]

Very Happy Ending?

[D-San]

I'll Take Tsubaki-san with full release...er...oh, It's an actual massage place?

[Greji]

...oh, It's an actual massage place?

Well, if that's correct, I just scratched it off my "Things to Do" list!

[Mulboyne]

I went to the website for this parlour. I thinking that if they want more foreign customers, she should make the web site in English too.... The girls look very cute, but I too would like to know what all the course descriptions are. If I could get this info then I would actually consider making the trip to Akihabara to give them a visit......

You would think an English site would be an obvious move if they were serious about attracting foreigners. The website details two courses, each with three price bands depending on how long you stay. In the first course, you get an oil treatment, ear cleaning and scalp massage followed up with hot towels. The second course is the same but includes a shower, charcoaled bamboo and you get to put your head in the girl's lap while she cleans your ears. The services look overpriced but it's the kind of thing I like to set up for visitors or my father just to see how unsettled I can get them.

[GuyJean]

.. it's the kind of thing I like to set up for visitors or my father just to see how unsettled I can get them...

You know, that would really unsettle me too..

GJ

[American Oyaji]

Just added it to things to do while in Japan.

[ttjereth]

[American Oyaji]

Reading that first wiki link, the dry type is also tied into a gene that limits sweat production.

Less sweat = Less odor I think.

[Behan]

tthereth, I haven't bothered to look at the wikipedia pages on ear wax but did someone actually go around measuring people's ear wax?

The Japanese wikipedia entries also sound suspiciously nihonjinron.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Dry ear wax = reduced body odor = bad teeth & wretched breath.

[ttjereth]

tthereth, I haven't bothered to look at the wikipedia pages on ear wax but did someone actually go around measuring people's ear wax?

The Japanese wikipedia entries also sound suspiciously nihonjinron.

For those who aren't interested in looking at pictures of dirty q-tips (not nearly as bad as the above image in my opinion... I thought posting really disgusting pictures was against the rules?):

There are two distinct genetically determined types of earwax: the wet type, which is dominant, and the dry type, which is recessive. Asians and Native Americans are more likely to have the dry type of cerumen (grey and flaky), whereas Caucasians and Africans are more likely to have the wet type (honey-brown to dark-brown and moist).[2] Cerumen type has been used by anthropologists to track human migratory patterns, such as those of the Inuit.[3]
The difference in cerumen type has been tracked to a single base change (a single nucleotide polymorphism) in a gene known as "ATP-binding cassette C11 gene". In addition to affecting cerumen type, this mutation also reduces sweat production. The researchers conjecture that the reduction in sweat was beneficial to the ancestors of East Asians and Native Americans who are thought to have lived in cold climates.

The Japanese wiki doesn't list any sources for the whole "body odor" thing (I don't know if it's truth or nihonjinron, but it's hilarious either way), but it does have references to other studies about ear wax type (wet vs dry in jomon and yayoi people) and such, and the English page links to several studies on tracing "human migratory patterns" so in short, yes, someone out there is closely studying ear wax

And just for your reading pleasure, yet another interesting tidbit from Wiki:

Lip Balm

The first lip balm was actually made out of earwax.[13] It was functional, but the taste was undesirable. However, its popularity has grown in recent years. A small but growing fan base, committed to the use of all-natural products, touts its use as a superior organic alternative to other varieties of lip balm.

[D-San]

Why did this turn into an Ear wax discussion? LOL

[Greji]

Why did this turn into an Ear wax discussion? LOL

Ahh, they always do that! Take a wonderful, intelligent thread about something informative and significant, like getting one's ashes hauled in Akiha and turn it into a kuso discussion!

[ttjereth]

Ahh, they always do that! Take a wonderful, intelligent thread about something informative and significant, like getting one's ashes hauled in Akiha and turn it into a kuso discussion!

??? What's that mr. goat?

[Iraira]

whereas Caucasians and Africans are more likely to have the wet type (honey-brown to dark-brown and moist).

Well, if you're gonna use the phrase "honey-brown" to describe it, then I wanna know if I can buy jars of it and add it to my ice cream sundae along with navel sprinkles, nasal tapioca balls and a side of cockcheese.

[Greji]

[quote="ttjereth"]??? What's that mr. goat? ]

Ahh, you got a line on some goats?
I may stand corrected on the significance of earwax!

[Mulboyne]

Why did this turn into an Ear wax discussion? LOL

So we could get on to noses

[Iraira]

So we could get on to noses

Damn! That's impressive! You gotta be like 3 kg. lighter after ripping those nose...ummmm...errr.....whaddyacallthems out. I got a honker...sadly, only attached to my face, so I'm off to the conbini.....
nose...ummmm...errr.....whaddyacallthems competition!