Train station toilets can be unpleasant places and may not even be suitable for answering a call of nature. The multipurpose toilets are, of course, wheelchair-accessible. That means they are larger and can host some more intriguing activities, such as trysts between couples. This common trope in porn and white-collar male fantasies was reinforced by comedian Ken Watabe's much-reported affair, which was conducted mostly within the walls of such a restroom in a parking lot. Tokyo police recently sent two YouTubers to the prosecutors for indictment on charges of trespassing and disturbing the ...

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So far, the highest-profile victim of COVID-19 in Japan has been the comedian Ken Shimura. His death happened fairly early in the pandemic in Japan and since then infection numbers have risen quite a lot as the second wave hits, though deaths have not climbed to a scary rate (yet - touch wood). As entertainers are continuing to work, filming things and so on, and coming into contact with a lot of people in the process, coronavirus infections are also disproportionately affecting the industry. In recent days, several high-profile cases have appeared. In early August, the busty gravure idol ...

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The gravure model Mirai Nishijima, known for her slinky body, recently posted a picture of herself enjoying a wash at a hot spring. Netizens with keen eyes, though, were able to spot something that she presumably thought was tastefully hidden: her left nipple, poking proud through the soap suds and asking for attention. It's attention we would be happy to provide! Nishijima has since deleted the tweets (no doubt at the behest of her management), which actually showed pictures from a few years ago. Still, she shouldn't feel too bad. It could have been much worse, as the model Asana Miyamoto ...

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Is this the future of kissing between couples in the age of the coronavirus? A playful picture recently shared on Twitter by the idol and mangaka Rin Kaname (of Dempagumi.inc) hints at what kissing might become if things don't improve some day soonish. The photo shows two people -- in this case, two attractive Japanese women in their underwear -- kissing through a see-through plastic wall. The image is captioned "social distance kiss." One of the women is, we presume, Kaname herself, though please help us out if you can identify either of them more accurately. The image was posted by ...

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We are avoiding beaches and public pools right now, given the ongoing coronavirus infection rate, but that doesn't mean we aren't thinking about swimsuits. Far from it, they are one of the highlights of any summer in Japan. And to show just how far things have come, we wanted to share with you an image from 1966 (Showa 41), which we spotted shared on Twitter. It's an advertisement for "beach-ready" ladies in their colorful swimsuits. "Which is your pattern?" the main copy asks. All the women model different styles of swimwear, each aimed at a respective kind of personality (from the ...

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In a bid to contain the second wave of the coronavirus around Japan, people are now being encouraged to have "online nomikai" (drinking parties) rather than meeting in person for food and booze at the usual izakaya or restaurant. Thankfully, technology now makes this possible, though the idea has a fatal flaw. One of the major appeals of a nomikai is that it gives you the chance to hook up with that friend of a friend who tags along, or that cutie at the next table. Zoom is great but it removes that from the equation, hence dating will really suffer in these coronavirus times. How can you ...

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Oh, to be single again. But one expert has recently warned of the perils of dating and even kissing in the age of the coronavirus. While a lot of the attention has focused somewhat disproportionately on hostess and hostess clubs, the coronavirus pandemic has also massively impacted nightclubs, bars, and live music venues. With the nightlife industry on the verge of collapse, this is not just a loss in terms of cool places to go and hang out -- it also affects how people date and woo a partner. If you can't go to a karaoke booth with your date, where can you get some smooching done in ...

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ASMR is one of those things that some people just don't get. It is, let's be honest, for a certain type of person or mindset. But there is ASMR and then there's ASMR. And then there's Japanese ASMR. Which means at times intersecting with some very strange fetishes. But how about an audio-sensory frisson from flatulence? A dojinshi circle, Inoshikachokan (いのしかちょう館), has released an hour-long audio file of a voice actress farting. Created by Uribou (うりぼう) and with illustrations by Yamato (Daikon), the seiyu Kotori Hino's (日乃ことり) novel contribution to the ...

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In a further sign that hosts and hostesses are skillfully trying to reframe the media narrative that has demonized their trade as hotspots for spreading coronavirus infections in Tokyo, the city's metropolitan government has released educational videos on COVID-19 that see two hosts and a hostess ask doctors questions. After host clubs began cooperating with the Shinjuku government to initiate testing for employees and stem the spread in Kabukicho (and the demonization in the media), and the government started handing out cash payments to clubs that agree to close and to individual hosts and ...

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What's the best way to provide sex education for youngsters? At school? Through parents? From their peers? By encouraging them to do research online? It's pretty well known that sex ed in schools in Japan is somewhat lacking, and you certainly won't learn about contraception or consent from Japanese porn or TV shows. Well, a nonprofit has come up with a solution, of sorts: toilet paper! The Sowledge (yes, "sow knowledge") project seeks to teach kids about sex, sexual consent, abuse, and male and female anatomy by printing messages on toilet paper. So when these young Japanese ...

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