Fake Hot Springs?

Japan's hot springs have been hit by a scandal from which quite a few of them will not recover. A bitter ex-employee told the national media that his former employer was adding artificial coloring to the water so it maintained it's famous milky color.

That's when the planes hit the towers. Several of the town's onsens, even one owned by the mayor, closed immediately and will never open again. The mayor has resigned, his life in tatters. I wonder if he will take his own life, in Japanese society it is honrable for a man in his current state of affairs to do so. Atleast it used to be, but I am sure an exception will be made in his case.

After this was investigated it was found that some hot spring inns were using heated tap water. Now hold on a second. Hot spring water is scalding hot, steamy, murky, and smells like sulfur. How could someone who honestly knows what they are doing in going to an onsen not realize this?? I would know it immediately, and I am no expert by any means.

How lame is that?

In an unrelated story; my club, Tokyo Loose, is having it's 2 year anniversary party this friday and saturday. Come on down. It'll be a lot of fun. Email me for more details or free admission. My beautiful girlfriend and a group of my friends will be there along with many others...don't miss it.

I found yet another cool discription of Tokyo to share with people who have not yet made the trek here yet.

"Tokyo...

...At train stations hordes of commuters move swiftly like toy soldiers even at off-peak hours. Hardly anyone speaks, but it is noisy as food stall traders shout themselves hoarse.

Over 12 million people – 1/10th of Japan’s entire population – live in Tokyo. It is the country’s centre of politics, economy and culture.

Tokyo is often described as being dozens of cities within one city. Each district or area has its own distinct characteristic, but are all linked by the comprehensive transportation system. We visited Harajuku, a district reputed for things funky and quirky, and Shinjuku for the shopping.

Row upon row of shops greeted us as soon as we got down at Harajuku Station. Teenage girls and boys here seemed to have spent a great deal of time doing themselves up, I felt under-dressed. The highlight in Harajuku is a street packed with little nameless shops selling interesting items, ranging from clothes and accessories to bric-a-brac. Expect intriguing shops like the one we saw which was devoted to Gothic-themed apparel and another specialising in canine fashion.

The street was jam-packed although it was a weekday. The storekeepers, mostly teenagers, tried to attract customers with their antics, good looks and exaggerated images.

When night fell, we headed for Shinjuku. The flickering neon lights were blinding. We walked through some of the more notorious parts of Shinjuku, where prostitution houses thrived. Young guys in spiky golden hair wandered in front of the shops soliciting business.

Our guide, Micky, who hails from Cameron Highlands, has lived in Japan for two decades. He left home to pursue a degree in photography.

“I did countless jobs during my study days and after graduation. I couldn’t speak Japanese initially. I worked as a waiter in clubs with bar-top dancing,” he said.

Upon graduation, he worked as a documentary cameraman, helping organise group photography trips. Now he has an agency that provides tour guide services and still does photography part-time.

On my last morning in Japan, I took a walk around the hotel which was just next to the train station. I saw streams of executives walking in the same direction, almost at the same pace. They were expressionless – not even a sleepy look. It must not be easy to live in a perfect country. (The Malaysia Star)

Hate to burst your bubble missy but Japan, especially Tokyo, is far from perfect. Spend more than a few days here (will explore that topic tomorrow). However, Harajuku is pretty cool. The street she was talking about is Takeshita Street, which is really fun to check out once in a while.

That's where Miho took me into a store she told me sold underwear but turns out she lied and it burst the bubble of being able to see j-teen girls shopping for, and hopefully trying on, underwear all over the place.