The Fool on the Hillside.

When kidnapped by my computer expert, I was briefly released to visit Hillside Mall in the suburb, Nishikigaoka. There was a little festival going on where I ate a banana otherwise not much else to see. Inside though...

First stop, a new shop called Candy Land. It's an offshoot of "From USA" and deals in lots of retro goods from disembowelled Snoopy books to Rat Fink rip offs. I bought a set of 10 Peanuts pages on the hope that I receive a Great Pumpkin page and two stickers depicting a zooming Creature from the Black Lagoon and a sexy Alien with a decapitated C-3PO. 

(Update, no Great Pumpkin. Alas.)

Next stop was Kamoriya Bunkadou Shoten, a fancy name for a 5 & Dime shop that sells old toys and sweets. Best variety and cheapest prices of any that I've seen.

I bought a couple of candies because they depicted monsters and because I get a stamp with them. 

It turns out that the candy IS the stamp!

Very crunchy!

I also bought 4 Conan eggs at half price. 

Oops, they're series 1 and I have the complete set. Oh well, the chocolate is still tasty.

Yay! A pair of Gegege stickers!

Boo! I only got humans, no Yokai!

I bought some puffy stickers because they're Halloween themed (duh) and because I need some to put on the back of my phone so it doesn't slide around.

 

I also picked up a Pez because why not?

In the past I have occasionally discovered some cool Menko here. Oooh, this one has a dragon...

Doh! It's a samurai with a Dragon helmet. Still cool nonetheless.

I have no idea what to do with the obverse of these discs.

Best score though is this Boar mask used by a character from a popular manga/anime whose name eludes me.

I think the frizzled hair and scruffy beard adds to the look. Unfortunately, this will have to be a gift for a child because the elastic is too taut for my fat head.

Then the most dangerous store in the mall, Toy Store Warehouse. Some DC Domez featuring the Batman family including a few doubles for presents. Alas, I didn't get the secret one though I did complete the basic set.

Hmm. I suspect there's an intruder in the Batcave.

Also some Moji that I don't already have a SW helmet.

How could I resist this guy? He's Smoaking!

A set of five mini-towels for under 3 bucks.

And on the first day of the Countdown, I vowed that if I were to find a Backbeard for sale, I'd grab one. Lo and behold!

Here are the first few pages of my Yokai book including the index entry for World Yokai.

My kidnap adventure did not end here but now it's bedtime...

Am I Boaring You?

Out with the Old, in with the New. The doggies are out, the piggies are in. I walked to our local temple/shrine and bought an inoshishi (猪 or イノシシ).

There was quite the lineup waiting to literally ring in the new year. The tradition is to toss some coins, clap one's hands, and ring a bell in hopes of good luck for the following year. 

I chose to avoid the 初詣 (hatsumōde or initial Shrine visit) and just bought my pig instead.

My favourite part of Mutsu Kokubun-ji Yakushido Temple is the spitting turtle.

Here are some photos scammed from various sources (mostly conbini) depicting this year's wild boar.

My New Year's Eve and the three days prior have been exceedingly uneventful, I watched several seasons of The Walking Dead while housecleaning. I couldn't not have a drink to celebrate, so I cracked I polished off my Christmas Sake and opened my Ultraman Sake.

  

Have an Ultra-Happy New Year!

As for the title of today's post, I realize that I've been negligent in posting since Halloween. Hopefully, I'll be a little more attentive in the following year.

I Know It's Their Year But...

Herds of wild boars have been terrorizing the populace of Tsuruga, a peninsula that juts into the Sea of Japan. The peninsula in Fukui prefecture has been dubbed "the Nuclear Power Plant Peninsula" for it hosts 7 plants. They caught 360 boars last year, some weighing at more than 100 kg.





I think they should count their blessings, there are worse things that could happen in an area with so much radiation. What if one of those little piggies should mutate? Princess Mononoke came across this beastie in her adventures.

For the full story, check out: boar