April 30th, 2004
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Japanese television
Japanese television is..happy; like ridiculous happy. Strange, as in public most people are quiet and reserved; straight faces, tight-lipped. But on the screen, virtually all commercials are fast-paced, and have some sort of cheery theme song. Also, nearly every person has a grin on their face that puts the best of forties and fifties US propaganda to shame. The TV programs themselves often contain a panel of celebrities and a show host, all commonly sitting at a long table, laughing together. Certain folks in the field may periodically report back from some tourist destination or restaurant. Food is a _very_ big deal here, everywhere you look there are closeups of noodles simmering, bean paste being stirred, or a team of brightly-dressed commentators oohing and aahing over a dessert plate. It’s insane how wired everyone is, like someone bottled all the electricity in Akiba and put it in oolong tea.
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Every show has technicolored blocks of text popping up summarizing what’s going on or key words of dialog, occasionally with sound effects. Right now some guy in a tux and tortoise shell glasses is running around this woman’s house screaming about how she has maximized the space in her home via about three thousand space savers and homebrew rollaways. Wild. Very wild.
As a another crazy “go figure” note, I have counted three separate individuals drinking beer at the train station and airport, all between six and nine in the morning. I’m not sure if that’s really early or really late.
