Frighteningly historically low birthrates among the Japanese have caused local governments to offer greater incentives for child-rearing. Anxiety over economic security, lack of nursing facilities, and enjoyment of urban life are commonly cited reasons for this decline.  However, this doesn’t stop the Japanese from practicing safe sex.  Although seen as a marketing gimmick, many Japanese condom manufactures hope their innovative ideas will revitalize the image of condoms.

Continuing last month’s trend of suggestively themed posts; today we focus on prophylactics. Whether it be your code of ethics, lack of options, or religious values holding you back; when the time comes make sure you have one of these in your hand. Not will you be protecting yourself, you’ll be showing personal style like with anime inspired designs by manga artist Junko Mizuno.

Stay Real…Respect!

[InventorSpot via WeirdAsianNews]

Every now and then, we all need a little attention. If you’re “polite, friendly and good-looking foreign male” who is interested in relocating to Japan, consider being a butler. Help Japanese women escape the hustle of one of Tokyo’s most crowded areas, Shibuya. Woo them with pillow talk as they gazing longley into your crazy eyes; no wait experience needed.

Think you have what is takes? After the break you’ll find the job posting from Craigslist JP, and some interviews of what it’s like to work in a host club.  Ladies, sadly the only way you’d be able to work in one of these clubs is to pull a Haruhi Fujioka a la Ouran Host Club. In my home city, as I’m sure across the U.S., there is a growing trend of “sexy” related services for men such as coffee shops and hair cuts; absent are ones catering to women. Clearly there are some cultural differences, but I think female patrons of a butler club in America would be stigmatize. That’s too bad for me, I think I’d be a terrific host!

[3Yen News] Read more!

Kanta Ishida, writer for the Yomiuri Shimbun (newspaper) in Japan, analyzes different theories and tries to nail, ar at least approach, the first manga in history. Over at the Suntory Museum in Japan, more than 100,000 people went to see the Choju-Jinbutsu-Giga Emaki (”Scrolls of Cartoons of Birds, Animals, and People”  exhibition. Many visitors came after hearing a theory that these scrolls from the 12th and 13th centuries are the first examples of manga. Nevertheless, mangaka Seiki Hosokibara found another scroll, the Shigisan Engi Emaki, as the first manga innuendo in history.

Ishida argues that “there is no connection between the traditions of Choju Giga (the scrolls above mentioned) and contemporary manga, including the domestic works we are familiar with in our daily lives and the foreign works that have increased with the growing number of manga fans worldwide.” He suggests that the scrolls sould be treated as a different section of Japanese painted art, and not to be mixed with the first traditional manga, like Astroboy.

This is a nice attempt on finding and giving answers to a lot of questions left in the old times. What could be next? Finding out that Vikings roaming through the 7 seas, making contact with the Americas before the Spanish colonization? That’s crazy-talk! 

[ANN]

Part of the advertising campaign to promote the debut of “The Simpsons Movie”, 7-Eleven stores all around the U.S. will be temporarily retouched to be similar to the show’s famous night shop, Kwik-E-Mart. The campaign started this weekend, and will remain until the premiere on July 27.

Also, they will include and change some of their products to adapt them to Kwik-E-Mart’s exclusives like: Buzz Cola. KrustyO’s and Squishies so, it is a good time to go for your local 7-Ele.. I mean, Kwik-E-Mart and get one of those once-in-a-lifetime products (Well, except for the slurpies). Talk about fan service and reverse product placement!

[David Coenig, AP Business Writer, via Wii News]

Even though i have seen it, 3 years ago to be exact, Viz is airing the first Naruto movie in America, with first reports months ago of it being only in major cities and a select few other cities, over 160 different theaters have decided to show it, which is impressive, and shows that maybe American culture is finally deciding to accept anime and other quirky Japanese items. Now I’m not going to tell you to go see the movie, no, in fact, i don’t really like Naruto, and i absolutely loathe the English dub, but the movie, was definitely a good one, if you like Naruto is a good one to watch, but if you like action like i like my…er, well we’ll let you think of something clever for that.

If you want my opinion:

Movie: Pretty damn awesome for Naruto (believe it! ugh)

[ANN]

Oh wow, I remember having some dreams about some products that would “change” everything related to something, but never thought it would be actually MADE, like the inverted Umbrella to capture rainwater. . .

For the record, I’d really like the 360 camera to be done.

You can check the brief list HERE.

[UEBA via Japundit]

Goatse is perhaps one of the Internet subculture most prolific icons. Thats because its burned into your brain forever after you see it! Company’s would kill for brand recognition like that! Anyway Boing Boing has posted a small collection called Goatses in the media. A couple are unintentional, others are user made mock-ups. And then theres that little gem to your left, the goatse t-shirt, its so perfectly iconic. Any other unfortunate soul you meet or pass by on the street is bound to chuckle at this…and then cry.

[BoingBoing]