Behold the Magnetic Exterior Dog Fecal Transporter! (This one's for Tal)

Side note: I have a lot of catching up to do since moving into our house, getting Internet and Matt starting work. Although we've been busy getting settled, there has still been lots of time spent shopping, eating and exploring our new digs which means tons of photos to post!!!

I'm just going to jump right in by talking about poop! Yup, poop! The Japanese don't skirt the issue of poop like many a Westerner. Poop can be won in toy form from a vending machine at your neighborhood grocery. Poop can be seen tormenting a character on a televised cartoon. Poop is spoken and joked about freely, and--if my friend Yumi is any indication--often!


There's going to be a few posts about the, ahem, "matter" during our stay here, so let me start this off with something very "G' rated...

Behold the Magnetic Exterior Dog Fecal Transporter!  Brilliant!  You Americans are wondering "why the hell would Japanese want to take dog poop home with them? Is it a souvenir? Crazy Japanese!" Well, this little invention is a small cultural lesson about what the Japanese do with their wan chan's (doggie) poop and other gomi (garbage.)  In Japan, it is to be flushed down the toilet with the bag disposed of in your non-recycleable plastics day. And because there are so many people living on top of one another, most play by the rules, picking up their dog's poop and bringing it home. Because of this, there are a vast array of poop products including keychain-like poop transporters.  

If you want to check out these poop products for yourself, they're at AVE, Yokosuka, located in the Heisei area. Go out the gate, hook a left and follow the curve toward LIVIN/Homes. AVE will be on your right.