You only live twice...once when you are born and once when you experience the Hell Toilet (Jigoku Benjo) at Namjatown in Sunshine City in Ikebukuro.
Imagine three toilet stalls, each with their own spooky state-of-the-art audio adventure. Have a seat, plunk down 300 yen, and put them cans on your head (weird, that there's two sets of headphones in there since one person alone barely fits).
I got to hear the one about the old timer who was afraid of spiders only to have a bunch of them crawl up his leg while taking a dump. A hidden value blows air into your face at critical junctures in the narrative. The grand finale is a big plastic spider monster that plops down into that screen in front. A sheet of plexiglass underneith the seat prevents actual plumbing action from taking place.
“Japanese people are most scared of going to the toilet,” explained the spirit next to me, which maybe explains why I, A MEXICAN-AMERICAN, failed to lose my fudge.
But the rest of Namjatown: brilliant. Like walking through a giant diseased mind subsisting solely on gyoza and shu cream. Sounds like my last 90 days. No fresh fruit in half past forever.
I dunno, I think it would do it to me, that bit about the giant spider slamming into the screen...I'm not keen on spiders, no, not at all.
Given the giant spider I saw in Uganda in '68, which was so cosy living ON THE KITCHEN WINDOW day in and day out, and then one day...it was gone and I lived in terror it was in the house..yeah, mud would be lost.
And then the dung beetles would come by...
*brrr*
Posted by: Steve Harrison | June 12, 2006 at 01:02 PM
"Have a seat, plunk down 300 yen, and put them cans on your head..."
I first read this thinking of the *other* can in the stall, trying to figure out how exactly this was gonna work.
Posted by: Brian | June 12, 2006 at 02:09 PM
"failed to lose my fudge."
Caused me to expel coca cola product through my nose and it ruined my harmon kardon speakers and sweet apple flat panel monitor. I couldn't be happier about it. (Especially since it was here at work). Brilliant find.
Posted by: John Powell | June 12, 2006 at 02:24 PM
I went to Namjatown a few years ago. I was by myself, and thought it was kind of spooky. I tried not to be afraid, but left shortly after having gyoza and a beer. My Namjatown passport remained stampless.
The haunted benjo really would have freaked me out.
Posted by: Debbie M. | June 12, 2006 at 03:51 PM
I won the free passports!!!!!
So I can sell them for 50,000 yen If you guys want.
Yeah, its worth it.
Dafuya,
Posted by: Paper BoyXXX | June 13, 2006 at 03:41 AM