Damn, they’re cute. Not the girl – her ears. She is a catgirl – a female with cat ears. To underscore their feline traits, some have cat teeth, and even cat eyes. In Japan, the cat ears are called “nekomimi”, and they’re more than a simple personification of cats.
In approximately 90 days, walk into any bar in the US state of Ohio. If there aren’t any signs stating otherwise, feel free to carry your concealed weapon in that watering hole. But don’t order a round. You can’t legally drink if you are packing heat.
Someone once told me, “Half-Japanese kids grow up to either be TV celebrities or porn stars.” Flip on the television, and there’s half-British male model Joy selling Samurai Road 4 or singer Becky promoting her latest CD single. Turn on a dirty movie, and there’s half-Brazilian actress and Yakuza star Rio getting naked.
When reality star Angel Porrino stepped out in front of the cameras for a Memorial Day party she was hosting, the starlet stopped and smiled. She tucked in her chin and ran her tongue over her teeth.
Lipstick. Long hair. Cute dresses. They’re beautiful women, but they’re not necessarily all women. In Japan, they’re called “男の娘”, or literally “male daughter”.
It all started with a middle finger. It was directed firmly at England, and for the next 200-plus years, America’s desire to do things its own way hasn’t changed. The country’s pride hasn’t either.
“Who’s to say there is a difference?” said the baffled, balding customer in khaki pants and a green windbreaker. I had asked him what the difference between Japanese and Western rail fans where.
It’s a country with 120 million people, with a deep and long history, with a complex and beautiful language. Yet, for Americans, Japan often offers something else entirely – a place to project its fears, fantasies, and, yes, even neurosis.