Umbrella Condoms

Now that summer is well and truly over I feel so fortunate to have the stifling heat replaced by endless days of depressing rain, and typhoons that look so threatening on TV, pass by without a second thought to cross the mainland.

One thing that you can't help not to notice are the plastic bag "condoms" supplied to you as you enter most of the shops and arcades.

At the end of a shopping spree, these used plastic covers are just thrown away, so then you just get another one when entering the next store. How eco-friendly is that?

I took this picture ages ago of one of those umbrella condom dispensing machines.

And yes, in case you didn't notice, this IS in front of a UFO catcher place in Shibuya. Thankfully I've mostly weened myself off them. As usual I don't really care if people see me take photos of seemingly ordinary things.

As a case in point, this photo is the next installment of Tokyo Metro's train manner posters.

On first sight I thought the train people don't want you to practise your golf swing on a train platform.

I've only noticed this being done once in the men's bathroom while I was washing my hands. He must've been pissed. He must've been Japanese. He was.

I think the point here is, don't swing your wet umbrella in the path of others. It's so un-Japanese.

Maybe it's ok if your umbrella has "protection".

"If it's not on, it's not on." Right?