Unintentionally Hilarious Japanese Thing #1

It's Sunday here in Japan, and I'm getting my first chance to relax since leaving Berkeley on May 31st. The last week has been crazy busy with orientations, classes, tons of homework, and sightseeing, so it's nice to be able to catch my breath a little. (Though of course, I'm planning to spend the rest of the day doing homework!)

Anyway, I thought I'd update with a short post. Most people are familiar with the hilarity associated with Japanese advertisements (both in print and on television), but I thought I would share one of the gems that I pass every day on my walk to Doshisha University:



There's so much going on in this ad, it's kind of fascinating. Obviously, this guy is being depicted as a symbol of desirable masculinity--evoked by the bulging muscles--but the short shorts and impossibly smooth legs would have a totally different connotation in the U.S.

Anyway, as suggested by the title, I'm hoping to do a whole series of posts about random unintentionally hilarious Japanese things in the future. :) I have a few more already waiting in the queue!