SisterVibes
A podcast hosted by three sisters with a lifetime of stories and insights to share. From growing up in Japan to now living across three continents, we've gone through life's twists and turns. Join us as we dive into our cherished childhood memories, offer our unique perspectives on a wide range of topics, and recount our humble experiences living in different parts of the world. Despite long distances and scheduling conflicts that have kept us physically apart for years, we're here to give you a glimpse of what it's like to have sisters, regardless of the miles that separate us. Are we still the same as we used to be, or have we grown and changed along the way living in diverse locations? Stay tuned; we hope you’ll be entertained!
SisterVibes
11. Follow Up Episode: Unique Marriages & The Wonders Of Japanese Vending Machines
Welcome to the follow-up! We recommend listening to the previous episode for a full context.
This time, we dive into Mr. Kondo's marriage to virtual character Hatsune Miku, exploring themes like fictosexual and objectophilia. Plus, hear about a woman who fell in love with a train station.
We also revisit Godzilla’s status as a Japanese citizen. Does it have a job or pay taxes?
Lastly, discover Japan’s unique vending machines, offering everything from fresh bananas to bug snacks—showcasing a blend of convenience and culture.
Thanks for listening! Don't forget to review SisterVibes and subscribe so you won't miss our upcoming episodes.
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Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2279605
Big shoutout to Allison Gray for generously granting us permission to feature her song, "Off My Mind" (from Ep 05).
Three sisters in three continents three realities and three perspectives. I'm KO.
Speaker 2:I'm Tomomi and I'm Sumi. We all moved to Ohio from Japan for our dad's job, but as adults we all live in different countries.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Sister Vibes.
Speaker 4:Out of my system. I gotta get you off of my mind. But how do I move on when no one compares? They only keep me occupied.
Speaker 1:From the last episode. We talked about some of the quirky things of Japan and we had too many questions as we were listing them out, so we figured we can maybe go through the list again and talk about it a little bit in depth. For example, we discussed last time about this gentleman who got married to a virtual character named Hatsune Miku. There were a lot of things that we couldn't answer, so we did a little bit of research. Here are the few things that we found out about this whole marriage thing. So he, as in, let's say, his name is K, his last name is Kondo, so we'll just call him Mr K. So Mr K saw her for the first time on TV While he was having a hard time in his life I guess he was taking some time off of work because he was being bullied there.
Speaker 1:He fell in love with her seeing her on TV. Although he's never had a relationship in his life, he decided that he wanted to have a relationship. He just got attracted to this character, so he ended up getting married back in 2018, november. The way that he communicated with this character was that a startup company in tokyo created hologram of hatsune miku. He purchased, which came in a cylinder cylinder, what cylinder container? Yeah, it arrived at his house, I guess. So the way that he communicated with her, he was able to. Then she was able to say like pre-programmed phrases such as like hello or how's it going, or it sounds like he was able to do basic conversations or communication with it wait, wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 2:Do you mean like a canister? Yeah, so he didn't see the her. Yeah, inside it it's just a voice, a hologram inside the cancer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, the hologram. I'm sure it changes the body form and such you can see her visually. That was his way of having a relationship with her in that way, so he conversed with her. He then asked her if she would marry him to this character, and she said yes, please take a good care of me are we sure she said yes, yes, it was mutual yes, it was mutual.
Speaker 1:Then he got married, like I said, back in 2018. The reactions from people were mixed. I think a lot of his close friends were in attendance. He just had the ceremony because it's not legal to get married to a virtual character in japan, just like I don't know if there's anywhere in the world that allows for that. So he went through some service to get married. Um had a ceremony with this doll, basically, and his family did not attend because they were opposed to it. His parents, his sister, were not in attendance, but apparently two politicians attended, which is interesting. Yeah, maybe out of curiosity, don't know he ended up purchasing many of these miniature-sized stuffed Hatsune Miku figurines. There's also a human size version that apparently he takes around out to drive with her, go walk in the park with her, but obviously, because she is a doll, she sits in a wheelchair and he pushes her around.
Speaker 1:And she can be purchased by other men I also read somewhere that that there are other men who have gotten married to her because, again, she's available to anyone, because she's virtual, so it's very interesting she's not in a very committed relationship apparently not, not just with one person, but I wonder if that you know resolved his bullying issues or did it intensify?
Speaker 1:I think at work a lot of people were very disappointed that he was out in the media talking about it. I don't know why they were so upset, because who cares? It's none of anyone else's business. It's great that he did that, but I'm sure he had a difficult time, because I think he was the first one who basically came out and said that I'm married to a virtual character. So he takes her around in a wheelchair. They go to a restaurant together. He sits across from her, he converses with her. She's not going to converse because it's a live doll, it's not like a robot.
Speaker 1:And at some point in 2022,. I also read that he can no longer have conversations that he had with this hologram version of Hatsune Miku because the company that develops the service terminated it.
Speaker 2:They discontinued his wife.
Speaker 1:Saying that the limited production model would run its course.
Speaker 2:So do they have to get divorced at that point?
Speaker 1:No, no, no, he's still married to the character. I mean, he has different versions.
Speaker 2:She's inactive.
Speaker 1:She's inactive, hologram wise, virtually, yeah, but yeah he has, you know human-sized doll and he has miniature versions of her at his house that he seems to carry around, depending on you know what he's doing. Of course he says good morning, has breakfast with her. So he's just like conversing, like he's conversing to anyone, it's just that he's not getting any response from her. It is a little bit well apparently there's a term called a fictional sexual for people who are attracted to fictional characters. Isn't that interesting?
Speaker 2:though yep, and then when I looked into it, there's a word called objectophilia, and some people are truly they fall in love with objects. And I can't find the article now, but it was talking about some woman, 45 year old woman, that married a train station. Her name is Carol Santa Fe. Okay, back in 2017. Think, no, 2007, was it? This was in the us and that's when the word in the us apparently so that's when the word became official objectophilia people that are falling in love with objects. I wonder if they had the wedding at the train station. I wonder if they officiated. Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I mean, that cannot be legal marriage either. Right, I've read a year or two ago about this lady marrying herself Like she had a ceremony with a wedding dress. Actually, I've heard about that too Recently, like in the last couple of months, that she divorced herself. Whatever that means what.
Speaker 3:What happened there? Did she have a I don't herself? Whatever that means, what, what happened there? Did she have? I don't know what that means though, but it's so interesting just I can't stand myself anymore. Maybe she fell in love with someone, yeah else possibly, and so she had to divorce herself I guess maybe somebody with multiple personalities.
Speaker 1:Yeah I feel like I can kind of see like how people are like. Oh, I'm kind of attracted to anime or this fictional character you have objectophilia in you, or what is that?
Speaker 2:what was the word you said?
Speaker 1:uh that fictional sexual like sexual sexual yeah, because you know, some artists do a really good job drawing these, with which character? You know I used to like songoku, for example. I was not uber attracted, but you know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Like I liked it I mean, I liked um curry bun man, it's not like I wanted to be from like a toddler show that's literally a character of a curry bread yeah, like a bun, curry bun with a curry filling inside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which was a very, which still is right, a very popular he was my favorite too, actually out of the yeah, he was heroic character too and he was fun, right, and he would most fun. Squirt out a curry from his mouth to the enemies, yeah hot curry attack so this lady that got married to the train station, like I mean, that's not even an object, it's a place. I don't think it's a, do you?
Speaker 2:know anything I don't know. Stop asking questions so we don't have to do a follow-up no, I'm just wondering, like like what the building?
Speaker 3:it's like an architectural building, so it's like an yeah right so apparently the word objectophilia became official after her.
Speaker 2:It apparently it's the desire to have a romantic relationship with an object, so it can be cars and, like I said, um, apparently there were shows in the past about people with objectophilia. They, some people, would love their cars on a romantic level, or they love just any objects. So I think this woman married the train station. I don't know, I don't know what part of the train station she loved if there is a part or if there's.
Speaker 1:I mean, there are a lot of train stations, so it's one specific train station, I'm assuming I'm assuming maybe the color of the.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what was she so? Attracted to the, the actual location, railroad I don't know, maybe like just a certain distance from here to here.
Speaker 3:She liked she wanted to marry. I don't know so thousands of people walk over her husband every day right true?
Speaker 2:oh my gosh should we talk about godzilla then? Yes, we had some questions about godzilla.
Speaker 1:We were also super confused. The topic was that the Godzilla is a citizen of Japan officially since 2015, but we had too many questions like does it have a job, does it have a passport? So, sumi, what did you find?
Speaker 3:yes, so we did a little bit of research about Godzilla and we found out out that it is currently 69 years old. It was born on April 9 1954, so he's an Aries mm-hmm it's like our dad's age, by the way oh yeah, I miss name me as a total son and he lives in Shinjuku mm-hmm, and in tokyo, right yeah in tokyo. That's one of the busiest places in tokyo and he has a job because he apparently has to pay for taxes, because he has citizenship so and he works at this place called welcome center, and he works as a tourism ambassador so.
Speaker 2:I don't know how he does that, but she, he, but we don't know for sure. He's a male.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So it's pronoun is a true it.
Speaker 3:That's true. Sorry about that.
Speaker 1:It and did we talk about the what Godzilla actually? So we looked into that too what Godzilla?
Speaker 3:actually is. So we looked into that too, and apparently it is a prehistorical reptile or a dinosaur monster. And were you about to say something I was going to?
Speaker 1:say, the name Gojira derives from a Japanese term. It's a combination of gorilla, gorilla, yeah.
Speaker 3:And Goujira, which means whale in Japanese.
Speaker 1:So then when you combine those, then it becomes gosumi Godzilla.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so in Japan we say gojira, gorilla is gorilla, kujira is whale, and then combined gojira. Should we say it one more time?
Speaker 1:One more time. Yeah, no, I'm just just kidding.
Speaker 3:It's very iconic in japan and I feel like it keeps yeah, it keeps coming out with movies too I think they came out with a new version in 2016, okay but isn't it true, though, that there are several films, right?
Speaker 1:I've never actually sat down and watched it before there are.
Speaker 2:I think I've seen all of them really, I think, except for the original. Yeah, I've never seen the original, I don't think.
Speaker 1:I've only seen clips of the original and I feel like the latest one is it produced in japan or is it in the us? Do you know?
Speaker 3:I feel like it's like more westernized now right yeah, I think it's a westernized now Right, yeah, I feel like it was in the US.
Speaker 1:So that's interesting. I think that's pretty much all we can think of from the episode that we talked about from last time. We encourage you to listen to it, just because we have other things that we discussed that we thought were interesting Additionally, Tomomi you want to talk about the Some unique vending machines.
Speaker 2:Unusual and unique vending machines. Unusual and unique vending machines yeah that exists in tokyo, and I don't know if it's just tokyo or elsewhere in japan too, but one of them says fresh bananas, fresh bananas vending machine. Yes, fresh bananas, because they want to be able to provide healthy snacks. Have you seen that samia around fresh bananas nope vending machines? No, have you heard of it would you buy it, I mean, but like so is it refrigerated?
Speaker 3:I've never heard of it, or is it not?
Speaker 1:refrigerated I would think so, yeah, but the vending machines are refrigerated usually bananas don't need to be refrigerated, but then would it?
Speaker 2:would it be good if it was sitting in the hot sun?
Speaker 3:no, I think it would go. Bad weather in japan during the summer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like it's refrigerated and then apparently there's bug snack vending machine snacks for bugs, yeah, like sealed and yeah but what kind of bugs I don't know. I mean like see like bug, see like bug candies, like cricket energy bar.
Speaker 1:Ok, so it's not for bugs, it's for it's like people. Yeah, it's for people, it's not for bugs, right, right, it's for people.
Speaker 2:Ok, there's rhino beetle, like it's showing pictures, but it has like a man holding a bug, like literally a regular bug. I'm sure it's coated with sugar, I don't know, or spice, oh my God. Yeah, in the US Right. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Candy lollipop With insects in it.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, yes, I remember Scorpion and stuff.
Speaker 2:Yes, scorpion and crickets and things like that. It's a vending machine version, I guess. There things like that. Uh, it's a vending machine version, I guess. Um, there's also soup stock you can buy. So apparently fish like literally fish is inside the bottles that you can purchase. It's already good to go, you can make soup or whatever you want, but apparently there's fish inside these bottles that you can see. You know that's weird. And of course, alcohol. I think we may have talked about this before, but this is not just in tokyo, that that's everywhere. But you can't check your id. So that's what I was wondering. I was curious about that because there is right, you have to be 20 in japan to drink and they don't have to check. So I mean, do they even card in japan when you buy alcohol?
Speaker 3:well, if you, when you buy um alcohol in convenience stores, if you look young, they'll ask for your id.
Speaker 1:Okay, but remember we used to go buy beer, for what does that like?
Speaker 2:or in the vent, the vending machine or cigarettes yeah, I know that one, you can, can't, unless they've updated it.
Speaker 1:But this was when we were little, like when we were in elementary school.
Speaker 2:So it's still like that, right, simi, it's still accessible. They have like beer, they have. What kind? Is it just beer? I think I've only seen beer they might have like shochu.
Speaker 3:I think they have beer and sawa. Okay, like cocktails.
Speaker 2:Like hard seltzers or cocktails. Okay, also have vending machine water from different parts of Japan so different, like in one vending machine so you can get it from this region or if you want water from this region, in one vending machine. That is interesting. That is interesting. That is interesting if you are very picky about the taste of water from from where you drink it. So this is not the actual product of a vending machine that's unique, but it's a I anime girl that helps you choose a drink. If you're very indecisive and don't know how to choose it, it's built in the machine. I guess I don't know what kind of questions they ask. It's this particular one I'm reading about. The AI's name is Sakura-san Uh-huh Cherry blossom. She's multilingual concierge. Her program includes a station guide, train connection info. Oh, so it has nothing to do with your drinks in the vending machine, but it's just if you are traveling. But it's on a vending machine with drinks.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, so it's separate. It doesn't help you with drinks, but it helps you with navigation.
Speaker 2:Right, it says includes a station guide, train connection information, and she can even answer questions via voice commands she also uses facial recognitions to recommend a drink based on your.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. Yeah, they used to have. I don't know if they still have it, but yeah, yeah but wait what?
Speaker 2:are you gonna say people look old? You know facial recognition. To recommend a drink.
Speaker 3:They'll scan your face and maybe, if you look tired, they'll recommend something that's filled with vitamins.
Speaker 1:So if you're much older, then they recommend you what? Maybe green tea?
Speaker 3:Or something with collagen Maybe, and if you're a little kid, they probably recommend juice or something like that. You. And if you're like a little kid, they probably wouldn't. They would probably recommend juice or something like that.
Speaker 2:You look stressed Drink this beer. Wow, that's interesting.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they used to have that. I don't know if they still have it, so you've seen it before. They used to be in a lot of the train stations. That's what it says.
Speaker 2:It says they're found inside major JR stations like Shinjuku, tokyo and Akihabara. Wow Okay, this is really bizarre Shirts and spices machine like together. So if you are feeling like, I need a t-shirt. Then you just press a t-shirt button, yeah, and then from the same vendingending machine you can also buy spice. What kind of spice?
Speaker 3:uh, shibuya original spices I wonder if the t-shirt is to promote that spice.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, is it? It looks like. Um. No, it's promoting shibuya. It says shibuya on the t-shirt, but the spices are from, I think, shibuya as well. Okay, um, that's the only common ground. But why t-shirt and spices?
Speaker 1:that's so strange so these must be the one that you're reading off of. I mean, some of them must be just like one-off, like one of a kind right, like especially unique.
Speaker 2:It says unique vending machines. But I mean, why don't they sell like T-shirts and shorts or T-shirts and socks? That makes more sense. T-shirts and spices, I think they may have socks Really Well, I noticed that in the US at airports there are vending machines that are more essential items.
Speaker 1:You know like travel electronics and stuff. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Or even travel items. Um, yeah, I have seen, I guess. Okay, I mean other ones. Homemade burgers I feel like hot, freshly made bowls are starting to become popular in the us as a vending machine too. I mean this one's a burger, it's saying and other fancy meat sandwiches. Apparently they have capsule toys, is what they refer it as, but more vending machine version. Um, it has like a capsule toys inside. Yeah, there's mystery prize vending machines. Apparently this one is the infamous king's treasure box machine, is what it says, and it's very recognizable. I guess it's all shiny and gold and frame. Have you seen it?
Speaker 3:Sumi, apparently this one is a mystery one.
Speaker 2:Like you don't know what you're getting.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, I've seen something like that yeah.
Speaker 1:Is it a toy or what is it?
Speaker 2:It says you don't know what you're getting, but it could be from a lighter to a gaming console.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, wow, and you pay, say 1,000 yen.
Speaker 2:It's expensive yeah it says don't expect too much from these.
Speaker 1:That's what it says these vending machines. I mean lighter doesn't cost that much, it's like 10 bucks-ish.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but if you get a gaming console, then I mean that's cool, but you may be a lot more disappointed, right? Um, they also have hunkle seal vending machines. Hunkle is a stamp, but very signature stamps that actually might be convenient individualized to you yeah in japan people don't sign with a pen. You have a specific signature stamp that's assigned to you uh, of your choice, I. I guess that's what they use everywhere they go it has your surname on it, so yeah, yeah, so you have to carry that around.
Speaker 2:If you are needing to sign documents because you're not actually signing with a pen, you have to to use a hunkle, a stamp. But they do have, I guess, vending machines for it.
Speaker 1:But is it pre-made? Because when you actually purchase at the store, it's pre-made Okay.
Speaker 2:Apparently, they make their own signature seal in just 10 minutes, as little as 500 yen, so this may be good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it might be convenient for some people who are like you know working and want to I would assume you type in your names somewhere on the vending machine and then it shows options of different design stamp cases and stuff that you can purchase at the vending machine. Yeah, because otherwise you have to go to a store and get that made right yeah, or you just buy it yeah, if you're right at the store maybe right.
Speaker 3:If your surname's you know pretty common, then they probably have it already then this one is strange bee larvae vending machines.
Speaker 2:Uh, what is it for?
Speaker 3:I'm not sure what's a bee larvae?
Speaker 2:like before it becomes a bee. Is it larva? Yeah, plural version. Okay, the real start of this vending machine is a can of hachinoko bee larvae.
Speaker 1:That goes for a whopping 2300 yen so when the bee egg hatches it becomes larva. And larvae is legless, featureless white grub. It is specialized to eat and never leaves individual wax cell. So why would people buy?
Speaker 2:that I'm reading this, but yeah, I'm not sure if it explains why they sell that. Is it healthy? I mean, I guess it's protein.
Speaker 3:You, could eat meat. They have cake in a can vending machines.
Speaker 1:Right Right Close to okay, sky tree but I think it was not cheap, it was quite, it wasn't expensive. But yeah, I think it was like maybe 700 yen and it was in a can too that I think it looked like a soda can, almost, where you can pull off the top. Have you had it before?
Speaker 2:no, so I don't. It doesn't explain in this article why they sell. And then it says you can also find grasshopper vending machines too. It seems like for consumption.
Speaker 1:I don't know why well, it is protein, like it's more sustainable, I guess, than eating animals.
Speaker 2:I mean it's just like the earlier, the bug bug snack vending machine. Maybe it's along that line. I don't know some people who are craving bee larvae or grasshoppers.
Speaker 3:Apparently there's also rare milk vending machines, bottled milk from all over japan, just like the water like they, no, no, I think that it means like they have lemon flavored milk, strawberry flavored milk, yeah, it says.
Speaker 2:And then also you'll find milk cartons and milk based beverages that you won't find anywhere else. In Tokyo, popular drinks include vanilla flavored milk from Kumamoto, lemon flavored. That just sounds like sour milk.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's not. Well, I don't really like it. I've had it before. It's from tochigi prefecture.
Speaker 2:They sell lemon milk, kauri, since you like to cook, don't you add lemon to, or some sort of acid to, milk to make buttermilk, buttermilk right so it's like drinking buttermilk that's true, by the way of sour.
Speaker 1:Yesterday I was trying to make chili right. Prepping the meat, I threw in spices and then I got a can of red kidney beans, so I threw that in there and then, as I dumped most of the content inside and I was trying to rinse it out, the rest of them out and strain them to put the rest in it, I realized it smelled kind of funky and I was like it smells weird. So then I like smelled it again because there were some at the bottom of the can. It smelled sour. This isn't, this is weird. So then I looked at the date. It said 2027. So then I, after I like put the water in, I strained it, I took one and I ate it. It was bad, I know, and I was so mad because you said it was from a.
Speaker 1:Can yes, and I said it was it would expire in 2027 no, it wasn't open anywhere, like nowhere.
Speaker 2:Nowhere, it wasn't cracked, nope nothing, ew, that's.
Speaker 1:I was pretty mad because I was like what am I I going to make now, because I threw most of them inside. I tried to take them out but it was just too much to take out and couldn't do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sorry about that.
Speaker 1:So there's other vending machines, including a variety, a wide variety of canned foods such as oden, odenkan which is what would be like hot pot with goods with like fish, cakes, eggs and such it's really good, but in a can in a vending machine?
Speaker 2:I've never heard of that. In a can that you can buy at the vending machine too. I guess they do havei in a can that you can buy at the vending machine too.
Speaker 1:Oh, I guess they do have sausages in a can here too, so oh my gosh vending machine. Not in the vending machine, but yakitori is a chicken skewers yeah, usually.
Speaker 2:So I'm trying to picture it in a can like that's interesting. Yeah, like it's showing a small can, is it frozen size? It doesn't say it's frozen like this big, like hand hand size. What do you think you would want in a vending machine?
Speaker 1:that's a very good question you haven't seen.
Speaker 2:I would love to see like sewing stuff, like, if I like, accessories, zippers, zipper poles yeah, needles thread.
Speaker 3:I mean, I guess that might be convenient, like if you're out walking, yeah, like if you're like, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Like, you lose your button, which is rare.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's never going to be used and never going to. Who's going to stock that right?
Speaker 1:I would say like bento box or something.
Speaker 2:Food. Isn't there already?
Speaker 1:Probably in Japan Bento box vending machine Like some type of pre-made food. That's delicious.
Speaker 3:But they're so easy to get at convenience stores, yeah well we can't get it here, that's true.
Speaker 1:And convenience store foods in Japan are so good, oh my gosh, compared to here I read that maybe it was again a few months ago that they're bringing japanese convenience store to america like 7-eleven oh yeah, I read that too somewhere did you yeah.
Speaker 2:So what do you mean? Like food?
Speaker 3:well, it looks like, I think, food wise, because we have 7-eleven in the us, I think like food-wise, like bento, but the ingredients, of course, are going to be from the us and not japan, so they're saying that it probably have different flavors to them. Um, a vending machine that sells poop bags for your pet for your dogs, oh well, yeah, that's not a bad idea I mean, if don't, if you forget to take them with you when you go out for a walk?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess here in the parks you can find them. Like they're free you can take.
Speaker 3:They're free.
Speaker 2:We do have them too, where there's like like a parks and stuff when you're walking your dog. But sometimes they're out, the rolls are out and you could. Maybe it doesn't have to be a huge vending machine, but maybe like even a small one where people can just buy if they need it. Yeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 3:Because they don't sell. They don't pass those out for free in Japan, or at least not.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, true, because you have to pay even for plastic bags in Japan at grocery stores, I wouldn't even mind, like pencils and pens, because I always forget.
Speaker 3:Or umbrellas oh, umbrella might be a good idea, yeah.
Speaker 2:Thanks for joining us today. Don't forget to review Sister Vibes and make sure to subscribe on the app of your choice so you don't miss our upcoming episodes. Until next time, John it John it Bye.
