Cubicle Hermit

For the “those wacky Japanese” file…

Japan’s virgin wives turn to sex volunteers

The 200 women a year who seek help at a clinic in the Tokyo suburbs have not had sex with their husbands in up to 20 years, and some never, according to Kim Myong-gan, who runs the clinic.

Mr Kim’s short-term solution is unconventional. After an initial 20,000 yen (£100) counselling session, he produces photographs of 45 men, mostly professionals in their 40s, with whom the women are invited to go on dates and then, in almost all cases, arrange regular assignations in hotel rooms.

Mr Kim dismissed charges that his service was little more than a male prostitution ring. “The men volunteer and pay half the hotel and restaurant bills, so legally there is absolutely nothing wrong with it,” he said.

…over here, I can only imagine the cow that the radical right would have over “organized infidelity” pushed by a mental health/social services professional.

The rest of the article is pretty interesting on their demographic challenges, but not nearly as juicy as this clip or the headline would imply.

Gerbil on DBA provides:

Big doings over at Sesame Street…Cookie Monster is
cutting back on the cookies:

Cookie Monster Eating Fewer Cookies:

Something must be wrong in the land of Muppets. First PBS announced that “Sesame Street” would kick off its 35th season this week with a multiyear story arc about healthy habits. No problem there; childhood obesity rates are soaring. Then I learned of changes that turned my “Sesame Street” world upside-down.

My beloved blue, furry monster — who sang “C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me” — is now advocating eating healthy. There’s even a new song — “A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food,” where Cookie Monster learns there are “anytime” foods and “sometimes” foods.