Strange Things are Afoot in Japan

Both of these stories have video for you to watch if you click through to the articles; I'm not embedding them in the interest of not making my blog slow to load.

1. A sake bar in Utsunomiya has monkeys working as waiters, working for edamame tips. This would be so awesome to see in person. I should note that this is the city I lived in for a month as an exchange student in high school. No monkey waiter back then, although I did see a neighborhood fireworks display that lasted for more than two hours.

2. A naked European went for a swim in the moat surrounding the Imperial Palace, fighting off the authorities for an hour and a half before being detained.