Day 4: It's Potty Time! ( for stylish people only)

Everyone knows the "toilet people" that little blue man and red girl with round heads and nubby arms and legs. For years they have been showing us what a Man and a Lady are. There are the various other styles of bathroom signs, some use real photos, illustrations, etc. these are found in your more upscale, theme restaurants, but in general cafes and fast food use the standard nubby man and lady

So how does one explain this bathroom sign with the stylish blue man casually standing by his long haired high heeled red lady counterpart? Perhaps this is some young modern cafe?

This my friends, acquaintances and people I don't even know is a sign in a fast food restaurant. A Lotteria hamburger chain restaurant. When I saw this I stood there laughing for a good 3-5 minutes before snapping a photo. I have never seen another Lotteria in Japan, or Korea for that matter with this sign. It could be passed off as nothing in particular, but it is the location of this Lotteria that is the key.

This particular restaurant is located at one of the busiest corners in the Namba district of Osaka, on the famous, perhaps infamous Dotonbori street. This street is lined with restaurants, bars, and if one walks a bit further out of the way.. love hotels. It is also teeming with hosts, hostesses, bar girls and scouts: the ladies and gentlemen of Japan who make their money off people's dreams. Any given night they can be found, their hair styled high, sparkly shiny clothes and dripping with accesories ( and that's just the men) chatting up potential customers ( most of whom are entirely uninterested) and preening themselves like exotic birds.

Although the Lotteria might generally attract more of the high school crowd and not these mythical creatures of the Osaka nightlife, at least they pay homage to their famous location.. with their sexy bathroom sign


Too bad they hosts won't see it... they generally prefer a cheap bowl of ramen after a long night, you think with all that styling they actually have money to spend on food? ( and the Lotteria closes around 11pm)