I’ve always been one to leave the Rough Guide/Lonely Planet in the hotel room (especially in South America) as you might as well wear a t-shirt with ‘Mug me’ written on it… but the MSM has got in on the whole reader generated content thing with the UK Guardian’s ‘Been there’ section.

As far as Japan goes, Tokyo has a whopping 128 tips for a nicer stay while Kyoto manages only four (‘Avoid English bars’ speaks the voice of bitter experience), though these range from family-orientated to boozy (why not have sections for different classes of reader?). If this is to work then Japundit readers ought to get in on the act or leave gaijin perceptions moulded by this kind of site.

Speaking of the MSM treatment of Japan (‘Not just ritual suicide and manga porn’, apparently), this Beeb story about government funding of speed dating has a veritable checklist of cliché, though if I was a Japanese male I’d seriously think of heading to China and avoiding the awkward embarrassment. There’d be no need for such ‘novel’ measures if the system actually let employees have the time outside of work to meet members of the opposite sex. But that wouldn’t make for amusing journalism.