Goopas!

I thought this was cool, in a very japanese sort of way. The idea is that you register your commuter pass (teiki) with the railway company along with your mobile phone's email address and a list of things in which you are interested. When you go through the ticket gates, the railway mails you something to read on the train. By the looks of things they can also send you something depending on where you get off.

Can you imagine that being successful anywhere in the west? People would be completely paranoid about 'the man' knowing when they got on and off the train.

The name is classic 'engrish'. I'd guess that 'goopas' translates to 'good pass'.

In other japanese news, a boy who killed a couple of people and injured several others at Ikebukuro station a few years ago, got a life sentence instead of the death penalty. The reason? He was "obviously un-balanced" at the time. You don't say...