Yamanote Line Watch for some trainspotting

Juniper Foo | Sep 24, 2008

(Photo insert courtesy of i_yudai on Flickr)

It takes a true Japanophile or fashion dork to love this watch and wear it. Made by Japan's Seahope, this timepiece screams "tourist souvenir" and "geek alert", and not in a very flattering way, either. Let's just say kawaii isn't the first thing that comes to mind. However, if you've ever been on the Yamanote Line during rush hour and can't get enough of the sights, sounds and body crush at Tokyo's busiest underground rail, the Yamanote Line Watch offers four choices. These replicate the electronic bulletin boards at Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ebisu and Shinagawa stations.

Note the key word "replicate". That reads fake mini bulletin board that can't, and won't, transmit real-time train timetables. The only differentiation between the versions appears to be some text and the station number. Other than that, this is as vanilla as watchpieces come, with time and date. All for a cutthroat tourist price of 25,200 yen (US$240).

Via Akihabara News

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