Japan: Stippy » Video Series “Only in Japan”: Part 2

Magic Hand - The Artistic Version It has been more than a week since the first “Only in Japan” video, apologies for that. This week (keeping the weekly thing going notwithstanding), we would like to bring the second in the series, aptly named “Magic Hand” (マジックハンド）. Have you ever been so lucky to be involved with such a hand?

We believe that this is the first ever footage of a real uninhibited “Magic Hand” in its natural habitat. However, what is not so commonly known, is that you can find magic hands in the dark grimy corners of almost any train station in Japan. Unfortunately though, they are usually hidden away under lock and key, and only come out for the eyes of the lucky… Oh, but just in case you are misunderstanding me, I don’t mean this type of Magic Hand, (WARNING: Link may not be safe for viewing at work, or if you are easily offended) so get the dirty thoughts out of your skull!

Do you remember when you were a kid, and you played with those extendable claw things that when you squeezed them they extend out and can pick something up. I thought they were totally useless, but they never failed to amuse me for hours.

Yes, the magic hand placed in all Japanese stations is one of those contraptions that the rest of the world thought was nothing more than a gimmicky toy for kids. Well, for the Japanese 駅員さんs (station staff) it’s a serious tool for solving “situations” like those that may arise on the train station ~~home~~ platform. Simon Adams shows us the mystery of the magic hand, creating one of those situations, on location at Koshigaya station in Saitama.

Click on the dumbfounded ekiin-san below to see what happens!

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