# Darth Vader in Japan **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526 "2009-02-05T03:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/1 "2009-02-05T03:54:13Z")
This is truly pointless and mundane, but somehow I feel compelled to share. There are a couple of adds that have been running recently for a new series of [pachinko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko) machines. That, in itself, is far from unusual. Pachinko machines are frequently branded with famous manga or television shows and aggressively advertised on television. These ads are for Star Wars pachinko machines, and they’re truly surreal. You thought the Christmas special was bad? I give you: [The birth of Vader](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJwOEDQAK-c&feature=related) [The next battlefield: Japan](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQR18JRo9rg) [Darth Vader invades Nagoya](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CS0LntgrJM&NR=1). [Darth Vader does some tourism](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjV1-eoaBHU&NR=1), followed by a Daliesque Vader New Year. It’s surely a sign that I’ve been here a long time, that it took me a few months before I realized that this was some really weird shit. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/2 "2009-02-05T04:01:43Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > [Darth Vader does some tourism](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjV1-eoaBHU&NR=1), followed by a Daliesque Vader New Year. That woman with him is hot. 😛 Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/3 "2009-02-05T04:07:12Z")
The Japanese are weird. I so want to visit there before I die. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/4 "2009-02-05T04:25:25Z")
[Behold, the power of the Dark Side of the Force.](http://craphound.com/images/hellovader.jpg) Warning! Not responsible any psychological trauma caused by viewing that image! ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/5 "2009-02-05T09:50:25Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > [url=“[http://craphound.com/images/hellovader.jpg](http://craphound.com/images/hellovader.jpg)”]Behold, the power of the Dark Side of the Force. That’s brilliant. Shouldn’t it be the _pink_ side? ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/6 "2009-02-05T12:50:34Z")
Is that Mirror Universe Vader? Is he also bisexual like almost every other Mirror Universe character? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/7 "2009-02-05T15:35:10Z")
Maybe I don’t get it, but what was so bad about the ads in the OP? They don’t seem that weird. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/8 "2009-02-05T16:26:21Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > That woman with him is hot. 😛 … Agreed. Although all the cargo planes with Vader’s heads were 'way freaky. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/9 "2009-02-05T21:05:24Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Agreed. Although all the cargo planes with Vader’s heads were 'way freaky. Those were _cargo_ planes? ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/10 "2009-02-06T00:16:56Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > They don’t seem that weird. Well, freaky Vaderplanes, Vader on a Japanese sightseeing tour, a temple bell transforms into Vader’s head, Vader being mobbed like a Beatles… ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/11 "2009-02-06T00:21:06Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > Well, freaky Vaderplanes, Vader on a Japanese sightseeing tour, a temple bell transforms into Vader’s head, Vader being mobbed like a Beatles… How about a [Vader Statue of Liberty head?](http://www.eugenewei.com/images/misc2007/vader-liberty.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darth-vader-in-japan/484526/12 "2009-02-06T01:25:23Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > How about a [Vader Statue of Liberty head?](http://www.eugenewei.com/images/misc2007/vader-liberty.jpg) When the force-choke of death isn’t quite forceful enough: the liberty headbut of death.