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Advertising Japan Star Wars Prequels Idle Entertainment

Tokyo Subway Gets Lightsaber Handrails 61

Posted by samzenpus from the count-your-fingers dept.
jafo writes "I can't imagine that even the most steadfast haters of Lucas' meddling in the series won't warm their cold, cold hearts a little when the new release brings the awesomeness of light sabers to the Tokyo subway system. As a promotional tie-in, the handrails have been outfitted with stickers, LEDs, and buttons, turning them into fully-functional (well, almost) Jedi weapons. Be careful, Tokyo, of what part of the handrail you reach out for!"
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Tokyo Subway Gets Lightsaber Handrails More

Tokyo Subway Gets Lightsaber Handrails

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  • goddamit Lucas! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Thud457 ( 234763 ) on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @09:33AM (#37539608) Homepage Journal
    Han Posted FIRST

    • That's so special edition release.

      Now the new nerd rage against star wars

      EWOKS DON'T BLINK!!

    • Luke would have posted first, but he had to do it entirely left-handed because somebody jostled him on the subway.

  • Much like paper, I thought Star Wars didn't have handrails.

  • Well (Score:5, Funny)

    by Quiet_Desperation ( 858215 ) on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @09:40AM (#37539700)

    I can't imagine...

    Well, imagine harder.

  • Ouch (Score:4, Funny)

    by DinDaddy ( 1168147 ) on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @09:47AM (#37539800)

    "how'd you lose your hand?"

    "Train jostled and made me lose by balance."

  • I wonder how many people will only hold onto the actual handle part and avoid grabbing the "blade" section. Everything I know about lightsabers tells me that the glowing colorful part is the dangerous end, so even though I know that these are decoration and are not real, I might still instinctively only grab the handle part.

    Might be interesting to set up a camera and see how many people hesitate before grabbing the "blade" or if anyone just only goes for the handle, even if it is awkward to hold on that way

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Jeng ( 926980 )

      Not many, from the picture it looks like the handles are going to be at knee level.

      • For you, maybe.

        For short people? That's at a comfortable level.

        Ewoks? Forget about it. They shouldn't be handling those anyways.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Everything I know about lightsabers tells me that they are not real.

  • Japanese Culture (Score:5, Insightful)

    by 0100010001010011 ( 652467 ) on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @09:50AM (#37539844)

    Using stickers with built-in buttons and LED lights, the promo isn’t only smart, it’s also a great opportunity for stealing Star Wars memorabilia. I imagine that these stick-in ’sabers are going to disappear very quickly indeed.

    Something makes me think that these will be just fine. It just isn't in some cultures to steal everything that looks cool and isn't bolted down.

    • I don;t know how to steal one in a crowded subway.

      • What you do is you unwrap it, and put it in your bag.

        Now if you want to steal it without anyone noticing, that would be a different matter..

        • What you do is you unwrap it, and put it in your bag.

          Now if you want to steal it without anyone noticing, that would be a different matter..

          "This isn't the thief you're looking for."

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by JustOK ( 667959 )

        turn it off first, then just grab the handle.

        'Course, I'd just use the force to retrieve it, but that's just me.

      • Here is a tip: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_Effect [wikipedia.org]
        You can potentially do anything but going berserk against a crowd, and nobody will care, because the Tokyo subway is transporting to many people.
        If you ever find yourself in a bad situation in one of Japans crowded trains: Shout "Fire!" or the japanese equalliant, and people will at the least attempt to run in panic.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward

          Have you SEEN how crowded the Tokyo subway is?

          They actually hire people who are called "train stuffers". It is their job to stand at the door of each car at busy stations as physically PUSH people into the trains to make sure there are no empty spaces.

          I'm not joking, here is a video.

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7kor5nHtZQ

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Ogive17 ( 691899 )
      I want to know how people plan on stealing a bunch of stickers....

      And I've never been on the subway in Tokyo and seen so few people on it.

      Besides, most Japanese are too busy burying their face into their cell phone or Nintendo DS to even notice the light saber handles.

    • Re:Japanese Culture (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Arcaeris ( 311424 ) on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @11:57AM (#37541658)

      Yeah, Japan has extremely low rates of vandalism. Sometimes it makes me hate the culture of the US, which I blame for a lot of things like this - but that's beside the point.

      In Japan they have video games that you play by peeing into a urinal, and you compete with other urinators based on urine stream force and whatnot. I can count on one hand the number of seconds a device like this would last in a US bathroom before being utterly destroyed. Yet, in Japan, they're still functional and clean after quite some time.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Korin43 ( 881732 )

        Yeah, Japan has extremely low rates of vandalism. Sometimes it makes me hate the culture of the US, which I blame for a lot of things like this - but that's beside the point.

        It could just be that they have a much higher population density, so it's harder to vandalize things without getting caught.

      • Re:Japanese Culture (Score:4, Insightful)

        by PRMan ( 959735 ) on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @02:05PM (#37543866)
        The social pressure against being a thief is very high in Japan. It is very low in many US communities.

      • Americans could break Japanese toys with their pee.

        Another "Asian dick" joke...classy!

    • The things are wrappings that go around existing handrails which are either bolted or welded to the car. Nobody is going to walk away with them easily, regardless of the culture.

  • The comments section of TFA is funny. Tell us, unpartial slashdotters: will those light sabers become theft fodder for the dishonorable?

  • Brilliant Marketing (Score:3)

    by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) * on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @10:07AM (#37540058) Homepage Journal

    The only thing better would be to put out a disc that people actually wanted to buy!

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Ocker3 ( 1232550 )
      With actual new content, rather than silly voice-overs ruining iconic and moving, pivotal scenes.

  • I was on this train last night, actually, at it was a pretty wild experience once you realized the entire train was outfitted in Star Wars ads. The lightsabers are definitely a nice touch. That said, trains occasionally get the all-car treatment, and I remember one Yamanote line train being made up in Meiji Chocolate-bar wrap (as part of an anniversary event, being used as a call back to the lines original brown colour), and another time when a train was made out for a breath mint add where all the handleba

  • WTF is it advertising?

    • FTFA:

      Almost impossible to believe, I know, but even this insensitive tinkering doesn’t lessen the greatness of the Japanese publicity campaign for the Blu-ray release. Advertisers have turned the grab-bars on the Tokyo subway into lightsabers.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by aix tom ( 902140 )

        And according to the article, too, it has two exiting new features:

        - Blinking Ewoks
        - Darth Vader screaming "Noooo!!!" while throwing the Emperor down the generator shaft.

        Which is kinda fitting, since my comment to those exiting new features would be:

        *blink* *blink* "Nooooo!!!!!!"

  • If you watched the movie "Contagion"... (Score:3)

    by thisisauniqueid ( 825395 ) on Wednesday September 28, 2011 @10:28AM (#37540314)
    If you watched the movie "Contagion", you wouldn't think this was such a great idea.
  • It doesn't matter how long you've watched Star Wars or how much you loved the original series. Anyone who still finds anything of value in the series after I, II and III is a loser in denial. You can't ignore the bad films, their taint is all over the originals. Then yeah, you've got lazy lard ass picking your pockets with constant re-releases of the "classics" only finding new ways to jerk them around. Just think "midichloreans" every time Obi Wan opens his mouth. It's still there. Stop worshiping this tra
  • Hah... the more I learn about stuff in Japan the more envious I become. I think they're starting to turn into what America used to be as far as culture mixing goes. There are so many people packed into such a small area and they are usually quite open minded that allows them to do stuff like this. Not just stuff that doesn't seem culturally acceptable, but niche products too that need constant interest. Older american generations are still struggling with anime being seen as a 'cartoony kid's show', yet it'

  • hand rails in Japanese subway cars are being stolen in mass...

  • Remember the Fomula One stint when Red Bull Racing's pit crew dressed up as pseudo storm troopers and Vader's for the "Revenge of the Sith?"
    team photo [chequeredf...tables.com]
    Star Wars Pit Stop [rediff.com]

    Yeah, that movie stank on ice as does this latest box set release shit. Does anybody know where I can get a Betamax release of the original movies?

    • That is awesome and shows a good sense of humor. I love the second pic, you have Vader standing off to the side a bit watching over the storm troopers work on the car (least appears that way...) That is funny to me :)

      • No, they actually ran the race dressed like that. The lead mechanic (who releases the car into the pit lane) is Darth..

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