Ghostbusters Theme Song

Telephone cards.
Terehon ka-do (Tay-ray-hon Kah-doe) is how the Japanese pronounce it.
I must admit that before heading over to Japan back in 1990, I had never seen a telephone card before. Now, that may be because I had no one to call, or that I always kept change in my wallet.
But here in the Land of the Rising Sun, the humble telephone card is a major industry.
Whenever I did any sightseeing in Japan, I would usually have my camera in hand to snap off a roll of pictures. Remember that this is before digital cameras! Just in case my camera screwed up or in case I ran out of film, I would also purchase postcards.
Okay, that last excuse is bull-crap. There is a stereotype of the Japanese tourist with the camera - that's a reality... because well, what else do tourists do.... and it just so happens that the Japanese do a lot of touring. Anyhow, Japan had vending machines darn near everywhere.
Out of film?  Oh look, there's a vending machine selling every type of film made by Fuji Films... as well as disposable cameras with and without flash offering shots of 12, 18, 24 and 36. But I'll write more about vending machines in Japan in another blog shortly.
Back to the long-winded story. In case I couldn't find postcards, I could usually get my hands on a telephone card depicting the local sights, the sounds and smells. Okay, maybe just the sights.
Sure you could purchase a 100 Yen telephone card that simply acted as a telephone card... or you could collect them... which is what the telephone card industry did to really have its sales take off.
Japanese telephone cards depict beautiful photography, wonderful line art, and often the latest in printing technologies.
I'd like you to take a look at my telephone card collection - MOSHI MOSHI. (If you will recall, saying the words moshi moshi is how the Japanese say hello when on the telephone. Saying the word moshi once apparently means insect - so perhaps it means "sorry to bug you". Just kidding, of course).
Are you back? Okay, I'll wait....
Okay, some pretty wild stuff, huh? Sure there are wonderful cards showing off places I've visited. But there are also cards showing off movies, television shows, record albums, personal photographs made into cards, and other promotional items.
And then there are the lenticular telephone cards - the ones with motion; and the 3D ones, and my personal favourite: the one made of lacquered wood. Here, I'll show you that one AGAIN.
It consists of strips of very thin wood placed in an artistic pattern and then lacquered to set it in place. It's supposed to be a functional card, too.
The cards themselves, while good for 50 or 100 Yen's worth of phone calls, typically cost more than that - especially when one is purchasing a more artistic graphic... which is why it has become another item for fad collectors like myself to have to have.
Oh well, at least they are getting some use now.
Oh, and should you wonder how to use a pay phone in Japan, check out this ITEM.
So... what's the point of all of this? Nothing really. I just wanted to show you another aspect of Japan that few non-Japanese would ever think about. And now you know.

Somewhere looking for change,
Andrew Joseph
Today's title is by Ray Parker Jr. - you may see a video of it here: BUSTIN'MAKESMEFEELGOOD. Man, I used to love that song, but what a lousy video!
PS: In three years of living in Japan, I never used a telephone card. Who the heck was I gonna call? A Ghost in the Machine?
PPS: Y'know... scanning the cards, loading it to the web-site, and writing captions took me six hours... it only took 30 minutes to write the blog! It shows? Who ya gonna call?