We Love Golf!

It seems like every year, I find some new reason to love Japan and all its myriad surprises. Whether it's the space-age potties, the musical themes at the train stations, or the country's strange fascination with horse racing (evident in the number of horse racing-themed games for practically every console under the sun), there's always something new. And while the 2008 Tokyo Game Show has yet to start, I found my latest obsession last night--indoor golf at the Yodobashi-Akiba, one of the largest electronics store in the world, located right in the middle of the world-famous Akihabara electronics district.

As if eight floors of computers, games, DVDs, toys, and restuarants wasn't enough, the ninth floor of the Yodobashi-Akiba, features a pretty extensive golf shop, complete with a miniature, two-level driving range. For 3,000 Yen (about thirty bucks) you can rent three clubs and get 100 balls to whack against a netted wall about 50 yards away. The above picture shows myself and GS Live's Takeshi Hiraoka raking off the tees. The picture does not show my wicked slice but, trust me, it was there.

Trust the Japanese to throw a sci-fi spin on even the sport of golf. The next picture shows the automated tee, which presents you with a ball and, after you've struck it, sinks back down into the ground, grabs another golf ball, and pops back up. It's fascinating, not just because of the heaping loads of crazy (in a good way) involved in this device's design but, because apparently in Japan, there are treasure troves of golf balls just waiting to be tapped as a natural resource.

The closest thing we have to very helpful golf tool in the U.S. is Shanker but he refuses to caddy for me and Aaron on the course.