Alongside our story on the pop phenomenon AKB48, here is another look at Japan. It's the monologue from last night's penultimate episode of this season's Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain's Sunday night travelogue series for CNN. (Additional clips from the show are here, but we strongly recommend finding the full episode when it reruns on CNN or later, on their Youtube channel.) Channeling his best Hunter Thompson-Lowell Thomas-Paul Bowles reportage, Bourdain finds Tokyo at once reserved, yet bound in erotic fantasy -- perhaps the ultimate enigma. Look for his visit to the Shinjuku Kabukicho District here, where he visits a show called Robot Wars, an adult-themed multi-media light show featuring Panda characters, light-saber-wielding cyborgs and scantily clad military girls. Maybe it was the sake that had Bourdain ranting that the show was the best, of any, he had ever seen – and that he had no idea what it meant. Bourdain writes, "It's easily one of the most brilliantly shot and edited episodes we've ever done." He finishes this season next week in Detroit, and TVWW will preview. –EG

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