Thursday’s here, and once again, it’s time to examine the inner workings of Japanese culture. This week, I thought I would share a bit of trivia that I only recently learned from the hilarious Stippy.com. The paint filled balls pictured above are a ubiquitous theft deterrent method in Japan, known as the bohan ball. Evidently, cashiers and teller keep these balls nearby to lob at shop lifters and thieves. The paint inside the balls is actually a glow-in-the-dark florescent ink with a very strong, distinctive odor. In fact, Japanese police train dogs to track the odor of the ink, which is something akin to the smell of rotting pineapples.
A bohon ball will set you back about 1500 yen each, and are widely available on the Internet. There are even clear water filled bohon available for practicing your pitch. You can find them online at the following sites:
- http://www.yokukangaeyo.com/htm/goods/arrest-maker/A-ball.htm
- http://www.s16.jp/0022-bcb/
- http://mt5.net/msp/150/ball.htm
You can check out a Stippy.com’s mini-documentary on bohan balls over at UTube.
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