An explanation...

It's me! It's me! was a scam launched some time last year, or perhaps much earlier, by certain shady individuals throughout Japan. Remarkably simple, it relied purely on the mark's gullibility and unquestioning faith in the doctrine of keeping out of trouble. The perp, having obtained the mark's phone number, would call said mark and shriek It's me! It's me! into the handset. (The profile of said mark didn't often deviate from that of an elderly, easily frightened man or woman). The next step was to assume the identity of the mark's adult offspring and recount some tall tale of misfortune that had just befallen them, adding that only a vast sum of cash deposited into a certain bank account would see them free of it. The results of not complying would be dire (ie: usually death or jail), the faux adult offspring would ominously warn.
Amazingly, or not, this faceless harrassment netted a lot of money, enough to see Japan's police launch a serious crackdown and public education campaign. This rubbish was screwing billions of yen out of vulnerable old people, simply by counting on the victim's embarassment and fear to keep them quiet.

And so, I've named my very own blog after it. I've lived in Tokyo for nearly three years now and felt there was a very poingnant point about the 'Japanese way' exhibited in this scam. I haven't figured out what that is yet, but that's part of why I'm here. Hopefully, further observations along the trail will help me make sense of this dark, disturbing place. It's a happy!