Rare Junk: Japanese VHS

Rare junk. It’s a beautiful thing. For collectors, discovering the holy grail of your collection is a climatic, unforgettable experience. The extensive search has ended! That prized possession you’ve always wanted and have been hunting for years is finally yours. Rejoice! But once in a blue moon, you stumble upon an uncommon object in your collecting quest. An object that’s completely new to you. Sometimes these items are so rare, it’s like discovering a completely new species. You’ve never seen anything like it. No, this isn’t the holy grail you’ve been searching for, but it’s almost better - powering a new sense of accomplishment.

Rare Junk is dedicated to those unintentional, yet completely outlandish discoveries - ultra-rare TMNT items that you’ve never seen listed on eBay or at your local toy show. No action figures, only bizarre merchandise that decades ago found its way to store shelves all across the world.

They’re weird.
They’re rare.
They’re completely awesome.

Adjust your tracking, dudes. Consumer America was a mutant paradise in the 1990s with TMNT VHS tapes reigning supreme. Before it was declared dead media, the Turtles conquered the video cassette format in every way possible. From the standard cartoon episodes to strange PSAs for the Los Angeles subway system (yes, it's a real thing), the green machines were a VHS poster child. So it’s never surprising to discover old school tapes featuring the Turtles while scouring thrift stores and flea markets. There are so many out there, and I feel like I’ve come across all of them at some point in my travels. That is, until now...

International awesome! These imported VHS tapes feature episodes from the short-lived anime series that aired in Japan. If you’ve never seen it and don’t remember the show, there’s a reason for that - it never aired in America. You can easily find it online these days, so give it a watch. It’s a twisted and outlandish take on the Turtles, such a departure from anything the franchise had (and has) done. It’s almost hard to believe that this show existed at the same time as the original, American cartoon series. That’s what makes these Japanese VHS tapes so special. Their very existence is mystical, serving as both a time capsule and portal to an alternate, mutant reality. 

And I need to point out that the packaging is 👌

Both tapes are still sealed in a thin layer of foreign plastic. I don’t have the heart to open them, and instead, will just stare at them...maybe while eating pizza - pretending I’m at a fancy art exhibit, soaking in fine Japanese works and nibbling delicacies.

Much like the Michelangelo displayed on the back of this packaging, I’m giddy. Japanese Turtle Power will do that to ya.

I could go on and on about the awesomeness of these international VHS tapes. Clearly, I need a Turtle tape intervention. I'll just leave you with this, ピザ . The word pizza in Japanese! Well, at least according to Google Translate.

Be kind and rewind, dudes.