More alien, I mean octopus pix.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokyofoodcast/465044841/in/set-72157600064088291/

I love those crazy carts. They are totally insane. My wife took a class from a wholesaler at Tsukiji and learned Tsukiji Fish Market Rule Number One:

People do not have right of way, fish does. Stay out of the way from anyone delivering fish and stay away from crazy little round vehicles laden with fish. They will choose to save fish rather than people.

The value of human life definitely falls below the value of fresh tuna at Tsukiji. But what is life really worth without good seafood anyway?

@1 who said

I'd suspect that this thing dates back quite a ways. I would associate this sort of tech with former Warsaw Pact countries.

When I first arrived in the back end of nowhere Japan, I was surprised at how yes, so many things did look ike something out of COMECON central casting--the housing blocks especially. In my area we had the three story, five story, or seven story models--all the same, all over. They hand big letters or number on the ends of the buildings to distinguish them.

Living in one of these public housing projects, I had the same intimidating shower/bath heater as in this post. Someone showed me how to start it once, then warned me of gassing yourself if the flame goes out, or possible explosions.

I never did gas myself or explode and came to love the heater. I could use it to recirculate the water in bath to keep it piping hot. The cranking made an enormous racket which I came to associate with a nice warm bath, so what others consider obnoxious, makes me feel comfortable.

Even moving top the big city years later, I had the same type unit again. In Tokyo now, I have central hot water, but you still see plenty of these old style units around.