What's Happenin' In Japan

Cubic Watermelons Ship After Drought-Induced Delay

2007-06-28

posted by Akemi

FNN is reporting that Zentsuuji City, located in Kagawa prefecture, has just begun shipping its world-famous signature agricultural product, the square watermelon.

This spring was unusually dry, which lead to a one-week delay in the melons reaching marketable size. Zentsuuji City is the only place in the country (possibly the world) that produces the boxy produce. On the morning of the 25th, six farms that produce the produce delivered 124 of the melons to JA's distribution center. From there, most of the melons make their way to the department stores of Tokyo and Osaka, where they sell for about 15,000 yen (US$120) apiece.

To get the unusual shape, the young melons are placed into a 20cm (8 inch) reinforced plastic frame. As they grow, the box forces them into the unusual shape. Whether a square melon would be easier to eat is a question that remains unanswered, however, since the melons aren't allowed to fully ripen--they're entirely decorative.

As for who's spending a small fortune on an inedible watermelon, the report doesn't say.

Labels: food, weird products

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Iwo Jima Soon Won't Be

2007-06-23

posted by Akemi

Asahi.com is reporting (J) that Iwo Jima, the site of a fierce battle during WWII, will soon have its official name within Japan changed back to what it was before the war.

Prior to WWII, Iwo Jima (actually more properly romanized as Iou-jima) was usually called Iou-tou. Shima and Tou are two different ways to read the same character (which means island), so both are written the same way and mean the same thing, but "Tou" was the pronunciation used by the residents. Meiji-era Japanese naval maps, however, showed "jima," and probably as a result the Allied forces called the island "Iwo Jima" rather than "Iwo Tow." When the island was returned to Japanese control in 1968 it was changed back to "Tou," but when official Japanese maps were revised in 1982, "Iou-jima" was shown as the standard pronunciation.

There were once about 1000 people who made their homes on the island, but during the war the residents were forcibly relocated by the Japanese government. For these former inhabitants and their decedents this renaming was a lasting reminder of the loss of their homes. They had unsuccessfully petitioned to have the reading changed back to what it had been. The attention generated by the recent film Letters From Iwo Jima was enough to finally move their efforts forward.

The way Japan's government is structured, the many outlying islands are legally considered to be part of one of its mainland prefectures. In the case of Iwo Jima, it is (from an administrative standpoint) the village of Ogasawara, which is part of the prefecture of Tokyo (where the city of Tokyo and much of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area is located). The Governor of Tokyo gave the Mayor of Ogasawara permission to directly petition the Japan Geographical Survey Institute to have the reading of the name changed. And, on June 18th, the Institute announced that the reading of the name would be returned to the original Iou-tou. The contour map on which many textbooks and other maps are based will be officially changed this September.

Although the island is now primarily used for military training, for the families of those who once inhabited the island, this change will provide some sense of closure.

Labels: government, history

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Random Video: The Algorithm March

2007-06-20

posted by Akemi

Those who follow internet trends no doubt saw these videos when they were the it thing on YouTube for a day or two, but for those who might have missed them, the Algorithm March.

The march was originally shown on an NHK (Japan's public broadcasting network) educational show as a group exercise for children that also helps teach the Pythagorean Theorem. This first video compiles a few variations of it (including one with a troupe of ninjas), with the addition of English subtitles.

When the march caught on internationally, it somehow ended up being used a group activity at a prison in the Phillipines. This second video shows nearly a thousand prisoners participating in the world-record-sized march. It was apparently part of a birthday celebration for a politician which also included some dance numbers preformed by the prisoners.

Labels: education, random video

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Random Video of the Day: Bucket-sized Parfait

2007-06-19

posted by Akemi

Japan is well known for the prowess of its professional eaters, and one NNN variety show (streaming WMV, no subtitles) takes a look at a couple of restaurants offering unique challenges.

One eatery specializes in parfaits. They will stick nearly anything in a fancy glass--including one topped with an entire slice of cake. But their piece de resistance is the monstrous Bucket Parfait. Served in, quite literally, a metal bucket, the 4kg (not including the weight of the bucket) dessert consists of 3 liters of ice cream with assorted other confections plastered to the outside--among other things the better part of a pineapple, several other fruits, a few large ice cream cones, and about a box of pocky. It's served sprouting several lit sparklers.

Surprisingly, it's actually a popular item (among groups, obviously)--the owner (who has had carpal tunnel surgery from scooping so much hard ice cream) says he's served as many as ten in a single day.

The TV show brings in a renowned eater--a woman who looks to weigh less than the parfait she's challenging--to consume the beast. As it turns out, her enemy isn't the size, but the fact that eating nearly a gallon of ice cream in one sitting makes you very, very cold. Solution? Hot packs on the back, and then eating a large plate of steaming curry and rice for a break from dessert. Yes, she stuck a full-sized dinner in there just to warm up. AND finishes up with the lunch special.

The show also takes a break midway to visit at an Okonomiyaki joint with one unusual menu item. Okonomiyaki is a popular Kansai-region food that is something like a dinner pancake--a variety of vegetables and meat mixed with batter and cooked on a griddle into a flat cake that is eaten with a sort of barbecue sauce. Okonomiyaki is usually about the size of your average pancake, but this restaurant also serves a pizza-sized 3kg plate that includes, among other things, ten eggs and an entire head of cabbage.

If you manage to eat it in 20 minutes, you not only get it free, but you even win a 1010 yen (about $8) prize. The show follows one slightly portly fellow on his second attempt to eat his way to victory. Unfortunately for him, the food wins again, so he goes home full but poorer.

The video is sans-subtitles, but pretty much speaks for itself. It will be available into July, so have a look if you're so inclined.

Labels: food, wacky TV

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Unusual Clouds Off The Hokkaido Coast

posted by Akemi

JNN, ANN, and other national news outlets are reporting on an unusual cloud formation recorded off the coast of the northern island of Hokkaido. The unnaturally straight lines of cloud formed over the northern Ohoutsuku sea, about 40km off the coast. The clouds were filmed on the afternoon of June 18th by a Japanese Coast Guard patrol plane, as seen in this video clip. The Coast Guard has said that the bottom of the stripes is about 300 meters above the surface of the ocean, and they are over 100km long. The clouds are of a common type formed by wind that causes ripples similar to the waves in water, but lines this distinctive are rare, and it's even rarer to see them from above--the pilot of the plane was quoted as saying he'd never seen anything like it in his 35 years in the air.

Labels: nature, weather

 

Ice Cucumber Pepsi Hits Japan

2007-06-12

posted by Akemi

There's a new product hitting the shelves of Japan for a limited run this summer: Ice Cucumber Pepsi.

The gimmick product is being produced by the sole Japanese distributor of Pepsi products, Suntory Limited, a company best known for whisky and beer (you may remember their product from Lost in Translation). Apparently Suntory and Pepsico sat down to come up with a completely new seasonal product and settled on the rather unexpected cucumber. The company has already committed to produce a fixed number of bottles, with the product being rolled out to coincide with the hottest time of year in Japan, which is also (of course) the best season for soda sales.

The somewhat radioactive-looking teal liquid is being sold only in half-liter bottles for 147 yen (with tax--about US$1.20). The label features a bold (and English) "Ice Cucumber" and the following descriptive text in Japanese: "'CUCUMBER' means cucumber in English, and this surprising combination of cola and cucumber is a refreshing cola!"

So how does it taste?

Business Media Makoto, a business news site, offers a detailed review (J). According to the writer it smells something like cucumber; sort of grassy. They say it tastes something like Pepsi's cola, and while it doesn't taste much like cucumber, it does have a cuke-ish aftertaste. After drinking some, they claim the subtlety of the flavor comes out, and brings to mind something like cucumber, the white part of watermelon rind, or maybe diluted melon-flavored shaved ice.

This does not, admittedly, sound terribly appealing, but their reviewer says it's actually better than expected although it's pretty sweet. Commenters elsewhere on the web mostly say that it only smells like cucumber and tastes more like melon (as in cantaloupe, a popular flavor in Japan), although one person did say it reminded them of Ramune, a classic, fruity Japanese soda.

The drink does not, by the way, actually contain any cucumber--the label just lists artificial flavors and fructose.

Whether this wacky new flavor will appeal to overheated soda-drinkers looking for something different remains to be seen.

Labels: food, weird products

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Toyama Kouichi Follow-up

posted by Akemi

For those wondering what the revolutionary candidate for Governor of Tokyo is up to these days, he just landed himself in jail for what you might call a tiny act of revolution.

FNN is reporting (J) that Toyama was arrested for failing to pay a pair of traffic fines to the city of Kagoshima. It seems that back in January of 2006, Toyama got a ticket for riding his minibike the wrong way down a one-way street, then another in July for doing a modest 20km/h over the speed limit.

The fines totaled 15,000 yen (about US$123), but Toyama failed to pay them and then proceeded to ignore over ten summons to appear before the court. Eventually they issued a warrant for his arrest. He is said to be continuing his revolt of one, refusing to cooperate with police investigators and remaining silent since his arrest.

Labels: Where are they now

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Rash of Thefts Plagues Unmanned Vegetable Stands

2007-06-09

posted by Akemi

The Mainichi News is one of several news outlets running a report (J) on a recent crackdown on vegetable thefts in Kouchi City, Kouchi Prefecture.

Small farms across Japan have a sort of do-it-yourself farmers' market system--an unmanned stand beside the road with their produce and a box to deposit money. Although the potential for carrying off veggies without paying is obvious, it is not a major problem in most areas, perhaps an indication of the harmony valued by Japanese society.

Kouchi City's own roadside stands, however, appropriately called "ryoushin-ichi" ("Conscience Markets"), have recently fallen victim to a string of dishonest "customers." The problem got serious enough that the local police started cracking down, and in a 30 day period arrested 16 different people. The suspects range in age from 47 to an impressive 86; the thefts ranged between 200 and 2600 yen (approximately US$2-22) in value of everything from potatoes to peas.

Since most of the produce is already in pre-packed 100 yen (roughly US$1) bags, it's rather impressive that one particularly shameless 63 year old woman is accused of hauling off 2600 yen worth of veggies--a trunkload full, at least--while only leaving 110 yen in the box. 30% of the accused thieves didn't leave any money at all, with the rest leaving between 1 (less than a penny) and a few hundred yen. They all claimed something to the effect of "I thought that I wasn't taking enough for it to matter." They also denied that they were repeat offenders, although given the ongoing rash of thefts, this is unlikely to be true.

After complaints from the farmers, the local police sent regular patrols to check on the stands. This didn't help at all, so the police took more drastic action, sending a team of 10 officers to stakeout two stands, which lead to the 16 arrests. Mainichi quotes a couple of farmers on past rates of theft; one who's been at it for over a decade said there was a spike about five years ago, up to 10,000-20,000 yen ($82-$165) per month.

As for the police, the article quotes one as being disgusted by the poor morals of adults who should know better.

Here is an FNN video of the story, complete with dramatic music, with English subtitles added:

Labels: crime, society

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Goofy Police Dog Kinako Gets Own Photobook

2007-06-02

posted by Akemi

Kinako, a Labrador Retriever in training to become a police dog, has become so popular for her less-than-stellar public performances and cheerful demeanor that she is now on tour promoting her own photobook to fans.

Born in May of 2003, Kinako belongs to a police dog training school in Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture. Kinako, in training to become a police tracking dog, comes from a good bloodline--her grandmother was a national dog show champion. Kinako hasn't been quite so successful, however; for the past three years she's been trying--and failing--to pass the test to become a full-fledged police dog. Her trainer, 22-year-old Chisa Kawanishi, is herself a trainer-in-training, and has been working hard with Kinako to get her ready for police service.

Kinako's rise to fame began in 2005 when a TV station ran a piece on Kinako's clumsy performance in one of the school's public displays. The somewhat chubby dog became an instant star for her cheerful but spectacularly bad performance on the obstacle course.

She became so famous, in fact, that she not only has her own dog blog (J), but just had a photobook published (Amazon Japan's page, with a couple of sample images). Kinako hosted a "book signing" in Tokyo this May, where she posed for pictures with fans and "signed" copies of her book with an inked pawprint.

Here is a TV station's lengthy report on her training, aired back in 2005, with subtitles:

And here's a recent news piece from ANN on her book signing:

Labels: animals, cute

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