How often do you get the chance to go to the races and eat the entrants?

Not often, I’ll wager, but the 20,000 people who visited the Second Inoshishi Festival in Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, on the 29th came close. After dining on different dishes featuring inoshishi (wild boar) meat, they got to take in a wild boar race.

The food came first, as several well-known restaurants in the area set up a special area where each offered original wild boar cuisine, including boar meat soup, boar croquettes, and oden. The meals were a big hit with the visitors, as they formed lines to get into one shop while eating the offerings of another. Some restaurants quickly sold out their stock.

Then came the main event, with three wild boars—one of which was named Dekan Showboy—running a spirited race that excited the crowd. The report did not mention the name of the winning boar, nor if parimutuel betting was allowed.

Mariko Yamamoto, 64, once a member of a group whose very name struck fear in the hearts of people around the world, was arrested the other day in a Tokyo supermarket where she was trying to shoplift about 1,100 yen worth of squid.

Yamamoto was part of the Japanese Red Army Red Army, an ultra-leftist radical group that terrorized Japan and the rest of the world back in the 1970s. The Red Army was involved in various incidents, including the attack on Ben Gurion airport in 1972, which claimed the lives of 24 people. She remained on the lam until 2000, when she was taken into custody by the Japanese government, which gave her a suspended sentence, apparently feeling it wasn’t worth the trouble to lock her up.

In a story that sounds like it could be straight out of the life story of Frank Serpico, a Shikoku police officer claimed he is being transferred because he exposed how police departments have been systematically misusing public funds for decades.

Earlier this month, police officer Toshiro Semba revealed to reporters of how he had been pressured throughout his career by superiors to fabricate false reports in order to secure public funds illegally. Following his revelations, Semba received word that he had been re-assigned as a dispatcher, a position that does not require carrying of a firearm.

His superiors told him they feared he is a suicide risk or a risk to others if armed. Apparently, the brass think that misuse of the system is the norm, and refusal to go along with the graft is a sign of mental unbalance.

JP

A decade ago, Chad Ha’aheo Rowan was one of the foremost figures in international sport, in his or any era. His name and accomplishments are unfamiliar to many because he was a sumo rikishi who fought under the name of Akebono.

Rowan was not merely very good—he absolutely dominated sumo during a career that lasted from 1988 to 2001 and set records in the process. And to scale the summit of this sport, he had to leave home in Hawaii to live in Japan and learn a foreign language, a new sport, and the customs and traditions participation in that sport demands.

Rowan appeared in his first tournament in March 1988. Sumo holds six tournaments a year, and just 30 tournaments later, in January 1993, he became sumo’s first non-Japanese yokozuna, the highest rank. It was the fastest rise to the summit from scratch in the sport’s history. Further, Akebono was the only rikishi to hold the highest rank for nearly two years. Some have likened this feat to a Japanese who has never seen or played football going to an American university and winning the Heisman Trophy four years later.

He won 11 tournament championships, ranking him 7th in the modern era at the time. (After Akebono retired, another foreign rikishi, Musashimaru, racked up 12. Today’s superstar, the Mongolian Asashoryu, who broke Akebono’s records for speed of promotion, has 10 championships now and will likely pass them both this year.) Akebono’s career match record was 654 wins and 232 losses.

His stunning competitive record was not the only reason for Akebono’s popularity among the Japanese. Sumo has a 2,000-year history, and participation demands an attitude and approach that is almost aesthetic. Unlike his fellow Hawaiian Konishiki, who complained that he never made yokozuna due to racism, Akebono pleased even the most demanding purists with his demeanor. (The ranking system is somewhat similar to that of martial arts.) More than a few Japanese thought a non-Japanese would never win promotion to yokozuna, as sumo is a conservative, traditional sport in a country that prizes conservatism in its traditions. But Akebono made history in January 1993.

Forced to retire due to a series of knee injuries, there were a wealth of opportunities to pursue. He could have opened his own training organization, as do many former famous rikishis. He could have parleyed his name and fame into television commercials, as did Konishiki. He could have married a trophy wife, as did Takanohana. Indeed, he could have done all three. He was well paid during his days in the ring, earning US$15,000 a month at his peak, not counting bonuses for tournament victories, and could have made a lot more in any number of ways.

So what did Akebono choose to do after retirement? He became a K-1 fighter.

I don’t know how well known K-1 is outside of Japan, but in Japan it is an extremely popular fighting sport. Venues with a capacity of 45,000 are sold out for matches in an hour. Conducted in a boxing ring, the sport’s promoters claim it combines the martial arts of karate, Thai kickboxing, tae kwon do, and kung fu. The matches seem to be above board, but all the commentators have a background in professional wrestling. Here is their official website.

It is as if Michael Jordan decided to take up roller derby.

But it is not just a case of Akebono deciding to become a K-1 fighter. He is a really bad K-1 fighter. Since his debut on New Year’s Eve 2003 against Bob Sapp, so well known in Japan that Akebono’s debut became a dream match, the former rikishi has fought six times and been pummeled every time.

His most recent loss came last New Year’s Eve in just two minutes and 12 seconds. All his matches have ended in the equivalent of first-round KOs. Yet Akebono says he will keep at it until he starts winning. Why?

It’s probably the 50 million yen he is rumored to be paid each match. That’s a lot of money for one fight, but the sport is so popular and the TV ratings high enough it’s still profitable for the sponsors.

How much humiliation and pain would you be willing to suffer for half a million dollars?

If dramatist Paddy Chayevsky were still alive, he might call this Requiem for A Yokozuna.

Here’s a gift idea that is sure to make this Valentine’s Data a really unforgettable one for you and that special some one in your life.

Chocolate sushi!

Unlike Twinkie sushi, which is merely a reasonable facsimile of a sushi roll, Suedy’s Koo-ki Sushi is so realistic, it’s hard to tell the difference from the real thing. Each piece is carefully sculptured out of chocolate to look exactly like a slab of tuna, octopus, or egg resting on a lump of rice.

And the realism does not stop there.

Suedy’s Koo-ki Sushi is available in a choice of different reusable boxes that are exact replicas of the type of containers that real sushi comes in. You can choose from among the Golden Oke, Kotobuki Box, or Suedy’s Obento.

Koo-ki Sushi got its start back in 1994 when Karen “Suedy” Sasaki started wondering about you can do with confections that has never been done before. Then one day she hit upon the idea of sculpting pieces of sushi from chocolate. After that, Karen and her sister, Janice Murai (neither of whom had any experience in the food business) developed new processes and designed the products that became Koo-ki Sushi.

JP

Check out the JAPAN RADIO LINKS in the red side bar.

Clicking a link will give you access to Japanese-language Internet radio programs.

These are not live broadcasts, but they are the next best thing.

JP

Just saw a report on TV about the town of Eromanga, Queensland, Australia.

Claiming to be “the town farthest from the sea in Australia,” Eromanga gets its name from an aboriginal word meaning “hot, windy plain.”

In Japanese, eromanga means “erotic comic book.”

JP

A world-class food fight is raging and Japan is one of the main combatants.

Countries around the world are clashing over proposed international soy sauce standards, and everybody’s got an opinion. And according to some reports, a few countries have more than one.

The beef started when Japan proposed rules for soy sauce labels requiring manufacturers to state whether they used traditional brewing techniques or took modern shortcuts. The US is opposed, claiming the Japanese proposal would harm producers. They demand that each country be allowed to set its own rules.

Behind their opposition is the growing popularity of sushi and other Asian food in America, and the problems the labeling might cause for US companies.

The Japanese effort is spearheaded by the government and soy sauce industry, particularly Kikkoman. They originally wanted soy sauce to be strictly defined as brewed soy beans, but in an effort to compromise, they’re calling for the labels to distinguish between “natural brewing”, “short-term brewing” and “mixed”.

The traditional method uses only soy beans, salt, and grain. Kikkoman’s method dates from the 17th century and requires fermenting for at least three months.

Western companies use hydrolyzed vegetable or soy proteins instead of the real beans. They also add sugar and either don’t brew the product or use blends. Some add caramel coloring.

In a thrust only an attorney could dream up, the Americans also are basing their claims on tradition. The American food lobby states their products have been in use in American stores for years, and add, “The Japanese proposal does not recognize this history of use and would require these products to be marketed under a different name.”

To which the Japanese say, so what?

Comparing the Japanese report in the Sankei Shimbun (link may go quickly) (1) and the English report in The Star of South Africa shows some fascinating differences.

The Star claims the Japanese have the backing of the South Koreans, the French, the Swiss, and a group in Great Britain. They also say the Chinese are even more hardline and don’t want to compromise at all.

In contrast, the Sankei reporter claims the South Koreans and the Chinese wouldn’t require the “natural brewing” label, but would require disclosure of the manufacturing method. (Perhaps he couldn’t believe that the three countries were allies on the same issue.)

The Sankei also states that Japan’s supporters are mostly in Asia.

One of the wild cards in the mix is Indonesia. They have their own version, called kecap, and they want a definition broad enough to include that. That’s right, the product that was the basis for ketchup is involved in a soy sauce spat. (Though it contains molasses and is thicker and spicier than the contemporary Western product.)

Refereeing the fray is the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s committee on processed fruits and vegetables, which will decide whether the full commission votes on the issue next June.

What’s a better way to spend the weekend than popping over to Harajuku to take a look young kids expressing themselves there?

This particular shot was captured by Cherry Vega, a talented young professional photographer who kindly gave us permission to use this photo.

You can view more of Cherry’s unique work here.

JP

I’ll bet you thought Hello Kitty was nothing more than a cute cartoon character used to sell merchandise to little girls of all ages. Well, think again!

Catherine Yronwode has a unique take on the phenomenon here.

The being, while alive, was known for his or her monetary helpfulness to those in need (the Bishop gave the poor girls a dowry, the cat drew wealthy Lord Li to the poor Buddhist temple).

After death, the being became an icon of material generosity, underwent a name-change (Saint Nicholas, Maneki Neko), and acquired an iconographic emblem of prosperity (Saint Nicholas is depicted with a bag of gifts, Maneki Neko is depicted with a large gold coin at her feet).

In each case, folk magic and folk religion customs then became associated with the entity (the performance of Saint Nicholas plays in the Europe, pilgrimages to the grave of Maneki Neko in Japan).

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, images of the entities became popular home and shop decor motifs (Old Saint Nick as a sales device in December, Maneki Neko as a sales device in Japanese shops, especially restaurants).

Then, in the mid to late 20th century, each of these religio-magical icons evolved into a highly merchandised cartoon form, as a short, round, cute, roly-poly character associated with gifts, money, joy, and prosperity (Santa Claus, Hello Kitty).

Even if you gag when you see Kitty-chan, you really ought to read Catherine’s ideas on the cat’s connection to sushi shop decorations and Nang Kwak, the Thai rice and prosperity goddess shown in contemporary statues as wearing a penis glans for a hat. Skip over the quoted text at the beginning of the piece to the explanation below it.

I don’t know whether to believe her, but she sure makes a good case. And if you don’t believe her, you can always buy a lucky mojo from her!

Don’t blame me, JP brought this up.