I will go out on a wild and crazy limb here and write down here — in the light of public print — that the next prime minister of Japan, following Mr Koizumi’s interesting reign, will be Shinzo Abe, still a young guy at 51 and who will be only 52 when he takes the reins next year.
Am I right or am I wrong?
We introduced American writer Sujata Massey earlier in the year on Japundit, and now the Baltimore-based author has a new detective novel starring Japanese-American amateur sleuth Rei Shimura, titled The Typhoon Lover.
Reviews have been good, and one critic noted: “Sujata Massey’s novels are a mini-course in Japanese culture and tradition.
Through heroine Rei Shimura, a Japanese-American who has been working as an antiques dealer in Japan, Massey has delivered a cross-cultural tour of the differences — and similarities — between the two countries.
Why a dress, of course!
The nearby photo is from a collection shot at the recent “Body Painting Cheong-sam Spectacular” held at the Shanghai Toronto Art Gallery.
Artists from around the world gathered to exhibit their skills.
Click here for the rest of the photos.
Via Simon’s World
PJ Swenson over at Sharkspage sent us a link to a great article he wrote about the World Sumo Challenge that was held in Madison Square Garden on October 22.
World Sumo Challenge saw sumo champions from Japan, Mongolia, Germany, Ukraine, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Poland, Georgia, Hungary, Norway, and the U.S. squared off against each other to vie for the championship. Ringside commentary was provided by retired American-born yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru.
Mitshuhiko Fukao of Japan defeated Petar Stoyanov of Bulgaria in the final to win the inaugural World Sumo Challenge. Stoyanov initiated a throw, but the 410 pound Fukao used his leverage to force the Bulgarian to hit the mat first.
The bleached blonde Hans Borg of Norway was far from the largest competitor at 6,4, 324 pounds, but his enthusiasm was contagious and made him an early fan favorite. After readjusting and preparing for each bout, Hans would raise his leg high in the air and the fans at Madison Square Garden erupted in applause.
Click here to see PJ’s full story, and check out some of the great photographs that accompany it.
The city of Malibu has started passing out tsunami safety brochures that contain the following warning:
NEVER GO TO THE BEACH TO WATCH FOR, OR SURF, A TSUNAMI WAVE!
When questioned about whether people need to be told they shouldn’t be trying to hang ten on a tsunami, Malibu’s emergency preparedness director stated that he thought it would be prudent to address all possibilities.
“Some people may feel that we are stating the obvious and some people may not,” Brad Davis said. “We want to encourage people to move away from the coast rather than towards it.”
The California Sea Urchin Commission is saying that the growing popularity of sushi in the United States may help to restore seaweed beds, which have been slowly vanishing along the California coastline.
According to the commission, sea urchins, or uni, feed on kelp. By feeding on the uni, sushi lovers help to cut down on the sea urchin population and preserve the seaweed that is an important part of the California coastal ecosystem.
As Halloween becomes more and more of an Asian (commercial) tradition year after year, the holiday has also become popular in Taiwan.
In this recent photo from the Taipei Times, Taiwanese college students dress up as Japanese and Chinese ghosts at Cheng Shiu University in the southern city of Kaohsiung.
The two women who staged a protest in front of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Tokyo the other day seem to be migrating from country to country.
The Reuters photo below shows the same women in South Korea being photographed by a man with his cellphone.
Brandi Valladolid (left) and Christina Cho were protesting in front of a KFT establishment in Seoul recently against the abusive treatment of chickens in factory farms and slaughterhouses.
