Archive for September, 2009

Chimpanzee food challenges

A video of Ken Shimura taking genius Chimpanzee Pan-kun to various parts of Japan to sample local cuisine:

If you notice big changes in Pan-kun’s size between the clips, do not be alarmed. Some of the segments were filmed several years ago.
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The watcher

A strange fellow has appeared in my village recently.  What the hell is he doing?

A closer look reveals that this is not a “fellow” at all, but rather a mannequin.  Apparently the inoshishi (wild boar) and saru (monkeys) have been crop raiding lately.  So, “the watcher” (that’s what I call him–his real name it turns out is Ted) has been commissioned to stand guard over the fields.

I don’t know where the hell people found this guy, or what his original purpose was, but I’m glad he’s found some work to keep him busy in his retirement.

Keep up the good work Ted!

Thanks to K-san for the photos. . .find her original article (in Japanese) here.

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Contributor Bio: I am a doctoral student of environmental anthropology currently living and conducting research in a mountain village in Nagano. In my research I explore modernity as it is expressed in a rural mountain community. Specifically I look at national management structures, as well as social discourses, related to forests and probe the impacts these have on local human communities. I have lived and worked in Japan for 5 years. My interests also include Buddhism, literature, music, and mountaineering. Read more at my personal blog: In the Pines.
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Polar bear likes eco cars

Some crows and their creepy polar bear friend want you to buy a Subaru Impressa because it qualifies for an eco car tax cut:

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Bathing like a samurai

SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi reenacts how Japanese people in the Sengoku period would have taken baths and brushed their teeth:

In those days, people didn’t use large bathtubs. Instead, they stood inside shallow buckets and dumped water over their bodies. Teeth were cleaned with salt instead of toothpaste.

Kusanagi acted very embarrassed by having to wear a fundoshi, perhaps as a way to show viewers that he usually does not like to be naked in public.

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Another heart mark dog

A follow-up to the report of the famous “Heart” dog having a little brother that also has a heart-shaped mark:

The Chihuahua has given birth to a puppy that supposedly also has a heart mark.

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Foreigners spotted near scene of attempted murder

An NTV report about an incident that took place last month in Mushashimurayama City, Tokyo:

On August 13th at around 11:30PM, a woman riding a moped collided with a rope that had been strung across a road. She was thrown to the ground and suffered serious injuries, including a fractured skull. Police are treating the incident as a case of attempted murder.

According to locals, a group of 3 or 4 “suspicious young foreigners” spotted in the area shortly before the incident.

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