Archive for January, 2010

Sea Shepherd abandons damaged boat – Japanese claim it is leaking oil

A new video clip is seriously calling into question the credibility of Sea Shepherd’s claim that the Japanese had “sunk” one of its ships:

Sea Shepherd spokespeople have repeatedly claimed the boat had sunk, and today the activist group abandoned the scene.

But Japanese authorities have released photographs which show the Ady Gil wreckage is still afloat in pristine Antarctic waters.

The official Institute of Cetacean Research said an oily substance thought to be fuel was leaking from the wreckage, “raising concerns that Sea Shepherd is wilfully polluting the Antarctic environment”.

[hat tip to VGS]

—
Related Clips: 1) An Al Jazeera English report that contains some statements from a spokesman for the Japanese whalers

2) A report from FTV that has an expert who argues that Sea Shepherd’s boat was moving itself into the path of the Japanese ship in the moments immediately before the collision:

FTV also introduces Japanese viewers to Bob Barker, who is described as an American equivalent of Monta Mino.

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

English-speaking puppet

Shingo Katori and an English-speaking puppet promote ECC Junior English lessons for kids:

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Shirakawa Village hit by heavy snow

Apparently this year has seen some abnormally high amounts of snowfall in parts of Japan. Here’s a news clip that shows people in Hokkaido and at the Shirakawa Village World Heritage site dealing with all the snow:

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Oshiroi festival

A festival in Japan that involves smearing sticky white stuff on the faces of people (-the jokes some people will make about this one are obvious-):

Oshiroi festival is a curious festival whose origins date back to more than 400 years ago. The powder of newly harvested rice is dissolved in water and then painted on the faces of celebrants, Oshiroi is a festival of thanksgiving for abundant crops. It is sand that by examining how well the powder sticks to the celebrants’ faces, one can forecast the coming year’s harvest. It is comical to see the celebrants weaving their way home after the ritual, since you cannot tell who’s who at a glance.

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

The Legend of Koizumi

You’ve read about the best friggin’ manga ever on Mutantfrog and Wikipedia. Now watch it in Anime form:

[via Our Man in Abiko]

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Festival of Abusive Language

Three hundred people gathered a temple in Tochigi prefecture on the night of the 31st so they could let out some stress by screaming bad words at Saishoji temple’s “Festival of Abusive Language.” Here’s a news clip that includes a couple foreigners joining in the fun:

And here’s an excerpt from a 1993 New York Times article about the festival:

In this city about 50 miles north of Tokyo, people take this one occasion to let it all hang out and say what they really think about the year gone by. In one of the strangest festivals in a country full of festivals, they walk up a dark mountain road to a temple screaming curses into the starry night sky that they would never say directly to their fellow man.

“Once a year, we can get rid of our pent-up frustrations,” said Ryoken Numajiri, the head priest of the Saishoji Temple. The temple is the headquarters for the Akutare Matsuri, which might best be translated as the “naughty festival” or perhaps the “festival of abusive language.”

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)