Archive for March, 2010

Colonel Sanders statue back on display

A video from the Sankei Shimbun shows the famous Dotonbori River Colonel Sanders statue back on display at a KFC:

Twenty-five years after being tossed into a river by baseball fans celebrating a Hanshin Tigers victory, a Colonel Sanders statue was put back on display Friday at a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet near Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.

Originally displayed outside a KFC in the Dotonbori district of Osaka, the statue, which fans thought resembled Tigers slugger Randy Bass, was tossed into the Dotonbori River in 1985 following the team’s victory in the Japan Series.

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

The Economic Impact of Beckii Cruel

A Japanese news program reports that Youtube celebrity turned idol Beckii Cruel (Rebecca Flint) is an economic success

It is claimed that her new CD is selling well and she’s brought 40 million yen ($0.44 million) into the Japanese economy. Don’t ask me how they calculated that figure.

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

Top 5 Feats of Chimpanzee Intelligence

A compilation of the genius chimpanzee Pan-kun’s five most impressive performances:

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

McDonald’s California Burger

For the past week, McDonald’s Japan has been selling special California Burgers:

I think the spicy cheese and sauce made from California red wine supposedly give it a California taste.

It will be sold until the 25th, after which point the Texas Burger will be returning for another run.

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

Bluefin tuna ban proposal rejected

Japan’s sushi industry has breathed a sigh of relief today, after an attempt by the UN to ban the bluefin tuna trade failed:

Canada, Japan and several poorer nations opposed the measure, which was defeated by 68 votes to 20, saying the measure would help to destroy their fishing economies.

A vote on an EU amendment that weakened the original Monaco proposal, but still endorsed the ban, was also defeated by 72 votes to 43.

In order to pass, the measures would have needed the support of two-thirds of the nations present at the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

Here’s how one Japanese TV channel, NTV, covered the bluefin tuna ban proposal (this report aired 2 days ago):

We are shown how bluefin tuna is no longer sold at restaurants in Monaco. One Japanese sushi chef says that they have no choice but to comply with the ban, even though some of his associates wish they could serve it.

A French fisherman spoke to the reporters at a dock where fishing boats were being dismantled. He said that there were “many” bluefin tuna and he and other fishermen would gladly provide Japan with the fish it loves if the restrictions were lifted.

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• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Golfing within view of predators

At the golf course shown in this video clip, lions are visible from the green of the 9th hole:

The golf course happens to lie immediately adjacent to Gunma Safari Park and it advertises this unique experience to golfers who also want to have a look at wild animals. When balls get hit near the fence, fearful golfers tend to avoid retrieving them.
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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)