Archive for May, 2010

Okinawa as a Stepping Stone

Shisaku reports that this cartoon was published of the editorial page of the Tokyo Shimbun on Friday:

Okinawa is shown as a staging area for American troops who are then sent to Afghanistan to kill helpless Afghanis. Japan is shown happily handing over piles of money to help fund the American bases. The title of the title of the comic is “stepping stone” [踏み石].

Here’s a quick run down of stone-related titles Okinawa has been given in the last 100 years:

• Meiji to pre-1945: Stepping Stone [踏み石] – Okinawa’s geographic location made it important to believers in Southern Expansion Doctrine.
• 1945: Sacrifice Stone [捨て石] – I believe this term originally refers to the practice of intentionally allowing one’s opponent in a game of go.　　In 1945, the Japanese military sacrificed Okinawa in a battle that aimed to make the war too costly for America.
• 1946-Present: Keystone [要石] – When Okinawa was under United States rule, license plates included the slogan “The Keystone of the Pacific.” The United States continues to considers the island to be of great strategic importance. (Some, such as the cartoonist, also see Okinawa as a stepping stone for questionable American military campaigns.)

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Cute Spam

If you want to advertise Spam on Japanese TV, a cute spammy mascot is an absolute must:

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Banzai Doggy

Meet Su, a dog in Tokyo who gets so excited when she encounters girls that she rushes forward on two legs, something that the “Nanikore” folks think looks like a “banzai” cheer:

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Awesome Wiener Sculptures

Sahel Rosa and ATV’s other foreign reporters visit the head office of Nippon Ham, where an expert in the art of wiener manipulation shows them how to turn wieners into a menagerie of cute animals:

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New Snacks Parody Hatoyama’s Okinawa Woes

ATV reports on a new souvenir snack that parodies Prime Minister Hatoyama’s promise to relocate an American helicopter base to somewhere outside of Okinawa:

Hatoyama is shown facing off against Obama, but there is very little chance that he will succeed in finding a solution that satisfies Okinawans. The snacks are flavored to reflect his situation. Each box contains 6 manju, 5 of which contain ultra-spicy Okinawan pepper. Only one snack won’t cause your mouth to burn.

A store that sells souvenir snacks says that as Hatoyama’s popularity has dipped, sales of Hatoyama-themed snacks have also dropped. They used to be their #1 seller, but now Diet Building snacks are in the top spot.

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Tower of Trash

If you were hanging around Kyotango city in Kyoto on Children’s Day, you may have seen a tower of junk:

According to the news clip, it is a local tradition for such junk towers to be built on Children’s Day. Putting up a junk on a pole (“garakuta nobori“) apparently helps bring good luck to newly-married couples who want children.

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