Mega Long Venomous Snake in Okinawa
Take a look at Okinawa’s longest snake:
The habu was found along a road in an area of Okinawa not far from Camp Hansen. It was apparently alive at the time, but died shortly afterwards. It was 242 cm long, making it the longest habu ever found in Japan.
According to the English language Wikipedia article about the Okinawan habu, this was about twice as long as an average habu:
Grows to an average length of 4-5 feet (122-152 cm). With a maximum of 7.5 feet (229 cm), it is the largest member of its genus.
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Categories: Animal Videos
Escaped Monkey Attacks Tokyoites
On the evening of the 28th, a pet monkey escaped from a house in Tokyo and made its way to the Sekimachikita area of Nerima ward (near Musashi-seki station), where it attacked 2 people:
The two monkey bit/scratched the legs of two people, but their injuries were not serious.
The cops were called in, and about 30 officers assembled to deal with the menacing beast. After several hours, it was cornered and netted.
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Categories: Odd / Strange
Japanese Banana Art
NTV’s “ZIP!” morning show introduces Keisuke Yamada, a man who has become famous all over the world after uploading photos of his banana sculptures to the internet:
Yamada shows them how he makes his sculptures. All he needs is a banana, some toothpicks, and a spoon. He uses the spoon to smooth-out the surface of the banana, and the toothpicks are used for the sculpting. Each sculpture must be completed within 30 minutes. In the video, he eats the sculpture after he finishes it. [ The two sculptures he makes are: 1) the face shown in the picture at the top of this post, and 2) Zippei, the TV show's canine mascot. ]
For more photos of Yamada’s work, check out this gallery.
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Categories: Odd / Strange
Japan May Accept Thousands of Thai Workers
As floods continue in Thailand, the Japanese government is considering the idea of letting Thai employees of Japanese corporations come work in Japan:
Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a news conference that the measure would remedy the supply chain disruptions caused by the floods.
Fujimura said the government was considering accepting several thousand Thai workers from some 30 companies for about six months.
Among the conditions Tokyo is to impose on the firms is to make sure that the Thai workers return to their home country after that period, the Kyodo News agency said.
It is a very interesting plan. If it is actually put into effect, it will be interesting to see how much the workers are paid, and how authorities will deal with people who want to stay in Japan after the 6 month period is over.
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Categories: Foreigners in Japan
Daughter of a Japanese Terrorist
The BBC recently posted an article about May Shigenobu, the daughter of Fusako Shigenobu, founder of the infamous Japanese Red Army. May spend her childhood on the run, as her mother planned bloody terror attacks in the Middle East:
We spent time living in refugee camps but just for a short periods; while I was doing volunteer work in clinics or while we were looking for a new place to live.
I sometimes lived in Palestinian refugee camps to be more in contact with the reality of what my mother and her group were fighting for.
[...]
At any time I could have been kidnapped or even killed with my mother. There were Palestinian leaders who were assassinated with their children, so it was always a possibility.
Still, I have always thought that she was a good mother. I’m not sure that I could be as enduring and calm, and as reasonable and realistic under all the stress that she was carrying.
Read the rest of the article here.
May Shigenobu is also featured in the documentary “Children of the Revolution“:
She currently works as a journalist in Japan. She uses the Arabic that she learned as a child to file reports for the UAE’s MBC network.
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Categories: General Japan
Tohoku Raising Money For Turkey Earthquake Relief
When the March 11th earthquake and tsunami ravaged the Tohoku region, the nation of Turkey responded by sending tons of emergency food and a team of rescue workers to help out.
A major earthquake struck Turkey a few days ago, and the people of Tohoku are doing what they can to help a friend in need. Here’s a video showing donation boxes that have been set up in Miyagi prefecture:
People from the town that received help from the Turkey rescue team are contributing the charity effort. Residents who lost their homes in the tsunami and are now living in temporary housing have even put fundraising posters on their buildings.
The news crew interviews a few residents who say that they remember and appreciate the help that they received from Turkey.
Related link: Japan’s Association of Medical Doctors of Asia is sending medical staff to Turkey.
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Categories: General Japan