So no Groundhog Day in Japan but we do have this interesting bean throwing ritual.  Props to anyone who can come on my blog and accurately explain this ritual to me ’cause I’ve never fully understood it or its purpose.

Here is some more interesting information, original found at the Huffington Post, about Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day for those of you who are interested.

Groundhog Day is held on Feb. 2, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every year, and you might be wondering how a groundhog landed the job of predicting the weather. If you’re unfamiliar with the tradition, it goes like this: If the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, sees his shadow, we’re stuck with six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we luck out with an early spring.

The tradition dates back to 1887, and though the origins are unclear, it is said to have originated from ancient European weather lore in which a badger or sacred bear predicts the weather, rather than a groundhog. It also has religious origins, as it shares similarities with Candlemas Day, which is also on Feb. 2. According to an old English song, “If Candlemas be fair and bright,/ Come, Winter, have another flight.”

Punxsutawney Phil has definitely adapted to the times. He can now text you his Tuesday weather prediction. Just text “Groundhog” to 247365 on Groundhog Day.

States without groundhogs are taking matters into their own hands by choosing their own weather predictor. Texas, for example, chose its state mammal, an armadillo, to predict the weather for their first “Armadillo Day.” Only time will tell whether the groundhog or the armadillo is the true prognosticator.

Here are five facts you probably didn’t know about Groundhog Day:

1. Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, has not seen it 15 times, and nine years are unaccounted for.

2. The National Climatic Data Center reportedly stated that Phil’s prediction’s have been correct 39 percent of the time. This number is in conflict with Phil’s club, which states he’s been right 100 percent of the time.

3. According to the funny website groundhog.org, there’s a legend that during Prohibition, Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the community if he wasn’t allowed a drink.

4. In the years following the release of Groundhog Day, a 1993 film starring Bill Murray, crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have visited Gobbler’s Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney where the ceremony takes place.

5. Though groundhogs typically live only six to eight years, Groundhog Day lore suggests that Phil drinks a magic elixir every summer, which gives him seven more years of life.

Ever taken enough time in lawson 7/11 or FamilyMart to actually check out the magazines they’re selling?  If you’re like me you probably haven’t.  But just the other day out of complete boredom I did just that. 

Ok, so the vast majority of the magazines are women’s beauty and glamour mags and most of the rest are men’s gravure or porno mags.  Then of course there are the manga books, but usually in a different section because we wouldn’t want to have the kids manga on the same shelf as the men’s pornos would we.

But finally you should find a small selection of magazines with the words デリヘル or  でりへる printed on them.  These were the ones that caught my attention because I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what デリヘル stood for.  A google search showed me that the words are short for delivery and health.    The one shown here is titled Manzoku which means satisfaction. 

Like a lot of non-japanese words that have been integrated into the Japanese language I don’t quite get how the terms Delivery and Health came to be used in the way that they are.  If my basic understanding is correct, Delivery Health service companies have been around in Japan for about 10 years, and the gist is that if you place an order with a Delivery Health service company within 45 minutes to an hour you are going to wind up with a beautiful young-ish girl ringing your buzzer (literally).  Sorry ladies, apparently the service does not yet extend to the delivery of male health service providers.  

From what I have been able to piece together through limited research the story is that, since the Japanese laws are apparently a little ambiguous on exactly which sexual acts qualify for a criminal charge of prostitution, these Delivery Health services seem to circumvent the problem by offering anything and everything short of vaginal sexual intercourse. 

In fact here’s a translated screenshot of a Delivery Health service’s website.  I’m fairly confident that I’m not actually violating their copyright by re-printing it here because this version has been run through a Babelfish translation service and so it is therefore markedly different than the original.  However, if you want to see the original just go here, and if the Delivery Health company wants me to remove the screenshot of their website I will.

Well, as you can plainly see the list of included “healthcare service” extends to such basic acts as ball-licking, 69 and element crotch (use your imagination).  However, since no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors, after your Delivery Health service provider arrives, there’s a good bet that your Delivery Health includes the full health check-up.  And, as for the 2000 yen discount listed on the 45 minute health session, I imagine just like everyone else these Health Service Providers are also suffering from the current recession.

Although not quite the same as a デリヘル　magazine the much smaller pink chirashi leaflets arrive conveniently in your mailbox every week.  Here’s one with and without translation.  Although I couldn’t determine the original source for the pics (or translation) with any degree of certainty I found them with a quick google image search.  Again, they seem to be offering the same kind of delivery health service albeit with a far more of a ”schoolgirl” than a ”health” twist.

courtesy of Mark at yenx.blogspot.com

 So what’s the message of this post?  Umm, I don’t think there is one.  But, I guess the next time you’re cruising through the convenience store stop for a second and check out the magazine rack.  You might be just as surprised as I was to see what’s hiding in plain sight.

we love foreigners, oh yes we do

Let me first point out that I am not the original source for this picture.  If you would like to see more of the original sources pictures or read the story please go here. 

Well, others may have experienced this but it’s a first for me.   I have never participated in the annual Yamanote line Halloween party and after what happened this year I am pretty glad that I haven’t. 

Supertyphoons to Strike Japan Due to Global Warming

Increasingly powerful “supertyphoons” will strike Japan if [because] global warming continues to affect [completely mess-up] weather patterns in the western Pacific Ocean, scientists say.

Supercomputer simulations show there will be more typhoons with winds of 179 miles (288 kilometers) per hour—considered an F3 on the five-level Fujita Scale—by 2074.  By definition, supertyphoons carry winds of at least 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour.

Such storms would be more destructive than Hurricane Katrina, which slammed into U.S. states along the Gulf of Mexico in August 2005.

[However, the supertyphoons] will pack a far higher concentration of energy, wind speed, and overall destructive power.  The tempests would cause a great deal of damage across Japan, which is unprepared for such violent weather systems.

Ferocious winds would level homes and damage infrastructure such as bridges and power lines. Severe floods would also inundate low-lying areas.

The most destructive typhoon to strike Japan to date was Typhoon Vera, which barreled across the country in September 1959.

Known in Japan as the Isewan Typhoon, the storm came ashore in Ise Bay near Nagoya and killed 5,238 people.

- I say we punish this teacher "old school" style -

Junior high school teacher arrested for molesting student during Hokkaido getaway

On the one-hand, you have DPJ’s Ozawa making a statement that he intends to take a bill to the Diet that would grant limited voting rights to non-Japanese residents of Japan.  Great, way to go, absolutely!

However, do not get too happy yet, because on the other hand you have the new Japanese Prime Minister (DPJ’s Hatoyama) making some pretty contradictory and silly statements. 

In his DPJ Manifesto (see here  or here for an English copy) Hatoyama promised to eliminate highway tolls.  On its face eliminating these tolls sounds like a great idea.  But look further.  By eliminating the tolls  more and more people would be driving on the highways because they don’t have to pay a toll.  Now, hold that thought, because just the other day in New York Hatoyama promised that Japan would reduce CO2 emissions by 25%.  Umm, excuse me Mr. Pigeon Mountain man (unnecessary jab at his name .. sorry, couldn’t resist)  but how is Japan going to reduce CO2 by 25% when more and more people are driving cars, thanks to the highway tolls being eliminated?

Let’s face it, the news has been full of stories about the incredible traffic jams that have been happening almost every weekend since April when the government lowered the cost of highway tolls on weekends (see picture above).  Now, just imagine if the Tomei expressway was like that everyday … yeah 25% reduction in CO2 emissions RIGGHHT.

reducing CO2 emissions by 25% is a fantastic idea, let’s do it.  And eliminating the highway tolls isn’t an overtly bad idea, but it’s the simple fact that Hatoyama is already walking around at this early stage making such blatantly contradictory statements that worries me.  I’m getting a bad feeling about this guy’s level of intelligence already.

Ozawa positive about granting local voting rights to non-Japanese.

see original article here .

I’d say that, if true, this would certainly be a move in the right direction.  However, the article goes on to state that 

“bringing [the proposal] to the Diet may not be easy because Kokumin Shinto (People’s New Party), one of two junior ruling coalition partners of the DPJ, has expressed its opposition, saying granting suffrage to non-Japanese could destabilize the nation.”

I’m sorry but in a country where the non-Japanese represent what only about 1 to 1.5% of the total population how is it even remotely possible that giving them the right to vote in LOCAL eletions could  ”destabilize” the nation.  I certainly hope that this type of borderline xenophobic comment does not go unquestioned.  In my typical over-reactionary style I would say that whichever politician said this should immediately lose his/her job and be subject to 40 lashes across the backside with a bamboo rod (said punishment to be meted out prefereably by a non-Japanese person).  In fact you know what … I volunteer for the job. 

It seems that this example of borderline xenophobia is unfortunately not limited to this one case.  In fact, a quick Google search brought up a Japan Probe article from last year that covered this same issue. 

I’m now going to say something that will show exactly how dumb I can be.  Politicians, people everywhere please wake up.  There is no reason that we can’t all get along with each other.  Japanese people you don’t need to fear that “foreigners” are going to overthrow your governement and your country.  Honestly, it’s that line of thinking that directly led to WWII.  And “foreigners living in Japan”, quit complaining about discrimination and racism, most Japanese people are really really wonderful people… don’t let a few rotten xenophobic apples sour you on living in Japan.

Once again the entire country of Japan has decided to freak-out about the Swine Influenza and all of the Japanese housewives and mothers have frantically busted open their piggybanks and purchased hundreds of thousands of flu masks in a matter of just a few days.

One day everyone will be walking around like normal and then the very next day every Japanese person is walking around wearing a mask.  WTF, will someone please tell me how this happens?  Is there some kind of telepathy or secret code system that only Japanese people have?  Did the government issue some kind of health advisory that only I missed? 

Actually I think the answer is much simpler and much more banal.  Once Japanese people have decided they’re going to freak-out about something, everyone, I mean literally everyone,  follows what the rest of the group is doing.  In this case it means that if your neighbor starts wearing a mask you had damn well better rush as fast as you can to the drugstore to buy masks for your entire family.  However, your daughter has also seen her college friends wearing masks so she too has rushed out to buy masks for the entire family (this is because she was taught well by her mother the importance of doing exactly what everyone else is doing and doing it as quickly as possible).  The end result is that you wind up at home with a ridiculous number of flu masks.

If you think I’m joking about this I suggest you go on a little recon mission of your local drugstores.  I did, and what I found was shocking and disturbing.  Of the 4 drugstores in konandai, Japan where I live NOT A SINGLE ONE had any masks for sale.  Why, you ask?  Is it perhaps because it isn’t flu season yet and therefore the stores haven’t yet stocked up on masks?  The answer of course is a resounding NO.  The real reason as I stated before is that in the last few days hordes of Japanese housewives and mothers have rushed in and purchased EVERY SINGLE mask in all 4 drugstores.

My personal, not founded by medical science because I’m not a doctor opinion is that at this point in the game the whole concept of the flu mask is beyond stupid.  The World Health Organization has long since declared the Swine Flu a Global Pandemic and many countries, including I believe Japan, have stated that the number of countrywide Swine Flu cases have reached Epidemic proportions.  Translation, so many people have, or have already gotten the Swine Flu that your chances of catching it at some point this season are basically 100%.  I for one say screw it, I hope I catch the Swine Flu now so I can get over it while it’s still summer.  I mean really, let’s just be thankful that the Swine Flu isn’t any more severe than a normal run-of-the-mill cold.  Now, if I can just convince a handful of Japanese people to agree with me and to throw out their masks, maybe, just maybe, the Japanese national “me-too-ism”  will kick-in and everyone will stop wearing these silly things.  

Oh, and if you thought that everyone wearing masks wasn’t bad enough.  Check out the designer Versace-esque masks that will soon be hitting drugstores this flu-season.  Someone strangle me, please.  

Ex-Nova boss handed prison sentence for embezzling from workers’ fund

OSAKA — The Osaka District Court on Wednesday sentenced the former president of collapsed English language school operator Nova, who went on trial facing charges of embezzling money from an employees’ fund, to three years, six months behind bars.

Handed the sentence was former company president Nozomu Sahashi, 57. According to the ruling, Sahashi transferred 320 million yen from the savings account of a mutual aid organization of Nova employees into a separate account. He then exchanged the amount for a check and deposited the money into the account of related company Nova Kikaku, thereby embezzling the funds, the ruling said.

During his trial Sahashi had admitted to the facts of the case, but said he had not been under the perception that he was forbidden from using the money. Lawyers for Sahashi argued that he was innocent, saying that he had no intention of illegally misappropriating the money, and that his actions did not constitute professional embezzlement.

On Aug. 19, Nova’s bankruptcy administrator filed a lawsuit in the Osaka District Court seeking about 2.136 billion yen in damages, saying that Sahashi repeatedly made unnecessary transactions, resulting in losses. It also filed a criminal complaint against Sahashi with the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office, accusing him of aggravated breach of trust.

Sahashi founded Nova’s predecessor, Nova Kikaku, in 1981. At one time the company operated about 1,000 schools across Japan, but its business performance worsened due to trouble relating to terminated contracts, and the company collapsed in October 2007. Some 300,000 students were unable to receive back money for lessons that they had paid in advance. Altogether, Nova’s debts reached about 86 billion yen. Sahashi was arrested in June last year. He was released after paying bail of 50 million yen the following month.