Meet Dr. NakaMats. He's one of the world's most kookiest, eccentric inventors. With over 3200 and counting, he's the world record holder for patents (Thomas Edison had 1093). His first invention was a gravity stabilizer for a plastic airplane that he made when he was 5. A couple decades later, he invented the floppy disc--his claim to fame. Since then, he's invented a chair that makes you smarter, a golden toilet, sex sprays, a water-fueled engine, and shoes that make you run 3x faster than Carl Lewis, just to name a few. He even won the IG Nobel Prize--a parody of the Nobel Prize hosted by a science organization--for Nutrition last year, because he documented every single meal he's ever had since he was in his forties (he's 79 now). But wacky inventions isn't his only thing.
Dr. NakaMats really, really wants to be the governor of Tokyo. He ran in the elections three times before--in 1991, 1999, and 2003--and now he's running again in 2007. Campaigning starts soon, and the elections are in April. His selling point?
"I plan to invent a system that will make missiles turn around," he told a Kyodo News reporter.
NakaMats' opponents include the hawkish nationalist current governor, a feng shui expert, an architect, and a comedian. What is Japanese politics coming to? We'll find out what happens next month.
(Thanks, Ted!)
Oh come on. Ishi-"round up the foreigners with a pointy stick"-hara or this legend?
The tragedy is, I'll never get an official say in how the city I live in is run, but my vote would go to spring-heeled Jack here.
Posted by: Rog | March 22, 2007 at 07:41 PM
I can't wait for Hard Gay, or Roppongi Rob to run for office.
Posted by: vagrant | March 25, 2007 at 03:33 AM