TOKYOMANGO

Get your hand-printed limited edition TokyoMango t-shirt now (2 weeks only)

My friend Ben and I made a test run of TokyoMango t-shirts on Saturday. They're really nice, do you want one? If so, you can buy one here. Below are the details:

- All shirts are 100% cotton.
- Each t-shirt will be hand-silk screened by me and Ben on his Yudu machine. The shirt logo was custom-designed by Ben. Mango design courtesy of my web designer James.
- The Women's tees come in a t-shirt style (pistacio and white) and a spaghetti strap ribbed tank (yellow).
- The Men's tees come in orange and white. In the pic above, Ben is actually accidentally wearing a girl's tee, but you get the idea... the sleeves will be more manly on the one you get.
- You can choose a custom colored tee for $25. Just shoot me an email with your preference after you place the order.
- The sizes tend to run a little big (except for the tanktops). They might shrink in the wash.
- Some of you will receive a free surprise Japanese toy or gadget with your t-shirt! I'm just gonna randomly stick them into bags, so keep an eye out.
- We're taking orders over the next two weeks only, at least for this first printing. They'll ship at the end of those two weeks, when Ben & I will silkscreen them by hand.
- Last day to order is Monday, October 5th.

UPDATE: T-shirts are no longer for sale. Maybe we'll do another round sometime!

Desktop balding salaryman golf game

In this funny web-based golf game called Eki Golf, you're a balding business man waiting for the train with an umbrella, practicing your golf swing.

Play the game

Tokyo's 2016 Olympic bid video

Tokyo didn't win the 2016 Olympics, but they did make a pretty cool bid video. In case you missed the news, Rio de Janeiro won, with Madrid coming in as first runner up and Tokyo next. Chicago was the first to go. I love Rio — I went last year, and thought it was a beautiful city.

Related story:
10 reasons why Japanese people should emigrate to Brazil

Asashoryu gets in trouble for putting arms in air after victory

Sumo star Asashoryu got in trouble yesterday for expressing his happiness in winning a match by raising both arms up in victory. His stablemaster had to later apologize to the Sumo Association head for the lewd act. Asashoryu, who is originally from Mongolia and has been the subject of several behavioral controversies in the strict sumo world, later explained that he got too excited and forgot that he wasn't supposed to do that.

Personally, I feel like this isn't such a big deal. The art and sport of sumo has had some trouble maintaining its pure image as of late, and perhaps loosening some of its less important rules, like how victors rejoice, will give it some breathing space and help it survive.

Link (Japanese) (Thanks, Yushi!)

Wat Misaka, the first non-white NBA player

Did you know that the first non-white person to ever play in the NBA was a Japanese-American? His name was Wat Misaka, and he was the first draft pick of the NY Knicks in 1947 &mdash three whole years before African-Americans were allowed to play in the league. This was just several years after he served in the US army, where part of his job was to go to places like Hiroshima and find out what the effects of repeated bombings on civilians were. Some of his family, including an uncle, still lived in the Hiroshima area, while others were interned at a camp in Utah.

Misaki apparently only played three games, but his name lives on on a plaque in Madison Square Garden, and he's also the subject of a new documentary called Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story.

via NY Times (Thanks, Alex!)

Octogenarian marathoner retires

Hats off to Keizo Yamada, the 81 year old "Iron Man" of Japan, who is retiring this year after running three marathons this year, not to mention having represented Japan in the 1952 Olympics and winning the Boston Marathon in 1953. According to Reuters, he's a pioneer in Japanese marathon running &mdash not many people actually ran for fun or health before he did.

I started running this year too. I'm signed up for a half marathon in mid-October. I've been writing about my running progress on Boing Boing Gadgets, if you're interested.

via Reuters

Nike is turning Miyashita Park into an athletic wonderland

Big news from my brother in Tokyo! Nike Japan is spending a gazillion yen to transform Miyashita Park in Shibuya into a giant playground with a skate park and a rock climbing wall.

Right now, Miyashita Park is best known for booze, drugs, illicit sex, and homeless people. If all goes as planned and this facility is completed next May, it will become one of the healthiest places in Shibuya. Interesting! A decade ago I would have been pissed that the hub of many of my childhood sins is being disintegrated, but now that I'm older and super into rock climbing and gearing up to run the Nike half marathon, I'm actually pretty excited. Many locals and homeless advocacy organizations are protesting the decision, however. I suppose Nike would have been better off tearing down a bunch of izakaya instead &mdash that way they wouldn't have to displace inhabitants or deprive the city of one of its few peaceful parks &mdash but Miyashita was probably easier to negotiate.

Link (Japanese)

Dan Osman, one of the craziest rock climbers ever to have lived

Dan Osman was a Japanese-American extreme athlete perhaps best known for the video (below), in which he speed-climbs a 400+ foot tall rock wall without a safety rope in four minutes. (I spent this past weekend in Lover's Leap, the area in South Lake Tahoe that he did this in, and climbed the same rock.) Osman later became hooked on free-jumping, which is kinda like bungee jumping but for much greater heights in much more dangerous conditions on a normal rope that doesn't slow you down at all. He even set a Guinness Record for it. Then, in 1998, he died doing when a rope failed him when free-jumping a cliff in Yosemite. A QA guy from Black Diamond, who made the rope, did an evaluation and concluded that it was a freak accident caused by the rope rubbing against itself &mdash something resulting from human error, a slight miscalculation in the angle at which he jumped.

There's a great story about the life and death of Dan Osman in Outside Magazine.

Explore a secret icicle cave in Hokkaido

There's a secret icicle cave called the 100-tatami cave in Date, Hokkaido, and a local non-profit offers tours there until it melts. Maybe it melted already? Anyhow, you have to hike for close to an hour in boots or snow shoes to get there. Looks fun!

via the Mainichi

Shingo Katayama kicking ass in golf tourney

Shingo Katayama and I are not related, but how awesome that someone with the same last name as me is kicking ass at the Masters in Augusta right now? He shot a five-under 67 in the first round today, and is tied for first with American Chad Campbell.

At least, I don't think we're related. He's from Ibaragi, and my family's from Kyushu. But my dad is a really good golfer, and so obviously is he...hmm, maybe he's a long lost cousin. I will investigate this and let you know.

Woman falls in hole at golf course and dies

Saddest golf story ever. A 38-year old housewife named Takae Gassho was playing golf with her family in Hokkaido when she suddenly fell into a deep hole in the ground and died. The hole was hidden by grass, so there was no way she could have seen it. There was water at the bottom—what police believe to be part of a subterranean melt water path—and by the time rescuers got her our half an hour later, she was dead. She was playing at the Le Petaw golf course in Abira.

Japan beats S. Korea in world baseball classic

Just watched the World Baseball Classic finals on TV. Japan won for the second time in a row, yay! They beat the US in the semis last night, and tonight they had a 10-inning game vs South Korea. If you missed it and didn't TiVo, you can check out the play-by-play on ESPN.

Japanese baseball is so strategic and team-oriented. For more on that, read my post on the Giants vs Tigers. Image by AP

Toilet makes you want to do a super ski jump

What could possibly feel better than dropping a giant turd while preparing to do a virtual ski jump? Not much, I'd imagine. Japanese coffee company Georgia painted public toilets at several ski resorts to mimic a ski jumper's perspective, wrapping the walls in illustrations of mountains and drawing skis where the feet go, and a giant slope on the front wall. Apparently, the toilet paper holder says:

“Seriously kick-ass intensely sweet for the real coffee super zinging unstoppable Max! Taste-explosion!”

I wish my toilet looked like that. I'd sit on it all day.

Coloribus via Boing Boing

Colonel Sanders found in Osaka River, will break 24-year old baseball curse

In 1985, a group of excited Hanshin Tigers baseball fans stole a Colonel Sanders statue from a Kentucky Fried Chicken and threw it in Osaka's Dotonbori River. Sanders was wearing star hitter Randy Bass' uniform at the time, and the fans did it to celebrate the Tigers' championship. Bad move. The Tigers haven't won a title since, causing frustrated fans to call this the Curse of the Colonel Sanders.

The awesome news is that, earlier this week, Colonel Sanders miraculously appeared near the riverbank. He was missing his arms and legs, but investigators found those nearby, too, and put him back together again. Randy Bass, who has since returned to the US and is now a Democratic senator from Oklahoma, says:

"Now that they’ve found the Colonel, the curse is over and it’s time to put your money on the Tigers."

(Thanks, Hans!)

Bowling alley has 116 lanes on one floor

Ever wish you could stroll into a bowling alley and not ever worry about waiting for a lane? This bowling alley in Aichi Prefecture is probably your best bet—it has 116 lanes, all on one floor, because the guy who runs it believes that bowling should be a unifying sport that everyone can do together. How lovely! If I had a space this big, though, I think I'd make it into a small dog run—that is, a giant dog run for small dogs, so Ruby and Malcolm can run around like crazy.

via Japan Probe

16-year old wins Japanese chess championship

This is Kana Satomi. She's a 16-year old high school student who just won the national title for best female shogi player in the world. She beat out 39-year old defending champ Ichiyo Shimizu in the Okayama tournament on Sunday. The youngest girl ever to win this title was Naoko Hayashiba, who was 14 when she kicked everyone's butt in 1982.

Previously, I blogged about Beni Takeyama, an expert shogi player who is only eight years old! She is probably still making her way up the ranks of Japanese chess. Or maybe she's way too young to compete.

Link

High school girl inspired by the Red Sox makes draft

An Osaka teenager just took the first step towards becoming the first female baseball player to play in an all-male league. Eri Yoshida is a pitcher known for her knuckleball. Apparently, she was inspired by a Boston Red Sox player, Tim Wakefield. At tryouts, she pitched to eight male players and didn't give up a single hit. If she passes the draft, she'll be starting on the Kobe 9 Cruise team next year.

I really hope she makes it! And if she doesn't, hopefully it's because she just wasn't good enough, and not because she was a girl.

Link

Giants vs Tigers, the oldest baseball rivalry in Japan

Last night, I went to the Giants vs. Tigers baseball game at Tokyo Dome. Somehow, we scored front row seats in a section where you're given a helmet and a glove, you know, in case the ball flies straight at you (it didn't). Tokyo's Yomiuri Giants and Osaka's Hanshin Tigers are the two oldest teams in Japanese baseball, and it's a rivalry as intense as the Yankees vs. the Red Sox. It was an extremely important game for the Giants—it brought them one game ahead of the Tigers in the Central League, late in the season after a 13-game deficit. The Giants scored 8 points in the bottom of the 5th inning to gain the lead, and then kept it to win 9-5.

Tokyo Dome is a 1.2 million square foot facility that was built for the Giants in 1988. It was pouring out last night, but as you can see, the 55,000 spectators and all the players are perfectly dry and comfortable. I actually went to the opening game at Tokyo Dome with my dad and my little brother. Dad took us out of school to go on a weekday, saying this was a special event in history that was worth ditching math class for. I thought he was such a cool guy for doing that. (But neither my dad or my brother remember going, haha.)

Continue reading for video and pics of the Hanshin Tigers cheering squad and the awesome bento I ate while watching them.

Why Doesn't Japan Cheer Out Loud at the Olympics?

Gymnastics is one of my favorite events to watch at the Olympics. As expected, China won the gold. Japan took the silver medal, and the US ended up with bronze. No major surprises there. But as I watched the medals being announced on TV with a bunch of friends in Hawaii, one of them said: Wow. The Japanese really don't know how to be happy, huh?

While the American and Chinese athletes hugged their coaches and teammates and shouted words of excitement, the Japanese men gave each other a pat on the back and then stood there tacitly as the scores were read out loud.

But it's not that they weren't excited. I think what we were seeing here is a classic example of how the Japanese experience emotion. Behind the stoic front, these men were crying tears of joy and pride. The same can probably be said for a chunk of the audience, both in stands and in front of TVs at home. Some might say, Yatta! and others might just sit there in silence, teary-eyed. Both of these are totally normal ways of expressing happiness in Japan. Yelling a prolonged "woohoo!" or screaming as loud as you can just aren't a dominant part of the culture.

The Gallympics: Girls in Bikinis Competing for the Gold in Twister

Flashy men's fashion mag "Men's Egg" has a feature in a recent issue called the 2008 Gallympics. In Japan "gal" is a term used to describe those bleached-blond, fakely-tanned girls who walk around Shibuya in super-high wedge sandals and short shorts. In the Gallympics, these women compete against each other in sports like Twister, speed-eating bananas, and limbo.

Link

Naomi Yotsumoto is the Asian Anna Kournikova

Naomi Yotsumoto is the most-talked about ping pong player in Japan right now, and it's not just because of her paddle-swatting skillz. The petite 29-year old Tokyo native is revolutionizing the sport by dressing provocatively and presenting herself as more than just an athlete. After creating plenty of buzz in local and international press because of her hot pink and rainbow-striped outfits (there is no dress code in professional ping pong), she now has her own TV show and a published autobiography. And as you can see in this video (from the national mixed doubles competition this year, where she placed second), she's really pretty good at what she does. And even when she doesn't win, the commentators never fail to spend a bunch of time fawning over her outfits and noticing how the crowd perks up when she walks in. Naomi Yotsumoto = the Asian Anna Kournikova = awesome at doubles, not so hot at singles, better known for her looks than for her athleticism.

Naomi Yotsumoto's main page via Design Corner (Thanks, Baker!)

Should Softball be an Olympic Sport?

Everyone thought the US women's softball team was gonna kick Japan's ass in the Olympic finals this week. Didn't happen. To everyone's surprise, Japan won 3-1.

The US women's softball team was like Misty May and Kerri Walsh in beach volleyball, but better—completely undefeated since 2000, with four Olympic gold medals under their cleats. Most of their victories were total sweeps, and the world was convinced that there was no fair match for them anywhere. This belief was so strong that the International Olympic Committee voted to have women's softball removed from the Olympics in 2012. The verdict's out: there will be no women's softball in London.

Does this week's upset change this? The Americans hope so. Star pitcher Jennie Finch is determined to get the gold back in 2016, so she—along with the rest of her team, the Japanese team, and every other softball enthusiast in the world—is lobbying hard to reinstate the sport.

Link

Haley Ishimatsu is a Good Diver

They finally showed the Olympic women's diving competition tonight on NBC. I'd been waiting to see Haley Ishimatsu, the 15-year old Japanese-American girl, since a few weeks ago when they did a quick segment about her on NPR. Apparently, she can do a back 3 1/2 somersault pike, which is this crazy dive that only a handful of other people in the world can do. Anyhow, she placed tenth in the qualifiers but didn't win. The commentators pointed out that her splash is too big when she hits the water. Interesting...

Someone said that it's easier on younger athletes to compete in the Olympics because they're just competing on excitement and adrenaline, whereas the older ones have a lot more at stake, and think about things more. I wouldn't know, because even though I dabble in all kinds of sports, I am nowhere even close to making it into real competition. :(

Kitajima Wins World Record in 100M Breaststroke

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima beat the world record in the 100m breaststroke earlier today in Beijing with a time of 58.1 seconds. Yay! Pictured next to him is a devastated Brendan Hansen—he held the world record until seconds ago.

Kitajima was already a national hero—at Athens four years ago, when he won two golds, for the 100m and 200m breaststrokes. I think it's safe to say that Kosuke Kitajima has the fastest breaststroke in the world ever. It's the second gold so far for Japan, with Masato Uchishiba winning the gold in 66k Judo yesterday.

I love watching the Olympics, and cheering for the Japanese team is super fun because I feel like I understand the heart and struggle they put behind all their efforts. I was just talking to Alyssa about this the other day while watching the US play Japan in women's volleyball, but even though we both grew up between the two cultures, we subconsciously root for Japan when they go head-to-head because that's where we were raised, and where our roots are the strongest.

75-Year Old Skier Climbs Mt. Everest

On Monday, 75-year old Yuichiro Miura became the second oldest person in the world to climb Mt. Everest. A professional skier and recent survivor of two heart operations, Miura reached the summit at 7:33am, just hours after a 76-year old Nepalese climber arrived there to claim the oldest person title. Miura has had a lifetime of heart problems—he has had an atrial fibrillation since he was a kid. But with serious training (he had a gym set up at home with oxygen levels simulating the summit), he accomplished his feat without any problems.

Miura climbed Everest with his doctor, his 38-year old son Gota, and a photograph of his deceased father, Keizo, who was skiing in France until the age of 99 (he died at 101). Rumor is that the son, who had been harping his dad about the dangers of doing this at such an old age, was the one who had difficulties breathing on his way up.

Link

Brazilian Soccer, the Predecessor to J-League

Soccer is the #1 sport in Brazil. I went to a Palmeiras game on Sunday night at this awesome stadium in Sao Paulo. And yes, they won. Also, soccer in Brazil was probably a big inspiration for the creation of the J-League, and the unofficial #3 national sport in Japan (after sumo and baseball). The J-League—a national professional soccer league consisting of 18 teams—was just formed in 1992, but it made instant soccer fans out of every single Japanese person within days of its inception. When players like Brazil's Zico went to Japan to play and coach, it was a huge big deal. (My little brother had him as a coach in his middle school league. Lucky guy.)

So I was super excited to go to a real Brazilian soccer game. It's still early season, so the stadium wasn't full, but the people who were there were serious fans. Guards with riot shields surrounded the field, just in case. The stands shook every time the crowd sang a song or cheered or clapped.

Gourmet Lunches at Baseball Stadiums in Japan

When you go to a baseball game in Japan, you get a real gourmet meal, not just hot dogs and churros and beer. Order a hamburger at Tokyo Dome—home of the Giants—and it comes etched with a perfect number 1. Or maybe you prefer the Chinese-inspired shumai lunch while rooting for the Yokohama Baystars.

Adidas Soccer Billboard Features Real Hanging Humans Playing

Check out this 2006 Adidas billboard featuring two real humans hanging from rope and playing soccer above everyone's heads.

Link (Japanese)

Monkeys and Dogs Doing Sit-Ups

The average Japanese boy can do 19 sit-ups a minute. But what about the average monkey, or the average bulldog? This hilarious video, featuring Pan the Monkey and James the Bulldog, investigates.

I love how there are real kids seriously trying to set records right on the same mat.

Ichiro-Isms Rock the Media

Ichiro's been in the news a lot lately, but not just because he's awesome at baseball. Apparently, he's been saying some silly, overly emotional things to the media.

My coworker at Wired, Erik—whose brain is arguably the most thorough sports almanac in the world—recently started a fun blog in which he featured some of the silliest Ichiro-isms. I told you guys about how the all star player thanked his dog for the $90 mill Mariners contract he signed last month. Now he's talking about the dormant fire in the "innermost recesses of his soul."

I think there's a lot that has been lost in translation here. The Japanese speak in metaphors a lot, so it's really hard for interpreters to relay messages like Ichiro's into English without making him sound either overly dramatic (via a literal translation of the metaphor) or completely dry (by extracting the non-metaphorical meaning of the words). There is a happy medium, but it's not something that can be easily deciphered in the brief moment that interpreters have to get the word out.

Link

Ichiro Thanks His Dog for $90 Million Contract

Yesterday, the Seattle Mariners signed Ichiro Suzuki on for a $90 million contract for an additional 5 years with the team. $90 million! Wow. Can't say he doesn't deserve it, though. Ichiro's the first major leaguer to have 200 hits in each of his first six seasons, and he's the top hitter this season to date, batting .355 with 5 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 23 bases stolen. Plus he's brought thousands upon thousands upon thousands of Japanese fans and tourists to the US.

Ichiro claims that his dog, Ikky, helped him get to where he is today. Yahoo! Sports reports:

When asked whose counsel he valued most during contract negotiations that began in January, he said, "Ikky, my dog."

"He said, 'Ruff, ruff, ruff,"' a smiling Suzuki said through an interpreter. "That means, 'Stay, stay, stay."'

I guess the dog likes living in Seattle. Or maybe Ichiro's giving him filet mignon and caviar cookies to snack on.

3-Story Fully Automated Golf Driving Range

I hit more golf balls in the last 36 hours than I ever have in my whole life. This is the Lotte Kasai golf driving range, where I went totally nuts with the 3 wood in my mom's golf bag. Now I have bleeding callouses on both hands, but it was so worth it. So much better than that crappy ghost-infested driving range in Colma, CA. And here's why:

- Japanese driving ranges are usually 3 stories high. I was on the second floor so balls were flying out from above and below me.
- They're fully automated. Details, pic, and video after the jump.

Don't Drop The Basketball!

My brother, Lara, and I went to Muscle Park yesterday, where we tested various aspects of our athletic skillz. Here, Lara and I test our agility and teamwork by holding a basketball--not so successfully--through a maze of steel.

Many of the tests at MP are those seen on those popular Japanese TV shows where people compete in random creative events to win honor and sometimes money.

We took some awesome videos, which I'll be posting later this weekend.

Yawara-chan's Post-Baby Comeback

Japan's favorite judo star, Ryoko Tani a.k.a. Yawara-chan, made her post-maternity leave comeback in the All Japan Judo Championship yesterday. Yawara-chan won the gold at the last 2 summer Olympics--Sydney and Athens--and holds six world titles in the sport.

She actually lost to a student from Tsukuba, but hey. Mad props to any mother who goes back into professional sports and can throw people on the ground and kick people's asses. She had a son two years ago with baseball player husband Yoshitomo Tani.

If Yawara-chan was my mom, I would probably try not to piss her off too much.

Vonia's MP3 Headband

I don't wear a headband when I exercise, but I guess some people do. And now that Vonia's made this kick-ass headphone-inclusive sweat-wicking headband that has a tiny slit on the side that fits an iPod shuffle, I just might start wearing a headband to the gym. The speakers are waterproof, so if you have a waterproof MP3 player, too, then you can even wear it while you're swimming in the deep blue sea...Then I might be as happy on the elliptical machine as this guy (after the jump)...

Designer Gym Features Framed Rock Climbing Wall

Contrary to what you might think, this wall is not part of a museum. It's actually a rock climbing wall in a designer gym in Ebisu. Illoiha's yoga studio is dimly lit like a Manhattan martini bar, and in addition to this awesome wall, it also has a rock bath facility. (Have you ever gotten a hot stone massage? This is like that but 100x more relaxing.) It's pretty much $30/hr to do anything here--to sit in the bath, or to climb this wall. I would totally do it if I was rich, just to indulge.

Man Kills Forest For Paraglide Launch

See that giant bald spot in the middle of this hill? That's not natural, it was ordered by a company exec in Hiroshima who decided he needed 1100 trees cut down so he could launch his paraglider there. WTF?? Now the guy's in trouble for violating the Forest Law.

The owner of this private forest had carefully planted these cedar and cypress trees, which were mostly between 20 and 50 years old, but 55-year old Hashimoto chainsawed them down. Damages were worth 7.5 million yen.

Mr. Hashimoto, you're selfish and mean, and you suck.

Link

Japan's New Ballet Champ

This pretty girl with incredible legs is 17-year old Mai Kono from Saitama. She won a ballet championship in Lausanne, Switzerland yesterday. Prizes included $12,800 in cash and a one-year scholarship to a famous dance school.

It was the 35th year of the competition and the second year that Kono participated.

I wonder what it would take for me to be able to get my legs up that high.

Link

Cute, Or Scary? You Decide.

Alright, kids! Have a good weekend!

(Read more about this lady here and here.)

Gooooooooaaaaal! Feverish Excitement Soccer Ball Button

The World Cup makes people CRAZY in most countries (except the US, we don't seem to give a shit about soccer here), and that fire and excitement are hard to relive without the booming remarks of equally excited commentators. That's why there's the Jon Kabira Feverish Excitement Goal Voice Button.

Jon Kabira's one of Japan's premier sports commentators, famous for saying things like:

"Goaaaaaaaal!" and "Ohhh that's a foul!" and "Now that's world class!" in Japanglish.

A bonk on the soccer ball's head will make it say all these and more in Kabira's recorded voice. It's only 10cm wide by 7cm tall, so you can hide it in the corner of your cubicle and push it every now and then to revive your bored, anal retentive co-workers--or if you're looking for an excuse to get fired.

Buy yours here for 980 yen.

Miki Ando wins the first skating competition of the year.

This 18-year old cutie pie won the Skate America championship yesterday, beating out American Kimmie Messner and 16-year old compatriot Mao Asada (not related to Chairman Mao). She did really bad in the Torino Olympics earlier this year, placing 15th, but she's off to a shining superstar start this season.

I know, you're wondering if she's single, right? I happened to see her on some variety show this year where she confessed to having a special somebody in her life. Sorry guys, guess there won't be any triple jumps from this hottie coming your way anytime soon.

Grandpa's baseball team

So what if the players can't wipe their own ass? I just watched a video clip of Gunma Prefecture's new 74+ baseball league in action, and some of its players still throw a mean ass curve ball. There are currently 90 participants between the ages of 74 and 83, and the winning team goes to the finals later this month.

In case you're wondering, the dude in the photo is not on in the League of the Ancients. He is 64-year old legendary baseball player and manager for the Yomiuri Giants, Sadaharu Oh. A half-breed like me, the man is on medical leave for stomach cancer since July. Get better soon, Mr. Oh! You still have two decades of baseball left in you, if you move to Gunma.

Too excited over the Korean baseball player?

Alas, the professional pervert trend has infiltrated the media. Masashi Funakoshi, the chief announcer of Nippon Television, was demoted for sexually harassing a female reporter sitting next to him while they were broadcasting a Giants game. Who can blame him? Maybe he just got too excited when Lee Seung Yeop hit a home run. Did I tell you how out of control the Korean boy craze in Japan has become?