Japan’s Pioneer Skeleton Racer To Retire

Skeleton racing is probably not the most popular sport around, but it does have its own pack of supporters. Now that the Winter Olympics is the hot topic in sports, skeleton racing is gaining more notice, especially in Japan. By general consensus, Kazuhiro Koshi is regarded as the pioneer of skeleton racing in his country. Now 45 years old, the veteran says that he has “reached his limit.” From what has happened in the Winter Olympics, it looks like he just might be right. On the 19th, the competition for skeleton racing ended with Koshi finishing a mere 20th – overall. Despite this sad showing, Koshi remains positive and his fans continue to voice their support.

Koshi’s story is quite an interesting one. The Examiner tells us more:

Kazuhiro Koshi started off with dreams of Olympic gold out of university. Born in Nagano, the home of the 1998 winter Olympics, Koshi undoubtedly grew up surrounded by winter sports. He originally aimed to become a bobsledder for the 1992 Albertville Olympics, but after failing to be selected he switched his focus to skeleton.

However, at the time he decided to change it is reported that there were virtually no serious skeleton racers in Japan. In order to advance to an international competitive level, which he finally did by the late 1990s, he had to take advice from experts in foreign countries and train rigorously.

In the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, Koshi placed 8th in skeleton, and in 2006 he placed 11th in Turin.

This man’s spirit is undoubtedly admirable and as he announces his plans of leaving the life of competition, we wish him well.

Skating Champion Mao Asada Back In The Game

Well before the Winter Olympics begins, Mao Asada is already making her country proud. She has been under the spotlight again as she just got a fourth national title – straight. She was the world champion in 2008, but has since then met a series of failures, disappointing many fans. With this recent win, however, critics are saying that Asada is back in form, and that she is once again in the running.

AFP reports:

Japan’s former world champion Mao Asada, returning to form with a fourth straight national title, is rekindling a hot rivalry with South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na ahead of their Olympic debut.

Asada nailed her trademark triple axel in the free skate to triumph at the Japanese championships on Sunday, prompting a nationwide sigh of relief for one of the country’s few gold medal hopefuls at February’s Vancouver Winter Games.

“It is important to aim high. I want the gold medal,” the 19-year-old said on television on Monday. “I will aim to perfect all of my programmes.”

It was the first time that the 2008 world champion has stood on the top of the podium in any event this season, which has been fraught with her failures in landing the highly demanding 3.5-revolution jump.

Her countrymen are definitely happy with her most recent performance, but Asada is probably the most fulfilled person at this point. This should be a good booster for her as she prepares for the Winter Olympics in February, which is just a couple of months away.

Sugiyama: Could Be Her Last Wimbledon

Tennis fans have flocked together at Wimbledon to witness perhaps the most important event in the sport. True tennis enthusiasts would recognize the name Ai Sugiyama, a Japanese tennis veteran. She made her debut in the All England Club scene way back in 1993 and has since then participated in the event 17 times.

Sugiyama, who is now 33 years old, says that she is now only playing for pleasure and not really to compete. Though she is still considered the number one woman tennis player in Japan, she is currently having a hard time keeping up physically. It is no wonder given her age, which can be considered a tad too old for the sport. AFP quotes her as saying:

I’m just thinking year by year now. I don’t know if I can come back next year. It is too far to think of for me. Each year I’m fighting every day to be fit and physically, mentally to be able to play at the top level. It’s difficult actually.

The older you get, it’s definitely tougher because physically, when you’re young, even though you play three or four matches, once you stretch well, eat well then sleep you will be fresh. But when you get to 33, recovering wise, it’s not that easy compared to before so you have to really take care of your body.

What she said is true enough but there is also no doubt that she can still deliver a very good game on the grass. More importantly, she is still well regarded in the tennis world.

What’s Wrong With Going Naked?

Nothing, I think. Well, if you are inside the four walls of your home, or in your bathroom, or your bedroom; heck, even in a hotel or anywhere that is yours to call your private space. Or maybe a nudist colony.

Now going naked in a public park and being arrested at 3 in the morning – that’s a totally different story. And it is even worse when you are a public figure like Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. If you are not Japanese or you do not follow the Japanese entertainment scene, this name probably does not ring a bell. To those who are in the know, however, Kusanagi is one of the hottest and most popular singers and actors in the country today.

I suppose I should have said that he WAS one of the hottest, for after he was arrested by the police when he was found naked AND screaming in a Tokyo park, his followers seem to have deserted him. To make things worse for the celebrity, he is quoted to have pitched a question to the officers arresting him: “What’s wrong with going naked?”

While this may sound funny – I really think it is hilarious – Kusanagi’s critics and supporters do not think so. As a matter of fact, he has been dropped by his sponsors. TV shows have dropped him from their line ups. Even a movie that he is supposed to be part of has been thrown away.

Lesson for celebrities: don’t go naked in a public park and don’t ask what’s wrong with it when arrested.

Japan Volcano Claimed US Poet?

I really hope not. No one likes hearing this kind of news and it will certainly have a negative effect on tourism in Japan. No matter how small this effect could be, no one still wants this kind of thing happening.

Anyhow, the news is that an American poet has been reported missing. Craig Arnold, a 41-year-old American poet went to Japan and went up the volcano on the island of Kuchinoerabu-jima in the northern Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. His intention was to do research on Japanese volcanoes as he is working on a book about these majestic peaks. Unfortunately, he has gone missing.

Japanese authorities were quick to respond and have already sent out search parties in an effort to find Arnold. He went missing on Monday and has not been found as of yet. By law, the Japanese authorities are required to search for a missing person for three days. In this particular case, however, they have extended the search until Sunday. As of this writing, there are no new developments yet. The BBC has this report:

Police said they had found Mr Arnold’s tracks on a trail up to the volcano, but they didn’t see any tracks coming down.

Chris Arnold said it was possible that after emerging at the top, his brother may have had difficulty finding the trail to get back down.

“I know my brother is tough and can survive in these conditions for many days, but I sincerely hope more manpower can be devoted to the search soon,” he told the university’s website.

Chris Arnold’s wife, Augusta Palmer, said dense vegetation on the slopes of the volcano made helicopter searches virtually useless.

For everyone’s sake, and most of all Arnold’s, I hope that he can be found today.

Parisians Learn A Lesson On Cleanliness From Japanese

We know that the Japanese are sticklers for cleanliness, but I don’t think that Parisians have a reputation for not being so neat and clean. I always thought that people in Paris were as “clean” as the people from any other city. Apparently, I was wrong.

There is actually a group of Japanese nationals who have volunteered to show the people of Paris a thing or two about cleanliness. The group is called Greenbird Paris, which is the first overseas branch of a nonprofit organization based in Tokyo. Greenbirds are basically volunteers of all ages, who have come to the city of Paris to clean it up.

Apparently, while Paris is known for its culture and historical monuments, these places are rife with trash such as cigarette butts, food scraps, and even dog poop! And the Greenbirds’ task? To get rid of all this trash with their “pincers.”

Why Paris, you might ask. Well, for one, Paris is one of the most popular destinations for Paris tourists. As such, some members of the Greenbirds have seen firsthand what their city of dreams is really like in real life. Take the example of Mami Osafune. She is a 27-year-old student to psychology. She has been living in the city for 3 years now, but she still remembers when she first arrived. She shares: “When I first arrived at Roissy airport, it was a shock for me, because Japanese people always dream of Paris as being a beautiful city. When we find such disgusting trash, it doesn’t give a good image. So that’s why I got involved.”

One cannot help but applaud these efforts. And I am thinking that Parisians should pick up a tip or two.

Japan’s Obama

The whole world was very much tuned in to the most recent US elections and Japan was no exception. One city in Japan has been most specially attentive and no wonder because this city’s name is OBAMA. Yes, just like the current US President Barack Obama’s name. Note though that the city of Obama long long before Barack Obama was even in diapers.

The city of Obama, which means “little beach” in Japanese, in fact used to depend mostly on fishing for its main source of income. Now it has a thriving tourist industry thanks to world class products like the Wakasa lacquer ware, agate accessories, Wakasa paper, tiles, and their famous lacquered chopsticks. There are also plenty of sights to see with the city boasting more than 130 temples and Buddha statues that were made in the Heian and Kamakura eras.

We of course can not disregard the influence of the Obama name in drawing attention to this city, which gave their all out support for President Obama. This is town in fact is so enthusiastic about how things have turned for their favourite US president that the mayor has declared November 4 to be an annual holiday and even plans on putting up Obama’s statue in front of the city hall. Now, how’s that for being a huge fan?

Japanese Youth Wow Golfing World

The country of Japan is made up of countless talented individuals – and we’re not talking solely about technology here. In fact, this nation has made its contribution in many other sectors such as arts and sports. This time, a young Japanese national is making waves in the world of golf.

Ryo Ishikawa is already known all over Japan as the newest hit in golf. Pretty soon, he just might make history if he breaks into the international scene. He was recently featured at Golf Online:

The prodigious talent, who won the Japan Tour’s Munsingwear Open KSB Cup when he was 15, has already been asked to appear at three US PGA Tour tournaments in the run up to the Augusta showpiece.

“We see this as an opportunity to expose an emerging talent on a world stage and fulfil our objective to grow the game.”

Indeed, “the Bashful Prince,” which is the English translation of his Japanese moniker Hanikami Ōji, is someone that the whole nation can be proud of. And even people from outside his country are starting to take notice. I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear more from the Prince in the near future.

Japanese Christian Martyrs To Honored

When we speak of Japan and religion, the faiths that normally come to mind are Shintoism and Buddhism. After all, these are the religions that are most practiced in the country (and many other Eastern countries). A less known fact is that there is a strong Christian community in Japan and that the country has long history relating to this major world religion.

As a testament to this, the Roman Catholic Church is beatifying Japanese Christian martyrs. What you may not know – and to be honest, I didn’t know this either – is that many Japanese people were persecuted because of their Christian faith in the 1600s. These people came from all walks of life. Some were samurais, some were housewives, some were even children!

On Monday, the Roman Catholic Church is going to hold a ceremony honoring these people. According to the tenets of this religion, this kind of ceremony is going to bestow the people an honor one step below sainthood. More than the beatification of the martyrs, however, the ceremony means a lot to the relatively small number of Christians in the country. For them, it is a show of strength, a testament to the existence of their faith in a country dominated by other religions.

Another interesting piece of trivia for you: did you know that Japan currently has a Roman Catholic Prime Minister in Taro Aso? He actually holds the distinction of being the first ever Catholic PM of the country!

Kazuki Nakajima

What is so special about the 28th of September this year? If you have been paying attention to Formula 1 on the news, you would know that history is being made as I write this. At this very moment, the very first F1 night street race is being held in Singapore and one of the drivers is Japanese.

Kazuki Nakajima drives for the Williams-Toyota team, together with Nico Rosberg. Nakajima was born in January 11, 1985 in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan. As a child, Nakajima was not a stranger to the world of racing. In fact, he was only 11 years old when he started Karting and a mere three years later, he was dubbed the champion of Suzuki Formula ICA karting. He was then subsequently snapped up by Toyota to join their Young Drivers’ Program.

Some say that he purposely went with Toyota despite his father’s strong ties with Honda, which is the former’s arch rival. The rationale is that he wanted to prove that his father has nothing to do with his success in his racing career. Well, he did prove that because in 2006, he started as a test driver for Williams and in October 9 of 2007, he finally got a break when he replaced Alexander Wurz as a driver for Williams. He drove in the final race in Brazil that year and finished in 10th place.

Today, Nakajima is a household name in the world of F1 racing. Though he has not made such big waves as the other drivers have, he certainly is someone to be proud of.