Japanese Stuff

Escaped ostrich ends up as oversized roadkill on Osaka highway Later it became luggage.

Newbie conductor opens train doors after departure

Ah curiosity: Whats the red button for?

All aboard! Brazenly bawdy exhibitionists engage in early-morning rail romps

In a densely populated city like Tokyo, there are precious few places where one can engage in sex in a public place without attracting smirks or disapproving stares. Or inviting arrest.

You thought Japanese trains were only for riding and groping salary men with phone cameras.  

You’ve won the lottery! How unlucky for you.

Winners in the lottery were told they would not have to pay the initial sign-up fee of 31,500 yen. They were also told they were eligible for a discount in monthly fees, from 6,300 yen to 5,775 yen.

But most subscribers to “Sound Planet” already pay 5,775 yen in monthly fees.

And the sign-up fees for the service are usually never charged. However, the so-called lottery winners would have to pay 31,500 yen in penalties if they cancel their contracts with Usen within a two-year period.

Ministry officials said the 31,500-yen cancellation fee was 10 times higher than the general cancellation fee written in Usen’s contract conditions.

WHAT WAS ON THE TUBE (DEC. 10-14)

The following are the lengths of time six “wide shows” on four channels in the Tokyo area devoted to certain topics. The programs cover everything from politics to celebrity gossip.

The listing is provided by Reservia Corp.

1. Health minister Yoichi Masuzoe admits it will be impossible to identify the owners of 50 million mystery pension accounts by the government’s promised deadline. The “revelation” is apparently so unsurprising that Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda says he forgot about that pledge made by his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, during the Upper House election in July. 5 hr, 2 min, 35 sec

2. After repeated denials, lawyer and TV personality Toru Hashimoto announces his candidacy for the Osaka gubernatorial election in January. Hashimoto’s decision perplexes many on TV and radio shows because his frequent appearances on those programs have given him a lot of money. And as a TV personality, he wouldn’t have to falsify his office expenses. 2 hr, 22 min, 25 sec

3. A special panel tasked with protecting novice sumo wrestlers against violent hazing begins inspecting sumo stables. Members start with the Tokitsukaze stable, where young wrestler Tokitaizan died in June after an apparent beating. At the Takasago stable, yokozuna Asashoryu impresses panel members by behaving like a model wrestler. 2 hr, 8 min, 36 sec

4. Plaintiffs infected with hepatitis C through tainted blood products reject the outline of a court-mediated settlement for their group lawsuit. In the proposal, the Osaka High Court limits the legal responsibilities of the central government and drug makers based on a Tokyo District Court ruling in March. And not all plaintiffs would receive compensation. 1 hr, 11 min, 54 sec

5. Senba Kitcho, operator of renowned Kitcho restaurants, sort of comes clean and acknowledges in a report to the farm ministry that management had been aware of mislabeling concerning the origin of beef used in its products. Kikuo Yuki, a director, also tells reporters that he had ignored employees who had questioned the company’s mislabeling practices. 1 hr, 10 min, 52 sec

6. Masanori Kawasaki, a suspect in connection with the deaths of Keiko Miura and her two grandchildren in Kagawa Prefecture, tells police he came to harbor ill feelings toward her because of problems stemming from her debts. Kawasaki, 61, says that his wife, Miura’s sister, said that Miura used her name to borrow money. Kawasaki’s wife died of cancer in April. 1 hr, 8 min, 15 sec

7. The dog days of winter? A canine that remained beside a 73-year-old woman throughout the night in a park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, draws a great praise. The woman, who has senile dementia, had been missing for about 30 hours. Police believe the dog, Ushi, somehow helped the woman survive the freezing temperatures by sitting next to her. 37 min, 6 sec

8. Meiji Dairies Corp. and Morinaga Milk Industry Co. say they will raise retail milk prices in spring in the first hike in about 30 years. The increase is a byproduct of surging oil prices. A wide show features the plight of residents in Hokkaido, who cannot afford soaring kerosene prices for their heaters. One couple sleeps with seven layers of futon at night to keep warm. 31 min, 3 sec

9. A Buddhist monk at Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto writes the kanji for ”falsification” to describe 2007. The news this year shows that the letter is apt. 30 min, 6 sec

10. Crown Princess Masako turns 44 on Dec. 9. She has been recuperating from adjustment disorders since December 2003 by curtailing outside engagements, and she releases a statement saying she regrets being unable to fulfill her official duties. But she visited Nagano Prefecture in June and Tokushima Prefecture in October as part of her official duties. 20 min, 5 sec

Magic Cows and the Millions They Will Make!