Big in Japan: Cherry blossoms in outer space?!?!

by Matthew Firestone on

The cherry blossoms (sakura; ??????, ??) have come and gone here in Tokyo, which means that spring fever is now in full effect. Of course, if you missed your chance to pen haikus about Japan’s most famous flower, fear not as cherry trees may soon be blooming in the final frontier, namely outer space!

While modern Japan is seemingly unconnected to the whims and nuances of the natural world, the Japanese still retain a tremendous amount of love and respect for the humble cherry blossom. So, what better way to inject a boost of patriotism into the country’s declining space program then by sending Japan’s most enduring symbol to the farthest reaches of mankind!

According to a recent announcement by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the organization is sending seeds to its laboratory at the International Space Station, which is currently in orbit above the Earth.

The official aim of this experiment is to observe how the seeds are affected by microgravity, though a few papers in Japan have already hinted at the future possibility of space tourism. Indeed, who could think of a better hanami (?????) or cherry blossom-viewing party than one that takes place in zero gravity!

According to officials at JAXA, this summer school children will pick about 200 fallen cherry tree seeds, including ones from three so-called “ancient trees,” which have been designated by the Japanese government as national treasures, and are regarded as producing some of the country’s most beautiful blooms.

One of the ancient trees is a Takizakura (滝桜) or “cascade cherry blossom”, which blooms annually for three weeks in the tiny rural town of Miharu, and attracts heaving crowds that number several hundreds of thousands.

If all goes according to the plan, the cherry tree seeds will be sent into orbit at a highly-publicized launch later this year. According to Ms.Yuko Otake, a spokeswoman for JAXA, “Scientific observation is one reason [for the launch]. But we also want the seeds to travel in space on our behalf as few ordinary people can go now.”

In Miharu, a small town that rarely sees much fuss and commotion outside of the cherry blossom season, there is already an incredible amount of anticipation regarding the event. According to town official Sadafumi Hirata: “We are very proud that our tree was selected among many cherry blossoms that represent Japan.” Even more excitement came from the lucky kids who will get to pick the seeds this summer for lift off in October.

Again, if all goes according to plan, the seeds will remain in outer space for six months, and then will be brought back to earth for planting. So, with a little luck, Japan may soon have its first extraterrestrial cherry tree in the years to come!

** All photos were taken by yours truly at Tokyo’s famous Shinjuku-gyoen **

World’s most dangerous destinations

by Iva Skoch on

When writing my blog about the recent violence in Chicago last night, I stumbled upon the Forbes list of the world’s most dangerous destinations for 2008.

Here they are:

  • Somalia
  • Iraq
  • Afghanistan
  • Haiti
  • Pakistan
  • Sudan
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Lebanon
  • Zimbabwe
  • Palestine

Although some of these might not exactly be tourist destinations, it is interesting how that list has changed over the years.

Forbes writes that “in the 1970s, a traveler’s worst nightmare might have been a hijacked plane or hostage crisis. Today, the threats are equally perilous but reflect the changing times. Now, a tourist or business traveler might worry more about terrorist attacks on mass transit, getting caught in a spontaneous uprising or a bombing of a nightclub or hotel.”

Big in Japan: Japan fights global warming with shorter baseball games

by Matthew Firestone on

Today is April 22, which means that if you have any sort of eco-conscious, you have already picked up on the Earth Day theme here at Gadling.

Truth be told, Japan isn’t always the first country that comes to mind when you think of the modern conservation movement. Sadly, the Japanese have something of a reputation for environmental insensitivity, particularly when it comes to their increasing whaling efforts despite mainstream international protest.

However, you don’t need to spend much time in Japan to realize that the people here are in fact becoming more and more eco-sensitive. Since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the country has taken an admirable self-assessment of its role in the global warming crisis.

In fact, Japan has since launched one of the world’s most extensive recycling programs, mandated a decreased dependence on air-conditioning during the hot and sticky summer months, and branded the word ‘eco’ as something trendy and fashionable.

So, in honor of this year’s Earth Day celebration, Big in Japan is happy to bring you the latest environmentally friendly news from the Land of the Rising Sun, namely that Japan has started shortening its baseball games in an effort to fight global warming.

How cool is that?

Although few Americans are aware of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), it has produced a number of major Major League Baseball (MLB) players including Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka among others. Known as the Puro Yakyū (プロ野球) in Japanese, the NPB has a long history dating back to 1934 when it was originally founded as the Greater Japan Tokyo Baseball Club (大日本東京野球倶楽部, Dai-nippon Tōkyō Yakyū Kurabu).

In an effort to make their baseball games more green, the NPB has implemented a plan to shorten its games, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions at stadiums (as well as fighting boredom by speeding up the pace!). According to an official task force appointed by the NPB, staging baseball games results in huge amount of discharged carbon dioxide due to the movements of players and spectators, as well as the tremendous amount of energy needed to light up stadiums.

On average, game time will be cut by six percent, or about 12 minutes. Teams will be required to spend no more than two minutes and 15 seconds when they change from fielding to batting, and pitchers will be asked to throw within 15 seconds of receiving the ball from the catcher when no runners are on base.

This proposal to cut playing time was set in accordance with Japan’s pledge to cut its emissions of greenhouse gases by six per cent from 1990 levels. Sadly however, Japan is struggling to meet its obligations under the Kyoto protocol, though there is hope that this will change in the years to come, especially since the Japanese public has taken on a greater interest in fighting global warming.

From all of us here at Gadling, think big this Earth Day, and remember to respect Mother Earth!

** All images were courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **


Photo of the Day (04/21/08)

by Iva Skoch on

I would call this photo Light at the end of the tunnel. The tall, thin silhouette symbolizes our times almost too well: Black and white, always rushing somewhere “better.” If only he knew what the man at the end of the tunnel probably already knows and what we’ll never know.

Bernard-SD took this awesome photo in Hyderabad, India in March 2008.

***To have your photo considered for the Gadling Photo of the Day, go over to the Gadling Flickr Pool and post it. Make sure it is not copyrighted, otherwise we can’t post it here.***

Latest India craze: Bollywood-cum-cricket

by Abha Malpani on

Talk to anyone from India and if you can’t comment on the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament that just kicked off, odds are that you’ll be made redundant for any further communication.

The tournament is the latest craze that has hit the country, and has left people bedazzled with illusion of what will be over 7-weeks of dance, music, and sport “hungama” (madness). This is of no surprise as it involves the two things that practically run the country: Bollywood and cricket.

This is the first time that international cricketers will put aside national loyalties to play in a private tournament wherein the players were selected by a multi-million-dollar auction earlier this year. Over 100 national and international players have been offered bundles of cash to participate in the 44-day, 59-match, 8-city, cricket league in India.

The 8 teams, named after main cities in India, were also bought in an auction by Indian business moguls like Mukesh Ambani and Vijay Mallya, and Bollywood stars like Sharukh Khan and Priti Zinta.

The opening ceremony last Friday in Bangalore was a 45-minute Bollywood-style extravaganza with music, fireworks, light-shows and acrobats flown in from the Washington Redskins cheerleaders group, and attended by 55,000 people. You can watch bits of it here.

Unfortunately, it looks like this event of such hype and hysteria will not be covered by world news agencies because of a brawl over event photo distribution rights.

In India, Bollywood and cricket are as embedded in our culture as chai and squat toilets. You have to understand them to understand us. I have no doubt that this tournament will be a roaring success and I wish I could be in India for some of the matches! Living abroad has its cons. Sigh.