Gadling

In a classic scene from the film A League of their Own, coach Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks) screams at his female players: ‘There’s no crying in baseball!’

Of course, while there may have been a Hollywood ending for Madonna and Geena Davis, there is still very much a prominent glass ceiling in real-life baseball.

However, there is a chance that the sport as we know it may one day change, especially following the recent draft pick of a female Japanese high school student by the minor league team Kobe 9 Cruise.

On that note, allow me to introduce you to the cutest pitcher you’ve ever seen, namely 16-year old Eri Yoshida (??????????). Weighing in at a mere 114 pounds, and standing just over give feet tall, Eri is now the first woman ever to play in Japan’s all-male professional baseball league.

How did she do it you ask? Simple.

Eri has mastered the knuckleball, an infamous baseball pitch characterized by its wild and unpredictable motion.

Keep reading as the story goes on..

A knuckleball is special type of baseball pitch that is thrown in such way as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. Through the miracles of physics, knucklers can change direction erratically, and even corkscrew in mid-flight, which is needless to say a ripe pain in the ass for unsuspecting batters.

In Major League Baseball (MLB), a few players over the decades have been able to master this phantom pitch, including Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield. Indeed, this BoSox legend served as the inspiration for a 16-year-old high school pupil from Yokohama to pitch her way through rows and rows of male batters.

According to Eri Yoshida: “I never dreamed of getting drafted. I have only just been picked by the team and haven’t achieved anything yet.”

She continues: “I’m really happy I stuck with baseball. I want to pitch against men, and eventually I want to play as a pro in a higher league.”

Although Japan is a baseball-obsessed nation, women have had a tough time getting on the diamond. While there was a professional baseball league for women in the 1950s, it folded after just two years.

In fact, the country’s professional baseball federation did not lift its ban on female players until 1991, and Little League teams only started accepting girls this millennium. Of course, the Kobe 9 Cruise aren’t exactly the New York Yankees – or the Tokyo Giants for that matter – and it’s going take a bit of time for young Yoshida-san to have her big shot at the pros.

In the meantime, the Japanese are celebrating a crack in the glass ceiling that looms over professional sports. The Asahi Shimbun, one of the country’s top papers, even ran a detailed analysis of her unique pitching style. However, Eri is trying to keep her grip a secret, so you’re going to have to catch a farm game over here in Kobe if you want to see this rising star in action!

(Special thanks to my Dad for uncovering this bit of J-news in the local Vegas paper!)

** Image of Eri Yoshida taken by the Associated Press (AP). All other images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media project **

Modern Japan may be an über peaceful place of happy shiny people, but it certainly wasn’t always like this…

On the contrary, medieval Japan was at times a conflict-stricken land of warring clans and spirit-breaking feudalism, which gave rise to some truly monolithic castles.

Sadly, most of Japan’s medieval structures were either burnt to the ground during the Meiji era of ‘enlightenment,’ or destroyed during WWII by Allied bombing.

However, there are still a few places in Japan where you can stand in awe before imposing castles that look as if they’ve jumped straight out of a Miyazaki anime.

On that note today’s post is all about Japan’s best medieval castles. While our list certainly isn’t comprehensive – and may in fact leave out some of your favorites – keep reading to check out which ones made the cut.

In no particularly order, here are some of Japan’s best feudal castles:

Osaka-jou (大阪城) Reigning over the megalopolis of Osaka, this regal castle has seen its fair share of bloodshed over the centuries. In 1614, Lord Tokugawa sieged Osaka-jou with a 200,000-man army in an attempt to oust Lord Toyotomi. Although he and his men were outnumbered 2 to 1, Toyotomi managed to keep the advancing army outside the outer walls. In the end however, the castle was rendered defenseless when Toyotomi literally filled in the castle’s outer moat with dirt!

Himeji-jou (姫路城) A UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of Japan’s ‘Three Famous Castles,’ Himeji-jou is the epitome of Japanese feudal architecture. An hour outside of Osaka by train, Himeji-jou has the bad ass distinction of being Tiger Tanaka’s secret ninja training school and rocket weapons development center in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Although it’s not nearly as good of a flick, Himeji Castle was also the film location of Tom Cruise’s historically flagrant The Last Samurai.

Kumamoto-jou (熊本城) You’ll have to head all the way south to the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu, though it’s worth the bullet train trip to see one of Japan’s most impenetrable castles. Kumamoto-jou pioneered several military advancements including its signature-curved walls and wooden overhands, which easily repelled would-be attackers. As an added deterrent, defenders of Kumamoto-jou could also drop piles of rocks on anyone who attempted to scale the keep – not a pretty way to go…

Matsumoto-jou (松本城) Nicknamed the ‘Crow Castle’ because of its black walls and spreading wings, Matsumoto-jou is arguably Japan’s most magnificent feudal building. The centerpiece of Matsumoto, a small city in the heart of the Japanese Alps, Matsumoto Castle was built specifically for war. Although it appears to have five floors from the outside, there is actually a hidden and completely unexposed floor for stockpiling munitions. The castle is also lined with lethal trapdoor windows that were designed to accommodate both crossbows and muskets.

Did we forget any castles? Most Definitely.

With that said, please feel free to chime in with your own favorites, and be thankful you don’t live in an era of warring city-states…

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media project **

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. In fact, the closest I ever got to medical school was a failed campus visit that drove me to Japan in the first place. With that said, I am merely reporting here today on the purported merits of bird poo, rather than endorsing it as a safe and effective beauty product.

Besides, I’m sure you’re beautiful just the way you are, so why change a thing? (^_^)

In the olden days of Japan, geisha were – and still are – known for their painted white skin, which was believed to be a sign of beauty, grace and social refinement.

As you might have guessed, the look seems to have some tough competition, especially from the dark-tanned and bleached-haired urban youth of hip neighborhoods such as Tokyo’s Harajuku.

But, old traditions die hard, which is why bird poo is making a comeback amongst Japan’s female fashionistas.

Yup. You definitely read that correctly. Bird poo.

Before you run outside and start rubbing your face against all that pigeon poo on your car’s windshield, keep reading as there are definitely a few things you should know!

Believe it or not, bird poo is one of Japan’s ancient and time-honored remedies for reversing the hands of time.

Of course, we’re not just talking about any old bird poo, but rather the dried droppings of the Japanese bush warbler (鶯; uguisu) or Cettia diphone, a common bird with a distinctive breeding call that is viewed by the Japanese as a herald of the spring.

Drab in color and somewhat secretive by nature, these birds are very difficult to see amongst the foliage in the trees – or amongst the concrete and steel in the cities – though their pleasant chirping sounds are unmistakable.

And so is their poo!

The droppings of the Japanese bush warbler contain an enzyme that has been used for centuries as both a skin-whitening agent, and as a remedy for fine wrinkles. This special bird poo can even remove stains from kimonos without damaging the silk fabric!

While Japan might have lost a fair measure of its history and culture through rapid modernization, an increasing minority is trying to reintroduce the secrets of old. As a result, uguisu powder is making a big comeback, especially at a time when fashion and body image are at the forefront of most Japanese people’s consciousness.

So what’s the catch? Good question.

Bird poo, at least from the Japanese bush warbler, breaks down the melanin in your skin through enzymatic processes, which obviously leads to whiter skin.

Indeed, melanin is something that you want, especially if you’re not keen on increasing your exposure to UV rays. And, it’s worth emphasizing that skin bleaching – along with Michael Jackson – went out of style a few decades ago.

So, while bird poo might not be the latest and greatest beauty secret to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun, it still makes for an interesting story!

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media project **