Big in Japan: Japanese farmers raise poison-free blowfish

by Matthew Firestone on

To steal a line from a classic Simpsons episode:

‘Poison. Poison. Poison. Tasty Fish.’

Blowfish or fugu (??)???packs a lethal punch in the form of tetrodotoxin, an extremely potent neurotoxin that paralyzes its victims while they are still conscious. To put things into perspective, this means that you are fully aware as your throat closes, your lungs deflate and you drift slowly into death’s arms.

There is no known cure.

However, Japan is a country of safety and order, so thankfully the majority of deaths occur when untrained people catch and prepare the fish, accidentally poisoning themselves in the process. The most dangerous culprit is the liver, which has been illegal for centuries despite being the tastiest morsel of the blowfish – it is often compared to the highest-quality foie gras (fatty goose liver).

While illegal meals of liver can still be had on the black market, the danger cannot be understated. In 1975, the famous Kabuki actor and ‘Living National Treasure’ Bandou Mitsugorou VIII requested four servings of liver from a fugu chef in Kyoto. Unable to refuse the request of someone of such an elevated stature, the chef served him the livers. He died soon after.

Of course, all of this is set to change now that Japanese fish-farmers have found away to raise non-poisonous blowfish….

According to an article in the New York Times, recent advances in fugu research and farming have led to the production of blowfish that are ‘as harmless as goldfish.’ In fact, the advances are so significant that farmers have even been successful in producing completely poison-free fugu livers.

So, how did they do it?

About eight years ago, Mr. Tamao Noguchi, a marine toxin specialist at Tokyo Healthcare University and a leading fugu expert, concluded a two-decade study demonstrating that fugu could be made poison-free by strictly controlling its feed. While it was once believed that blowfish develop the toxin on their own, in actuality they eat other animals that carry tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria.

Earlier this year, Mr. Noguchi tested more than 7,000 fugu that had been given only feed free of the tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria. His hypothesis was correct – not a single fish was poisonous!

So, will it once again be possible to eat fugu livers in Japan?

Sadly, Mr. Noguchi’s research is being suppressed by powerful interests in the fugu industry, who fear that farm-raised blowfish will jeopardize their monopoly.

“We won’t approve it,” said Mr. Hisashi Matsumura, the president of the Shimonoseki Fugu Association and vice president of the National Fugu Association. “We’re not engaging in this irrelevant discussion.”

Sigh. Looks like thrill-seekers in Japan are going to have wait a bit longer to legally sample fugu liver. Of course, there are certain places in Japan where you can get your fingers on some fugu liver, though be sure that your affairs are in order before you dig in!

** All images are screenshots from the classic Simpsons episode One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish. The show, which first aired January 24, 1991, was the 11th episode of season 2 **

Big in Japan: Japanese worker logs 780,000 porno hits at office

by Matthew Firestone on

The Japanese are anything but prudish, especially when it comes to pornography or AV (adult video). Here in Japan, the AV industry pumps out literally hundreds of new videos each day, featuring pretty much everything that your sick little mind can imagine. I would expand more here on some of the more unusual varieties of Japanese adult entertainment, but for the sake of our sponsors at AOL – and out of respect for my dear mother! – I’ll let you discover them in your own free time.

With that said, if you’re going to scour the web for the latest and greatest in Japanese porno, it’s probably best not do it while you’re in an office cubicle. In fact, that is precisely what happened this week in the city of Kinokawa in southern Japan ,where a council employee was discovered looking at almost 10,000 pages containing explicit content per day! Over a nine month period, it is estimated that the 57-year old man logged more than 780,000 hits on porno websites.

And who says Japanese bureaucracy is efficient – in my opinion, it takes some serious dedication to log in that many hours of porn viewing in one day!

According to sources in the city council, the man was allowed to keep his job in public service, though he was demoted, and his wages were cut by about 20,000 yen ($200) per month. In porno terms, that’s about ten new-issue DVDs, or about a fifteen month online subscription to your favorite fetish site.

Mind you, not that I watch porno, or anything of the sort! (^_^)

The report goes on to describe how the man would turn up for work every day, though failed to maintain the same level of productivity as his fellow co-workers. Apparently, his incessant porno habit peaked last July when he is estimated to have logged 177,000 hits in a singly month!

In the end, the man was only discovered after his computer was infected with a virus, which prompted the IT team to access his web history. Foolish – he should have just deleted his web history like the rest of us!

Mind you, not that I watch or porno, or anything of the sort! (^_^)

As you would imagine, the city council was highly embarrassed by the incident, and was forced to comment on national television as to why it took several months to catch and reprimand the distracted worker. According to one official, employees’ desks were separated from one another, so it was impossible to monitor everyone’s web behaviors.

Of course, this seeming bit of nonsense has to make you wonder. If the guy has a healthy enough sexual appetite to spend all of his working hours searching for porno, he probably needed to, well, relieve himself at some point – perhaps the first clue that the guy had a porno habit should have been the frequent line outside the men’s restroom!

On that note, I think I’ll go back to doing something more productive instead of blogging about porno…

** All images are of the famous Anna Ohura, the half-Japanese, half-French AV sensation who is regarded as having the largest natural breasts (metric I-cup, 100cm) in the Japanese adult film industry **

Big in Japan: 5 mistakes made by first-timers in Japan

by Matthew Firestone on

One of the main questions that ex-pats in Japan are often asked is simply this: “Why Japan?”

And, truth be told, most of us just shrug our shoulders and give some sort of trite answer like: “The food here sure is delicious!” Or, depending on the temperament of the audience: “The women here sure are beautiful!”

You get the picture….

As for me, I’ve always argued that the real appeal of Japan is simply that it’s an incredibly interesting country to explore. Even after living here for more than five years, and spending literally thousands of hours jumping over the linguistic hurdles of Japanese grammar, I still suffer from a fair bit of culture shock on a day-to-day basis.

You see, I guess that’s really the gist of why Japan is so appealing to foreigners like myself. No matter how hard you try to assimilate, there will always be more challenges to overcome, especially if you want to penetrate the heart of one the world’s most closed societies. Simply put, life in Japan is anything but boring.

Of course, there are dozens of cultural landmines that must be dodged on a daily basis here. And on that note, I present to you today five mistakes made by first-timers in Japan.

1) There is no word for no.

Japanese has something of a steep learning curve (to say the least!). Of course, one thing you’d better learn if you want to survive here is that there is no word for no. Yes can mean no, maybe most likely means no, but saying no directly pretty much informs those around you that you have about as much social grace as a bovine.

2) Be mindful of your footwear.

The Japanese don’t take kindly to foreigners who forget to take off their shoes when entering private spaces. Use the slippers – that’s why they’re there – though be mindful that no two pairs of slippers are created equal. After all, the Japanese especially don’t take kindly to foreigners who walk through the kitchen in toilet slippers.

3) Go easy on the ramen.

I love ramen. You probably love ramen. And yes, the ramen in Japan is damned near the food of the gods. But seriously, after eating the stuff three times a day for a week on end, your gastrointestinal system will start to hate you. Assuming you haven’t figured out what toilet slippers look like, this can quickly become a serious problem.

4) Learn how to use chopsticks.

At your local cheap Chinese restaurant in North America, there’s a good chance that a fork and knife are always on hand. However, this doesn’t mean that this convenient culinary option is readily available in Japan. Although you might not be the most dexterous diner in the restaurant, you’ll look like an overgrown child until you indulge in the fine art of Zen chopstick mastery.

5) Don’t date club girls.

If there is one bit of advice that I can impart to you now, it’s to never date club girls. Yes, women in Japan are beautiful, and yes, they do tend to be attracted to foreigners. However, keep in mind that just because they have a cute and smiling face, doesn’t mean that they’re all-together innocent. If a girl you meet in a club speaks fluent English, is decked out in designer labels, and keeps reaching for your wallet, steer clear! Chances are that she’s been around the block a few dozen times, which means you’re just moments from getting fleeced. Trust me – she’s not the one you want to bring home to meet mom!

As this list can go on and on and on, feel free to chime in with your own words of wisdom for new arrivals in Japan!

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 **

Big in Japan: Tibet unrest changes Everest climbing routes

by Matthew Firestone on

From San Francisco to London and Paris to India, protestors are taking to the streets to demonstrate against China’s hosting of the Olympic Games. Angered by the Chinese government’s refusal to meet with the Dalai Lama, as well as the continued suppression of human rights in potential breakaway regions, the world is seeking to punish China on the eve of its long-anticipated coming out party.

For travelers on the ground in China, independent tourism has never been more difficult, especially since parts of the country have now been entirely closed off to the outside world. Following wave of violence that commenced on March 14th, the Chinese government has entirely barred tourists from entering Tibet. As a so-called ‘autonomous region,’ non-Chinese nationals must obtain special entry permits for Tibet.

Sadly, it’s looking like the ‘Roof of the World’ may remain in relative isolation until the Olympic Games have passed, which is a huge blow at a time when tourism in the region was beginning to flourishing. Here in Japan, this was highlighted recently in the news when Mr. Yuichiro Miura, the 75 year-old thrill seeker who once skied down Everest using a parachute as a brake, announced that he was changing his Everest climbing route.

At the young and spry age of 75, Mr. Miura (alongside his son) was planning on climbing Everest from the Chinese side in a bid to regain his title as the oldest man to climb Everest. However, despite all of the preparations that he has made, his climbing permits were canceled following the unrest in Tibet.

Mr Miura first held the record as the oldest person to climb Everest when he reached the top in 2003 at the age of 70. Although his record was broken just three years later, he is determined to regain it despite having to change his proposed route at the final hour. According to Mr. Miura, who is presently in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu, “We are here to climb and so we will.”

Of course, would-climbers on Everest are also saddened by the current political climate in Nepal, which is threatening to topple the nation’s troubled monarchy. And, China is also exerting pressure to not allow climbers to scale Everest until after the Olympic torch has been carried up and down the summit. Needless to say, a protest at the summit of Everest would not be a great PR moment for the Chinese government!

Despite all of these hurdles however, Mr. Miura is confident that he will shatter the Everest climbing record by the end of May. Mr. Miura is best known for having skied down Everest in 1970, using a parachute as a brake, footage of which later appeared in an Oscar-winning documentary. However, his latest bid for worldwide fame is perhaps even more challenging, given that Mr. Miura is a septuagenarian.

Then again, in a country where living beyond the age of 100 is a pretty common feat, perhaps Mr. Miura shouldn’t be too upset if his travel plans are canceled this year…

** Mr. Miura’s photo was taken by the Agence French-Press (AFP). Other images were courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project. **