Waiting for Fatherhood and Honest Sumo Guys

Many things have been going on in the world of Kevin. The school term is coming to a close and the hectic month of June is a thing of the past. Report cards, parent-teacher meetings and student portfolios are all but a thing of the past. The only thing to do now is sit and wait for my little whipper-snapper to come along. As I write this post, my son is a few days late on arriving into the world. We are of course beside ourselves with excitement and nervousness waiting for his arrival!

In other news, the world of Sumo Wrestling in Japan has been turned on it's head with a major gambling scandal:

NHK decides not to broadcast sumo live due to gambling scandal
TOKYO - Public broadcaster NHK will not televise the July 11 to 25 Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament live due to a gambling scandal that has hit a number of sumo wrestlers and elders, NHK Chairman Shigeo Fukuchi said Tuesday.

Fukuchi said NHK decided not to broadcast the sumo tournament to be held at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium live, but, instead, to air the digest version of recorded sumo matches on TV and report the results of the matches on radio.

It is first time for NHK not to air a sumo tournament live on television in its history of broadcasting of sumo tourneys which started in 1953. The broadcaster started airing the events on radio in 1928.

Fukuchi said the broadcaster’s decision reflects viewers’ severe opinions on the gambling scandal rocking the ancient national sport.

‘‘The Japan Sumo Association has yet to present concrete steps for its reform,’’ he said. ‘‘At the same time, we have received a number of severe opinions from viewers. We have made a comprehensive and careful decision.’‘

‘‘We urge (the sumo association) to work for prompt reform of the organization,’’ he added.

About 70% of those who contacted NHK on the gambling scandal by Tuesday said they wanted it to cancel coverage of the tournament, according to NHK.

Acting JSA Chairman Hiroyoshi Murayama and other officials of the sumo governing body visited NHK’s headquarters office in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward Tuesday to ask the public broadcaster to show the upcoming sumo tournament on television.

At a meeting with the NHK chairman, the officials from the sumo association explained the body’s decision on Sunday to fire ozeki Kotomitsuki and stablemaster Otake and to impose other punishments on wrestlers and elders for being involved in gambling on professional baseball games which is alleged to be a funding source for gangsters.

They also vowed to implement measures to prevent a recurrence of the situation.

NHK made the decision not to air the event live after hearing what the JSA officials had to say.

Commercial TV stations used to air the digest of sumo tournaments in the past, but currently, NHK is the only broadcaster that airs the sumo events live.

According to NHK, it received opinions from about 11,100 viewers on the matter between June 14, when it began tallying them, and Sunday, with 68% expressing opposition to broadcasting the Nagoya tourney against 11% in favor of the coverage.
Read original at Japan Today


My desire to get into the world of podcasting has come back. I have been thinking a lot these days about a podcast I'd like to start (especially on my long runs at night) and the technical side of getting it up and running. I think it would be a new and fun media hobby to get involved in. When will I have the time to put things together? Good question. I think I will start building on my ideas and hopefully have something up and running this summer. If I run with the idea I have now, my podcast would be about a non-Japan one. I would probably focus more on Canada and other cultures. There are already some great podcasts about Japan and I don't want to paint myself into a corner. I want to give myself more options and a much larger potential audience. Recently, a viewer of my You Tube videos complained. He said that I should talk more about Japanese history in my videos. I told him that my channel isn't about Japan. It is about me! I just happen to live in Japan. I don't solely blog about Japan. I am a blogger/vlogger and Japan just happens to be my current, but not permanent backdrop!


RANDOM PICTURE TIME

Took this picture last week on a train platform! Loved it and was disgusted with the possibilities!

Rain Rain and More Rain

My wife tells me that the rainy season in the Kansai region of Japan will start soon. I disagree with her. I tell her that it already started more than a month ago. Why else would it rain four to five days a week? Apparently I am wrong. it is raining a lot, but the wet stuff falling now has nothing to do with the official rainy season. It's just a precursor!

I'm sitting at home early on a Monday morning enjoying a cup of coffee and doing something I normally never have a chance to do on a weekday morning. I'm writing a blog. What has caused this change in routine? My school has been closed for the day due to heavy rainfall warnings in the area. It is indeed raining cats, dogs and maybe some sheep. It was as well yesterday.

So, let's get to some news in Japan and Korea that I find a little interesting!

Police ask Kotomitsuki to explain baseball gambling report

TOKYO - The Metropolitan Police Department met with sumo wrestler Kotomitsuki on Saturday over a recent report in a weekly magazine that said he is in heavy debt from gambling related to professional baseball games, police officials said Saturday. Police asked the ozeki, the second-highest rank next to the grand champion yokozuna, for explanation about the contents of the article, according to the officials. Read more at Japan Today

This guy is an ozeki which is the second highest ranking fighter in sumo in Japan. He is a very high profile athlete in these parts. he also looks like a giant bird with massive breasts! I love sumo guys!



Check out this odd, yet fun story over at Japan Probe.

100 Animals in One Small Apartment


Of course everyone knows by now that those trouble making rascals, the North Koreans were responsible for the sinking of the South Korean corvette, the Choenan. They torpedoes it. They are true A-Holes....them North Koreans!

S. Korea takes ship sinking case to UN
The South Korean government, which accuses North Korea of sinking one of its warships, said Sunday it's taking its case against Pyongyang to the United Nations Security Council.

A senior government official in Seoul suggested the South will likely push for international agreement for the existing sanctions against the North to be strengthened. There are reports unilateral measures will also be announced.

"We are focusing on diplomatic means of punishment as we found out that existing sanctions and resolutions are not enough," the official told South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. "It is time to decide whether we go over to another step."

An international team of investigators announced last week that the evidence pointed to a North Korean submarine having fired a homing torpedo on March 26, tearing apart the 1,200-tonne Cheonan and killing 46 sailors on board.
Read More at CBC.CA