Asia
By 2531 everyone in Japan will be named Sato
Japanese demographics professor Hiroshi Yoshida has warned that by 2531 everyone in Japan will have the last name 'Sato'.Why? Because a) Sato is the most common last name in Japan, and b) Japanese law requires that married couples use the same last name. Because Japanese women almost always take their husband's name, this means that the surname 'Sato' is slowly crowding out all other names.
From the Guardian:
The Think Name Project is promoting Professor Yoshida's research as a way to gain support for ending Japan's law requiring couples to have the same surname.
More info: spoon-tamago.com/
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 04, 2024 -
Comments (3)
Category: Odd Names, Predictions, Science, Asia
The Kasa-Obake
One of the weirder Japanese mythological creatures.Wikipedia tells us:
They are generally umbrellas with one eye and jump around with one leg, but sometimes they have two arms or two eyes among other features,[2][6] and they also sometimes are depicted to have a long tongue.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 23, 2024 -
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Category: Hygiene, Asia, Fictional Monsters
“The Family Circus” Goes to War
No one likes to make fun of THE FAMILY CIRCUS more than I. In fact, if you go beyond the jump, you'll see a couple of samples of the re-captioned cartoons I frequently post on Facebook.But I have to say that I have new admiration for Bil Keane after reading about his somewhat gutsy and altruistic trip to Vietnam.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 22, 2024 -
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Category: War, Comics, 1960s, Asia
Using frog croaks to predict the weather
In 1975, Chinese meteorologist Chang Chi-tsai came out with "Chang's law" which codified the relationship between croaking frogs and the weather:If frogs croak after rain it will be fine weather.
It will continue to rain if frogs do not croak after successive overcast days.
Previously we've posted about how to use gnats to predict the weather.
Minneapolis Star Tribune - Jan 19, 1975
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 09, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: 1970s, Asia, Weather
Splendid China
The Splendid China theme park in Florida was open from 1993 to 2003, located just a few miles from Disney World. Details from SFGate.com:Critics mocked it as a "propaganda theme park". And eventually it was revealed to have been owned by the Chinese government, which was the only reason it managed to stay open as long as it did.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 02, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, 1990s, Asia
Iizuna Fair
IIZUNA FAIR: Limited Time Release from SUMITO SAKAKIBARA on Vimeo.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 23, 2023 -
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Category: Surrealism, Cartoons, Asia
The Eventuals, “Charlie Chan”
Posted By: Paul - Mon Oct 02, 2023 -
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Category: Literature, Movies, Music, Stereotypes and Cliches, Vinyl Albums and Other Media Recordings, 1960s, Asia
Tenjō Sajiki
A small sampling of the avant-garde theater of the troupe named Tenjō Sajiki. Their Wikipedia entry.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 11, 2023 -
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Category: Theater and Stage, Avant Garde, Asia, Twentieth Century
“Lucky” Fluckey: The Only Submarine Commander Ever to Blow Up a Train
So long as submersible vessels are in the news...His Wikipedia page.
In one of the more unusual incidents in the war, Fluckey sent a landing party ashore to set demolition charges on a coastal railway line, destroying a 16-car train.[4] This was the sole landing by U.S. military forces on the Japanese home islands during World War II. Fluckey ordered that this landing party be composed of crewmen from every division on his submarine. "He chose an eight-man team with no married men to blow up the train," Captain Max Duncan said, who served as Torpedo Officer on the Barb during this time. "He also wanted former Boy Scouts because he thought they could find their way back. They were paddling back to the ship when the train blew up."[5] The selected crewmen were Paul Saunders, William Hatfield, Francis Sever, Lawrence Newland, Edward Klinglesmith, James Richard, John Markuson, and William Walker. Hatfield wired the explosive charge, using a microswitch under the rails to trigger the explosion.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jun 24, 2023 -
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Category: Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Military, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, War, 1940s, Asia
The Body/Hair Paintings of Xie Rong
The artist's home page.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 26, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Art, Performance Art, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Sticky, Messy, Sloppy, Drippy, Treacly Things, Asia
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |