Farm Minister Takehiko Endo Resigns

Wow, that was quick!

Only one week after being appointed to the post of Agriculture Minister, Takehiko Endo submitted his resignation today to take responsibility for financial improprieties.

This is another big embarrassment for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government. He just reshuffled his cabinet last week in response to his party's resounding defeat in the July House of Councillors election. Endo was one of his new appointees.

Endo is the third Farm Minister to bow out in shame since Abe became Prime Minister last September. Toshikatsu Matsuoka ended up committing suicide in response to a political funds scandal, and his successor, Farm Minister Norihiko Akagi, was forced to resign over a separate scandal. Endo is the third Farm Minister to resign from the post in the last year.

Wait a minute, I thought that corruption was only a problem in developing countries!?!

Farm Minister Takehiko Endo Resigns

Facial Hair

Now those are some sideburns!

(on a late night train headed west from Takadanobaba station on the Seibu-Shinjuku line)

Facial Hair

Tokyo Drops its 5th in a Row

Iihara had another error tonight. He let the winning run reach base in the bottom of the 9th. A single by Sheets and an intentional walk for Kanemoto meant that it was Sakurai's turn to be the hero. A base hit to center field was all it took. Game over.

Tokyo 2--3 Hanshin
W: Fujikawa (4-2, 36 saves)
L: Tateyama (3-11, 1 save)

Dark Cloud: You guessed it...relief pitching.

Silver Lining:
Kawashima gave up only one run in six innings of work. He scattered five hits and had seven strikeouts against two walks.

Ramirez went four for four and accounted for both of Tokyo's runs (thanks to his 22nd homer of the season). His league-leading batting average now sits at .353.

Tokyo Drops its 5th in a Row

Rush Hour 3

Well, it was mercifully short.

By my watch the film was over in about 85 minutes, give or take (not including the credits or the 15 minutes of ads that preceded it). An hour and 25 minutes is just enough time, apparently, to recycle all of the material from the first two Rush Hour installments.

Parts are entertaining, but Rush Hour 3 is basically the same fight involving the same people in a new setting (Paris). The once comical chemistry between Chan and Tucker has passed its sell-by date (think Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in the final Lethal Weapon), and we should all hope that the owners of the Rush Hour franchise quit while they're ahead (ahead?).


A grown up version of Soo Yung and her father, Ambassador Han, return to the fold, and Max Von Sydow (playing Reynard) takes a turn as the fatherly aristocrat. Hiroyuki Sanada (as Kenji) and Yuki Kudoh (as Jasmine) give Japan a substantial presence in Rush Hour 3. By the way, good work on the Japanese, Jackie! You sounded great!



The show is stolen by French taxi driver, George (played by Yvan Attal), who deftly transforms from anti-American pacifist to blood-thirsty, Starbucks-swilling, "super-spy" chauffeur. The chase scenes involving George's taxi and the never-far-behind-Parisian-Triads are good fun.



Other than that, director Roman Polanski makes an appearance as a body-cavity-searching French detective.

I'm going to have to agree with everyone else when they say, "meh", on this one. While I enjoyed the experience as a whole (partly due to the fact that draft beer is on sale at the snack counter at Toho Cinemas in Roppongi), I recommend holding off until the DVD release. And then you should wait until somebody else buys it and borrow it from them.



One of the trailers.

Rush Hour 3

Michael Jackson (3.27.42 -- 8.30.07), R.I.P.

Michael Jackson died a couple of days ago. No, the other Michael Jackson. The one that I actually would have enjoyed having a drink with--the "beer hunter" Michael Jackson.

I learned a lot about beer from that man. He wrote a lot of good stuff, much of which could be classified as travel writing, that revolved around finding the world's best brews and whiskeys.

In his honor, I will read everything that he's published about whiskey as well. That was another one of his areas of expertise.

He died at home at the age of 65. He had suffered from Parkinson's for at least the last ten years of his life.

Michael Jackson (3.27.42 -- 8.30.07), R.I.P.

Milford Gordon

Sachi and Adam's pet bunny, Milford.

In this photo he's just doing his thing, I guess.

We looked after him for about a week while his parents were on holiday.

Milford Gordon

Three Losses in a Row

Isn't being streaky fun?!?

First game of the Tigers series didn't go so well. Ishikawa got roughed up in his first start in what seems like forever (and now we know why he wasn't starting). Ishikawa only made it through four innings tonight. During that time, he gave up five runs off of seven hits (including three home runs), while walking one and beaning another against two strikeouts. Guess who's not going to be starting another game this season?

Final Score:
Tokyo 4--6 Hanshin

W: Vogelsong (7-4)
L: Ishikawa (2-6)

Silver Lining: Ramirez was a double away from hitting for a "cycle".

Three Losses in a Row

NOVA Being Bought Up By Someone...

Interesting rundown of current events regarding the NOVA meltdown over at Japan Economy News (click here).

Other background here.

NOVA Being Bought Up By Someone...