Every Sunday we gather the week’s weird and interesting Japanese news and present it to you in our Sunday News column. It might not always be hard-hitting news, but we hope that it still informs and entertains you. Enjoy!
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Abe to become Japan’s 7th PM in 6 years after landslide LDP win: After resigning from the post of prime minister over five years ago because of “crippling diarrhea” (I’m not making this up), Shinzo Abe looks poised to once again assume the highest office in Japan after one of the biggest elections in Japanese history. Can Abe hold his own his second time around, or will his bowel movements once again best him? Only time will tell.
[/threecol_two] [threecol_one_last]Japanese man, 115, becomes world’s oldest person: This week Jiroemon Kimura, age 115, became the oldest person in the world after the previous record holder died only two weeks after receiving the honor. It’s not a title I would relish, as it doesn’t seem to be one that people hold onto for too long. [via News On Japan]
Japanese toilet answers nature’s call via Android: It’s common knowledge that Japanese toilets are the most advanced in the world, but despite the lack of competition, they keep pushing the bar. One Japanese toilet manufacturer is planning to release a smartphone app that uses Bluetooth to issue commands remotely to your toilet. Flushing? There’s an app for that.[/threecol_one_last]
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[threecol_one]Japan Sets Guinness Record for Longest “Human Chair”: Japanese municipalities aren’t strangers to publicity stunts, but rarely do they set world records. In October, the city of Onojo attempted to set the Guinness Record for the longest-ever “human chair,” an attempt recently certified by Guinness. I would hate to be the butt-end of that chair.
Japanese Man Recieved 1-Year Prison Sentence for Stealing 12 Cents: It’s a good thing that Koichi didn’t get greedy in our latest episode of TofuguTV, because it looks like he could have gotten some prison time. That’s exactly what happened to a Japanese man who took a ¥10 coin from Mt. Koya, a Buddhist holy site and Japan’s largest cemetery. I applaud the legal action taken here, and only hope that this means the law will get tough on people who take pennies out of fountains.[/threecol_one] [threecol_two_last]
Abe wants to change Japan’s constitution: While the US constitution has been amended 17 times since its ratification, the Japanese post-war constitution has never been touched. The soon-to-be new prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, along with many Japanese conservatives throughout the years, have fantasized about changing Article 9 of the constitution, the article that prohibits Japan from declaring war. Will this be the year that the Japanese finally amend they constitution? We’ll see.[/threecol_two_last]
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