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Masked Wrestler City Councilman Forbidden to Wear Mask During Sessions, Describes Maskism as “Frustrating”: Wrestler-turned-local-politician Skull Reaper A-ji isn’t the first (or even second) masked politician in Japan. But what does set Mr. Reaper apart is that he’s been banned from city council meetings due to his mask. The only way I can see this conflict being solved is through weeks of grandstanding, a folding chair or two, and Jerry “The King” Lawler. Mah gawd!
[/threecol_two] [threecol_one_last]An Energy Coup for Japan: ‘Flammable Ice’: Japan has an energy problem, as it gets most of its energy from foreign sources and its nuclear energy program is growing more and more unpopular. So how does it solve this problem? By mining undersea deposits of frozen fuel. The future is here.

First gay wedding held at Tokyo Disney Resort: While the Japanese government doesn’t officially recognize same-sex marriage, a higher authority does – Mickey Mouse. A lesbian couple was the first ever same-sex couple to get married at Tokyo Disneyland, paving the way for future couples to marry at the amusement park. Couples who buy a FASTPASS can get married even sooner![/threecol_one_last]

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[threecol_one]The Kyary Pamyu Pamuseum: Sugary-Sweet J-Pop Fashion Up Close: One of the most interesting Japanese pop stars in recent memory, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, has reached a level of fame that allows her a museum (albeit, a temporary one) all of her own. It might not be as educational as most museums, but at least you can pretend to wear weird dresses.

At BitSummit, Japan’s Indie Game Creators Come Out of Hiding: When you think of Japanese video games, you think big-budget games from Nintendo, Sega, Konami, and the like. But like the US, there are plenty of indie game makers in Japan too. Maybe in the future, the Japanese can buy their own Humble Indie Bundle and never play any of the games.[/threecol_one] [threecol_two_last]

FOR SALE: North Korea’s Japan Headquarters: The Japanese headquarters of the pro-North Korean group, Chongryon, has been seized by the Japanese government. While the obvious implication of this is that North Korea’s defacto embassy in Japan has been shut down, the more important consequence is that the Kims don’t have a place to rest after a long day at Tokyo Disneyland. Poor li’l guys! [via Reddit][/threecol_two_last]

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Rehearsal for grand reopening lights up Tokyo Station: as Tokyo Station wraps up five years of restoration work, its grand reopening has been celebrated by an elaborated, 10-minute long projected light show. The building comes alive with people and trains, all backed by a sweeping orchestral score. It’s a bit of a long video, but definitely worth it. [via Reddit][/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]City of Izumi Elects Masked Wrestler for City Council. (JP): Sick of the same old politics as usual, the city of Izumi (in Osaka prefecture) decided to take after the US and elect a pro wrestler to office. Super Delfin a 45-year-old, longtime veteran of the Japanese pro wrestling scene, has been elected to city council after officials confirmed his identity by privately unmasking him. Super Delfin stands resolved, saying “My mask and my body are one. In order to become more familiar with Izumi, I think I’ll take on this role. I will persevere to become Izumi’s hero.”

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Japanese porn star in workbook angers Indonesian parents : Japanese porn stars seem to be a busy bunch. Just last week we covered how one Japanese porn star was calling for an end to the Japan-China disputes that have been . This week, another Japanese porn star is finding herself mired in controversy after a picture of her was published on a worksheet for Indonesian students. Even though the young starlet is fully clothed and there’s no indication whatsoever of her real-life career, one government spokesman said “There’s a subtle message in the picture that could actually infiltrate [students'] minds.” [via News On Japan][/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]Burger King’s Black-Bun Burger: Japanese fast food chains continue to enjoy menu items that their American counterparts miss out on. This time around, it’s a burger with a black bun and black ketchup, colored with bamboo charcoal and squid ink, respectively. I’m not sure I’d be crazy about the taste of either of those, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love novelty. [via Reddit, Japan Pulse]

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But Japan’s not all about serious one-on-one fighting; there’s a thriving pro wrestling scene in Japan. It’s called puroresu (プロレス), a shortened version of “professional wrestling.” And just like the American professional wrestling, like the WWE, puroresu is more about crazy story lines and soap-opera drama than about who’s the strongest or quickest. Japan loves showmanship in the ring, so let’s take a look at some of the funniest, coolest, and wackiest puroresu acts in Japan in recent years.

Hard Gay

Have you ever heard of Japanese wrestler and TV personality Masaki Sumitani? No? Well how about leather-clad, waist-gyrating Japanese superstar Hard Gay?

フウ〜！

Hard Gay is Sumitani’s wrestling alter-ego who became hugely popular in 2005 when he started appearing on a Japanese variety show. On the show, Bakusho Mondai no Bakuten!, Hard Gay was a do-gooder who roamed the streets of Japan helping people solve their problems, or sometimes even promoting himself, as you can see in the video below:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyvvRLIogz0']

Hard Gay’s popularity continue to grow and grow, culminating in his release of the song “Young Man,” a cover of the Village People’s famous “YMCA.” But in what was surely one of the greatest scandals in Japanese history, Sumitani revealed that he wasn’t as gay as previously believed when he married Japanese swimsuit model Anna Suzuki. The two now have a child together, and the leather hot pants have been in retirement for a few years. Maybe one day our bondage-themed friend will return for us but for now, he’s MIA.

Bob Sapp

Bob Sapp is an American football player and wrestler who never quite found success in America. He was drafted and kicked out by four different NFL teams before he decided to try his hand at something else. At first, Sapp joined an American professional wrestling league but when that didn’t work out, he decided to move to Japan and give puroresu a shot.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUgJ9hEufGU']

Going to Japan revitalized his career. He quickly became a sensation in the country, becoming a force in puroresu along with making appearances on daytime TV shows and in commercials, eventually releasing his own album It’s Sapp Time, the cover of which bears a slight resemblance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller:

I can’t tell the difference!

Apparently, Bob Sapp’s time in Japan gave his career just the jump start it needed He’ll be playing a part in this year’s upcoming summer action movie, Conan the Barbarian. But Bob Sapp hasn’t forgotten about the country he owes so much too. After this year’s Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Sapp has pledged to return to Japan and help in any way he can.

Joshi Puroresu

The puroresu scene in Japan isn’t all about huge, muscle clad dudes.Women in Japan have a big part in wrestling, with female wrestling called joshi puroresu (女子プロレス). Joshi puroresu can be just as popular as men wrestling in Japan, attracting legions of fans to see tough ladies duke it out in the ring.

90s joshi puroresu superstar, Kyoko Inoue

Just like puroresu, joshi puroresu has its share of novelty acts and showmanship. Just take one look at Kyoko Inoue’s outrageous face paint and costume, and you know that her appearance is for the entertainment of her fans. One of the biggest novelty fights in joshi puroresu was between her and Thai fighter and transwoman Nong Toom.

So what’s your favorite puroresu act? Let me know in the comments or give me a shout on Twitter or Facebook.

I think that we can all agree that doing battle with fluorescent lighting is a bad idea, but that certainly didn’t stop the Japanese. I think Neatorama says it best: “It’s like WWF meets WTF” … with extra emphasis on the WTF part.

I don’t even know what to say about this, so instead of saying anything at all, I’m just going to post pictures. It’s up to you to tell the world what you think, because I don’t think I can think anymore.

Seriously, this has to be either a prank or a scene from a Takashi Miike film. I’m pretty sure if these guys don’t die form inhaling shards of glass, they’ll die of something a bit more cancerous. I like how they tie the rods together, too. Maybe so the fluorescent rods don’t break while they’re being swung? Anyone know what it’s like to get one of these things broken over your head?

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