Lots of weird stuff going on in Asia.
First, there's apparently parasites in the kimchi! In Korea, inspectors have found eggs from roundworm growing in kimchi, probably due to fecal contamination of the cabbage when it was still out in the field.
Would anyone like to guess how much kimchi I ate when I lived in Tokyo?
I'll give you a hint: it was probably more than 1000 yen per week. Yuck. I really wonder how long this has been going on. I suppose finding out I have a case of roundworm would probably ruin the weekend.
In other news, Japan's Crown Princess Masako just can't seem to produce a male heir, and the royal family isn't so sure about her daughter, Aiko, becoming the first female emperor.
So what is there to do when you don't want a female to succeed the throne? Prince Tomohito seems to think utilizing concubines would be a good idea.
Concubines? What the hell?
Oh, and one more thing this morning: I was reading through some old stuff I had written, curious as to what I was doing a year ago today, and strangely enough, one year ago, today was the day Kerry conceded the presidential election to Bush.
I found out from Walker Cline when I was sitting in a hostel in Kyoto during fall break.
This means it's been almost exactly a year since I first met Megumi, the OL from Saitama. We had a random encounter in the commons area of that hostel, and have been dinner buddies, but more importantly, good friends, ever since.
She sent me an e-mail about 10 minutes ago, actually. She just finished having dinner at a French bistro on Omotesando in Harajuku. I'm somewhat jealous (though in reality I'm salivating for Kimchi, not French food).
It's weird, thinking about this stuff. About Japan, again.
In her e-mail, she wrote in big, block, English lettering: "WE MISS YOU HEAPS!" Which got me to thinking, assuming Waseda accepts me, I'll be back in Japan in less than a year, living in an apartment in the middle of Tokyo, 10 minutes from Shinjuku.
Time flies, doesn't it?
Actually.... Aiko wouldn't be the first female emperor. I think there have been 8 all together... There were a few in the Kofun era (4th~6th century CE), and there were a couple in the Edo period.... one was the granddaughter of a Tokugawa, if memory serves me right. The big deal is in 1947 they passed a succession law restricting it to males.
And concubines wouldn't be a new idea either... The Taisho emperor was the son of the Meiji emperor and one of his concubines. But I believe the practice was phased out after that. But it's kind of funny that that's being suggested, as opposed to just changing the succession law.
And bummer about the kimchi :P Although I'd say you're probably safe from any parasites.
Awesome on Waseda. They're supposed to have an awesome exchange program. I need to start looking into that whole what do do with myself after graduation bit too.... bah.
Oh - the Kawasaki Reading Room has JLPT prep materials... I stopped by today and got a set of tapes for 3級. They had 2級 stuff as well.
Posted by Sheena on November 4, 2005 07:11 AM Tokyo timeYeah, I don't know much about Japanese history (relatively speaking) but what I had read said that Aiko would be the first emperor to succeed the throne (basically what you said), as the other ones had served in "emergency" circumstances, more or less.
And concubines certainly aren't a knew idea. IT'S OLD AS HELL! That's why I'm surprised, I guess. I wish the Bush Administration would do more talkin' about concubines.
Posted by Brett on November 4, 2005 11:54 PM Tokyo timehaha. You should just get yourself a couple of concubines, Brett :P
But yeah... I find it funny that they suggested it.... it seems kind of... backwards? Well... I dunno, maybe not backwards.... but certainly 古臭い. I don't see the harm in changing the succession law... but I suppose the ultra-traditional types in nihon wouldn't like that at all.
And yeah... I think you're right in most cases about the 'emergency' emperor bit for the past female emperors... I think most took power and then abdicated once someone came of age or another male heir came along. I think I've sat through a few too many of Coble's asian history classes *heh*
Posted by Sheena on November 6, 2005 01:37 AM Tokyo time
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