Ultraman

「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) is a Japanese superhero television show from the 1960’s.

「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman)

The story is basically about an organization that protects Earth from giant alien attacks. But they are always overwhelmed by the monster…fortunately, one member of the organization has a “Beta Capsule” that can be used to summon 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) from the Sun.

「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) can only stay on Earth for a short time before he must return to the Sun…otherwise he’ll die. The 「カラータイマー」 (“Color Timer“) on his chest blinks to indicate that he must return soon.

I used to watch 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) reruns dubbed in English on TV in the ’70s when I was a child in America.

In America, 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) is considered low-standard and cheesy.
But here in Japan, 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) is a pop-culture phenomenon. 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) is still popular with young boys in Japan today.

In Japan, there have been numerous spin-off shows including 「ウルトラセブン」 (Ultra Seven), 「帰ってきたウルトラマン」 (Return Of Ultraman), 「ウルトラマン・エース」 (Ultraman Ace), etc as well as 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) movies. And stores in Japan sell 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) toys, clothes, shoes, lunchbox sets, towels, and all kinds of other merchandise.

Ultraman Alarm Clock

「ウルトラ・サイダー」 ("Ultra Cider") drink

「ウルトラセブンワインセット」 ("Ultra Seven" 40th anniversary wine set)

「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman) was supposed to take place in the 1990’s…thirty years in the future from when it was filmed.

Have you ever watched 「ウルトラマン」 (Ultraman)? Do you like the series?

White Day

Today is 「ホワイト・デー」 (White Day).
(Click here to read my F.A.Q. about 「ホワイト・デー」 (White Day)).

「ホワイト・デー」 (White Day) is the day the men give gifts to the women who gave them chocolate on 「バレンタイン・デー」 (Valentine’s Day)…so I gave chocolate to my wife and daughters today.

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Yesterday was Friday The 13th. Just last month, the 13th was on the Friday too…and I wrote a post about it. (Click here to read it.)

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In Osaka, fans of the Japanese baseball team The Hanshin Tigers are quite zealous.
When their team wins, many fans jump into a nearby river. It’s a Hanshin Tigers tradition.

In 1985, the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Baseball Championship for the first time.
Many fans, of course, jumped into the river…and one fan took the Colonel Sanders statue* from the front of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and threw it into the river.

(*In Japan, KFC restaurants have lifesize statues of Colonel Sanders out front.)

The Hanshin Tigers have never won the Japan Baseball Championship pendant again.

An urban legend developed that the Tigers‘ bad luck since 1985 was due to the 「カーネルサンダースの呪い」 (“Curse Of Colonel Sanders“)!
And the curse wouldn’t be lifted, and the Hanshin Tigers bad luck end, until the statue was retrieved from the river.

(I wrote a comment on another post about this “curse”. Click here to read it).

Well…last Tuesday, the statue of Colonel Sanders was found by divers in the river.

As you might expect, the statue’s not in the best condition after sitting on the riverbed for 24 years…but I guess the 「カーネルサンダースの呪い」 (“Curse Of Colonel Sanders“) has ended.
So, the Hanshin Tigers have no excuse if the continue to lose!