Japan in the Guinness Book of World Records

Have you ever looked through the Guinness Book of World Records?

Some of the records in there are amazing. Like the “World’s Fastest Professional Boxing Knockout” which was dealt by Mike Collins to Pat Brownson with the first punch in their match in November 1947. The fight was over four seconds after it started.

And some of the records are odd. Such as that currently held by an American woman named Lee Redmond…”World’s Longest Fingernails”. She hasn’t cut her nails since 1979 and now they’re about 90 cm (3 feet) long!

I was just watching a TV program tonight about some of the unusual records in the Guinness Book and it made me wonder what types of records are held by Japanese people.

So I checked the Official Guinness World Records website.

It seems that there are many records currently held by Japanese people.

For example:

– Megumi Suzuki of Saitama, Japan has held the record of the “Most Jump-Rope Skips in Thirty Seconds ” for four years now. In September 2006 she skipped 152 in thirty seconds.

– The record for “The Largest Toast at a Single Venue” was made this past June in Tokyo at a Swallows vs Tigers baseball game. 27,126 people held up their drinks in unison and said 「かんぱい！」 (“Cheers!”) together.

– The famous Japanese TV host Mino Monta broke the record for hosting the “Most Live Hours on TV in a Single Week” when he was on TV for a total 22 hours and 15 seconds in one week.

– When 569 Honda car drivers got together in Tochigi, Japan this past July they set the record for the “Longest Parade of Honda Cars“.

– The parade of Honda cars must have been quite a sight…but couldn’t have compared to the procession of 323 young women in bikinis at a shopping center in Tokyo this past May. They broke the record for the “Longest Bikini Parade“.

– Since 2008, Toshie Kawakami of Tokyo has held the record for “Longest Eyebrow Hair” when she had a single eyebrow hair officially measured at a length of 15.1 cm (nearly 6 inches) long.

What types of world records are held by people from your country?

Best selling albums of all time

What do you think the best-selling albums of all time are?

Yesterday I saw a list of the world’s 75 best-selling albums ever. I was surprised that though The Beatles have a few albums on the list…their highest ranking album is only at #15 (“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band“).

I was surprised that Elvis Presley isn’t on the list at all, and I was disappointed that KISS isn’t on the list at all either.

Even though I don’t like his music, I wasn’t surprised that Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller” album is the number one best-selling record of all time (110 million units sold).

The number two record didn’t even sell half that many.
I have never owned a Michael Jackson record…but I do have the number two album.
What do you guess the second best-selling record ever is?

It’s “Back In Black” by AC/DC. An excellent album! Do you own a copy?

AC/DC "Back In Black" (49 million units sold)

Here are the top ten best selling albums ever:

1. Michael Jackson “Thriller”
2. AC/DC “Back In Black”
3. Pink Floyd “The Dark Side Of The Moon”
4. Meat Loaf “Bat Out Of Hell”
5. Eagles “Their Greatest Hits 1971-75”
6. Various Artists “Dirty Dancing” OST
7. Whitney Houston “The Bodyguard” OST
8. Andrew Lloyd Webber “The Phantom Of The Opera” (musical score)
9. Backstreet Boys “Millennium”
10. The Bee Gees “Saturday Night Fever” OST

I can’t believe Whitney Houston and The Backstreet Boys sold more albums than KISS, The Beatles or Black Sabbath!

Here are some albums that I own that are on the list:

AC/DC "Back In Black" (#2)

Meat Loaf "Bat Out Of Hell" (#4)

Led Zeppelin "IV" (#13)

Guns 'N' Roses "Appetite For Destruction" (#32)

Metallica "Don't Tread On Me" / ('The Black Album') (#50)

Anpanman in the Guinness Book

There’s a very popular children’s cartoon character in Japan called 「それいけ！アンパンマン」 (“Go! Anpanman“).

2009 has been a big year for 「アンパンマン」 (Anpanman) and for his artist Takashi Yanase.

This year, Takashi Yanase turned 90 years old, he’s been a professional artist for 60 years, the 「アンパンマン」 (Anpanman) comic started 40 years ago, and the 「アンパンマン」 (Anpanman) television series started 20 years ago. (Click here to see an earlier post I wrote about this).
And now, 「それいけ！アンパンマン」 (“Go! Anpanman“) is in the Guinness Book Of World Records for having the “Most Characters In A Single Animated Series“.

「それいけ！アンパンマン」 (“Go! Anpanman“) has over 2000 characters, but the Guinness Book only recognized 1768 characters…which still sets the record as the most characters.

Here are some of the main ones:

My kids grew up watching 「それいけ！アンパンマン」 (“Go! Anpanman“). It’s a wonderful cartoon for kids!

Have you ever watched 「それいけ！アンパンマン」 (“Go! Anpanman“)? I like 「バイキンマン」 (Baikinman), 「ホラーマン」 (Horror-man), and 「だいこんやくしゃ」 (Daikonyakusha) best.

Click here to see my post about the 「アンパンマン」 (Anpanman) Exhibit we went to last Spring.