Obama in Japan cheers for Barack Obama despite his losses in Texas and Ohio.
Residents of Japan's Obama City sang special songs and danced hula to root for U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama as crucial primary results unfolded.
Japan blues in hip hop nation
A 26-year-old American with a hip hop blues hit is No. 2 on Japanese charts, the world's second biggest music market.
Enka music is only a fraction of Japan's multi-billion dollar industry, but Jerome White's star is rising as recent TV appearances bring his sound and hip hop look to the nation.
Oh yeah....I almost forgot....some Canadian content! Today was a miserable blizzard here in Ottawa. I had my Schooling in Society class in the morning and then strcuk out to find the school where I will do my next teaching practicum. I'll be mostly teaching Language Arts and Mathematics in a 6th Grade class....starting on St. Paddy's Day.
Kevin's Snowday!
Namdaemun Gate
The Cultural Heritage Administration installed a covering on top of the ruins of Namdaemun, which was destroyed by a recent fire, to protect the remains of the wooden structure from rain, snow and wind. The administration said a clear temporary roof will be added to the structure during restoration work. [YONHAP]
Armed panty thief teacher denies charges as trial opens
Mainichi
OITA -- A former public high school teacher accused of robbing women of their panties at knifepoint denied the charges against him as his trial opened at the Oita District Court, saying he intended to be indecent and not rob them.
Tetsuya Watanabe, 27, the former teacher, is fighting the charge of robbery resulting in injury on a technicality, saying he had no intention to steal women's underwear and therefore is not guilty.
"His interest in underwear was indecent but he had no intention of stealing cash, bags or other valuables," a defense lawyer said, announcing that Watanabe denied the charge against him.
Prosecutors, however, say that Watanabe was a habitual thief.
"From 2004 on, he repeatedly waylaid women on the streets at knifepoint and threatened them into handing over their underwear to him," a prosecution lawyer said.
Watanabe is charged with two counts of robbery resulting in injury. The first case stemmed from an incident on Sept. 11, 2004, when he was charged with threatening an Oita woman at knifepoint, demanding she give him her panties and hurting her breasts.
The second count arises from a similar incident on July 4 last year, where he was indicted for waylaying a woman in an Oita parking lot and holding a paper cutter at her until she removed her panties. He is charged with injuring her hand during an ensuing struggle.
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