MSN-Mainichi Ž¡Ž½Super star singer Ayumi Hamasaki and enka singer Kiyoshi Hikawa have been named the Ž¡ŽÈbest jeanistsŽ¡ŽÉ in Japan. The Japan Jeans Manufacturers Association sponsors the event to name Ž¡ŽÈcelebrities who fit in jeans the best.Ž¡ŽÉ

Ž¡ŽÄ eager vent sexers meet at the Annual All-Japan Chick Sexing Championship to compete for the chicken sexing title. The competition begins with each contender sitting anxiously before a crate of one hundred new hatchlings. All at once, they pick up a chick, flip it over, and speedily determine its sex. The current record is three minutes and six seconds, which converts to an impressive 1,935 chicks per hour. Ž¡ŽÄ.
Ž¡ŽÄ.called Ž¡ŽÈvent sexing,Ž¡ŽÉ is a hands-on technique that has a high accuracy rate for experienced sexers. Sexers must first pick up the chick and gently squeeze it to allow any excrement to empty from the vent. After that, he will be able to examine the area and locate the eminence organ (or lack thereof)Ž¡ŽÄŽ¡ŽÄ
Ž¡ŽÄgeneticists have been able to produce chickens that can be sexed by sight alone, the need for vent sexers is quickly becoming obsolete. In fact, the number of such employees in Japan has decreased drastically, forcing those who remained in the profession to suffer serious pay cutsŽ¡ŽÄ.
Ž¡ŽÄAs Hirokazu Myroya, this yearŽ¡ŽÇs championship vent sexer stated, Ž¡ŽÈWe [still] need to pass along these skills to the next generation.Ž¡ŽÉ

Government says take refuge in your local convience store.
Public facilities will be too overwhelmed and might not be able to microwave your burrito.

BBC, TokyoŽ¡Ž½Local authorities in Japan are signing agreements with convenience stores to turn them into help centres in the event of a major earthquake. The companies will be able to supply things the authorities may struggle to provide immediately, like drinking water and toilet facilitiesŽ¡ŽÄ.One company, 7-11 Japan, has now appointed special teams who will rush to stores damaged or flooded after earthquakes to try to keep them in operationŽ¡ŽÄ.

Suitably musclebound
Tokyo Ž¡Ž½ Sho Hasegawa, a student at the Tokyo University of Science, wears a Muscle Suit Ž¡ŽÄ which supports the muscle movements of the elderly or disabled. By controlling air compression, it can help bend and stretch arms, and twist elbows both inward and outwardŽ¡ŽÄ.

MADONNA TAKES NEW MATERIAL TO JAPAN
Sept 27, 2005
Pop superstar MADONNA will launch her new album CONFESSIONS ON A DANCEFLOOR with her first tour of Japan in 20 years. The series of gigs will also mark the start of a huge world tour to promote

MobaHO
satellite tv and music 2,080yen/month
Music only is just 1,380yen/month

Arrest for selling remodeled/boosted airguns
NHK TV NewsŽ¡Ž½Police arrested a trader selling remodelled air guns. The president of airgun store Ž¡ŽÈSAUNDERSŽ¡ŽÉ in Hamamatsu city Shizuoka prefecture is suspected of violating JapanŽ¡ŽÇs Weapon Law. The suspect Saito (46) and three other people were charged with creating weapons of wounding or killing abilityŽ¡ŽÄ. sold via the InternetŽ¡ŽÄpriced 25,000 Yen and 30,000 Yen Ž¡ŽÄ

Tomy to launch English-speaking robot bear
Tomy Co said Tuesday it will start taking orders from Wednesday for its English-speaking robot in the shape of a bear. The 22 centimeter-tall robot, named Chatty TomŽ¡ŽÄthe robot makes a fun toy for children or a full-scale English conversation learning device for adultsŽ¡ŽÄpriced at 25,000 yen and the software will cost 3,000 yen.

A self-proclaimed monk who runs a hall for spiritual understanding has been arrested for molesting two women on the pretext of exorcism, police said.

Ryusho Mine, 60, from Utano, Nara Prefecture, has admitted to the allegations against him.

He opened a spiritual understanding hall at his home after quitting his job at the post office in June 2001.

On July 27 this year, Mine allegedly touched the breasts and lower parts of two women in what he called a session to exorcize evil spirits from them.

The two women, 28 and 30 years old, respectively, filed a complaint with police against Mine in August.

Japan Meteological Agency | Tropical Cyclone Information
Issued at 06:00 UTC 27 Sep 2005 / RSMC TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVISORY
NAME: TY 0519 LONGWANG (0519)

Armed, six-legged robots may one day work alongside man's best friend on the southern side of the Korean DMZ.

South Korea will spend 33.4 billion won (18.2 million pounds) over the next five years to develop the robots for the heavily fortified demilitarised zone that divides the peninsula, the Communications Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

South Korea envisages the robots performing roles on the battlefield now done by dogs, such as sniffing for explosives and catching intruders, the ministry said.

The robots will stand knee-high to the average adult, mounted on wheels for road missions or on as many as eight legs to get them over uneven terrain, it said. Equipped with firearms, they will be able to carry out combat missions via remote control.