Comments on: Aso’s cultural diplomacy: so far so good

By: Trans-Pacific Radio » TPR News: Monday, January 15, 2007 - Abe’s Falling Approval Ratings, His Corrupt Cabinet, Yamasaki’s Report on Pyongyang, How Peko-chan is Dirty, and More. :: Independent Podcasts from Tokyo, Japan - Japanese News,

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:24:17 +0000

[...] the focus is not only on manga – Aso also visited a sumo stable in Bulgaria, home of ozeki Kotooshu – but could it be that his excitement over the worldwide popularity of his [...]

By: Foot-in-Mouth Disease « I, Shingen

Foot-in-Mouth Disease « I, Shingen — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 02:27:17 +0000

[...] I accept that he’s not a particularly savoury character, but look at that photo of him (adapted from Mutantfrog Travelogue)… it bleeds [...]

By: A man’s man at Antony Loewenstein

A man’s man at Antony Loewenstein — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:02:51 +0000

[...] “Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, front centre, poses with Bulgaria’s sumo wrestlers during the opening ceremony of a donation to Bulgarian Sumo Federaton, in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Thursday”: [...]

By: Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Japan: Foreign Minister’s cultural diplomacy

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:57:19 +0000

[...] Adamu from Mutantfrog blogs an interesting photo of Japan Foreign minister Taro Aso: If Foreign Minister Taro Aso can keep wonderful photo opportunities like this up, I would support him for prime minister no matter who he might want to nuke… Oiwan Lam [...]

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 17:12:20 +0000

Nope, found it on the sumo site at goo.

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:57:17 +0000

Joe, that’s not photoshopped, is it? God I hope not.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 05:40:47 +0000

I love Kotooshu’s sponsorship:

Meiji BULGARIA Yogurt! “If it fills ME up, it’s good enough for you!”

By: Aceface

Aceface — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:06:50 +0000

OK I’ll take c).

M-Bone:Speaking of Aso and Mongolia,One night I was watching midnight TV.週刊アサ秘ジャーナル,hosted by The Asakusa Kid cruising Nagatacho meeting politicians. Aso was a keen reader of　Japanese Mongologist.Okada Hidehiro岡田英弘’ s book
「この厄介な国、中国」 Okada is a great Mongologist,however this is a terrible,terrible book.Also in the bookshelves, his favourite manga …..GOLGO13!
“Everything you need to know about diplomacy,I learned in this manga”,said he in the program….
Maybe Aso should just forget the diplomacy and stick to the culture part.

By the way, could I have a hint on your Japan Focus artile?

By: M-Bone

M-Bone — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 03:24:48 +0000

c) Let’s just have a laugh and hope that Aso funds some good anime or something.

By: Aceface

Aceface — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 02:58:08 +0000

Now, should I be offended by
a)Adamu who misread my country based on prejudice.(again)
or b)Adamu who misrepresented my countryfolk of adopted homeland.