Doubts Persist for Tokyo Olympics, Paralympics 04/15/21
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga may invite U.S. President Joseph Biden to the Olympics.
(ATR) Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says “everything possible” is being done to keep the coronavirus from spreading in Japan ahead of the Olympics and Paralympics, 98 days away,
“There’s no change to the government’s stance, to do everything possible to prevent the spread of infections as we head towards the Olympics,” Suga said at a press conference April 15.
Suga’s press conference comments follow remarks the day before from the number-two leader in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai.
Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. -TBS in Partnership
Zee TV and Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS) have entered into a partnership to collaborate and curate content utilizing their strength in dramas, documentaries, variety shows and movies not only for India and Japan but also for the global market. Furthermore, both parties will be exploring new business opportunities utilizing their extensive entertainment resources.
The first project to kick-off this new venture is a unique culinary travelogue titled, The Spiceman Trails: Asia. The series delves into the spice roots and routes of some of the most exotic countries of Asia. Its picturesque imagery, vivid landscapes and brilliant hues will take the audience across 7 different countries in Asia, in search of its wide array of spices, within its deep-rooted history and multifarious cuisine in the most entertaining way.
| 12 April 2021
Zee and TBS have entered into a partnership to collaborate and curate content using their speciality in dramas, documentaries, variety shows and movies, for India and Japan, as well as the global market.
Both companies will also be exploring new business opportunities using their entertainment resources.
The first project is a culinary travelogue – The Spiceman Trails: Asia, which delves into the spice roots and routes across Asia, starting in Japan and moving onward to South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and finally India.
Sunita Uchil, chief business officer of Zee Plus, the International Co-Productions & Format unit, said: “The Spiceman Trails: Asia is an innovative and exciting format with a universal appeal. This is an ambitious project travelling across the largest continent in the world and we are thrilled to partner with an accomplished broadcaster as Tokyo Broadcasting System. The Spiceman Trails, Asia is one of the four seas
Phil Becker (in the straw hat) and Jared Eaton holding up their $5 Tom Blake kook box. Others in the photo are (left to right) Mike Eaton, Eddie Clark, Ricky Burns, Richie Clark, and Frankie Shinn at the end with the zinc oxide nose. The picture was taken by May Clark, Eddie’s wife, around ‘54 or ‘55, according to the Eatons’ sister Ann (Eaton) Medve. Photo courtesy of Steve Mangiagli
by Kevin Cody
Phil Becker was the most prolific and most under celebrated surfboard shaper in history, by his own design.
Becker used three Rockwell planers, all bought in 1965 and periodically rebuilt, to shape over 130,000 surfboards. The closest other person to shape that many boards was Hobie Surfboards’ Terry Martin, who shaped an estimated 80,000 surfboards before passing away in 2012, at age 75. Channel Islands’ Al Merrick is thought to have shaped 45,000 surfboards.
Japan has attributed about 3,800 deaths to COVID-19 in a country of 126 million.
The TBS poll asked if the Olympics can be held. In the telephone survey with 1,261 responding, 81% replied “no” with only 13% answering “yes.” The “no” responses increased 18 percentage points from a similar survey in December.
In Kyodo’s poll, 80.1% of respondents in a telephone survey said the Olympics should be canceled or rescheduled. The same question in December found 63% calling for cancellation or postponement.
Kyodo said the survey covered 715 randomly selected households with eligible voters. Neither poll listed a margin of error.
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Japan is officially spending $15.4 billion to hold the Olympics, although several government audits show the number is about $25 billion. All but $6.7 billion is public money.