Natto-Gate

[Jonosuke]

As often happens in a boom driven nation that is Japan, once a buying frenzy starts the severe shortage could happen instantaneously.

Azumazeki beya's Ushiomaru was one of the victims recently. He got his tsukebitos search far and wide all over his neighborhood to get packages of Natto (fermented soybeans) as the stores run out of their supply.

Natto has long been considered to provide beneficial medical effects such as preventing blood clot, cure baldness in men and even preventing cancer.

Then along came a Japanese TV program "Aru Aru Daijiten II" (More and More Great Encyclopedia II) which often features health stories presented what they called definitive proofs that Natto will reduce body weight naturally. In their early January program, they claimed eating Natto twice a day for two weeks would shed at least several kilo of weight or more. They showed "before and after" pictures of the dieters. They presented the blood measurements to substantiate their point.

Within hours of the broadcast, unprecedent frenzy ensured around supermarkets all over Japan. They all run out of their supply within a day. The manufacturers got their employees to work through all shifts and weekends but still the supply could not catch up to the demand.

Our hero Ushiomaru, thanks to his intrepid tsukebitos, was able to stash away 60 packages (each package usually contains two or three packs). Perhaps feeling he needed to reduce his weight to be successful this basho, Ushiomaru took action.

Then the inevitable happened. The producers of the progam admitted that they manufactured the blood measurements and "before and after" picutures did not come from the same people. The story began to unravel as the program went into a temporary hiatus and the major sponsor, Kao, maker of everything from detergents to cosmetics, has withdrawn from the program. A cabinet minister has initiated a formal probe in the affair yesterday.

Meanwhile bitter and feeling betrayed Ushiomaru is asking for a compensation. "It's a great shock. This is definitely a fraud. I ate 40 packs of Natto already. I found out about the program on day 1 and then started eating with chanko next day. I will stop eating it every day now," Ushiomaru said.

"My tsukebio, Takamiryu (Sandanme West 77), came flying in after watching a 7PM News and told me the Natto story may have been all fake. I couldn't believe it, " distraught Ushiomaru added.

"It cost 100 yen for three packs. More expensive ones like those without any strong smell will take you back 125 yen or so. I bought them at 100 yen shops or supermarkets but they were often sold out and I had hard time finding them," said another tsukebito Kinokawa (Jonidan East 64).

Thanks to or no thanks to Natto, Ushiomaru had kachikoshi, finishing with 9 wins and 6 losses this basho.

[Manekineko]

How grown men and women can fall for such things, I'll never understand. Yet, they inevitably do. Sigh.

[Gacktoh]

うっしー、かわいい！ (Laughing...)

[Amanogawa]

They should have asked me first if the natto really could help you trim weight. I LOVE natto and eat it everyday but it never works that way. (Sign of approval...)

うっしー、かわいい！ (Sign of approval...)

ほんとかわいい。このインチキが露見した時　うしおめありー ( Ushiomary )焦っただろうな～　って

想像してみたりすると。 hehe :-P

[Petr]

This morning TV channels were full of natto. One program was about the way they eat in different places in Japan. Today just anything about the beans means high viewing rate. Why all the waves here have to be so strong? Extremes follow extremes.

[Gacktoh]

This morning TV channels were full of natto. One program was about the way they eat in different places in Japan. Today just anything about the beans means high viewing rate. Why all the waves here have to be so strong? Extremes follow extremes.

日本のワイドショーって同じ事ばかりやってますよね。面白くない！ (Shaking head...)

でも、うっしーは面白い。 :-P

[Petr]

日本のワイドショーって同じ事ばかりやってますよね。面白くない！ (Cheers...)

全くその通りです。僕はその中の一人でした。 (Singing drunk...)