1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Ridiculous historians. Thank you, as always so much for tuning in. 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: We've got a classic episode on the way to you, 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: and I'm Bet Bullen, joined as always with our super 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: producer Max the Madman Williams as our colleague Noel Brown 5 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: is also on Adventures Max. I suppose I can say 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: it now as part of the intro to this, I 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: am actually in Japan. As people hear. 8 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: This, are you watching the baseball game while eating fried chicken? 9 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: I should be through the magic of editing. That may 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: well be the case, but we don't know yet. This episode, dude, 11 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: it makes me think of you so back in twenty eighteen. 12 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: I can't remember how often I was messing around with 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: Japan at that point, but back in twenty eighteen, we 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: got obsessed. Noel and I and our our good friend 15 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: of the show, former producer Casey Pegram, we got obsessed 16 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: with Kentucky fried chicken in Japan. It's a whole thing 17 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: We've talked about on multiple shows, and we may have 18 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: referred to this episode, but it is peak ridiculous history, 19 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: and it's something that you know a little bit about 20 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: because you're an absolute baseball encyclopedia. 21 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 2: On two legs, American baseball, Major League Baseball, as I 22 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 2: sit here with my Alanta Braves replica ring and my 23 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 2: really old Atlanta Braves baseball. But yeah, I mean two 24 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: very large American exports to Japan baseball and fried chicken, and. 25 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: Also superstitions, curses, drunken revelry. Why did the Hunshin Tigers 26 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: spend so long laboring under something called the curse of 27 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: the Klonel? Yes that, colonel, Colonel Sanders, this is a 28 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: true story. We can't wait for you to hear it. 29 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: And also, by the way, Max, what year is a 30 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: baseball from? 31 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 3: Oh, like two thousand and three? 32 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: Ancient history? 33 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 3: At this point, it really is. It makes me feel old. 34 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: Ridiculous history is a production of iHeartRadio. Tiger Tiger burning 35 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: bright in the forest of the night, What immortal hand 36 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: or I could frame thy fearful symmetry? That is an 37 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 1: excerpt of a poem called The Tiger by William Blake. 38 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 3: Hi, I'm Ben, Ben, it is I Noel, and I 39 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 3: have a query to pose to you. What does this 40 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 3: poem snippet have to do with today's episode? I am 41 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 3: so glad you asked, Noel. Oh before we go any further, 42 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 3: let's have a big and everybody listening just go ahead 43 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 3: and clap by yourself for our super producer Casey Pegram. 44 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: It's okay if you don't want to clap, yeah, you know, 45 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 3: just you can snap. Just give him props, Natalie. 46 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: Props in such a way as you feel moved to provide. 47 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 3: But Ben, yes, props. Aside, we're talking about tigers today. 48 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: We are in a way. We are in a way. 49 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:29,399 Speaker 1: We are talking about the Hunshen Tigers, which is a 50 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: sports team. We're also talking about urban legends. We're also 51 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: talking about a somewhat romanticized view of the American South, 52 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: which you know, you and I both love a big 53 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: old accent. And we're talking about Japan, and we're talking 54 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: about a curse. 55 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 3: L Yeah, the curse of the colonel. And that's not 56 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 3: just any colonel that is the standard bearer of greased 57 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 3: chicken legs the world over. As it turns out, Colonel 58 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 3: Sanders does he have a proper. 59 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: Name, Yes, Colonel Harland David Sanders born in eighteen ninety. 60 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 3: I think you mean halland David Sanders. 61 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: Oh, do you mean Colonel Hall and David Julip Sanders. 62 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: Don't you try to out Southern meme, Ben Bolin, Oh, 63 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: I could chew this ax you O day least. 64 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 3: Don't old sweet. People will tune out, people will not 65 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 3: have it. 66 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: We want to hear, by the way, your best Southern 67 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: accent impression. If you record yourself, write us a letter 68 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: and include that, we'd love to hear it. 69 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 3: Absolutely. But yeah, so we were mashing now this is 70 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 3: a mash up episode. This is a ridiculous history, the 71 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 3: mash up episode wherein we mashed together quite a few themes. 72 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 3: You mentioned curses, we're talking about chicken, We're talking about 73 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 3: the South, We're talking about Japan. Where do we start. 74 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: Let's start in nineteen eighty five. How about that. 75 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 3: It was a very good year. 76 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: It was a very good year, especially for the Hanshin Tigers. 77 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: They're a baseball team in Japan. You see. They went 78 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: on to win the Japan Championship Series, which is the 79 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: equivalent of the World Series in Major League Baseball, and 80 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: the fans went crazy. 81 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 3: And I know, maybe correct me if I'm wrong, Ben, 82 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 3: but I feel like there's sort of a stereotype out 83 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 3: there the Japanese being very reserved people. They know how 84 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 3: to keep it together and not get carried away? Shall 85 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 3: we say, but this is a great example of a 86 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 3: stereotype buster, and that these Japanese sports fans got quite 87 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 3: carried away and there was alcohol involved too, right, Ben. 88 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, this is another episode where we find a 89 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: group of people misbehaving, perhaps in part due to alcohol, 90 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: perhaps just due to passions running high sports fever. Yes, yes, 91 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: these drunken revelers took to a bridge in Osaka, the 92 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: Ibisubashi Bridge. We should also note that Noel and I 93 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: are not native Japanese speakers. This is very true, a 94 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: fact that will become increasingly apparent if it has not 95 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: already been clear from the jump. 96 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 3: I'll throw my hat into the mispronunciation ring in saying 97 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 3: that the eb Subashi Bridge is a bridge overlooking the 98 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 3: dotan Bori River, which is notoriously polluted. I'm not sure 99 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 3: today if that's still the case, but back in nineteen 100 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 3: eighty five, not a very clean body of water. But 101 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 3: that aside, these drunken revelers dove in kind of or 102 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 3: jumped in off the bridge. I'm trying to picture. Yeah, 103 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 3: that was how far a jump are we talking here? Ben? 104 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: They jumped It was a safe enough distance It wasn't 105 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: like jumping off the Golden gate Bridge. Don't do it 106 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: for kicks, by the way, because you will break your 107 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: legs easily. This was not going to be a lethal jump. Still, 108 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: you're not supposed to do it. Still, you're dangerous. It's 109 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: very much a hold my beer situation is what we 110 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: would call it today. But they were jumped in a 111 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: pattern because the crowd was screaming out the names of 112 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: the players on the Tigers, and every time they yelled 113 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: the name of one of the players, someone who looked 114 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: like that player or was perceived to look like the player. 115 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 3: How do you think this idea came to the forefront? 116 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: I'm just still mystify, man, Like, how did they just 117 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: think of the level of sophistication this game must have? 118 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: You know, how did this happen organically? Yeah, we're not 119 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: anywhere near this level of revelry. 120 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 3: No, And this is a very specific form of revelry, 121 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 3: almost kind of a ritual that they just invented out 122 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 3: of whole cloth. I'm guessing I've not seen evidence of 123 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 3: this type of thing anywhere else. But yeah, like you're saying, 124 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 3: so every time, I'm guessing they were hearing the announcement 125 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 3: from the stadium or was it on a televised broadcast. 126 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: It was after the game, so it sounds like it 127 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:54,119 Speaker 1: was people in the crowd. So the crowd would yell out, 128 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: you know, third basement Casey Pegram, and everybody go whoa. 129 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: And then somebody is like, I look kind of like 130 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: third baseman Casey Pegrim. They it's my turn to jump 131 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: off the bridge. 132 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 3: So you had to kind of like take it upon 133 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 3: yourself to go forth when that name was called. 134 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: Would hope so, because the alternative is that someone else 135 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: points at a random person in the crowd and says, hey, 136 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: he looks like third basement Casey Pegrim, and then they 137 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: grab him and throw him off the bridge. But it 138 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: appeared to be all in good fun until they called 139 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: the name of first baseman Randy Bass. 140 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 3: Wait, Ben, that doesn't sound like a Japanese name. What gives? 141 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you asked, because you and I did 142 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: a little bit of research based on that name. It 143 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: turns out Randy Bass was an American on the team. 144 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 3: Interesting how did he find himself playing for a Japanese team? Ooh? 145 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: He had spent six seasons in Major League Baseball with 146 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: five different teams and then his contract expired, so he 147 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 1: expanded his horizons. 148 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 3: Okay, and they made him an offer he could not refuse, 149 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 3: I imagine, and then he decided to take up his glove, 150 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 3: his mit. He was a baseman, take up a mitt, 151 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 3: I guess for the Tigers. He committed to the Tigers, 152 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 3: and we're committing to the Bites, Yes we really are. 153 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 3: But yeah, so here's the issue, right immediately, if that 154 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 3: they're going for this this gag or this bit that 155 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 3: they're committing to, which they were committing quite hard of 156 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 3: having to look like the player in question whose name 157 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 3: is being called. That sort of threw a wrench into 158 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 3: the works there when they called mister Bass's name, because 159 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 3: you know, there was nobody in the crowd. I'm guessing 160 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 3: from the story at least it seems to be the 161 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 3: case that looked like a big six foot something American 162 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 3: first baseman. 163 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: And this was a snag for sure, because you see, 164 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: when Randy joined Japanese baseball, he became one of the 165 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: most powerful hitters in the history of the game in 166 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: that country. So with him on their side, the Tiger 167 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 1: shot through the championship. This guy was a big deal. 168 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: He was crucial to the game. Yes, so of course 169 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: in this very specific, ritualized revelry, he needed to be represented, right, 170 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: someone needed to be thrown off the bridge in his 171 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: honor or to jump themselves. 172 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, so what what? What is it? What is a 173 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 3: drunken pack of sports fans to do? Ben? 174 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: I propose that before we follow the rest of the story, 175 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: we bring in an outside factor. Oh, a tangent, if 176 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: you will. I love it, A tangy, crispy, crunchy tangent. 177 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: How many herbs and spices does this tangent contain? Is 178 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: it eleven? 179 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 3: I don't know. It's a secret. 180 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: It is a secret. The number may not be a secret, 181 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,599 Speaker 1: but the specificity es spice wise is. 182 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 3: It's one of those things where they probably have two 183 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 3: executives that carry half of the secrets each and they 184 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 3: never let them be on the same plane, like Coca 185 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 3: Cola exactly. 186 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, we're talking about Kentucky Fried Chicken, by the way, 187 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: we're talking about Tucky Fried Chicken, or KFC as it 188 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: is known today, the iconic red and white bucket, the 189 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: vaguely creepy plantation owner. I feel like the representation got 190 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: creepy now. 191 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 3: Big time. 192 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 1: You know, they had Darryl Hammond, they had Norm MacDonald 193 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: do commercials. 194 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 3: I think KFC advertising is sort of going down that 195 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,959 Speaker 3: same path that Burger King did years ago with the 196 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 3: super creepy King with the you know, expressionless face kind 197 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 3: of looks like a serial killer mask kind of. The 198 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:32,839 Speaker 3: KFC is doing that too with the Colonel. They're sort 199 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 3: of doubling down on his creepy factor. Yes, because it's 200 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 3: just like, you know, it works, I guess for like 201 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 3: a memorable weird commercial as opposed to back in the day, 202 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 3: where I think it was sort of like I felt 203 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 3: like they shied away from it, even getting rid of 204 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 3: Kentucky in the name. KFC kind of replaced it because 205 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 3: I think they were shying away from that image, right, 206 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 3: because it was a little problematic. 207 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, like the Learning Channel became TLC when they said, 208 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: what are people actually learning on this thing? Right? That's 209 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: a little shade. But yes, so KFC. There's probably one 210 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: in a town near you if you live in the 211 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: United States, right somewhere. It turns out KFC is phenomenally 212 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:20,079 Speaker 1: extraordinarily popular in Japan. The first KFC opened in nineteen 213 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: seventy in Japan, and shortly after it opened, the guy 214 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: who was the manager of this, Takeshi Okawara, woke up 215 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: at midnight and he had a dream that he had 216 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: to write down and make into reality. He said, let's 217 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: sell a party barrel. A party barrel, you say, every Christmas? Yes, 218 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: you can read this. You can read the full story 219 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: of this in a great article by the BBC called 220 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: Why Japan Celebrates Christmas with KFC by Eric Barton. Here's 221 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: the rub. Every Christmas, an estimated three point six million 222 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: Japanese families eat themselves to Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas. 223 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 3: It's true, and we're going to get into more of 224 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 3: these amazing Japanese phonetic kind of pronunciations for things. I'm 225 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 3: just a huge fan of these. So they created that. 226 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 3: This became kind of a local tradition for this original 227 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 3: KFC joint. But then the company realized this was a 228 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 3: super smart move to sell Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan. 229 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 3: So they created this marketing plan and they called it 230 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 3: Kurisamasu niwa Kentucky or Kentucky for Christmas. I just love 231 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,599 Speaker 3: Kuri Samasu. That's fantastic. 232 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: And these are spelled phonetically. 233 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 3: Yes, exactly, and the idea being that it's creating a 234 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 3: new tradition out of nothing, because even though there are 235 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 3: quite a large number of Christians in Japan, Christmas is 236 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 3: not a nationally celebrated holiday and there's really no national 237 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 3: tradition around it. So these folks at KFC kind of 238 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 3: saw a niche and they filled the crap out of it, 239 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 3: didn't They. 240 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: Been, Yes, yes, there was absolutely no tradition, somewhat of 241 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: a void a niche as you said, Noel, And they 242 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: they morphed it into more than just a single bucket 243 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 1: of chicken. It didn't include just the breast and thighs. Now. 244 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: They came with these, they came with Christmas cakes, They 245 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: included wine, they had sides. You could get the entry 246 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: box for around thirty seven hundred yen that's about thirty 247 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: two bucks yep, up to the premium one, which is 248 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: about fifty eight hundred yen, and according to KFC, these 249 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: Christmas packages alone make up about a third of the 250 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: chain's yearly sales in Japan. 251 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 3: It's insane, it's phenomenal, and you have to like reserve 252 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 3: your package weeks in advance or risk having to stand 253 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 3: in massive lines to get this. And you know it's interesting. 254 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 3: In this article, they actually talked to you a local 255 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 3: Atlanta chef. 256 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: Yes, I know the guy, Kevin Gespie, Kevin Gillespie. 257 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 3: I've never been to any of his restaurants, but I 258 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 3: looked him up and he seems like really tasty stuff. 259 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 3: What's one of his spots called Revival. 260 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 1: Oh, that's like a really hot brunch place, right, yeah, yeah, 261 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: he's a James Beard Award winning chef and they consulted 262 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: him for this BBC article and he had a couple 263 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: of good quotes. He said, if you brought a bucket 264 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: of fried chicken to Christmas dinner, honestly, I'd be mad 265 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: at you. And this is interesting because this is a 266 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: very American perspective specifically surrounding Christmas, because it's all about family, 267 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: it's all about homemade comfort food. 268 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 3: But in Japan, since there's no official holiday aka time 269 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 3: off work, surrounding Christmas, probably about the best you can 270 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 3: do to reserve that KFC party barrel. 271 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: Right, And this is not you know, this isn't too 272 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: crazy because there's a huge tradition of eating Chinese food 273 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: in Christmas here in these states. 274 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 3: Right, for example, within the Jewish community, especially in New York. 275 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 3: This came up a lot during our Chinese Food episode 276 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 3: about the chop suet houses in New York. It became 277 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 3: a huge tradition for Jewish families to have a Chinese 278 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 3: dinner out on Christmas. That was also because not a 279 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 3: lot of other stuff is open. 280 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: True, So we do see an analog here. And you 281 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: may be asking yourself, Ben Nole, super producer Casey Pecram, 282 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: why why did you guys just start telling me about 283 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: this granted fascinating story of chicken in Japan. We are 284 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: going somewhere with this, folks, We promise back to Randy Bass. 285 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 3: Okay, so we're gonna join. We're gonna rejoin our original 286 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 3: story already in progress. It's all coming together, all coming together. 287 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 3: So Randy Bass's name is called these drunken Tigers. Fans 288 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 3: are looking around. They're looking for someone. They don't see 289 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 3: anybody that even remotely resembles this hulking American man, any 290 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 3: living any living person but nearby. This is not something 291 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 3: you see typically in the States, or at least I 292 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 3: have not. 293 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: Oh that's a good point. 294 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 3: Yes, outside of Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC joints in Japan, 295 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 3: you're gonna find a kind of, I think a little 296 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 3: bit macabre statue of Colonel Sanders himself leering at the passers. 297 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: By, daring them to accept the challenge of chicken, exactly, 298 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 1: the chicken challenge. 299 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 3: And they saw one of those nearby. It was it 300 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:30,439 Speaker 3: was as though it were written in the stars. They 301 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 3: saw one of these nearby, and they goes, that guy 302 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 3: kind of looks vaguely American. 303 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: And in Randy's defense, he does not look like Colonel 304 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: Sanders at this time. 305 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 3: Right, there was a little profiling going on. He is 306 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 3: just also American. He's just also American. Did not have 307 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 3: a little little colonel beard. In fact, in the article 308 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 3: from how Stuff Works Ridiculous History, the Curse of the Colonel, 309 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 3: there's a fantastic side by side comparison. They did both 310 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 3: have mustaches, though not you know, Randy's was not pure 311 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 3: white and did not have the accompany being a little 312 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 3: pointed goateee, nor the little what do you call that 313 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 3: a cravat, You have a little kind of a bow 314 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 3: tie thing around a string tie, a string tie exactly. 315 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 3: But yeah, so they they uprooted this thing, right, They 316 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 3: just ripped it out of the ground. 317 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 1: And then they carried it to the bridge and they 318 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: threw it into the river, and everybody presumably went yay. 319 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 3: And then I'm guessing there was a current and it 320 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 3: just got carried away, because if these folks were hanging 321 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 3: out in the river themselves and not just up to 322 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 3: their necks and water, I don't think the statue would 323 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 3: have sunk right away. It probably got carried away in 324 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 3: the current of the river downstream and then they lost it. 325 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 3: It did. 326 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, it did apparently go under quickly, and that might 327 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,159 Speaker 1: be due to current. It's also it's got to be 328 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: due to the weight of the statue as well, probably 329 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 1: weigh more than a person. 330 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 3: You think so I would have I would picture it 331 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 3: as being hollow. I don't think they would have been 332 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 3: able to rip it out of the ground unless it 333 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,439 Speaker 3: was just kind of a hollow, plastic shell. 334 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: That's a good point. You know what, we need to 335 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 1: take an extra credit segment, go to pan get some chicken, 336 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: and investigate. 337 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 3: I don't think that's in the budget, ben, but we 338 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 3: can talk to management about it. 339 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 1: We'll see. Let's write to the tigers, because we're telling 340 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: a story that they feel needs to be told. You see, 341 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: after they threw the statue in and everyone went yay 342 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: Tigers forever World champions, decades and decades went by, and 343 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: to date they have never won a championship again. And 344 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,959 Speaker 1: the Tigers fans will tell you that this is not 345 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 1: simply a matter of being outplayed or having bad luck 346 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:40,879 Speaker 1: on the field. No, they believe there's something supernatural at work. 347 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: They believe there is a curse. 348 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 3: Yes, and what they referred to as I only saw 349 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 3: this printed one place, but it definitely translates correctly as 350 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 3: kanuru Sandasu no norroy or the curse of Colonel Sanders. 351 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 1: Yes, the curse of Colonel Sanders. 352 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 3: As well. 353 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: They believe that by committing this disrespectful act, the entity 354 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: the non corporeal Colonel Sanders, Yes, in the sky, the 355 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: demigod of chicken all Chicken Fried, has decreed that they 356 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: will be punished for this disrespect And you know, you 357 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: have to wonder how much of this is just a joke, right, 358 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: and how much people really believe it? Oh well, I 359 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: mean well, it falls in line with some other pretty 360 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:35,239 Speaker 1: serious superstitions that exist in Japanese culture, which we'll get 361 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: to in a little bit and sports are sports themselves 362 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,719 Speaker 1: are very rich soil for superstitions. But after such a 363 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: strong showing, I mean, you know, the Colonel definitely brought 364 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 1: down the hammer on them. The Tigers, they just barely 365 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 1: won anything at all. Their best finish was third in 366 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: eighty six and in nineteen ninety two, and they finished 367 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: last a whopping eight times. 368 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 3: Right, so it was exceptionally bad. Not just not winning, No, no, 369 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 3: it was demoralizing. The fans were utterly humiliated, and they 370 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 3: concocted I guess among themselves. How does something like this 371 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 3: spread just by word of mouth? These people in the 372 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 3: fan community or their message boards. What are we talking? 373 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,239 Speaker 1: These people are great at improv man, how did they 374 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 1: figure out this ritual so quickly? And then how did 375 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,360 Speaker 1: they say, oh, okay, well here's the explanation. 376 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 3: It's also reminds me of one of those things where 377 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 3: it's like a I know what you did last summer 378 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 3: kind of scenario where you and a close group of 379 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 3: friends commit a horrible atrocity and then you are punished 380 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 3: for it later, and then you have to figure out 381 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 3: how to make it right. 382 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: I hope someone feels like they saw the kernel. 383 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 3: Exactly did you picture this though, is this this should 384 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 3: be a movie and they should this should be a 385 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 3: kind of Ringo or like the Grudge kind of movie 386 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 3: based around connorou Sandu sou No, no, that could be 387 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 3: the name of the movie. 388 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, and then we'll just translate to the Curse of 389 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,160 Speaker 1: the Colonel for the American audience. 390 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 3: Because they banded together to make this right. 391 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: Yes, they said, just like we would imagine a Colonel 392 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: Sanders esque figure. They said this injustice shall not stand 393 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: and into But they you know, they didn't say it 394 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 1: with this other accent. 395 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:16,160 Speaker 3: You don't know, or they did. 396 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: Maybe they did. Maybe they were cause playing as well. 397 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 1: So they went to search for the statue. They went 398 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: to the bottom of the river and attempted to recover it, 399 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: and in two thousand and nine they found a piece 400 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:31,719 Speaker 1: of it. 401 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 3: I actually read two bend that in one of these attempts, 402 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 3: a twenty four year old fan named Maseya Shitababa actually drowned. 403 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: Hm. I read that as well. 404 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I mean this was no joke. They were 405 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 3: This was not a lark. They were out to break 406 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 3: this curse, right, and as you were saying, Ben, they 407 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 3: did find some success. 408 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, And in a way, in a very strange way, Noel. 409 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: This death led to the discovery because after the death, 410 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: the community announced plans to build a new bridge that 411 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: would make it more difficult to jump into the river 412 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,640 Speaker 1: from and then they began constructing this in two thousand 413 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: and four. But while they were constructing a walkway in 414 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine related to this new bridge, that's 415 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: where they found. They didn't find all of the statue. 416 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: It's like the torso in the head and the arms, 417 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: but not the hands. 418 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 3: So there was no mistaking that rictus grin of Colonel Sanders, 419 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:39,360 Speaker 3: even with the decay, that was definitely him. So you know, 420 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 3: they were reasonably overjoyed and decided they needed to find 421 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:44,199 Speaker 3: some of the other pieces. 422 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 1: Yes, because what if I love this horror movie that 423 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: you just pitched to me. What if they haven't appeased 424 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 1: the angry spirit of the statue until they assemble it all. 425 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 1: You know, they find the hands, they find the glasses. 426 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: Some were worried that until the statue was made whole again, 427 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 1: the Tigers would never win another series. 428 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:10,120 Speaker 3: And you know, superstition and sports in general are super 429 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 3: common even right here in the States. 430 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I think you might be referring 431 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 1: to another famous curse, my friend, one that affects Boston 432 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:21,479 Speaker 1: Red Sox fans. 433 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:22,919 Speaker 3: The Curse of the Bambino. 434 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, the Curse of the Bambino, where the Red 435 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: Sox fans believe that their team was cursed for almost 436 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 1: a century eighty years for trading away legendary player Babe Ruth. 437 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, they probably just you know, Babe Ruth was really 438 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 3: good and they would have done better if they'd had him. 439 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 1: I but I love the I love the high dramatic 440 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: stakes from a storytelling perspective of a curse. I feel 441 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,959 Speaker 1: like I have never encountered a curse, nor have I 442 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: laid a curse upon someone, because I'm you know, I'm 443 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:02,199 Speaker 1: actually a really kind purseon. But I would love to 444 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: just be involved in like a curse type situation, like 445 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: solving a curse. 446 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 3: Would you curse like someone who really had it coming? 447 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 3: Maybe some maybe one of an enemy I. 448 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: Guess so, But I don't really have enemies really, Yeah, 449 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: that's cool. 450 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 3: I don't either. 451 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: I wish you all could see no slight eye rolled there, 452 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: But yeah, I would like to solve a curse. And 453 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,919 Speaker 1: a lot of sports fans of course would like to 454 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: do the same. We had an interesting quotation here in 455 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: observation from a sports columnist named Dick Harmon for writing 456 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:43,119 Speaker 1: for The Desert News, who described athletes and superstition this way. Athletes, 457 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 1: says mister Harmon, by their very nature tend to be superstitious, 458 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:50,120 Speaker 1: especially when it comes to preparing for events. I've seen 459 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 1: players wear the same socks beneath their actual game socks, 460 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: listen to the same song or music, eat the same food, 461 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: hit the bathroom at the same time before going out 462 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: on the court or field. I don't think this is 463 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: hatched out of fear, but of comfort, not of jinxing themselves, 464 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: but of setting their minds straight. 465 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,639 Speaker 3: Agreed. Yeah, Ritual to me is all about getting in 466 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 3: kind of a zen state, you know, where you feel 467 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 3: in control of your surroundings just by virtue of doing 468 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 3: something the same way. I personally am a creature of habit. 469 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 3: I typically get the same things to eat at restaurants, 470 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 3: and you know, take the same routes home, even if 471 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 3: there's a quicker route that my map is telling me, 472 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 3: I'll typically go the way that I'm super comfortable with, 473 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 3: And to me, that's a way of kind of doing 474 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 3: all I can in the little way that I can 475 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 3: to control my environment and my chaotic life. 476 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: Right the vast incomprehensible universe that cares not which way 477 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:49,120 Speaker 1: this great world spins. We must exercise some control over 478 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: our existence. With podcasting, for instance, you know, I've been 479 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: doing this a while. I've got rituals, and we as 480 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: a cohort collectively a house of works. A lot of 481 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: podcasters have their own rituals. Chuck used to do a thing, 482 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: remember with his cheeks. 483 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 3: I I don't know about that. And now I know. 484 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 3: Robert Lamb has a little squishy dinosaur that he brings 485 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 3: in when he podcasts. Robert Lamb from Stuff to brow 486 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 3: your Mind and I personally have been wearing the same 487 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 3: pair of me undies the entire time we've been podcasting. 488 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I respect you for that. You know, I 489 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: think you've you've gone past the area of diminishing returns 490 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 1: to you were cleaning up now, you know, I do 491 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: watch them occasionally. I've heard that, Yeah, I've heard. I 492 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 1: can't remember why I heard that or how it came 493 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: up in conversation, but I do remember hearing that. 494 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,360 Speaker 3: You're a very attentive listener, Ben, thank. 495 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: You, thank you, And likewise, my friend, we thought this 496 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:50,120 Speaker 1: was fascinating because it's still in play. Like the Tigers 497 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: fans will tell you. 498 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 3: Did their fortunes turn around? Though, Ben' that's the kicker here. 499 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 1: Well, we do know we can't predict what will happen 500 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,119 Speaker 1: by the end of twenty eighteen. None can, but we 501 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: do know that things weren't completely bleak and dire for 502 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: the Tigers. In fact, we had some good news in 503 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: the early two thousands. 504 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 3: That's right. They returned to the Japan Series after eighteen 505 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 3: years away, and they had the best record in the 506 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 3: Central League. And many of these KFC outlets, as sort 507 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,479 Speaker 3: of a precaution, I guess in the area in Kobe 508 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 3: and Osaka, they personally uprooted their Colonel Sanders statues and 509 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 3: moved them inside until the series was over, you know, 510 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 3: to guard them against any potential desecration by over zeales 511 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 3: Tigers fans. 512 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 1: This is one of my favorite parts of the story. Now, though, 513 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: let's say that you are in Let's say that you 514 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: are in the area and you want to eat at 515 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: this iconic KFC. You can't because it's closed. But let's 516 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:58,959 Speaker 1: say you travel to the KFC headquarters in Yokohama. There, 517 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: if you have permission from KFC management, or if you're 518 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: a VIP special guest or you are an honored employee, 519 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 1: you may be allowed to see the rescued colonel. 520 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 3: And they found most of his parts, right, they found 521 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 3: a lot of them. 522 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, but you can't. It's not viewable by the public. 523 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: That's what's strange to me. Like, you can go in 524 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: and see the origin of the curse, but only if 525 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: you have special permission. 526 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 3: Well, I propose that we pitch our Curse of the 527 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 3: Colonel horror movie to KFC Japan and they could sponsor 528 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 3: and it could just be like a really elaborate commercial 529 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 3: for KFC, and maybe we can actually get some some 530 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 3: of those chicken dollars to make this thing really hit. 531 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: Also, also, here's what we'll sell them on it. I'm 532 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: telling you, it'll be cross brand promotion if they make 533 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: special meals that are related, Yeah, to the tigers or 534 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: to the curse ghost Pepper Chicken just off the top 535 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: of the dome. 536 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 3: Why not? 537 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 1: Why not? You know what I've got to say, Man, 538 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: thank you for this one. I've really enjoyed today's episode. 539 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:15,959 Speaker 3: I did too, and we're going to wrap up just 540 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 3: with a couple of interesting Japanese superstitions. We mentioned it 541 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 3: earlier at the show that this is a thing and 542 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 3: they all have these amazing names. So, for example, one 543 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 3: of them is it's apparently considered bad luck to cut 544 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 3: your nails at night, and this tradition or superstition is 545 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 3: known as yoru nitsume wakit jaken i. And apparently this 546 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 3: is tied to the fact that in the olden days 547 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 3: there were no lights at night due to lack of electricity, 548 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 3: and people believed that evil spirits would come around to 549 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 3: your home at night, and that when you cut your nails, 550 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 3: because they imbue cutting tools of any kind with a 551 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 3: lot of power, and that when you cut your nails, 552 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 3: you're creating a sort of a window between worlds. This 553 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 3: comes up time and time again on a lot of 554 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 3: these superstitions, and that if you do it at night, 555 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 3: you're opening that window and one of these evil spirits 556 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 3: or a kuru could exit the nether world through that 557 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 3: or possess you. 558 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 1: There's also the one that happens if a funeral hearst 559 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: drives past, you have to hide your thumbs in a fist, 560 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: and that's because the word for thumb translates to parent fingers. 561 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:36,479 Speaker 1: So it's symbolically hiding your parents from death and if 562 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: you don't. Similar to the way there's the old superstition 563 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,880 Speaker 1: step on a crack bake your mom's back, this is 564 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: one where you hide your parents symbolically from death, and 565 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: if you don't do it, your parents will die, it's right. 566 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 3: And this one is known as rakayusha kara. Oh yeah, 567 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 3: yubi will kakusu. And then there's one that I think 568 00:31:55,920 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 3: you'll like ben where you shouldn't whistle at night. Yes, yes, yeah, 569 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 3: you shouldn't whistle at night. You're no fui subeki d nik. 570 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 3: And this one is more tied to a functional thing, 571 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 3: right like not necessarily supernatural, although it may there may 572 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 3: be some crossover. 573 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. So, back in the day in Japan, whistling was 574 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: a sign used by burglars and other ne'er do wells, 575 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: other good old fashioned nocturnal scumbags to communicate with each other. Yep, 576 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: so whistling is associated with intruders, thieves. 577 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 3: It's sort of like that urban legend of like flashing 578 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 3: your brights or something, and how that's a sign for 579 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 3: gangs or something, or like putting in your shoes in 580 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 3: the power lines or I don't know, I'm reaching here. 581 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 1: There are a lot of unlucky numbers too, which is fascinating, 582 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 1: especially we're Did we ever talk about this off air? 583 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: I think there are a lot of buildings that don't 584 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: have a fourth floor. 585 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 3: Is that correct? I don't know about that for sure, 586 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 3: but I know in the States there's no thirteenth. 587 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: Floor, right, yes, yeah, yeah, I know that four is 588 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 1: an unlucky number because the word for for she closely 589 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: resembles the word for death. 590 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 3: Gotcha. 591 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: So what's a what's a good one? What's an up one? 592 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 3: Like a silly one? Yeah, I don't know. I mean 593 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 3: it's silly on the on the surface, but then it's 594 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,479 Speaker 3: also kind of morbid. You know. You're apparently when it's 595 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 3: bad weather, when there's lightning and thunder, you are supposed 596 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 3: to hide your children's mid sections or belly buttons. 597 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: Oh specifically. Yeah, yeah, that checks out as a former meteorologist. 598 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 3: And that's because the god of thunder ryi Gin supposedly 599 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 3: would eat children's entire abdomens or their mid sections. And 600 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 3: he also had a little running buddy named Rai Ju, 601 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 3: who would nest himself supposedly in the belly buttons of 602 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 3: children while they sleep, and this could lead to these 603 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 3: kids being struck by lightning. That's right, because Rai Gin, 604 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 3: in order to jostle his little familiar, I guess from 605 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 3: this little nest, would shoot him with a bolt of lightning. 606 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 1: Right, naturally, right, and this checks. 607 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 3: Out, And then I assume eat mid section. 608 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: So do take care in storms. But as you know, 609 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: we are all about self empowerment, not just for ourselves 610 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: but for you, dear listeners. So you might be asking, Hey, 611 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,319 Speaker 1: this curse thing sounds cool. How can I get in 612 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 1: on this? How can I make a wish or make 613 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 1: a curse? We'd like to introduce you to oyakudu mari. 614 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a ceremony even called ushi no koku mari 615 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,919 Speaker 3: where when you visit a shrine during a particular hour 616 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,319 Speaker 3: sort of the Japanese equivalent of the witching hour I'm 617 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 3: guessing called the hour of the Ox, which is between 618 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:40,760 Speaker 3: one and three am, you can start your very own curse. 619 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:46,799 Speaker 1: Right. Yes, all you'll need to do is visit during 620 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 1: the hour of the Ox, bring a straw doll with you, 621 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 1: representing the person who will receive the curse, and use 622 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,760 Speaker 1: a long nail to nail the doll to the shrine's 623 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,840 Speaker 1: holy tree. That's for cursing. That's not for a wish. 624 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: If you're trying to wish someone's success, don't do that. 625 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 3: But there's a kicker ben because if you are witnessed 626 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:10,279 Speaker 3: making the curse, then that curse will visit itself on 627 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 3: you tenfold. I added the tenfold part. But you know 628 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 3: it doesn't sound good. 629 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,600 Speaker 1: No, no, it doesn't. So these shrines are powerful symbolically. 630 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: Maybe we should end on how you make a wish. 631 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:26,399 Speaker 1: So we talked about making a curse, but we also 632 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 1: mentioned making a wish. So to make a wish in 633 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 1: a shrine, you must walk from a shrine gate to 634 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: its altar or from the gate to a main haul 635 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 1: one hundred times while praying for your wish to come true. 636 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: If you want to increase your odds, walk barefoot. A 637 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:45,439 Speaker 1: little life pro tip there a little life hack. Alternatively, 638 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:47,799 Speaker 1: you can visit the shrine and make one prayer for 639 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 1: your wish to come true each day for one hundred days. 640 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 1: That's the long game. This is only scratching the surface 641 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 1: of some of the fascinating Japanese superstitions we found, and 642 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 1: granted there are a lot of fasting US or Western 643 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: superstitions as well, but at this point we do not 644 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:10,880 Speaker 1: have a curse associated with Colonel Sanders. 645 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 3: Now, but you know that could change. 646 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:16,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know the future. The future stretches before us, 647 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 1: vast and endlessen its beautiful possibilities. 648 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:21,560 Speaker 3: What are some of your favorite Japanese curses? Can you 649 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 3: think of any that could potentially be as outrageous and 650 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,319 Speaker 3: absurd as the curse of the Colonel? We'd like to know. 651 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:30,320 Speaker 3: You can write to us at Ridiculous at HowStuffWorks dot com. 652 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 3: You can hit us up on social media where we 653 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 3: are Ridiculous History on Facebook, Instagram, and I believe Twitter. 654 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:38,759 Speaker 1: And thank you so much for journeying with us as 655 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:42,399 Speaker 1: we stumbled through Japanese phrases. I feel like we shall 656 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,799 Speaker 1: also thank Casey for this. As always, Casey, don't go 657 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: change it. You're amazing. Thanks for being on the show. 658 00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 3: He keeps us honest and I didn't notice him wincing 659 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 3: super hard during any of those pronunciations, but sometimes it's 660 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 3: hard too. 661 00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: I think it might have been a baseball related wins 662 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,800 Speaker 1: other than Casey's into sports pronunciation, well maybe not American 663 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 1: baseball fair enough anyway. Also, thank you to Alex Williams 664 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: for composing our soundtrack YEP. 665 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 3: And most importantly, thank you to you for listening to 666 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:14,560 Speaker 3: the show. We hope you'll join us for our next 667 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 3: episode where we get kind of grizzly with it. 668 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 1: Yes, we are exploring gold in one of its most 669 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: dangerous applications. What will it be? Tune in to find 670 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,319 Speaker 1: out in the meantime. On a personal request, if you 671 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:33,920 Speaker 1: guys have any great chicken recipes or you want to 672 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:37,600 Speaker 1: just send us pictures of chicken, please do it now. 673 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:50,320 Speaker 3: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 674 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 3: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.