Plenty of Nothing

100 Year Plan

Future Lego Japan. Source.

Japanese soccer began during the reign of the Taisho Emperor in the 1920s. In its first phase it was dominated by amateur clubs, usually based in universities such as Kwansei Gakuin. After the war, with Japan's rapid industrialisation, company teams prevailed. The players were still amateur but had steady day jobs with the sponsoring corporations. Some of the top clubs today started out that way, the best example being Urawa Red Diamonds, the former Mitsubishi team (Mitsubishi's logo being three red diamonds).

In 1993 the J League was created as a fully professional circuit of financially self-sufficient clubs stocked with Japanese players capable of cleaning up in the World Cup. Along with the new league came The 100 Year Plan: 100 clubs by 2093. The first season there were ten clubs in one division. This year there are 53 in three divisions, plus a waiting list of seven clubs.

An unspoken part of the 100 Year Plan is to make the sport more popular than baseball. So, which is more popular, Sanfrecce Hiroshima or the Hiroshima Carp? In a way it's oranges and apples because baseball plays so many more games than soccer. But if you take average attendance it looks like baseball still has the lead. Average attendance at Carp home games in 2013 was 21,447 (based on), whereas average attendance at Sanfrecce home games in 2011 was 13,203.

Montedio Yamagata visit Sanfrecce Hiroshima. [Sanfrecce win 5 - 1.]

Women's World Cup, June 15: Netherlands 1 - 1 Canada. June 16: Ecuador 0 - 1 Japan. Canada and Japan both qualify for the Round of 16. Tomorrow: Canada vs Switzerland. If Canada get past the Swiss there is the possibility of a Canada - Japan semifinal in Edmonton on Canada Day. [Canada 1 - 0 Switzerland.]

Where do Japan's female footballers play when they're not at the Women's World Cup? They play in the L League. The L League has been around since 1989, has three divisions encompassing 32 clubs, and is still mainly non-professional. The most successful club over time has been NTV Beleza, 12-time league champions, 5-time league cup winners, and 11-time Empress's Cup winners.

The FIFA movie grossed $918.

Ruhmeshalle

Ruhmeshalle (1901) by Rudolf Epp. The Ruhmeshalle (literally, Hall of Fame) still stands in Munich, filled with the busts of famous South Germans, though the misty field is now a road. The statue is a personification of Bavaria, and was modelled by a Berliner named Cornelia.

Aino Ackté as Salome

Aino Ackté.

Haiga Neko Atsume

Flowering Hawthorn

Maekawa Sempan

Winter at Semi-Onsen, Yamagata (1949) by Maekawa Sempan. This print would make a good cover illustration for Kawabata's Snow Country.

The Secret Ballot

To Maesius Maximus

You must have often read about the fierce controversy roused by the Ballot Act, and the mixed praise and blame it brought its proposer; yet today the merits of the act have won the unanimous approval of the Senate. On the day of the recent elections everyone demanded voting-papers, for on the last occasions when we had publicly recorded our votes aloud we had certainly exceeded the disorders of the people's assemblies. No regard was paid to a time-limit in speaking, to the courtesy of not interrupting, nor even the propriety of remaining seated. On all sides rose the din of opposing cries: everyone rushed forward with his candidate and crowds mingled with small groups of people in the centre of the floor in disgraceful confusion. So far had we departed from our parents' procedure, where everything was calmly conducted in a restrained and orderly manner so as to maintain the honour and dignity of the House.

    There are still some of the older generation living who have often told me about their election procedure: the name of the candidate was read out and received in complete silence, after which he spoke on his own behalf, gave an account of his career and produced references to his character, either the commanding officer under whom he had served in the army or the governor whose questor he had been, and both if he could. He then called upon some of the electors supporting his candidature, who said a few sober words in his favour which carried more weight than entreaties. Sometimes the candidate would raise objections to his opponent's origin, age or character, and the Senate would hear him with strict attention. The result was that merit prevailed more often than mere popularity. But now that these practices have broken down through excessive personal influence, recourse was had to the secret ballot as a remedy, and, being a new and unaccustomed measure, for the time being it has proved successful. Yet I am afraid that as time goes on the remedy will breed its own abuses, with the risk of wanton irresponsibility finding a way in. Very few people are as scrupulously honest in secret as in public, and many are influenced by public opinion but scarcely anyone by conscience. It is too soon, though, to speak of the future; for the moment, thanks to the written vote, we are going to elect our public officials from the candidates who best deserve the honour. We have been called upon to pronounce an opinion in our elections with no more warning than is given at a summary trial, and have shown ourselves uncorrupted.

To Maesius Maximus

I told you in my last letter that there was a risk of the secret ballot's leading to abuses, and this has already happened. At the recent election some of the voting papers were found to have jokes and obscenities scribbled on them, and on one the names of the candidates were replaced by those of their sponsors. This incensed the Senate and members clamoured for the wrath of the Emperor to be visited on the culprit; but he kept quiet and undetected -- he may even have joined in the general indignation. If this man can play such ribbald tricks in an important matter on a serious occasion, and thinks the Senate is the place where he can pass for a nimble wit and a fine fellow, what are we to suppose his personal conduct can be? This is the confidence unprincipled characters derive from the assurance that 'No one will know'. This man could ask for a voting-paper, take a pen, and bend his head to write, with neither fear of anyone nor any self-respect. The result was that ribaldry fit for nothing but the vulgar stage. Where is one to turn in search of a remedy? Everywhere the disease has gone too far to be checked. 'But this will concern the power above' whose daily task of vigilance is greatly increased by the futile impudence in our midst which we cannot control.

The Letters of the Younger Pliny (translation Radice), pages 106-7 and 129-30.

More Flowering Chestnut

UCD at Waterford

Reginald's Tower in Waterford. Once part of the city walls, it was erected by the invading Vikings to keep out the invading Normans.

UCD AFC visit Waterford United in the first game of the second half of the League of Ireland First Division season. At the halfway mark UCD are in 2nd place with 25 points.

Waterford United, The Blues, have been around since 1930, have won the League of Ireland six times (all of them between 1965 and 1973), and the FAI Cup and League of Ireland Cup twice each. They are currently 7th in the division. They wear blue.

Waterford was established by Danish Vikings in the mid-9th Century. In the 12th Century the Normans, expanding westward from South Wales, took over. The 17th Century saw an influx of Huguenots. Trade with Newfoundland made the city wealthy in the 18th Century. During the Irish Civil War Waterford was on the Republican side. Waterford crystal is from Waterford.

[Result: 0 - 0.]

Women's World Cup yesterday: Canada 0 - 0 Netherlands. Today: Japan [2 - 1] Cameroon.

Celtic are the 34th-wealthiest soccer club in the world.

Most SPFL clubs are receptive to summer football.

At Dido's

The Vergilius Romanus (Cod. Vat. lat. 3867, folio 100 verso). Dido, Aeneas and Achates banquet. You can tell the Trojans by their Phrygian caps.