Plenty of Nothing

Monbetsu Crab Claw

This giant crab claw us a roadside attraction at Monbetsu, Hokkaido. Source.

Onsen

There are a lot of hot springs in Beppu, Oita Prefecture. Source.

Mumyoiyaki

Mumyoiyaki is made from red clay associated with the silver and gold mining on Sado Island. Source.

Fuji from Five Lakes: Yamanakako

Source.

Fuji from Five Lakes: Kawaguchiko

Source.

Fuji from Five Lakes: Saiko

Source.

Fuji from Five Lakes: Shojiko

Source.

Fuji from Five Lakes: Motosuko

Source.

Yosakoi

Yosakoi is a dance style based on traditional Japanese moves but incorporating contemporary music and choreography, and is often performed in the street during festivals by large teams of dancers. It began in Kochi in 1954 and has spread throughout Japanese culture. You can see its influence in almost any compilation of Japanese television commercials. Source. Watch.

Developments:

HFX Wanderers began training Monday. Pacific FC have also received provincial approval to begin. York9 and Ottawa got the go Wednesday.

There's talk of starting the SPFL's lower divisions in October and playing three round robins or 27 games. This is interesting statistically because it would turn the interrupted 2019-20 season from an anomaly into one of a pair of Covid-style seasons. If the season is delayed until January and is only 18 games long then there will be several years in the 1890s to compare it to.

Should the Premiership begin months ahead of the Championship I'll follow Kilmarnock, a West of Scotland club I've almost entirely ignored up till now, until Morton are back.

Ann Budge has introduced the SPFL to a wealthy benefactor James Anderson who is willing to pay for all the Covid testing the league will need to start operating again.

The SPFL and Sky Sports have reached a deal to live-stream the Premiership starting in August.

Rangers and Celtic have introduced a new reconstruction formula, 14-14-18. It's like 14-14-16 but with Old Firm colt teams.

Morton have unveiled their new home strip. It ... has blue and white hoops.

A Bolivian player, Deibert Román Guzmán, has died of Covid-19. He played for Universitario del Beni in the country's third tier.

Games happening:

K League: Pohang Steelers [0 - 4] Ulsan Hyundai

It's Round Two of the Korean FA Cup. The 16 winners from Round One join the top six from K3 and the 10 from K2. According to the bracket the winner of Match 20 will face Pohang Steelers in Round Three.

Match 20: Gyeongju Citizen [1 - 0] Pyeontaek Citizen

Both clubs play in K3. Ten out of the 32 teams in Round Two are named Citizen, which means they are not the soccer departments of big corporations.

Faroes: B36  2 - 4  Havnar Bóltfelag (HB) (June 1)

This result leaves HB unbeaten in first place and B36 in fourth.

Víkingur [4 - 2] B36 (tomorrow)

Games not happening:

Iwaki FC were to have visited Kochi United today.

J3 League, Week 12: Grulla Morioka vs Fukushima United

CPL: Wanderers vs Athletico Ottawa (yesterday)

Historical games:

JFL 1999: Mito HollyHock 1 - 0 Kokushikan University

Kokushikan University joined the JFL in 1998 but was expelled from the league just before the end of the 2004 season after sexual assualt charges were brought against several of their players.

Sort the Faroese clubs by number of wins in European competition. And who did they beat?

5        HB        RAF Jelgava (Latvia), VPS Vaasa (Finland), WIT Georgia, Red Bull Salzburg, Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar)

5        Víkingur        Inter Turku, Daugava (Latvia), Tromsø IL (Norway), Trepça 89 (Kosovo) twice

4        B36      ÍBV, Birkirkara (Malta), Valletta (Malta), OFK Titograd (Montenegro)

4        KÍ         Maccabi Haifa (Israel), Birkirkara, Tre Fiori (San Marino) twice

2        EB/Streymur        Gandzazar (Armenia), Lusitanos (Andorra)

2        NSÍ      Dinamo Tblisis (Georgia), Linfield

The lower divisions of the Faroe Islands football league are mostly made up of clubs' second and third teams. What are the first teams in each division?

Betri deildin: AB, B36, EB/Streymur, HB, ÍF, KÍ, NSÍ, Skála, TB, Víkingur

1.deild: 07 Vestur, B68, B71, FC Hoyvík

2.deild: Royn, FC Suðuroy, Undrið FF

B36 in the 2010s:

             G     W     D    L     F     A       GD     P    Pos

2019    27    20      3    4    53    23    +30    63    2nd

2018    27    16      5    6    58    33    +25    53    3rd    Cup

2017    27    13      9    5    62    39    +23    48    3rd

2016    27    14      7    6    46    28    +18    49    4th

2015    27    18      7    2    60    25    +35    61    1st

2014    27    19      4    4    53    25    +28    61    1st

2013    27    12    10    5    48    35    +13    46    3rd

2012    27    10      8    9    42    36      +6    38    6th

2011    27    21      4    2    63    28    +35    67    1st

2010    27    11      7    9    44    36      +8    40    6th

Pohang Steelers in the 1990s:

            G     W   WG  WP    L     F      A     GD     P     Pos

1999    27    11     1      0    15    42    41     +1    35    5th

1998    18      8     2      0      8    34    23   +11    28    3rd

            G     W     D     L     F      A     GD    P      Pos

1997    18     8     6      4    25    22     +3    30    4th

1996    16     7     5      4    39    26     +4    26    3rd (2nd stage)    FA Cup

1996    16    10    5      1    24    12   +12    35    2nd (1st stage)

1995    14      8    5      1    23    11   +12    29    1st (2nd stage)

1995    14      7    5      2    18    12     +6    26    3rd (1st stage)

1994    30     3    11     6    49    37   +12    50    3rd

            G    W  PKW  PKL    L    F      A     GD    P    Pos

1993    30    8     6       8       8    34    29    +5    52*   4th    League Cup

            G     W      D     L     F      A      GD    P     Pos

1992    30    13      9      8    32    28     +4    35    1st    Champion

1991    40    12    15    13    46    47      -1    39    3rd

1990    30      9    10    11    29    28     +1    28    3rd

Until 1994 the club was named POSCO Atoms, in 1995 and 1996 Pohang Atoms, and from 1997 onward Pohang Steelers.

In 1993 the K League decided draws by penalty kicks. In 1998 and 1999 the league decided draws by golden goal (WG) and by penalty kicks (WP). Hockey fans know the golden goal as sudden death overtime.

In 1995 and 1996 the league played an apertura/clausura system with playoffs to decide the champion.

*No idea how they arrived at this number.

Tsugaru Sashiko

Aomori Prefecture combines territories once controlled by the Tsugaru and Nambu domains. A difference between the two areas is the way they embroidered kimono: Tsugaru is monochrome, Nambu is coloured. Read more about it here.