Plenty of Nothing

Ema

Ema (literally, "horse pictures") are those votive images sold at Shinto shrines, and can include a painting of nearly anything, but this one really does have a horse. Source.

42nd Empress's Cup Final

Reds. Source.

It's the 42nd Empress's Cup final:

Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies [3 - 4] Nippon TV Beleza

These are the same finalists as last year. Beleza have won the cup 14 times; Reds never. But Urawa are currently the stronger team. They won this year's Nadeshiko League, while Beleza came third. The current Japanese national women's squad includes four Beleza players and seven Reds.

In league play this season the results were:

2020/8/2        Urawa 1 - 0 Beleza

2020/10/11    Beleza 3 - 2 Urawa

Both teams are joining the new fully professional WE League, which starts next season.

Meanwhile in Scotland, Ayr United host Morton. Morton hold fifth place with 13 points, and Ayr are sixth with 12.

[Rangers are recalling loaned Josh McPake from Morton.]

[Ayr United 1 - 1 Morton. Nesbitt scored for Morton.]

Other Championship matches:

Dundee [3 - 1] Alloa

Hearts [3 - 1] Arbroath

Inverness CT [1 - 1] Dunfermline

Raith Rovers [0 - 2] Queen of the South

Scottish Cup, Round One:

Bonnyrigg Rose vs Bo'ness (postponed -- pitch)

Huntly vs Cumbernauld Colts (postponed)

First and last place teams week by week (1 of 3):

Week 1        Hearts                  Dundee

Week 2        Raith Rovers        Arbroath

Week 3        Dunfermline         Arbroath

Week 4        Raith Rovers        Arbroath

Week 5        Dunfermline         Alloa

Week 6        Hearts                  Alloa

Week 7        Hearts                  Arbroath

Week 8        Hearts                 Queen of the South

Week 9        Hearts                 Queen of the South

Which teams have had the most losing seasons in the Premiership since 1975?

31        Motherwell

25        Hibs

24        Dundee

23        Kilmarnock

22        St Mirren

21        Hearts

Plenty of Nothing Championship League Cup group stage standings:

Group A         G    W    D    L      F     A    GD    Pts

Hearts             4     4     0     0    15     3   +12    12

Dundee           4     3     0     1      7     7       0      9

Morton            4      1     1     2      2     3     -1      5

Arbroath          4     0     2     2      1     3     -2       2

QoS                4      0     1     3      3   12     -9      1

Group B         G    W    D    L      F     A    GD    Pts

Dunfermline    4     2     2     0      9     4      +5      8

Ayr United       4     1     3     0      3     1      +2      6

Raith Rovers   4     1     2     1      7     6      +1      5

Inverness        4     1     1     2      5     6       -1      4

Alloa                4     1     0     3      5    12      -7      3

Hearts will meet Ayr in the semi-finals, and Dunfermline will meet Dundee. Both matches are in February.

Yoshitoshi Tokugawa

On December 19th, 1910 Yoshitoshi Tokugawa piloted Japan's first airplane flight. He was a grand-nephew of the last Tokugawa shogun, headed the Imperial Army Aviation School during World War Two, and died at age 78 in 1963. Source.

Yokohama Grits

Yokohama Grits. Source.

There have been a few developments in hockey in Japan since last spring.

The professional Asia League Ice Hockey added a fifth Japanese club, Yokohama Grits. This puts a top tier club in the Greater Tokyo area for the first time since Seibu Prince Rabbits shut down in 2009. The club's name is further proof that Japanese marketers can't get enough of words that end in 'ts' (like Let's!)

Asia League Ice Hockey has opted not to play the 2020-21 season, mainly because of Covid travel restrictions between the three member countries Japan, South Korea and Russia.

The five Japanese clubs are playing a shortened all-Japan season which began in October and will wrap up at the end of December. Each team will play each other team four times.

The 88th All-Japan Ice Hockey Championship is on, but with a reduced schedule. The games are:

Semi-finals (December 12)

Nikko Ice Bucks [1 - 2] Higashi Hokkaido Cranes

Oji Eagles [2 - 3] Tohoku Free Blades

Third-place game (December 13)

[Ice Bucks 3 - 4 Eagles]

Final (December 13)

[Cranes 3 - 1 Free Blades]

Meanwhile the Asia League's three Korean clubs are playing the 65th South Korean National Ice Hockey Championship. I have yet to find a good source for information for this tournament.

And I have no idea what the Sakhalin team are up to.

Tarai-Bune

In Sado you can take a ride in a tub-shaped one-oared fishing boat called a tarai-bune. Source.

Naginata

Like kendo but with spears. This is action from the 2019 Canadian championship. Source.

Mito Low District Water Tower

For more about this Shōwa cakestand look here.

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.