Plenty of Nothing

Heisei

Emperor Akihito retires today. Here he is in 1990. Source.

Octopus Helmet

Some samurai helmets, like this one, fall into the category of kawari kabuto, unusual helmets. See more here. Source.

Racecourses of Japan

Source.

Meiji Emperor Cigarette Card

Source.

Barbara Kawakami

Barbara Kawakami is an expert on the clothing worn by Japanese agricultural workers in Hawaii. Source. She is the author of Picture Bride, a history of Japanese women sent to Hawaii to marry. Read an article by Kawakami, and watch a video.

JR East Train Wreck Museum

Source. Open to JR employees only.

Danbo Graduates

Students at Kanazawa College of Art dress as they please for graduation. This member of the class of 2014 went as Danbo. Source.

About Oji Eagles

Oji Eagles, 1926. Source.

The Oji Eagles ice hockey club was founded in 1925, making it a year younger the Boston Bruins, and a year older than the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Throughout its existence it has been owned by Oji Paper Company, headquartered in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.

The club has been extremely successful in Japanese hockey competitions. The Eagles have won the All Japan Championship 37 times in 87 years. They were champions of the Japan Ice Hockey League 13 times in its 37-year existence, and have won the Asia League playoffs three times in 15 years. They have rarely suffered a losing season or a goal difference in negative numbers.

They have worn a variety of uniforms through the years -- which you can see  here --but the classic design is the one they used during the JIHL years, modelled on the red and blue Montreal Canadians uniform.

Oji Eagles' home rink is Hakucho Arena in Tomakomai. It can hold about four thousand spectators.

Their greatest rivalry has long been with Nippon Paper Cranes, another Hokkaido club attached to a paper manufacturer. But the rivals may have just played their last match on Feb 19th, as Nippon Paper is getting out of the hockey business.

Year by year:

Pre-JIHL era

1925        Founded as the company team of Oji Paper Tomakomai.

1932        Winner -- All Japan Championship (1st time)

1933        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1935        Winner -- All Japan Championship (2nd time)

1938        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1940        4th place -- All Japan Championship

1941        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1943        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1947        Winner -- All Japan Championship (3rd time)

1950        Winner -- All Japan Championship (4th time)

1951        Winner -- All Japan Championship (5th time)

1952        Winner -- All Japan Championship (6th time)

1953        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1954        Winner -- All Japan Championship (7th time)

1955        Winner -- All Japan Championship (8th time)

1956        Winner -- All Japan Championship (9th time)

1957        Co-winner -- All Japan Championship (10th time)

1958        Winner -- All Japan Championship (11th time)

1960        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1961        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1962        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1963        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1964        Winner -- All Japan Championship (12th time)

1965        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1966        Winner -- All Japan Championship (13th time)

 

JIHL era

                   G     W     L    T       F       A        GD     P     Pos

1966-67      8      6      2    0      39      21      +18    12    2nd

1967        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1967-68      8      5      2    1      55      17      +38    11    2nd

1968        Winner -- All Japan Championship (14th time)

1968-69      8      7      0    1      63      12      +51    15    Winner (1st time)

1969        Winner -- All Japan Championship (15th time)

1969-70      8      7      1    0      62      13      +49    14    Winner (2nd time)

1970        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1970-71    12      9      3    0      55      20      +35    18    2nd

1971-72      8      6      2    0      56      25      +31    12    2nd

1972        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1972-73    12      7      3    2      58      34      +24    16    2nd

1973        Winner -- All Japan Championship (16th time)

1973-74    12    10      2    0      87      42      +35    20    Winner (3rd time)

1974        4th place -- All Japan Championship

1974-75    10      6      4    0      76      37      +39    12    3rd

1975        4th place -- All Japan Championship

1975-76    15    12      3    0    108      35      +73    24    2nd

1976        Winner -- All Japan Championship (17th time)

1976-77    15    12      2    1    117      33      +84    25    2nd

1977        Winner -- All Japan Championship (18th time)

1977-78    15    12      2    1      91      36      +55    25    2nd

1978        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1978-79    20    10      7    3    101      66      +35    23    4th

1979        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1979-80    15    10      1    4    114      41      +73    24    Winner (4th time)

1980        Winner -- All Japan Championship (19th time)

1980-81    20    16      3    1    111      51      +60    33    2nd

1981        Winner -- All Japan Championship (20th time)

1981        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1981-82    30    27      0    3    208      98    +110    57    Winner (5th time)

1982-83    30    26      3    1    221    103    +118    53    Winner (6th time)

1983        Winner -- All Japan Championship (21st time)

1983-84    30    25      4    1    176    101      +75    51    Winner (7th time)

1984        Winner -- All Japan Championship (22nd time)

1984-85    30    24      3    3    187      82    +105    51    Winner (8th time)

1985        Winner -- All Japan Championship (23rd time)

1985-86    30    18      7    5    154    108      +46    41    2nd

1986        Winner -- All Japan Championship (24th time)

1986-87    30    23      3    4    158      66      +92    50    Winner (9th time)

1987        Winner -- All Japan Championship (25th time)

1987-88    30    21      6    3    135      83      +52    45    Winner (10th time)

1988        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1988-89    30    18      5    7    166      91      +75    43    2nd

1989        Winner -- All Japan Championship (26th time)

1989-90    30    26      1    3    162      59    +103    55    Winner (11th time)

1990        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

1990-91    30    20      8    2    145      87      +58    42    2nd

                    Playoffs: won F 3 - 2. Winner (12th time)

1991-92    30    22      6    2    155      73      +82    46    2nd

                    Playoffs: lost F 1 - 3.

1992        Winner -- All Japan Championship (27th time)

1992        Winner -- All Japan Championship (28th time)

1992-93    30    20      8    2    142      78      +64    42    2nd

                    Playoffs: lost F 1 - 3.

1993-94    30    22      6    2    136      76      +60    46    2nd

                    Playoffs: Won SF 3 - 0, won F 3 - 1. Winner (13th time)

1994        Winner -- All Japan Championship (29th time)

1994-95    30    20      8    2    139      89      +50    42    3rd

1995        Winner -- All Japan Championship (30th time)

1995-96    40    25    13    2    185    131      +54    52    2nd

                    Playoffs: lost F 0 - 3.

1996        Winner -- All Japan Championship (31st time)

1996-97    30    22      4    4    152      92      +60    48    1st

                    Playoffs: won SF 2 - 1, lost F 0 - 2.

1997        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1997-98    40    22    14    4    165    129      +36    48    2nd

                    Playoffs: lost SF 0 - 2.

1998        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

1998-99    40    21    18    1    147    142        +5    43    2nd

                    Playoffs: won SF 3 - 0, lost F 1 - 3.

1999        4th place -- All Japan Championship

1999-00    30    13    15    2    103      97        +6    28    4th

                    Playoffs: lost SF 0 - 3.

2000        Winner -- All Japan Championship (32nd time)

2000-01    40    21    16    3    148    132      +16    45    2nd

                    Playoffs: lost SF 2 - 3.

2001        4th place -- All Japan Championship

                   G    W OW SW SL OL     L       F       A      GD     P    Pos

2001-02    40    20    2    0    1    2     15    132    127    +5    47    3rd

                    Playoffs: lost SF 0 - 2.

2002        Winner -- All Japan Championship (33rd time)

2002-03    32    16    1    2          2      11    131   100   +31   39    2nd

                    Playoffs: lost SF.

2003        4th place -- All Japan Championship

2003-04    12      8    1                1       2      38      23   +15   18    2nd, 1st round

                 12      8    0                1       3      47      37   +10   17    2nd, 2nd round

 

AIHL era

                  G     W  OW   T   OL   L       F       A     GD      P    Pos

2003-04    16      5     0    2    0     9      55      58       -3    17    4th

2004        4th place -- All Japan Championship

2004-05    42    24     2    2    1   13    181    124    +57    79    4th

                    Playoffs: lost SF 1 - 3.

2005        Winner -- All Japan Championship (34th time)

2005-06    38    22     0    4    2   10    159      87    +72    72    4th

                    Playoffs: won QF 3 - 1, lost SF 0 - 3.

2006        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

2006-07    34    20     0    4    1     9    151      80    +71    65    3rd

                    Playoffs: lost QF 1 - 3.

2007        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

2007-08    30    17     1    2    2     8    112      74    +38    57    3rd

                    Playoffs: won QF 3 - 0, won SF 3 - 0, won F 3 - 0. Winner (1st time)

2008        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

                  G    W   OW   SW   SL  OL    L     F       A     GD     P    Pos

2008-09    36    21    1       2      2    0    10   141    77    +64    71    3rd

                    Playoffs: lost SF 0 - 4.

2009        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

2009-10    36    21    0       3      2    3      7   141    80    +61    74    2nd

                    Playoffs: lost SF 1 - 3.

2010        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

2010-11    36    21    3       2      3    0      7    161    91    +70    76    1st

                    Playoffs: lost SF 1 - 3.

2011        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

2011-12    36    21    1       2      4    2      6    141    82    +59    75    1st

                    Playoffs: won SF 3 - 0, won F 3 - 1. Winner (2nd time)

2012        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

2012-13    42    32    2       0      1    1      6    199    92  +107   102   1st

                    Playoffs: won SF 3 - 0, lost F 1 - 3.

2013        Winner -- All Japan Championship (35th time)

2013-14    42    32    2       5      0    0      3    194    74  +120   110    1st

                    Playoffs: won SF 3 - 0, lost F 1 - 3.

2014        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

2014-15    48    21    2       5      3    3    14    156  138    +18     83    4th

                    Playoffs: lost QF 1 - 2.

2015        3rd place -- All Japan Championship

2015-16    48    26    1       1      3    1    16    158  125    +33     86    4th

                    Playoffs: lost QF 0 - 2.

2016        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

2016-17    48    28    3       1      1    3    12    203  124    +79     96    3rd

                    Playoffs: lost QF 0 - 2.

2017        Winner -- All Japan Championship (36th time)

2017-18    28      9    3       3      0    1    12      74    73      +1     40    5th

                    Playoffs: won QF 2 - 1, won SF 3 - 2, lost F 1 - 3.

2018        2nd place -- All Japan Championship

2018-19    34    11    6                      3    14     87    94        -7    48    5th

                    Playoffs: lost QF 1 - 2.

2019        Winner -- All Japan Championship (37th time)

Sources: English and Japanese Wikipedia; hockeyarchives.info; ojihockey-fan.jp; jihl.or.jp

Donald Keene, 1945

Donald Keene with Japanese-American GI's on Okinawa in 1945. Source.

38th All Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship

Rabbits. Source.

2/21

Match No. 1: Seibu Princess Rabbits [4 - 1] Obihiro Ladies

Match No. 2: Toyota Cygnus [3 - 4] Daishin

Match No. 3: Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz [1 - 0] Hachinohe Reds Women's Ice Hockey Club

Match No. 4: Kushiro Bears [0 - 11] Douro Kenetsu Peregrine

2/22

Match No. 5: Obihiro Ladies [2 - 5] Toyota Cygnus

Match No. 6: Hachinohe Reds [1 - 2] Kushiro Bears

Match No. 7: Seibu Princess Rabbits [4 - 3] Daishin

Match No. 8: Mikage Gretz [0 - 5] Douro Kenetsu Peregrine

2/23

Match No. 9:    [Toyota Cygnus 6 - 2 Hachinohe Reds]

Match No. 10:  [Obihiro Ladies 2 - 5 Kushiro Bears]

Match No. 11:  [Seibu Princess Rabbits 6 - 0 Mikage Gretz]

Match No. 12:  [Daishin 1 - 2 Douro Kenetsu Peregrine]

2/24

Match No. 13: Hachinohe Reds [1 - 4] Obihiro Ladies

Match No. 14: Toyoto Cygnus [3 - 0] Kushiro Bears

Match No. 15: Mikage Gretz [0 - 4] Daishin

Match No. 16: Seibu Princess Rabbits [1 - 3] Douro Kenetsu Peregrine

[Douro Kenetsu Peregrine are the champions.]

Source.