This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

It had to come to this. You know it did. Sega, the Japanese video game maker that brought you Sonic the Hedgehog has developed a new hands-free video game. No. You don’t control it using your mind or a helmet and head motions. Your controller is, well, let me put it this way: the game is played at the urinal. By directing the stream at a sensor that measures speed and volume, guys can play one of five video games that are broadcast on a console mounted on top of the urinals. An infra-red device shuts the game down if players become too exercised and lose their aim. We’re far too highbrow here to make the obvious reference to ‘joystick’ but not too highbrow to say this brings a whole new meaning to the idea of the “Wii” system.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Few people don't love Chinese food: The delicate flavors; the bite size pieces; the flavorful sauces; the healthful spices. Well, here's at least one reason why Chinese food is so good: they've been cooking it for about 3,000 years longer than the rest of us have. A recent archeological dig uncovered shards of ancient pottery here in Jiangxi Province that dates back a whopping 20,000 years making them the world's oldest examples of pottery. The simple concave vessels were most likely used for steaming food, which indicates that Chinese cuisine has always centered around cooking and steaming. Ancient pottery, yea, but there was no mention of 20,000 year old chopsticks.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

From Wrigley Field to Verizon Stadium, we've grown quite used to seeing company names on public venues. As if any further proof were needed that it's a corporate world, here's a story from China. Two city governments in Sichuan Province want to name their new airports after two of its most famous... intoxicants. Yes. You heard that right. Yibin wants its airport to be called Wuliangye, after a 136 proof liquor and Renhuai wants its airport called Maotai, a killer grain alcohol. A stern editorial in the Beijing News expressed dismay at the idea of an airport named after the very stuff you don't want your pilot anywhere near. Well yeah.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Fugu is back in the news. Fugu, you might remember, is that poisonous blowfish that the Japanese have been playing a sort of culinary Russian roulette with for centuries. Fugu prep was an art form: aspiring chefs had to train with a fugu master for at least two years then take a costly fish prep exam in order to get a license. Which seems smart given that the poison found in fugu is so lethal that even a tiny bit can kill you and every year there are reports of people dying after preparing fugu at home. And yet, the Japanese government has decided to deregulate fugu chefs so more restaurants can offer this deadly delicacy. What does this mean for the thrill-seeking diner? Better carry your will with you whenever you dine out.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

In spring, a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of urine-soaked eggs. You heard that right. Here in Dongyang, China, eggs boiled in the urine of 10-year-old boys are a considered a delicacy of spring. Also known as virgin boy eggs, the custom goes back centuries and is believed to bestow amazing health benefits. Though some Chinese medical experts are skeptical about this claim and raise concerns about their particular mode of preparation, many local residents, both young and old, claim that eating these eggs at every meal improves circulation, cools and reinvigorates the body and prevents joint pain. The custom, by the way, has been named an intangible cultural heritage. Not intangible enough if you ask me.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

It's been said that a cat may look at a king and, a story from 12th Century China shows that a cat may make or break a king also. Gaozong was the 10th emperor of the Song Dynasty. In 1129, his only son died unexpectedly and so a search was mounted to find a boy to succeed to the throne. After considering many boys, the emperor narrowed it down to two finalists: a thin one and a plump one. He favored the plump one. At the last minute, however, Gaozong had the boys stand side by side for a final look-see and as they did, a cat walked by and the plump one kicked it and so, the emperor chose the thin one to become his heir. Moral of the story: Dynastic leadership is like comedy: the most important thing is timing.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Haiku might just be considered the national poetry style of Japan. Its disciplined form restricts writers to a scant three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables each. In a novel, modern twist, it was recently adopted by the Traffic Commission in New York City as a means of perhaps getting pedestrians to pay a little more attention to where they're walking and thus avoid being flattened by vehicles. To this end, an artist has created warning signs sporting haiku messages that have been posted at high volume corners and on the walls of institutions around the city. Will this cut down on traffic-related accidents? Well, we have a haiku answer to that: haiku traffic signs? Will New Yorkers heed the words? Fuhgeddaboutit!

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Parasols or higasa, have long been the stronghold of women here in Japan, who have used them for hundreds of years to protect their skin from tanning. At long last, higasa have achieved the crossover dream: Men are using them, too, partly because men are more skin-conscious these days but mostly because of the incredible heat and for reasons of power conservation. Whatever. The bottom line is sales of parasols to men are through the roof. Studies done by the Environment Ministry show that an average salaryman who dresses in casual business attire--short sleeves and no tie--and carries a parasol, can cut heat stress by 20%. Parasols let you take the shade with you. The market is responding by creating manly parasols that come in more macho colors such as blue, grey and green and that are bigger and you know what they say about the size of a man's parasol...

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

Thirty years ago, the chances of finding a cow's head impaled on a trident while people danced around it to bring good luck to fisherman here in South Korea were pretty darn small. But these days, visitors to Incheon would have no trouble witnessing or participating in shamanistic ceremonies like this one. After years of suppression in a land where 30% of the population is Christian, shamanism, the traditional religion of Korea, is making a mighty comeback. Shamanism is the worship of the natural and spiritual worlds and shamans, mudang in Korean, intercede between humanity and powerful spirits through dance and music and ritual. Shamanism crosses all classes: mudang are called upon by the average Joe and politicians alike in their search for security in a rapidly changing world. Shamans have even become staple figures on television dramas. Clearly, popular opinion has taken the shame out of shamanism.

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.

This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

North Korea has a long-standing and deeply-rooted feeling of distrust in, well, pretty much the rest of the world. An accident at the preliminary women's soccer match between Colombia and North Korea in Glasgow last month did not help at all. Before the teams took to the field, the national flags were displayed on the jumbotron. Pretty standard. Except, ooops, they showed the South Korean flag instead of the North Korean flag. The North Korean team was understandably upset and the kick off was delayed for more than an hour. The National Olympic Committee apologized and the North Koreans went on to win 2-0. Where the North Koreans suspected a deliberate slight, a chain of British opticians saw a marketing opp and added the blunder to an ongoing ad campaign featuring embarrassing moments of mistaken identity with the tagline, "Should've gone to Specsavers." Oh say can you see?

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, this is Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.