Afternoon tea
Picture of the Day ( 27 )
Emperor Akihito speaks to Norio Sasaki, coach of Japan’s women’s national soccer team, center, and captain Homare Sawa, during the autumn garden party at the Akasaka Palace imperial garden in Tokyo on Thursday.
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27 Comments
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-4
smartacus
I bet Sawa hasn't worn a kimono in 20 years.
-11
some14some
oh ! is that kimono ? somebody should have helped her how to wear it :)
0
tokyotom
she is a little butch, but the victory still makes me happy gambatta na!
-2
Gurukun
I also bet she hasn't comb her hair in 20 years too. (^^)
Great player, regardless.
-2
smithinjapan
No offense to Sawa, but it doesn't look like there is a single young person in the photo, male or female. Anyway, I hope the coach gets a bump in pay with his next contract (as does Sawa).
0
TorafusuTorasan
@smith, Sasaki got his contracted extended for an extra year. It was set to expire before the London Olympics. I don't know their salaries, but I would guess the money from endorsements (TV ads for conbinis etc.) is probably a lot more lucrative than their base national team income. The prize money from winning the World Cup didn't hurt either.
0
illsayit
oh wait a minute this picture has nothing to do with the j. royalty were just talking about soccer.....now i get it
0
illsayit
and this is titled afternoon tea ,......so where are the drinks????????
-3
cleo
What's with all the catty comments about Sawa? She looks nice and feminine in her kimono, very pretty. Her hair looks good too. She should wear it up more often, it suits her.
-4
seesaw1
Agree with you Cleo!
-4
T_rexmaxytime
hey somehow I like this pic!
-3
TorafusuTorasan
Anybody who watched this exchange as it was presented on NHK news with open microphones, knows that the emperor was interested in the goalkeeper's amazing save, and Norio Sasaki said it was the work of god. Just like Maradona's "hand of god" play back in the '80s, or Matt Murton saying "Watashi no pawa wa kamisama no pawa" or whatever. It was an interesting comment because the emperor (this one's father) used to be at the top of the religious hierarchy. Coach Sasaki didn't say it was a lucky play or the result of years of hard practice, but instead credited god.
-3
Foxie
Me too, agree with cleo. Her kimono is very beautiful too.
-3
BurakuminDes
Akihito is very small.
-4
CrazyJoe
Sawa in a kimono, this certainly is a transmogrification in a good sense.
0
gogogo
First time I've seen her hair up :)
0
combinibento
That coach dude is the hottest chick on the team.
-1
JapanGal
It looks like she is talking to the emperor but who is the short guy in there. Which is the coach? Which is the Captain?
-3
TakahiroDomingo
Homare Sawa is a beautiful japanese woman. why so much negativity in comments and in thumbs down? it seems that lately there's somebody with a serious issue with the "bad button"
-1
Tamesu San
I think one of them in the back who has his eyes blacked out may be members of the you know who's...and others may be patriots for the yasukunites and ishiharaites, who believe in Jimu of Yamato.
Moderator
Please note that no one's eyes are blacked out. In the photo, the man's eyes are obscured by Ozeki Kaio's topknot.
0
JapanGal
His eyes are not blocked out. That is the sumo knot blocking the view.
-2
TrouserEnthusiast
What are you talking about Tamesu?
That's the sumo guy's hair in front of the other guy's eyes!
2
gogogo
Why would people vote bad for me saying her hair is up....
3
Maitake
i voted you up gogogo, usually do. lol @ tamesu and mod's comment...
2
gogogo
Maitake: Returned the favor :)
0
TorafusuTorasan
In Kaio's final half year that he gets to wear the topknot, he could hire himself to underworld magazines to black out peoples identities, or work for maiko in Gion who are allergic to blacking out their own teeth.
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