I sometimes make rather rude remarks about NHK, Japan's official broadcasting network.  There's a studied blandness, a fear of offending anyone, that seems to characterize the programs it airs.

   But NHK will also sometimes surprise you.  The 9:00 p.m. news hour last Monday night began, even before the opening credits or introduction of the announcers, with six or seven minutes of uninterrupted cinema verite style footage following the daily lives of two temp workers in Tokyo who had been driven homeless by the current economic downturn.  Can you imagine an American network leading off its evening news program that way?

   All this week in sports segment of the same program, NHK has been featuring in-depth introductions to teams that will participate in next weekend's national high school ekiden championship (ekiden is a relay-style marathon race).  It's been hard not to notice that every team features a Kenyan exchange student.    In fact, the rules have now been changed so that foreign students are banned from running the first leg of the race.  All in the name of "the fans," of course. 

   NHK mentioned this rule in passing on today's broadcast, which featured the team from Sendai Ikuei.    This being NHK, though, they didn't make a fuss about it.  I guess one suprise a week is about all NHK can be counted on for....