John R. Platt (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} plattcave) wrote,@ 2008-04-01 13:16:00 |
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| Entry tags: | april fool's, astro boy, endangered species, extinction, fake news, osamu tezuka, writing, yamato hinotori |
Who knew the Japanese celebrated April Fool's Day?
Oops! I actually fell for this news story about an "extinct bird" rediscovered in Japan after eight centuries. I even started writing it up for Extinction Blog before I found out it was a gag. Good thing I figured it out before it was too late!
On Monday, a Yamato hinotori (Latin name: Oyacou domburicus), believed to be the first to set foot in Japan in nearly eight centuries, was unveiled to the media at the government's Alien Wildlife Quarantine Shelter in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Long thought extinct, the bird is nevertheless a familiar sight to almost every Japanese, as its image, since November 2004, has appeared on the reverse side of the nation's ¥10,000 note.
It's a pretty darn convincing fake news story -- even going so far as to say the bird was smuggled out of secretive North Korea, and documenting an 1,100 year history for the species.
Turns out the Yamato hinotori is a pop-culture icon in Japan -- a figment of the imagination of Astro Boy creator Osamu Tezuka. I guess if I read more Japanese comics, I might have known that!
