Koizumi Assassination Bid Thwarted

[Mulboyne]

Koizumi Email Magazine: Autumn at the Prime Minister's Office

Yesterday morning, a clear and crisp autumn day, I was taking my usual walk from my official residence to my office when I spotted mushrooms amongst the shrubbery in front of my residence. Looking closer, I found an assortment of mushrooms scattered about, whose varieties ranged from large-capped mushrooms to small mushrooms that were nearly hidden by the shadows of the weeds. I am eager to look them up to learn whether they are edible.

MDN: Poisonous mushrooms found at Koizumi's official residence

...An official at his residence checked a plant book and was shocked to learn that the mushrooms were probably poisonous. "I never imagined poisonous mushrooms could grow here," Koizumi told reporters on Thursday.

[cstaylor]

Aren't most wild mushrooms poisonous?

[Captain Japan]

Quite a few plans haven't been working out at the Koizumi homestead these days...
Foiled Koizumi visitor tries suicide
Japan Times

A man attempted suicide Thursday in front of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's office in central Tokyo after police refused to let him meet with the prime minister.

The unidentified man was taken to a hospital after drinking a white liquid, believed to be a pesticide, shortly after 3 p.m. He is reported to be in stable condition, police said.

According to investigators, the man appeared at the north gate of the prime minister's office and residential complex in Chiyoda Ward and asked if he could meet with Koizumi, displaying a document addressed to the prime minister.

The document was a three-page letter titled "People's Voice" containing assertions concerning North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens and Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, police said.

[dimwit]

Aren't most wild mushrooms poisonous?

No most are unedible which is not quite the same thing. A number of varieties are too small, have a bad taste or a poor texture rendering them unedible even though they are not poisonous.

From what references I can find they don't seem to be as well studied as North American mushrooms are.

[cstaylor]

So that was another lie my parents told me?

[Cubed]

Aaah, I remember when 2000 yen spent in Shibuya headshop could buy an afternoon and evenings legal entertainment, just before the Ministry of Health decided to close the loophole in 2002 and impose a seven year possession offence.

Happy days.

[IkemenTommy]

Aren't most wild mushrooms poisonous?

Yes, and most have hallucinogenic (sp.) properties, in small doses of course, from what I hear...

[Mulboyne]

Koizumi Email Magazine:

Last week I shared an episode about how I found mushrooms growing amidst the shrubbery in front of my official residence. After that, I received volumes of e-mails from you readers. According to the experts' investigation, in addition to the two types of mushrooms that were shown in the photos, there are six types, or eight types in total, that are growing in the garden of my official residence. The large mushroom in the photo was a poisonous variety, called the Amanita pantherina, but apparently the other types are harmless. I have come to enjoy the roughly 50-meter walk from my residence to my office every morning with all its little and unexpected surprises.