Caster: Lung Cancer Causing Cigarettes From Japan Tobacco


If you ever have watched Tetsuya Chikushi, a newscaster and journalist who hosted Tokyo Broadcasting System's "News 23" program, you will be sad to hear that he died in lung cancer yesterday. He was fluent in English and interviewed presidents and foreign guests with confidence.

I have no evidence that his favourite brand was Japan Tobacco's Caster, (with a hint of vanilla from Madagascar, apparently) but cigarettes are the cause of 98% of all lung cancer cases around the world. The brand name obviously tries to milk the sense of kakko-ii (stylishness) associated with a TV news caster, but the era of such murdeous marketing scams ought to have ended a long time ago. Tetsuya Chikushi, we miss you.

Comments

K and S said…
very big loss indeed. I also feel that 2nd hand smoke, the smoke that we breathe in from smokers causes lung cancer too.
3:20 pm, November 08, 2008
Seeking . . . said…
Smoking cigarettes is not kakko-ii.
4:43 pm, November 08, 2008
Pandabonium said…
Don't watch TV, so didn't know of him, but sad to read none the less.
I had a wonderful aunt who smoked and died a horrible death from throat cancer as a result.

K & S is quite correct to be concerned about the 2nd hand smoke. I am always amused and amazed when passing through Tokyo Station to see smokers huddled in their special glass booths puffing away, and glad I am not having to share it.
6:46 pm, November 08, 2008
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