Rising Sun

The ancient and exotic culture of Japan has fascinated the West for generations. These five Japanese celebrities will challenge your knowledge of the island nation.

Hiroaki Aoki

publication date: Friday, January 28, 2011

category: Business

clue: rocky restaurateur

explanation: Aoki, known by the nickname Rocky, founded the Benihana restaurant chain. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Mike Rothstein, Amy Austin, Ryan Dunn, and Jon Berry

trivia: Scott blogged a tribute to Aoki's colorful life on the event of his 2008 death.

Hirohito

This celebrity goo was created by player Lori Lancaster.
Scott Hardie provided the source image, gooed image, and category, made minor changes to the clue provided by Lori, and wrote the explanation.

publication date: Thursday, January 27, 2011

category: Royalty

clue: Who is this heavenly King?

explanation: Hirohito was the Japanese emperor from 1926 until 1989, said to be divine. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Joanna Woods, Mike Rothstein, Amy Austin, Ryan Dunn, and Jon Berry

Shigeru Miyamoto

publication date: Wednesday, January 26, 2011

category: Games

clue: it all started with a plumber jumping over barrels

explanation: Miyamoto created Donkey Kong and many other popular Nintendo games. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Amy Austin, Ryan Dunn, and Jon Berry

Ken Watanabe

publication date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011

category: Movies

clue: got the idea to play a Batman villain in a dream

explanation: Watanabe appeared in Batman Begins and Inception. more…

Yoko Ono

publication date: Monday, January 24, 2011

category: Music

clue: Beatle bride

explanation: Ono was married to Beatle John Lennon. more…

Other Themes in Winter 2011

Ready for Prime Time

Some of the funniest and most successful stars in Hollywood got their start on "Saturday Night Live." You don't have to stay up late to recognize them now. Go »

Louie Louie

However you spell it, these five famous faces all share the same name. Can you solve them without getting that Kingsmen song stuck in your head? Go »

Not-So-Merry Christmas

Christmas was no "silent night" for these poor souls, who are forever linked to acts of violence on the holiday. This week will give Santa a few new names for his Naughty list. Go »

The Four Elements

Ever since the philosopher Empedocles proposed the four elements of air, earth, fire, and water, humans have been fascinated by them. Can you identify a celebrity associated with each of them? Go »

Bird is the Word

This theme's five celebrities with orinthological names may ruffle a few feathers. Can you fly away with all five answers? Go »

Checkmate

One of the oldest games on the planet, chess has confounded strategists for many centuries. These five goos were inspired by the simple yet profound game. Go »

I Will Survive

We all die someday, but these five celebrities are famous for not dying, at least not when they were supposed to. Survive this week to have a better shot in the tournament. Go »

States of the Union

Here in America, we're so proud of our homeland that we name our children after U.S. states. Who are these five patriotic celebrities whose names put them on the map? Go »

Muppet Mimics

Jim Henson's Muppets have left a distinct impression on our culture, to the point where we start to recognize them when looking at famous faces. Can you tell who resembles these five Muppets? Go »

Winter 2011 Tournament

Many have played, but only one will win. All players from the season will compete in a week-long tournament to decide which of them is the top competitor, deserving of a prize. Good luck! Go »