Idiosyncrasies at G-8 : Protection from “Habu”

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Russian president Vladimir Putin, right, is presented with a karate attire from Katsuyuki Fukatoshi, left, who heads the Goju-style karate association, during a presentation ceremony at Nago, Okinawa, on Saturday July 22, 2000. Putin, a judoist, was also named an honorary master of Okinawa karate. Putin is visiting this subtropical island of Okinawa attending the Group of Eight summit. Other people unidentified. (AP Photo/Kyodo) **JAPAN OUT**

July 23, 2000

NAGO, Okinawa (AP) - U.S. President Bill Clinton began to take his farewell bows on the world stage Saturday, telling his colleagues, "This is it."

"This is my last photo, so be serious - do this right," Clinton jokingly admonished at the traditional summit photograph with the leaders of Russia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and

Japan.

One of the leaders asked Clinton if he was sure he wouldn't be back for the next summit of wealthy industrialized nations. "Not under our Constitution," the president replied. "This is it."

Clinton, the senior statesman of the eight-nation group, will leave office in January, forbidden by the Constitution from serving another term.

Okinawa's tropical sun was too much for hundreds of Japanese police.

Nearly 420 police officers have required treatment for heat-related illnesses since coming here earlier this month for summit security, according to Okinawa police spokesman Jun Yogi.

Some 22,000 police officers have been deployed on the island, most of them from the much cooler parts of mainland Japan.

"I think many of the officers caught colds from turning up the air conditioning too high after standing all day under the scorching sun," Yogi said.

About one-quarter of the police developed colds, 73 had bug bites and rashes from sweating, and five were treated for dehydration, and most of those treated were from the mainland, Yogi said. No one became seriously ill.

Police assigned to patrol sugar cane fields have to wear thick gloves and socks specially developed to protect them from "habu," a local poisonous snake.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has a reputation as a tough guy. Now he has more proof.

Putin received a ninth-degree black belt Saturday from leaders of one of the major styles of karate, which was born in Okinawa centuries ago.

"I do not deserve such a high honor," Putin said after receiving the belt and a karate uniform from the officials in a ceremony at his hotel. "But I will try to justify it."

Putin has often gone out of his way to meet with martial arts experts during his trips abroad, and was frequently shown doing judo - a sport he has practiced since childhood - during his presidential campaign.


	U.S. President Bill Clinton, center, gestures as he stands between British Prime Minister Tony Blair, left, and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, right, during a photo session at the Shurijo, Okinawan old castle, prior to their dinner in Naha city, Okinawa, Saturday, July 22, 2000. (AP Photo/Tim Sloan, POOL)

Clinton got an early start Saturday, hitting the beach outside his hotel for a brief barefoot stroll.

Clinton has had very little time to enjoy the Okinawan scenery. He arrived a day later than planned and shaved his trip to Japan short to stay with ongoing talks on the Middle East, and was planning to leave early Sunday to rejoin them.

After his walk, he met with host Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, helped plant an Okinawan pine tree outside the summit venue and then attended three sessions with the other G8 leaders.

Okinawan delicacies have been on summit leaders' menu for two nights in a row, and there haven't been any complaints yet. At least not publicly.

Along with the lobster and seaweed appetizer, the menu for a banquet held at Okinawa's ancient Shuri Castle included pigeon meat wrapped in soybean milk skin, pig ears and herb salad served with either black sugar cane molasses or seaweed sauce dressing.

On Friday, their dinner included lobster in sea urchin sauce, sticky rice with sea cucumbers and eel omelets.

Summit organizers had to cancel most activities planned for the wives of the summit leaders because only two have showed up, EU President Romano Prodi's wife and the wife of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

A visit to Okinawa's peace park, located on the site of a World War II battlefield, as well as subsequent lunch, which had been originally scheduled for Saturday, was canceled, organizers said.

Only Prodi's wife, Flavia, visited the peace park.

The government plans to mail a gift package of kimono and a wine glass to each of the wives who did not come to Okinawa.

"It looks as if their absence was a group action," said the Okinawa Times newspaper. "But the absence of the first ladies may indicate that they don't always follow their husbands' schedules any more. Perhaps it is the end of the era for women to identify themselves as wives."

Although President Clinton's wife, Hillary, opted out of the summit to focus on her election campaign, daughter Chelsea is in Okinawa with her father.

Chelsea, however, has been keeping a low profile. The White House refuses to comment on her schedule.