reason #321 why Japan will never rule the World

I found out today that in Japan, in addition to auto, home, health, and life insurance, it is customary for people to purchase ‘hole-in-one’ insurance (at least it’s customary for golfers).  No, that is not a euphemism, metaphor, or otherwise tricky word-play, ‘hole-in-one’ insurance is exactly what it sounds like—an insurance premium that pays out if you hit a hole-in-one on the golf course.  Apparently hitting a hole-in-one is a rare form of good luck and according to Japanese custom (and the insurance industry if you ask me), the lucky golfer is expected to fork over enough money to buy gifts and throw a party for not only everyone at the golf course that day, but also there friends and family. This quaint gesture can cost thousands!  One of my students, who was uninsured incidentally, had the ‘misfortune’ of hitting a hole in one last week and is now trying to figure out how to come up with the requisite funds to send everyone from his in-laws to his elementary school teachers a small token of his good luck.