A report by The Australian reveals a new way for wives to remedy the household annoyance known as the husband. Japanese company, Yamaha has come up with MyRoom, a 2. 5sqm den that can stand in the corner of the average-sized living room and perform the functions of a study, cinema and shed - and it's all soundproof.

Japanese men must work less to assist at home more, reported The Associated Press referring to a survey published on Sunday. The survey was conducted by Rengo Soken, a research institute associated with Japanese trade unions.

Off duty police officer finds himself in "hot water" after being discovered in someone else's bathtub. A Japanese police officer thought he was returning home after a night out drinking with friends - he decided to take a hot bath unaware that it was in someone else's house. The 21-year-old officer from Nara in western Japan was charged with unlawful entry late Friday night after being discovered in the bathtub 50 yards away from his own. "I can't believe it wasn't my bath," the officer told investigators.

South Koreans believe a person's blood type can determine their dating compatibility - making love very difficult for blood type-B men. South Korean magazines, TV shows and Internet chat rooms have been buzzing about blood types for years. But, these days, the subject of attention is just how difficult it is to strike up a relationship with type-B men. Associating blood types with personality traits has been going on for decades in North Asia. Most of the original interest started in Japan early in the 20th century and it has also taken off in South Korea. While many characteristics are associated with type-B people, the men are getting a reputation that includes, selfish, mercurial and absolutely useless as caring and devoted boyfriends. Type-B women, on the other hand, have bypassed the popular personality opinion. Last fall, a song from singer Kim Hyun-jung called "Type-B Men" soared to the top of the charts. The song had lyrics that said type-B men are quick to get angry and quick to make-up, but in the end, they will break your heart. Kim Nang, author of the best-selling book, "Dating a Type-B Man," lays out strategies for women of various blood types to deal with the pitfalls and pleasures of striking up relationships with type-B men. Another assault in pop culture came earlier this year with the release of the romantic comedy, "My Boyfriend is Type-B", which tells the frustrations of a type-A woman who falls in love with just such a man. In Asia, the subject of linking blood types to personality took off with the 1927 publication of a series of articles by Japanese scholar Takeji Furukawa called "The Study of Temperament Through Blood Type. " The concept hit pop culture and mass media in 1971 when Japanese writer Masahiko Nomi expanded upon Furukawa's ideas and wrote "Understanding Compatibility from Blood Types. " Today, such books on this idea are translated into Korean and filling bookshelves in Seoul. These days, South Korean women's magazines and Internet sites seem to be inundated with the subject of romance with type-B men. According to a recent nationwide survey conducted by Internet portal site www. xyinlove. co. kr, type-B men were considered to be the most difficult type to date and about 40 percent of women said they did not want to marry a type-B man. Kim Tae-suk, a doctor in the department of psychiatry at the Catholic University of Korea, said younger Koreans were buying into defining people by blood types because of what they see on TV, movies and in print. "I can definitively say there is no scientific evidence that links a person's blood type to their character," Kim said.

A 58-year old woman is arrested for allegedly causing headaches and insomnia for her neighbor after blasting loud rock music virtually continuously for nearly two years. Miyoko Kawahara's 64-year old next-door neighbor says the suspect played loud dance music on her stereo almost 24-hours a day every day since November 2002. A police investigation reveals doctors diagnosed the neighbor with headaches and insomnia attributing the problems to the loud music. The two women have had minor arguments over the years, but no definitive motive is known for the alleged harrassment. If convicted on charges of inflicting injury on another person, Kawahara could face $2,800 in fines and up to 10-years in prison.