Earsplitting Contest

Wed., Dec. 16, 1998

Dozens of people screeched and bellowed in a contest in Tokyo Tuesday with one simple rule: to be as loud as possible. Pent-up frustration over Japan’s recession, the anguish of lost love, and hostility toward smokers all found release as contestants screamed messages into a decibel gauge at the 18th annual “Big Voice” competition. The winner, Mamiko Kobayashi, 24, yelled “Cheer up, Lee Teng-Hui” at 111.6 decibels. The shout out to Taiwan’s president was worth 100,000 yen - about $850.

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Earsplitting Contest

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