The Sept. 29 cover of Shukan Bunshun was adorned with an illustration of legendary New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth, portrayed by Makoto Wada in a pinstripe uniform and with bat in hand.
Ruth's amazing batting records were attributed in part to his remarkably good eyesight. There's a slight irony here because the same issue of Shukan Bunshun carries a three-page article warning readers to beware the ravages of sumaho rōgan — presbyopia (longsightedness typically associated with aging) brought on by prolonged squinting at the tiny screen of a smartphone.
The eyes depend on ciliary muscles to adjust the focus on objects according to their distance from the viewer. When the ciliary muscles lose their flexibility, their ability to change the lens thickness results in the condition Japanese call rōgan (literally, "old eyes").