Tokyo sources stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin's calendar that features the leader taking a dip in the icy waters of Lake Seliger or making short work of weights in the gym, was sold out in Japan, outselling those of domestic celebrities. Meanwhile the Loft chain store, which has exclusive rights over sales of the calendar, reported that those featuring Russia's 66 year old President were dominating sales at its outlets across Japan.
Furthermore with just two weeks of the year left, Putin's calendars were more popular than those of Japanese actor Kei Tanaka and, in third place, Yuzuru Hanyu, the reigning Olympic men's figure skating champion. Accordingly Japanese news website SoraNews24 speculated that while some people were snapping up the Putin calendars as a "sort of practical joke", others were genuinely interested in the his life and persona away from the Kremlin.
Moreover this isn't the first time Putin's testosterone drenched calendars have proved a hit with Japanese consumers in the run-up to the New Year. Recently media reports in Japan suggested many of the people buying the calendars, including a large number of women, were drawn to Putin's unconventional style and "unashamed machismo".
