TOKYO (AP) The recent craze for hydrogen beer is at the heart of
a three way lawsuit between unemployed stockbroker Toshira
Otoma, the Tike-Take karaoke bar and the Asaka Beer Corporation.

Mr. Otoma is suing the bar and the brewery for selling toxic
substances and is claiming damages for grievous bodily harm
leading to the loss of his job. The bar is counter suing for
defamation and loss of customers.

The Asaka Beer corporation brews "Suiso" brand beer, where the
carbon dioxide normally used to add fizz has been replaced by
the more environmentally friendly hydrogen gas. A side effect of
this has made the beer extremely popular at karaoke sing-along
bars and discotheques.

Hydrogen, like helium, is a gas lighter than air. Because
hydrogen molecules are lighter than air, sound waves are
transmitted more rapidly; individuals whose lungs are filled
with the nontoxic gas can speak with an uncharacteristically
high voice.  Exploiting this quirk of physics, chic urbanites
can now sing soprano parts on karaoke sing-along machines after
consuming a big gulp of Suiso beer.

The flammable nature of hydrogen has also become another selling
point, even though Asaka has not acknowledged that this was a
deliberate marketing ploy. It has inspired a new fashion of
blowing flames from one's mouth using a cigarette as an ignition
source. Many new karaoke videos feature singers shooting blue
flames in slow motion, while flame contests take place in pubs
everywhere.

"Mr. Otoma has no-one to blame but himself. If he had not become
drunk and disorderly, none of this would have happened. Our
security guards undergo the most careful screening and training
before they are allowed to deal with customers" said Mr. Takashi
Nomura, Manager of the Tike-Take bar.

"Mr. Otoma drank fifteen bottles of hydrogen beer in order to
maximize the size of the flames he could belch during the
contest.  He catapulted balls of fire across the room that
Gojira would be proud of, but this was not enough to win him
first prize since the judgment is made on the quality of the
flames and that of the singing, and after fifteen bottles of
lager he was badly out of tune."

"He took exception to the result and hurled blue fireballs at
the judge, singeing the front of Mrs. Mifune's hair, entirely
removing her eyebrows and lashes, and ruining the clothes of two
nearby customers. None of these people have returned to the bar.
When our security staff approached he turned his attentions to
them, making it almost impossible to approach him.

Our head bouncer had no choice but to hurl himself at Mr.
Otoma's knees, knocking his legs from under him."

"The laws of physics are not to be disobeyed, and the force that
propelled Mr. Otoma's legs backwards also pivoted around his
center of gravity and moved his upper body forward with equal
velocity. It was his own fault he had his mouth open for the
next belch, his own fault he held a lighted cigarette in front
of it and it is own fault he swallowed that cigarette."

"The Tike-Take bar takes no responsibility for the subsequent
internal combustion, rupture of his stomach lining, nor the
third degree burns to his esophagus, larynx and sinuses as the
exploding gases forced their way out of his body. His
consequential muteness and loss of employment are his own
fault."

Mr. Otoma was unavailable for comment.