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jp0000397

2015/05/05

Get up high to see how the past has shaped present-day Tokyo

Tokyo spreads out from the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward like a massive concrete jungle. Though the numerous skyscrapers can be impressive during the day, at night the lights come on and the metropolis really begins to sparkle. Unlike many capitals, which feature myriad heritage buildings, the city has almost no buildings that are older than a century. Deanna MacDonald, an architectural historian and co-author of the book “New Japan Architecture,” says that in Tokyo “it is still financially and culturally more common to demolish and rebuild. In Japan, half of all houses are demolished before 38 years (compared to 100 years in the United States).” The average life span for a building in Tokyo is even shorter — about 30 years, according to the Housing and Land Survey by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Despite fast changes in the skyline, however, it’s still possible to hear an echo of the past: streets twisted in impossible directions, the occasional downtown cemetery and, of course, the temples and shrines. These features tell the story of Edo, the former name for the capital, and make the futuristic characteristics of Shinjuku and Shibuya stand out even more. One of the best ways to see any city is from above, and Tokyo has a number of spots that will let you do this free of charge. The most well-known and easy to access is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Each of its two towers has an observation deck that offers a good view of Shinjuku’s skyscraper district. The building closes late, so head there for sunset to get a possible glimpse of Mount Fuji. A view of the Tokyo skyline and Mount Fuji is also a trademark of the Bunkyo Civic Center Observation Deck. It’s hard to see the mountain on most days because of haze, but Golden Week offers your best shot at a glimpse due to the reduction in traffic.

tokyo;tokyo skytree;odaiba;shiodome

jp0000398

2015/05/02

Japanese Red Cross opening in Paris; Tokyo inns to ban rice; U.S. nuclear submarine arrives; Emperor regrets colonial 'sufferings'

100 YEARS AGO Saturday, May 15, 1915 Japanese Red Cross opening in Paris The opening of the new Japanese Red Cross hospital in Paris took place on April 3, a Japanese national holiday. The presence of M. Gerard, former Ambassador to Tokyo, attracted attention at the event. As the Japanese nurses were already engaged in their work, only two were present. The director of the Military Health Bureau paid a tribute to them for their diligence. There are provided at the new facility 150 beds, of which 128 are already occupied by wounded French soldiers (who are engaged in fighting with German forces). Most are serious cases. The work of our sisters is really appreciated by the French, but it is to be regretted that their knowledge of the language is very poor. 75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, May 15, 1940 Tokyo inns to ban rice, serve bread at lunch Along with the government’s policy of economizing on rice, native-style hotels and inns throughout Tokyo will adopt bread and Western-style meals for their guests from now on, according to the Yomiuri. This plan received the unanimous approval of innkeepers in the metropolis, who gathered together during a general meeting of the Tokyo Inn (Ryokan) Association. Members at the meeting cited examples where guests complained of inferior rice being served on the hotel menus. For example, a guest would eat fairy white rice at one inn, but get a much poorer grade at another inn in the neighboring district. This was the result of uneven distribution of rice to the different inns. In other words, the inns that were unfortunate enough to receive rice at the bottom of the sack, or rice that had been laid up in the storehouses, were inclined to be of a dirtier color than the rice at the top, although there was supposedly no difference in quality. Innkeepers remarked that they were tired of hearing complaints and adopting bread for noon-day lunches would be in keeping with the national “rice-saving” policy at the same time. It is estimated that at least 50 bushels of rice will be saved per day if all the inns in Tokyo adopt this new plan. 50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, May 26, 1965 U.S. nuclear submarine arrives in Sasebo The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine Snook entered the northern Kyushu port of Sasebo Tuesday morning to meet a rather quiet reception by demonstrators. In Tokyo, however, seven Zengakuren students had to be arrested after an hour-and-half-long scuffle between riot police and 250 militant, stone-throwing students. About 500 demonstrators, mostly unionists and members of the Japan Socialist Party and the Japan Communist Party, marched near the U.S. Sasebo base during the morning. They were joined by 200 more in the afternoon. About 600 police officers formed a strong picket in front of the demonstrators on the street leading to the Snook’s landing pier. Unable to break through the police, the demonstrators made a detour to the Sasebo waterfront, where they lined up and shouted, “Go home, nuclear sub,” for the rest of the day. In Tokyo, militant members of the National Federation of Students Self-Government Associations (Zengakuren) attempted to storm the Foreign Office to protest the visit. The students, all members of the anti-JCP faction of Zengakuren, first tangled with about 200 steel-helmeted riot police in front of the Foreign Office. As they were pushed back, the students sat down on the pavement outside, chanting, “Go home, nuclear submarine.” The submarine, according to U.S. naval authorities, visited the port for rest and recreation purposes. It will also take on necessary supplies during its stay here. 25 YEARS AGO Friday, May 25, 1990 Colonial ‘sufferings’ regretted by Emperor The Emperor expressed his “deepest regret” Thursday over the “sufferings” Koreans experienced during Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 until the end of World War II. Addressing an Imperial Palace banquet for the visiting South Korean president, Roh Tae Woo, the Emperor said, “I think of the sufferings your people underwent during this unfortunate period, which was brought about by my country, and cannot but feel the deepest regret.” The Emperor’s statement was apparently aimed at putting an end to the longstanding dispute between the two countries over South Korea’s demand for a “clear-cut apology” by the Emperor for the brutalities Japan inflicted on Koreans for 36 years. The governments of both Seoul and Tokyo share the perception that without resolving the so-called apology issue, the two countries can not make a fresh start on bilateral relations, Japanese officials said. Citing a statement made by the late Emperor Showa in 1984, the Emperor said the “unfortunate past … should not be repeated again.” He expressed hope that Japan and South Korea will deepen their mutual understanding and that a “new friendship will be the groundwork for the two countries to join forces in making a significant contribution to the future of mankind.” Roh replied that “historical facts” regarding bilateral relations cannot be erased. But he added that the two nations must not remain “bound up in memories.” Japan and South Korea, Roh went on to say, “must now forge a new era of friendship and cooperation,” putting the “mistakes of the past truly behind us.”

nuclear power;south korea;red cross;roh tae-woo

jp0000399

2015/05/18

Chief Cabinet secretary is much more than top government spokesman

Which politician is most often quoted by Japanese media outlets? The answer undoubtedly is the chief Cabinet secretary, who holds two news conferences each weekday. But fielding questions from reporters is just a small part of the job. What are the official and unofficial duties? What’s the source of the top government spokesman’s power? Below are some questions and answers about the linchpin of the Cabinet. What role does the chief Cabinet secretary play? The holder of that title presides over the Cabinet Secretariat, the staff at the prime minister’s office. The post basically goes to someone who is close to and can serve as the right-hand man to the prime minister. The chief Cabinet secretary’s clout has increased greatly since the late 1990s, when late Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto reorganized the ministries and strengthened the power of the prime minister. Before then, few politicians and only a small number of bureaucrats routinely spent time at the prime minister’s office. Elite bureaucrats at each ministry exerted great influence over government decision-making; the prime minister and chief Cabinet secretary had relatively limited power. But facing a financial crisis in the 1990s, the government needed to carry out drastic reforms, and purge the ministries of vested interests. In the process, the power and functions of the prime minister’s office were strengthened, as was that of the chief Cabinet secretary, who took on the role of coordinating the policies of all the ministries and agencies. The chief Cabinet secretary also came to preside over key advisory panels, administrative organizations and high-ranking officials, including the deputy chief Cabinet secretary for crisis management, the National Security Secretariat, the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, and the Cabinet Affairs Office. What are the official duties of the chief Cabinet secretary? The most well-known job is to hold a news conference twice a day and present the official views of the government in response to questions from reporters. Every weekday morning, assistants to the chief Cabinet secretary check the major newspapers and TV news broadcasts, and prepare official comments on major topics about which reporters might ask questions during news conferences. The chief Cabinet secretary then faces reporters with a file of official views prepared by the assistants, and offers comments based on that file, with occasional additional commentary if deemed necessary. The morning news conference usually starts at 9:40 a.m. Tuesday and Friday, and at 11 a.m. on other weekdays. The afternoon news conference usually starts at 4 p.m. Those news conferences, once open only to reporters from major newspapers and TV stations, can be viewed live over the Internet. The second major job of the chief Cabinet secretary is to coordinate the policies of ministries and make top-down political decisions when necessary. When the prime minister engages in diplomacy and crisis management, the chief Cabinet secretary may exert great influence over diplomacy as well, as Yoshihide Suga currently does. For example, Suga is regarded as a key player in coordinating the conflicting policies and interests of the trade and agriculture ministries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks. What other roles does the chief Cabinet secretary play? The chief Cabinet secretary usually also serves as a policy coordinator and communicator between the ruling party and the prime minister. If the policies of the ruling party and the government conflict, the chief Cabinet secretary often engages in behind-the-scenes talks to bring the opposing views closer together. The chief Cabinet secretary also has access to and can freely use a special fund at the Cabinet Secretariat that amounts to around ¥1.4 billion every year, and does not have to disclose details of any expenses. The fund has often invited allegations that it has been used for shady political machinations, including bribing politicians and political commentators. Who is the current chief Cabinet secretary? Born in Akita in 1948, Suga started his political career as a secretary to a Lower House member. After serving as a Yokohama Municipal Assembly member, he was elected to the Lower House in 1996. Suga is a longtime ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and was appointed internal affairs minister in 2006 during Abe’s first stint as prime minister. Even after Abe quit that post in 2007, citing health reasons, Suga maintained close ties with him and apparently earned his trust. Suga is also one of the key figures who urged Abe to run again for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency in 2012, helping to ensure his comeback as prime minister. What is Suga’s governing style like? Suga often wields clout over bureaucrats and keeps them in check on Abe’s behalf. He routinely intervenes in the administrative process, appointing favored candidates as key ranking bureaucrats. Suga is believed to have played a major role in the appointments of Haruhiko Kuroda as Bank of Japan governor and Katsuto Momii as NHK president. Suga also created the Cabinet Bureau of Personnel Affairs, which serves as the secretariat for the prime minister to select who serves as an elite bureaucrat. There are about 600 such positions across government ministries and agencies, including vice ministers and bureau chiefs.

shinzo abe;yoshihide suga;chief cabinet secretary

jp0000400

2015/05/11

Nuclear remains cheapest power source despite Fukushima meltdowns: government

A panel of nuclear experts on Monday largely approved a government report saying that atomic power remains the cheapest source of electricity despite the rising safety costs triggered by the 2011 Fukushima core meltdowns. Despite an expected glut in solar power, the government is looking to make nuclear power account for 20 to 22 percent of Japan’s electricity supply by 2030, underscoring its policy of sticking with atomic power even though the majority of the public remains opposed to restarting its idled reactors. According to the latest estimate of power generation costs by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, atomic power would cost at least ¥10.3 per kilowatt-hour in 2030 — cheaper than power derived from fossil fuels, natural gas, wind and solar energy. That’s higher than the ¥8.9 projected in 2011 and is based on a projection that costs for plant decommissioning and compensation from a severe accident would jump to ¥9.1 trillion from the ¥5.8 trillion estimated in 2011, reflecting the Fukushima nuclear crisis. METI also said additional safety measures required to run a nuclear reactor would cost an average of ¥60.1 billion. But the increase in overall generation costs is limited because the probability of a nuclear accident would decrease after utilities complete their safety measures, it said. In the report, the ministry also estimates that coal-fired power will cost ¥12.9 per kwh and liquefied natural gas ¥13.4 per kwh, compared with earlier projections of ¥10.3 and ¥10.9, respectively. Wind power would cost up to ¥34.7, solar power up to ¥16.4, geothermal power ¥16.8, and hydropower up to ¥27.1 per kwh, the report said. In its national energy policy adopted last year, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to reduce reliance on nuclear power and promote renewable energy as much as possible, while standing by nuclear as a key power source, citing the importance of a stable electricity supply to economic growth. Japan is expecting a glut in solar power because utilities refuse to upgrade their power grids to purchase all the energy as mandated under the feed-in tariff system. A study has found that seven of the nation’s utilities lack the transmission network capacity to accept all of the solar power energy that suppliers plan to generate, METI says. Combined, they can only accept 58 percent of the total, METI said. METI began looking into their transmission capacities after five utilities decided to cap their clean energy intake, revolting against the government’s plan to increase generation of renewable energy in light of the Fukushima disaster. Under the feed-in tariff system, utilities are obliged to purchase all electricity generated from such sources as solar, wind and geothermal power at fixed rates for a set period. But the system ran into a roadblock after new suppliers flooded the solar power business, prompting the utilities to suspend signing power-purchasing contracts in September amid fears that overcapacity could cause blackouts.. Currently, all of Japan’s commercial nuclear reactors remain offline to pass a beefed-up safety screenings based on new, more stringent regulations drafted after the Fukushima meltdowns. The government is planning to restart reactors that have met the post-Fukushima safety requirements.

energy;economy;nuclear power;meti

jp0000401

2015/05/11

Prince Harry tells New Zealand kids he calls Queen 'granny'

STEWART ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND - Britain’s Prince Harry told schoolchildren on a remote New Zealand island that his favorite food is spaghetti Bolognese, he calls the Queen Elizabeth II “granny” and he wishes he could speak other languages. The Prince visited Halfmoon Bay School on Monday on the third day of a weeklong tour of the South Pacific nation and answered some tricky questions posed by the children. The primary school has 24 students and is the only one on Stewart Island, population 378. The visit came the morning after Harry deviated from his official program by attending a quiz night at an island bar. His team, called “The Ginger Ninjas” in honor of his red hair, finished second to a team comprised of his own bodyguards, according to British newspaper The Telegraph.

prince harry;new zealand;queen elizabeth

jp0000402

2015/05/11

Tokyo ramps up 'English village' plan as 2020 approaches

As Tokyo gears up to host the 2020 Olympic Games, demands for action are growing to overcome Japan’s notorious English-speaking phobia. To achieve that, discussions are underway for the capital to establish “English villages” — language education facilities aimed at improving students’ communication ability through the use of all-English environments. In other parts of Japan, facilities of this type are run by municipalities or schools free of charge and use games and other recreational activities to teach the language. A growing number of municipalities are investing in such institutions, and Tokyo may soon jump on the bandwagon. Let’s take a look at the situation with English villages and how Tokyo’s plan is developing. Is Tokyo going to create an English village? The proposal emerged in “Long-Term Vision for Tokyo,” a report the capital published in December. Aside from more active acceptance of exchange students and foreign teachers, the report said Tokyo aims to internationalize educational environments for schoolchildren by establishing what it tentatively called an English village. The facility will be an all-English community that “enables students to learn what it is like living overseas and enjoy cross-cultural communication” through cultural programs involving native speakers of English. A group of experts in English education and global business gathered at City Hall for the first time last month to discuss potential content for Tokyo’s idea. How are the talks going? At the moment, few details have been fleshed out, including location, scale and basic concept. But the panel is expected to examine and reach conclusions on the specifics by the end of the year, said Tomomitsu Ishige, an official at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. “Few schoolchildren who have gone through a six-year education in Japan’s junior high and high school systems actually learn to speak English,” Ishige said. Since Tokyo is set to host the Olympic Games in 2020, pressure is growing to alter the status quo and foster youths who can communicate fluently with foreigners, the official added, noting the English village project is part of an attempt to nurture such people. Are there other English villages in Japan? Kinki University in Osaka Prefecture is widely believed to have been the first to establish this type of facility in Japan. Its English village debuted in November 2006 with the aim of allowing visitors to acquire practical English skills through fun activities and events, including dancing and cooking, that native speakers also engage in. Open Monday through Friday, the all-English village is geared mainly toward the university’s students and faculty. Are other entities following Kinki University’s lead? Hiyoshigaoka High School in the city of Kyoto, for one, aims to create its own English village by the end of fiscal 2015. The school will start renovating an entire floor of one of its buildings to turn it into an all-English community that will cater not only to students, but also sometimes to the public, Vice Principal Hiroaki Hirai said. Titled Hello Village, the facility plans to allow visitors to communicate with five of the school’s full-time assistant language teachers, or ALTs, outside class hours, such as during lunchtime and after school. Having long prided itself on its communication-focused English education, Hiyoshigaoka High hopes the initiative will “further increase students’ exposure to authentic English,” Hirai said, adding that the school will borrow a page from Kinki University’s playbook to implement the project. Are there other examples? Not every English village will match the scale of the one built by Kinki University. The city of Neyagawa in Osaka Prefecture, too, launched what it termed an English village project last year, targeting fifth-graders from all of its 24 public elementary schools. Under the project, children from each school are invited once a year to an educational facility run by the board of education to engage in leisure activities with foreign teachers all day. The event is also characterized as an opportunity for students to put their lessons into practice, such as by giving directions and explaining how to cook Japanese food, so they can discover the joy of “making themselves understood in English,” said Ai Tada, head of the facility. “Of course, it’s not like students will be able to improve their English-speaking skills dramatically just because they spent a day at our facility,” Tada said. Rather, the purpose of the city’s English village project boils down to awakening interest in real-life English communication and motivating students to study the language harder in their classes at school. Likewise, elementary schools in Yokohama are undertaking similar English village activities under a project launched by the city in 2009. Participating schools host an all-English festival once a year in which ALTs set up their own booths to amuse children through a variety of entertainment-oriented activities, including a quiz contest. Like Neyagawa in Osaka, the Yokohama project also prioritizes inspiration, rather than improving actual proficiency in the language, said Yokohama official Tsuyoshi Ichihara. Despite apparent improvement in the children’s willingness to converse with native speakers, the city, however, remains unable to scale up the project due to budgetary limitations, he added. Are these facilities effective in nurturing English-speaking ability? Kensaku Yoshida, director of the Center for Language Education and Research at Sophia University in Tokyo, said the answer is yes. “Children in elementary school, for example, are given such limited hours of exposure to English that it’s nearly impossible for them to be fluent in the language just by studying within school,” Yoshida said. In this regard, it is “very effective” to offer students English-speaking opportunities like this outside classroom hours, he said. As for the upcoming Tokyo version, Yoshida said he is concerned first and foremost about what educational programs it will offer, rather than its scale or other details. Given that the envisioned institution has its sights set on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, its programs should go beyond being merely recreational, Yoshida said, adding they should also be able to aid in the improvement of students’ actual English skills. A key to achieving that, he proposed, is to involve as many foreign youths as possible, such as children at international schools and exchange students. Being close in age, Japanese students will likely find them easier to interact with than native adult speakers, such as ALTs, he said.

tokyo;education;schools;english;2020 olympics;2020 tokyo olympics

jp0000403

2015/05/16

Osaka's 'win-win' merger may leave the people lost

In a historic first, Osaka municipal voters go to the polls today to vote on a referendum that, if approved, will divide the city into five semi-autonomous wards. For years, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and his Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) local party have hammered home the message that, without the merger, bureaucratic redundancy with Osaka Prefecture cannot be eliminated, economic growth cannot occur, social welfare services cannot be improved and true local, grass-roots democracy in Osaka cannot flourish. Sounds very nice, doesn’t it? Especially the last bit about grass-roots democracy. But some tough questions remain: How much will the merger really cost? What happens to the existing municipal debt (partially due to white elephant projects built two decades ago)? And what happens to local services? Answers are contradictory, elusive or confusing. Thus, local media polls last week showed more people opposed the merger than supported it. Whatever the final result, it’s important to remember that, traditionally, those yelling loudest for an Osaka merger were not local politicians, bureaucrats or even Osaka residents, but a few major corporations in the Kansai Economic Federation and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. These (mostly) old men have decades of experience running the city of Osaka behind the scenes. Their motivation for a merger is simple: more influence over the local tax base and, hopefully, cheaper costs for their businesses (by eliminating redundancy with the prefecture). An Osaka merger poses many questions. But one of the less-discussed issues is likely intensified competition among the five new autonomous wards to lure more corporate taxpayers or keep them from bolting to a neighboring ward to get a better deal. The business mandarins hope to find themselves courted by five local heads and elected assemblies, all of whom would inquire how their ward might use their newfound powers of the purse to provide ever-more tax breaks and deregulation to make, or keep, the mandarins happy. If that means cuts in citizen services have to be made, well, no worries. Ward leaders can tell residents that whatever tax money gets cut for their services today to provide business incentives will come back tomorrow in the form of new jobs and increased corporate tax revenue. That may be true and they may sincerely believe it. But it should not be forgotten that many Osaka business leaders do not live in the city of Osaka but in the nicer parts of the prefecture and neighboring Hyogo or Kyoto. They’re interested in seeing tax money used in ways that benefit their bottom line, not get spent (too much) on schools, day care centers and social welfare services they or their families will never use. In other words, many senior corporate leaders view the city of Osaka less as a democratic entity and more as a strategic “location” that now needs to show its “international competitive advantage” in terms of cost of operations. From an economic point of view, it’s common sense. But what’s being asked today is whether voters believe a merger will not only improve local democracy and public services but also convince nonresident shareholders and directors of some of Japan’s largest and most politically connected firms that their tax needs will be met and they will invest in the new Osaka. Maybe. Efforts by the city and prefecture to keep Osaka firms in the city back in the 1990s with various incentives failed miserably. “Win-win” is a nice phrase bantered about in business school, in corporate training seminars and by Osaka merger proponents. It may even be true. However, history suggests voters need to remember their Latin today as well as their English: caveat emptor , or “let the buyer beware.”

toru hashimoto;osaka;referendum

jp0000407

2015/05/09

Stores struggle to adjust in a shrinking Japan

On April 16, McDonald’s Japan announced it would be closing 130 stores this year. Add to this the franchises that don’t plan on renewing their contracts, and the number of lost outlets tops 190. The fast food giant has 3,000 in Japan, so maybe that 190 doesn’t sound like much, but when you look at the company’s recent performance, it’s obviously in trouble: a 14.4 percent annual drop in revenue, putting it ¥38 billion in the red. So far the company hasn’t announced which stores will be closed, thus causing anxiety for workers as well as customers in remote areas where, for what it’s worth, McDonald’s may be the only fast food restaurant available. The firm plans to turn its fortunes around by remodeling outlets, changing menus and encouraging regular employees to consider early retirement. Some media have been saying that the problem has to do with the bad publicity surrounding the out-of-date chicken McDonald’s Japan was buying from a Chinese supplier last summer. As it happens, McDonald’s is also not doing well in its home market, the U.S., but the reason there is said to be changing consumer tastes, which now demand “healthier” fare. Japan’s drop in sales is markedly greater than it is in the U.S., which is especially surprising considering how well the Japanese arm was doing only a few years ago. The downward trend may have more to do with general circumstances in Japan, since other restaurant chains are having similar problems. Watami, the nationwide chain of izakaya (pub-restaurants), announced last November that it was closing 102 outlets, or 15 percent of its total. The reason is not just the drop in sales, but also difficulty in finding workers. Watami was accused some years back of being a “black kigyō ” — a company that exploited workers, mainly by making them work overtime for no pay. Some, like the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, have found the job situation encouraging from a macro standpoint — when workers are scarce, wages increase, which means more spending in the long run — but that idea assumes demand remains basically the same or increases. As the population drops, so will consumption. At any rate, according to the labor ministry, average wages have gone down by 2.8 percent in the last year despite the worker shortage. Last week the internal affairs ministry announced that the number of children under the age of 15 has reached a record low, a statistic that will also affect restaurants in the long run, since eating out is less common among older people. Only 12 percent of two-or-more-person households made up of people over 70 eat out, while 26 percent of households with people under 30 eat out with any sort of regularity. The percentage of people who consume takeout food is constant for all age groups at 10-11 percent. The downward trend extends to retail. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the number of retail outlets in Japan peaked in 1982 at 1.72 million. By 2007, the total had dwindled to 1.14 million. During this same period, the number of people working in retail dropped by 2.4 percent, so the trend is hardly new. Much of this change has to do with the rise of online shopping, but METI estimates that the total retail sector will shrink by ¥28 trillion before 2030. The contraction has already reduced the number of retail businesses run by individuals, as evidenced by the demise of shopping arcades in smaller cities throughout Japan. Between 1982 and 2007, the number of retail businesses with less than five employees fell by half to 750,000. In a special publication by the magazine Takarajima about the decline of regional cities, department stores are presented as the most graphic example of shrinkage. The department store market has decreased by 70 percent since its peak years in the mid-1990s. Eleven department stores went out of business in 2010, and since then some of those remaining have merged with competitors to survive. Much has been made lately of how Chinese tourists are propping up department store business, but it’s only in the major cities. At present, the department store market is valued at about ¥6 trillion, and this will fall to ¥5 trillion by 2030. The so-called big store law, passed in the 1990s, allowed for larger retail chain outlets and led to an increase in the number of suburban shopping malls. There were 312 stores with floor area of at least 1,500 sq. meters in the six northernmost prefectures of Honshu in 2001. The number increased to 493 by 2013, but the combined sales for all big stores in the region only went from ¥1.2 trillion to ¥1.25 trillion during the same period. Takarajima predicts that by 2020, convenience store revenues will have surpassed those of supermarkets, thanks to the former’s ability to diversify goods and services for a wider range of customers. That said, even convenience stores are seeing a drop in sales. At present, they are addressing the problem by trying to meet the needs of seniors and single-person households — the two demographics with the most potential right now.

mcdonald 's;department stores;retailers;watami;izakayas

jp0000408

2015/05/09

Keeping the yakuza away from the 2020 Olympics

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo should be a cause for celebration but this may depend on who you talk to. Takajima Publishing released a book by Yoshinari Ichinomiya in June 2014 titled “2020 Black Money and the Tokyo Olympics” that portrays the event as an underworld party. In a chapter titled “The Yakuza Olympics,” Ichinomiya discusses the alleged ties that Hidetoshi Tanaka, vice president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), has had to organized crime in the past. It references a September 1998 photograph of Tanaka with the former head of the Sumiyoshi-kai, the second-largest yakuza group in the country, at Hotel New Otani Tokyo. The Shukan Bunshun was the first to publish the photo in February 2014. With the author estimating that total spending on the games may reach ¥1 trillion, there’s going to be plenty of money floating around for anyone interested in a cut — including the Yamaguchi-gumi. The Yamaguchi-gumi isn’t just an organized crime syndicate, it’s an international corporation that has been in business for 100 years. The organization is the largest yakuza syndicate in the country, counting more than 25,000 registered members at the start of 2014, according to the National Police Agency. The syndicate owns myriad auditing firms, oversees hundreds of front operations and, more recently, even appears to be moving into the IT sector. In 2007, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the head of a Kodo-kai faction took over Yubitoma, the equivalent of Japan’s “classmates.com,” gaining access to the personal data of 3.5 million people. The syndicate is also politically connected. As I noted in my April column, “Learning valuable lessons from the yakuza?”, the Shukan Bunshun reported that education minister Hakubun Shimomura had received donations from a Yamaguchi-gumi Kodo-kai front company. The magazine also claimed that Masahiro Toyokawa, a longtime associate member of the Yamaguchi-gumi, founded one of Shimomura’s political support groups. Shimomura denied the allegations. Politicians, however, aren’t the only ones who appear to benefit from the underworld payouts. The Yamaguchi-gumi offers their employees a few perks when they retire in exchange for loyalty. One former senior gangster, Kenji Seiriki, says that a retiring executive could expect to be paid out ¥50 million or more. While government officials in Japan appear reluctant to confront issues relating to organized crime, the U.S. government is taking a more proactive approach. The U.S. Treasury Department froze American-owned assets controlled by the Yamaguchi-gumi and the syndicate’s top two leaders in February 2012. On April 21, U.S. officials went one step further and announced similar measures against the Kodo-kai, the same faction linked with Shimomura. “The Kodo-kai is known to be the most violent faction within the Yamaguchi-gumi and is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, with about 4,000 members,” the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement announcing the sanctions. “Among other criminal activities, the Kodo-kai has conducted extortion and engaged in bribery on behalf of the Yamaguchi-gumi and has gained prominence in part for its financial muscle.” The financial sanctions also apply to Teruaki Takeuchi, chairman of the Kodo-kai. “Takeuchi is also linked to the Inagawa-kai syndicate, the third-largest Yakuza syndicate in Japan, through a symbolic brotherhood he shares with Kazuo Uchibori, the second-in-command of the Inagawa-kai,” the Treasury statement said. “Such brotherhoods have the power to signify alliances among yakuza syndicates.” Takeuchi and Uchibori are both expected to take over their organizations by this time next year, police sources say. The Inagawa-kai (Tokyo) will effectively be under the Yamaguchi-gumi umbrella — just in time for 2020. It isn’t the first time an administration has attempted to confront the Kodo-kai. In 2009, the National Police Agency declared war on the Nagoya-based syndicate, directing all departments to utilize whatever resources they had at their disposal to arrest gangsters and destroy revenue sources. Shinobu Tsukasa was head of the Kodo-kai at the time; he is now the sixth and current head of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Tsukasa has already attracted some attention in official circles this year after a photograph mysteriously surfaced that features the Yamaguchi-gumi leader sitting alongside JOC Vice President Tanaka at a club in Nagoya in the mid-2000s. The photo was sent to a number of media outlets by an individual claiming to be an unhappy Nihon University employee. On April 23, Gendai Business reported that a right-wing newspaper had tried to publish the photograph but the publisher’s employees were assaulted after they contacted Nihon University for clarification. According to a report in the Sankei Shimbun, Tanaka claims the photo is a fake. Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) lawmaker Yoshio Maki has recently been looking into possible links between the yakuza and the Olympics. In education committee meetings in April, he held up several newspaper and magazine articles that included the photo of Tsukasa apparently with Tanaka, and demanded an explanation. Maki asked Shimomura, the education minister who is also in charge of overseeing preparations for the Tokyo Games, why the government has yet to investigate the olympic committee’s possible ties to organized crime. Shimomura pledged to investigate the claims personally and, given his alleged connections, just might be the right man for the job. “Shimomura’s reply is just a formality,” Maki later told me. “Asking the JOC and Nihon University to investigate on their own will only produce an answer that is expected.” We can only wait and see if Shimomura is able to get some results and keep the yakuza out of the Olympics but perhaps, as they say, “don’t hold your breath.”

yamaguchi-gumi;yakuza;tokyo 2020;olympic games;hakubun shimomura;kodo-kai

jp0000410

2015/05/01

U.S. warships to accompany American-flagged ships through Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON - U.S. Navy ships will begin accompanying U.S. commercial ships during their transit through the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf to ensure they encounter no interference from Iran, U.S. defense officials said Thursday. The new policy, which has not yet been announced officially, was adopted in response to what Washington views as provocative Iranian behavior. Earlier this week Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps naval vessels reportedly fired warning shots near a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship and have detained it and its crew. Iran says it intervened with the Maersk Tigris because the Maersk shipping line owes it money awarded in a lawsuit. Iranian naval patrol boats also surrounded a U.S. cargo vessel in the strait on April 25 before departing without further incident. The Pentagon later said it considered the incident a provocation. The strait is narrow and partially within Iranian territorial waters. Under an internationally recognized protocol called “innocent passage,” maritime traffic is permitted to pass through the strait without interference, even if ships at times are in Iranian territorial waters, so long as they are not violating strictures against such things as carrying weapons or collecting intelligence. U.S. defense officials said the decision to begin accompanying U.S. commercial vessels as they transit the strait was based on a recommendation by U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was briefed on the decision, one official said, adding that the Obama administration does not want the move to be seen as provocative, given the delicate state of the Iran nuclear agreement. The pact has yet to be finalized and is the subject of intense scrutiny and considerable criticism in Congress. The officials were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly and spoke anonymously. At an unrelated Pentagon news conference, Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove was asked about the decision and said he was aware of it. Breedlove, the top U.S. commander of NATO in Europe, said the Navy is well-practiced at protecting freedom of navigation in the Gulf. “It is a mission they have done in the past,” he said. The Navy makes a distinction between accompanying ships and escorting them, although the difference appears to be small. The officials said U.S. Navy ships will be present in and near the Strait of Hormuz while U.S. commercial vessels are in transit, but they will not escort them continuously. The 5th Fleet, which is the naval arm of Central Command, currently has a destroyer, the USS Farragut, in the Gulf, as well as three smaller coastal patrol ships. No additional ships are being dispatched to the region, one official said. U.S. Navy ships will be in continuous radio contact with the commercial ships and possibly will stay in visual contact during their transit of the strait, the officials said. The U.S. commercial shipping companies will be notified in advance of these new procedures. One official said the new approach will be reviewed daily, taking into account Iranian behavior. The circumstances of Iran’s seizure earlier this week of the MV Maersk Tigris remain unclear. A spokesman for the Danish shipper, Michael Storgaard, said the company learned Thursday that an Iranian appeals court had ruled the company must pay $3.6 million for a 10-container cargo delivered a decade ago on behalf of an Iranian company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. However, the cargo never was collected, according to Storgaard, adding it eventually was disposed of by local authorities. Storgaard said Copenhagen-based Maersk Line will “do everything we can to resolve this matter” with Iranian authorities. He added the ship and crew aren’t theirs. MV Maersk Tigris, operated by Rickmers Ship Management in Singapore, was boarded on Tuesday.

iran;u.s. navy;cargo ships;strait of hormuz;persian gulf

jp0000411

2015/05/01

Italy hopes Milan's scandal-dogged Expo 2015 will feed economy, raise spirits

MILAN, ITALY - Italy opens the Milan Expo on Friday, torn between hopes that the showcase of global culture and technology will cheer up a gloomy national mood and fears that it will be overshadowed by scandal, delays and street protests. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who is counting on the Expo to reinforce fragile signs of economic recovery, says the event will be a litmus test for the future of Italy after years of stagnation and recession. But the event has already faced a corruption investigation that saw several top officials in the organizing body arrested, cost overruns, and construction holdups that will mean large parts of the 110-hectare site will not be ready for opening day. Planned demonstrations by anti-Expo campaigners and fears of security incidents following a gun attack in a Milan courthouse last month have also dampened the mood. Officials say the problems will be forgotten once the six-month-long exhibition of products and technologies from around the world begins. The opening ceremony will include a message from Pope Francis relayed by television link from the Vatican. With 10 million tickets already sold, they are counting on some 20 million people attending, and hope overall revenues will top €10 billion ($10.75 billion), half of it from foreign visitors. But the fair, which follows the 2010 Expo in Shanghai, has also rallied a diverse range of protest movements, from anti-globalization and environmentalist groups to students and anti-austerity campaigners. Tens of thousands of demonstrators, grouped under the umbrella label NoExpo, are expected to take to the streets of Milan on Friday in protest an event many see as a symbol of big business interests hiding behind a cover of green sustainability. Thousands of police have been assigned to counter the protests. On Thursday, parts of the city center were closed off due to a smaller march by students carrying banners with slogans including “Our generation rejects Expo and what it represents.” Expo 2015 will feature interactive technological displays on the theme of “Feeding the Planet,” with national pavilions from 54 countries presenting educational exhibitions and samples of local cuisine. Cultural events, futuristic architecture, a “supermarket of the future” and dozens of restaurants fill the site, which, critics note, required more than 1 sq. km (250 acres) of farmland on the outskirts of Milan to be concreted over. In all, 145 countries are taking part, with 54 national pavilions. China, an increasing presence in the Italian economy after a string of high-profile business acquisitions, is particularly well represented.

china;italy;scandal;matteo renzi;milan;expo 2015

jp0000412

2015/05/24

Cities outshine Tokyo on energy mix with ambitious goal for renewables

By the end of this month, the government is expected to announce a national long-term energy plan for 2030 that will include a “best energy mix” scenario — the formula for the various ratios of oil, coal, LNG, nuclear power and renewable energy that will be powering Japan in 15 years’ time. Of the different energy sources, it’s the role of the latter two that has provoked the most tension and argument. Last month, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry panel in charge of setting Japan’s energy mix goals for the next 15 years predicted that by 2030, nuclear power would still be the cheapest source available, at ¥10.1 per kilowatt-hour. While the cost of using renewables is expected to drop somewhat from their levels in 2011, the government insists they will still be more expensive than nuclear power. METI’s goal for 2030 shows Japan’s energy mix consisting of 27 percent LNG, 26 percent coal, 3 percent oil, 22 to 24 percent renewable energy, and 20 to 22 percent nuclear. Within the renewable portion, the major sources are expected to be hydro (8.8-9.1 percent), solar (7 percent), biomass (3.7 to 4.6 percent), wind (1.7 percent, including land and offshore farms), and geothermal (1 to 1.1 percent). But it is not just pro-renewable energy groups and international organizations like Greenpeace that believe the 20 to 22 percent goal for nuclear is unrealistically high and the 22 to 24 percent goal for renewable energy is unrealistically low. Earlier this month, the mayors and representatives of 19 of Japan’s largest cities, whose combined population of over 27 million is about one-fifth of the country’s total, gathered in Kyoto to discuss the future of renewable energy. In a letter to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the group called for the government to set a “30 by 30” target, or having renewable energy generate 30 percent of Japan’s total electricity by 2030. “In order to realize a sustainable, low carbon society and accelerate the introduction of renewable energy, the central government should not only set a high target for renewable energy, but also offer assistance for the development of battery storage and hydrogen technology as well (as a) detailed policy for assisting the introduction of renewable energy in our various local energy plans. The government should also indicate targets for each renewable energy source,” the letter said. “As to the overall share of renewable energy, the central government should set a positive goal of 30 percent of electricity generated by renewables,” it added. In fiscal 2014, due to what the nation’s utilities said was projected oversupply from renewable-energy producers that caused them to temporarily suspend purchases of such energy under the feed-in tariff system , the use of renewable energy rose 1.5 percent over 2013. Renewables now account for more than 12 percent of Japan’s electricity at present. By 2030, the mayors see small and midsize solar facilities and biomass facilities (based on sewage and sludge as well as forestry) as being key sources of renewable energy. They also called for increased government support for developing hydrogen energy, especially things like filling stations. But the major cities are not waiting on Tokyo to set their local energy policy. They all have different targets and policies for the future. Most of these are based on logical assumptions about future advancements in both renewable-energy generation technology and the development of more energy-efficient houses, cars and electronic goods, as well as statistics about how their demographic changes are projected to unfold in the coming years. The result, for the most part, is goals, or at least predictions, for the future use of renewable energy on a local level that appear far more ambitious than the national goal being pursued by the central government. For example, the city of Kyoto aims to reduce energy consumption by 15 percent by 2020 (compared to 2010 levels), and plans to increase the amount of renewable energy it uses by 2020. Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, plans to hike renewable energy use by a factor of five by 2030 from 2011, while reducing energy consumption 10 percent. Fukuoka has said it plans to quadruple the amount of installed capacity for renewable energy by 2022, while Yokohama has set a goal of more than tripling its installed capacity by 2030, and having almost three times the current level of generated electricity come from renewables. Sapporo is one of the few major cities that has declared a specific goal for reducing its dependence on nuclear power. Hokkaido’s largest city plans to reduce its pre-2011 reliance on atomic generation by half by 2022, through a combination of conservation measures, renewable-energy initiatives, and other energy policies. In Osaka, where Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto has waged highly public battles with Kansai Electric Power Co. over nuclear energy, the city plans to increase the amount of solar power it uses by 900,000 kw. “Local production, local consumption of energy, as well as energy-saving policies mean that cities around Japan can lead the way in setting goals and policies for renewable energy that the central government should use as a reference,” Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa, who heads the group of mayors that sent Abe the letter, told reporters at the Kyoto conference. “While each city may choose to set its own specific energy plans, the longer-term goal should be, as much as possible, not (to) rely on nuclear power,” he said.

energy;nuclear power;renewables

jp0000413

2015/05/23

Phone users in Japan still paying for plenty of stuff they don't need

Last fall, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications set guidelines for “unlocking” mobile phones. Until now, in principle, a handset sold by one of Japan’s three main mobile communications companies — NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank — could only be used for that particular service, meaning if you wanted to switch companies, you had to buy a new one. The guidelines were to go into effect at the beginning of May. The changes will only affect new phones, and they can only be unlocked — at no charge if done online — for their original owners. Moreover, customers of each company will have to wait six months after purchasing their phones to get them unlocked. Which manufacturers this will affect and how mobile phone fees and contracts will change isn’t clear at the moment, but it seems the guidelines were issued in response to complaints from consumers about the high cost of mobile communications in Japan, the idea being that unlocking phones will spur competition. The purpose of locking the SIM cards — those devices that determine which network the phone connects to — is to keep customers aligned to particular carriers, which mandate two-year contracts for services. Last year, the ministry conducted a survey and found that Japanese households spent on average ¥112,453 a year for telephone land lines, Internet services and mobile communications. Altogether, the amount spent for such services accounted for 3.72 percent of all household expenditures, up from 3.28 percent in 2003. Telecommunications fees are higher in Japan than in most other countries, owing mainly to the steep fees charged by the “Big Three.” Two years ago, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun published a report on how Japan’s mobile phone subscription model is a racket. The purpose of the scheme is to attract new customers with something that’s easy to understand — a free phone — and then get them to sign contracts with high monthly fees and options through the use of confusing terms that change from one carrier to another. The price of the phone is paid off in monthly installments, but if the customer is new, that monthly payment is waived as long as the customer signs up for two years. If the customer breaks the contract, then in addition to paying a penalty, he or she has to pay off the balance of the phone’s price, but since the phone can only be used for that carrier, the customer has to buy a new one if they switch to a competing service. However, most mobile phone companies, and not just the Big Three, increasingly offer an “ ikkatsu zero-yen” option, meaning the phone is free as soon as you sign the contract. This seems to be the reason for the unlock waiting period, since theoretically people could sign a contract, get a free phone, unlock the SIM card and resell the phone for a price higher than the contract-breaking penalty. By now most consumers understand that the free phone gambit is a dodge, especially with the advent of the smartphone, which comes with more options and potential fees due to its main function as a data access/processing device rather than simply a telephone designed to make calls. Rakuten Research did its own survey of mobile phone users last year, with 40 percent saying they want to “review” their payment plans and 30 percent saying they are trying to save money by “using their phone less.” One way of doing that is to change their “fixed-price plan” for telephone calls. All three carriers have fixed monthly fees for unlimited calls and, according to the Rakuten survey, 60 percent of users think fixed fees for unlimited voice calls “are not necessary,” because they don’t use their phones much for talking, or they use apps such as Line and Skype to make voice calls over the Internet. This latter development was studied more closely by Mobile Marketing Data Laboratory, which found that 59 percent of the smartphone users it surveyed use Internet voice communication applications, and thus probably don’t need a conventional voice call feature. However, only 18 percent of those surveyed use Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO), less expensive carriers that use other companies’ networks and stress data communications over voice communications. When asked by the researchers why they don’t switch to an MVNO if they don’t need the voice function so much, 38 percent say they don’t know much about it. In other words, it’s easier just to remain with your current carrier, even if you’re paying for services you may not need. Our own informal survey of several dozen MVNOs found that the contract terms are no less confusing than those of the Big Three, but the fees are more competitive, and if, as the Mobile Marketing Data Lab survey shows, only a small percent of consumers subscribe to MVNOs, then at least the competition they provide seems to be paying off. For one thing, almost no one charges a fee any more if you want to keep your phone number when you change carriers, including the Big Three. The main issue is paying only for what you need. When we went to Docomo to inquire about trading in our old FOMA cell phone plan for a smart phone plan, we found out that our monthly fees, for two persons on a “family plan,” would increase from about ¥5,000 a month to almost ¥12,000. We made the same inquiry to MVNOs such as OCN and Rakuten and most came up with cheaper plans. However, the answers we received were different depending on who we spoke to, even within the same company. The problem, we discovered, is not so much price and terms, but employees who don’t seem to understand their company’s services and don’t know how to answer potential customers’ specific questions.

docomo;softbank;phones;kddi

jp0000415

2015/05/15

Most common name for company chiefs in Japan is Makoto Sato: survey

If your name happens to be Makoto Sato, the chances of you rising through the corporate ranks all the way to the top are probably higher than others. That’s according to results from a survey on the most prevalent names for company presidents among 2.6 million corporations in the country, released Wednesday by Tokyo Shoko Research. The survey found there were 174 Makoto Satos at the helm of firms in Japan as of December, followed by 168 Takashi Suzukis and 151 Shigeru Suzukis. The name Makoto, meaning “sincere,” also proved the most popular first name among company presidents, possessed by no less than 11,267 of them. Other common first names of company presidents were Hiroshi (“erudite”) at 9,176; Shigeru (“ebullient”) at 9,146; Takashi (“prosperous”) at 8,378, and Osamu (“educated”) at 8,055. The research institute reasoned that the popularity of Makoto is due partly to the fact that the name was the most popular among baby boys annually during 18 years between 1957 and 1978. As for surnames, Sato, Suzuki and Tanaka occupied the top three spots, accounting for 34,038, 32,594 and 25,909 presidents, respectively. By region, Sato ranked first in Hokkaido and in the Tohoku region. Suzuki, meanwhile, proved to be the most prevalent family name in the Kanto region, as did Kato and Ito in the Chubu region. Tanaka was the most common surname of a president in Kyushu.

names;tokyo shoko research

jp0000416

2015/05/15

Funassyi — Japan’s favorite shrieking pear

In a recent episode of “ Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ,” the British comedian dove into the weird and excessive world of Japan’s yuru-kyara . During his on-air explanation of the nation’s many mascots, Oliver highlighted Funassyi, the giant yellow pear who is the unofficial mascot of Funabashi in Chiba, and included one of his more explosive moments on TV . Need to know more about Japan’s most popular pear? At first Funnasyi was rejected as the official mascot of his hometown but unlike other successful official mascots, such as Kumamon of Kumamoto Prefecture, Funassyi has come to symbolize Funabashi despite its lack of government sponsorship and become just as popular as any yuru-kyara. Funnasyi has appeared in national commercials for the Asahi, released a CD single, and been crowned the Grand-Prix winner at an international trade show for character and brand businesses best license in Japan in 2014 as he traveled across Japan and the world to spread his pear-y special brand of energy. Here are just a few of highlights from 2014: Funassyi’s popularity hit a milestone last year when, as he was being featured on CNN in June, the news reporter couldn’t help but laugh throughout the broadcast when she saw the mascot flapping his arms around. In July, Funassyi tried to kickstart a fashion trend by donning a black cap with a “274” logo (a play on the numbers 2-7-4 with can sound like “fu-na-shi”) and appeared in a TV commercial for Shimamura, a fashion shopping center. The fast-running pear with non-stop squealing had fans wondering how he survived the summer heat in his suit . In September, FUNAcafe, a collaboration event of Funassyi and Shibuya Parco’s The Guest Cafe & Diner, served a special Funassyi-inspired menu including the “funa” burger (with his face on the burger), nashi pear cake, nashi pear tea and even dandan noodles. The character’s popularity went international when he visited Hong Kong in October, attending a local shopping mall event and bringing Japanese yuru-kyara culture with him. Judging by this video, Funassyi’s fans in Hong Kong are just as passionate as those in Tokyo. In December, the toy company “Kitan Club” released a Funnasyi-style version of its famous Cup-no-Fuchiko cup-straddling toys. The brands are literally embracing each other as the tiny figurines can cling to each other in three different kinds of positions and as expected of Cup-no-Fuchiko both can sit on the edge of the cup. The announcement climbed to the top of Fuji Television’s weekly Twitter rankings, beating out the hot issue of Japan’s strict state secrets law. きょうの「ツイラン」5〜1位はコチラ☆コップのフチ子×ふなっしーのコラボにボクも注目(⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎) 旬の話題は「ついっぷるトレンド」で！ ⇒ http://t.co/RJXmGBhQLC #めざましテレビ pic.twitter.com/v2lk7DgcH6 — めざましテレビ (@cx_mezamashi) December 11, 2014 Funassyi is expanding his brand aggressively by creating Funassyi stories everywhere in Japan. Funassyiland, a Funaasyi goods store, opened in Fukuoka in December. According to Asahi Digital News , Funassyi devotees from as far as Tokyo were making the trek. Funassyi’s naturally fragile yet good-natured personality seems to be a starting point. The pear rounded out 2014 on Nippon TV by rocking out with his hero, Ozzy Osbourne, performing a headbanging rendition of Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” Funassyi got a little wet and wild when Osbourne dumped a bucket of water on him before pushing him into a swimming pool. In the same month, whilst making a cameo during a commemorative concert for The Alfee, Funassyi took an untimely tumble but nothing went pear-shaped: the resilient character sprung back into action minutes later. Without a doubt, Funassyi was a hit in 2014 but only time will tell if the rest of 2015 will keep rewarding the fruits of his labor.

mascots;yuru-kyara;funassyi;japan pulse

jp0000417

2015/05/22

Wear Japan’s past this summer with yukata and monpe

Japan’s summer fashion are starting to appear on store shelves, and increasingly retailers are turning to tradition for new yet tried and true ideas. This week clothing chain Uniqlo launched a line of colorful yukata for women and girls who don’t have the time or budget for a custom-made outfit. The yukata comes in a variety of colors and designs inspired by Japan’s past. As Uniqlo often does, the motifs of the women’s yukata are borrowed from famous artists, in this case, the roses and polka dots of Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934) and the fields and flowers of Junichi Nakahara (1913-1988) . Girls’ yukata have elements of Japanese summer with goldfish and uchiwa fans adorning the clothes. To get the younger generation up to speed on retro clothes, Uniqlo will be releasing a series of how-to videos online to show people the proper way to wear yukata. The line goes on sale June 8 with yukata in the affordable range of ¥4,990-5,990. Loft is also warming up to summer by setting aside a special pop-up for monpe , the multipurpose farming pants made with traditional yet breathable fabrics. お子様用もあるんですよー( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ #もんぺ #もんぺ博覧会 #うなぎの寝床 pic.twitter.com/hT29CuyyOi — 渋谷ロフト (@LOFT_SHIBUYA) May 19, 2015 The pants come in a variety of colors and patterns, and in a more flattering silhouette than regularly baggy monpe work pants are known for. Advertising them as “Japanese jeans,” Loft will sell monpe at its Shibuya location for the rest of the season. The company behind the pants, Unagi no Nedoko, will also be holding special monpe exhibitions in Tokyo, Yame and Fukuoka this summer. While you’re at Loft, you can also stock on traditional and stylish fans, colorful two-toed tabi socks and straw sandals. 「SOU•SOU」の靴下、カラフルでかわいいですよね。私も何足か持ってます(￣▽￣)ギフトにもおすすめ！ pic.twitter.com/zs1rd4ZYFK — 渋谷ロフト (@LOFT_SHIBUYA) May 20, 2015 母×娘2人の親子ユニット「Uh」が手掛ける室内履きの布草履。オールハンドメイドで、豊富なカラーバリエーションも魅力です。4階にて取扱中！ pic.twitter.com/lx3Q6ycied — 渋谷ロフト (@LOFT_SHIBUYA) May 20, 2015

uniqlo;fashion;loft;yukata;japan pulse;monpe

jp0000418

2015/05/22

Iwate issues certificates of origin for food exports to Taiwan

MORIOKA - The Iwate Prefectural Government has begun issuing certificates of origin for farm, fishery and processed food exports to comply with tougher rules adopted by Taiwan last week. Iwate took the action Thursday to prevent local industries from being adversely affected by Taipei’s decision to require that all food imports from Japan carry certificates of origin due to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis. Opposing the tougher restrictions as “scientifically groundless,” the Japanese government has said it will not issue the new certification requested by Taipei. The prefectural government said Iwate is the first in the Tohoku region to issue certificates of origin for items bound for Taiwan, which mainly imports processed sea urchins, scallops and soybeans from the prefecture facing the Pacific Ocean. Iwate can issue the certificates in a few hours to producers who apply, officials said. Since the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant disaster started, Taiwan has banned food imports from Fukushima and four nearby prefectures — Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba. But under the new Taiwan rules, food imports from Japan’s 42 other prefectures, including Iwate, must be accompanied by certificates of origin. The Japanese government has urged Taipei to retract the requirement. Taiwan has said certificates of origin can be replaced with existing quarantine certificates, but they are not issued for processed goods.

food;radiation;taiwan;iwate prefecture

jp0000420

2015/02/03

Tokyo's Kamata area looks to revive its film industry

Only a 10-minute train ride from Haneda airport, the Kamata district in Ota Ward, Tokyo, has two faces: While known as home to small manufacturers that backed up Japan’s postwar industrial rise, Kamata is also trying to revive a film industry that thrived there before the war. The warning signal that alerts passengers to train departures at JR Kamata Station is the tune used in the 1982 movie “Kamata Koshinkyoku” (“Fall Guy”). It was also a theme tune of the Kamata film studio owned by Shochiku Kinema, predecessor of Shochiku Co., where the movie was filmed. A scale model of the film studio belonging to Shochiku, a major kabuki, movie and theater production company, from 1920 to 1936 in the Kamata district in Ota Ward, Tokyo, is on display in the basement exhibition space at Ota Kumin Hall, better known as Aprico Hall. | YOSHIAKI MIURA Opened in 1920, the Kamata studio led the country’s prewar film industry until 1936. While it put many actors and actresses on the road to stardom, the studio is also known for producing Japan’s first domestic “talkie.” As the area became crowded with small factories, however, the studio eventually was forced out and moved south to Kanagawa Prefecture. The 18-story Nissay Aromasquare Building stands on the former site of the Shochiku Kinema film studio in the Kamata area in Ota Ward, Tokyo. | YOSHIAKI MIURA Nearly 80 years later, an aspiring director and his staff are planning to produce a movie based on Kamata. Director Kazuyuki Takahashi, head of nonprofit WUP Film, is producing “Mirai Shutter,” a story about young people who drop off the career ladder but are given a second chance through their encounters with local Kamata people. Efforts to revive the area’s film industry encountered funding problems, but WUP was able to involve local firms, public authorities, academic institutions and banks. Many cast members were recruited from the general public through social media tools such as Facebook. It will have around 10 non-Japanese actors and actress. One of them is Ninoy Kiat, a young Filipino-American actor who has recently started to make a name for himself. The movie is set for release this spring. Actors shoot a scene for the upcoming movie ‘Mirai Shutter’ in Ota Ward’s Umeyashiki district on Jan. 22. The movie is being produced by the nonprofit organization WUP Film, which is trying to revitalize the Kamata neighborhood’s once-thriving movie industry. | YOSHIAKI MIURA The water at Hasunuma Onsen in Ota Ward has a greenish-brown hue and is reputed to make bathers’ skin smooth. | YOSHIAKI MIURA The cast, staff and local supporters of the film ‘Mirai Shutter’ pose for a group photo after a news conference in Roppongi, Tokyo, in January. | YOSHIAKI MIURA

tokyo;film industry;kamata

jp0000422

2015/02/20

German Catholic archdiocese reveals it's richer than Vatican

PARIS - The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Cologne in Germany has disclosed it is worth €3.35 billion ($3.82 billion), making it richer than the Vatican. Publication of the first full report of its wealth reflects greater financial transparency within the German Church since Pope Francis removed a bishop in Limburg, near Frankfurt, last year for spending €31 million from secret funds on a new luxury residence. Also pressed by the pope to reform its finances, the Vatican has consolidated the various — and sometimes hidden — accounts of its many departments and found it has assets of about $3 billion (€2.64 billion), Cardinal George Pell, the Holy See’s secretary for the economy, said last week. Announcing their report on Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten period of self-denial and reflection, Cologne church officials stressed the extensive holdings helped care for 2 million Catholics, 60,000 staff and 1,200 churches and chapels. “The archdiocese doesn’t sell products or earn profits from its services, so it has to finance itself mostly from its assets,” said financial director Hermann Schon. Germany’s Catholic and Protestant churches benefit from a church tax imposed on all their members. The report said Cologne reaped €573 million from the tax in 2013 and spent over half of that on pastoral and charity work. German dioceses had traditionally published their annual operating budgets, but not a full balance sheet. Cologne, the country’s largest diocese, had a 2012 operating budget of €939 million. Its 2013 balance sheet, drawn up under guidelines for large German companies and approved by an independent auditor, showed its assets at €3.35 billion. Its landmark Gothic cathedral along the Rhine is listed as being worth only €27 euros — €1 for each of the 26 land parcels beneath it and one euro for the priceless building. (

vatican;assets;german catholic archdiocese

jp0000423

2015/02/27

U.S. fast food chain Taco Bell to re-enter Japanese market

NEW YORK - Taco Bell Corp., a major U.S. fast food chain, will reopen restaurants in Japan, joining forces with Asrapport Dining Co., a Japanese operator of restaurant franchises, the Japanese company announced Thursday. The first outlet is expected to open in central Tokyo by fall this year, according to Asrapport. Taco Bell, known for Mexican-inspired foods such as tacos and burritos, had entered the Japanese market in the 1980s but later pulled out of the country, except for U.S. military base locations. Taco Bell currently operates more than 6,000 restaurants worldwide and has a plan to add 1,300 restaurants outside the United States by 2023. Asrapport runs more than 400 “izakaya” pubs and barbecue restaurants in Japan.

food;restaurants;taco bell

jp0000424

2015/02/27

New name for Namibian town is a tongue-twister

JOHANNESBURG - A linguistic storm is brewing in Luderitz, where some residents of the remote Namibian town are protesting plans to change its name to !Nami#nus. Those are not typographical errors. The name, proposed by some government officials and tribal authorities, incorporates clicklike sounds in the language spoken by the Nama ethnic group in the southern African nation. Those sounds are often represented in written form with punctuation symbols. But Luderitz resident Crispin Clay says the proposed name could hurt the “international reputation” of coastal Luderitz as a tourist destination and might not be recognized by computers and websites. The town was named after German colonizer Adolf Luderitz. The Germans slaughtered tens of thousands of Nama and Herero people after local rebellions in the early 20th century.

names;namibia;! nami # nus;luderitz

jp0000426

2015/02/28

China's famed Shaolin Temple plans big development project in Australia

BEIJING - A Chinese temple famous for its martial arts is planning to build a $297 million complex that includes a temple, a hotel, a Shaolin kung-fu academy and a golf course in Australia. Shoalhaven City Coucil in the Australian state of New South Wales said earlier this month that Shaolin Temple Foundation Australia, the developer, had finalized land purchase at Comberton Grange for what will be known as Shaolin Village. Mayor Joanna Gash said Saturday that the city council and the state government have both approved the concept plan for the project, which proposes to build a temple sanctuary with resident monks, a live-in academy, a 500-bed four-star hotel, a 27-hole golf course and a residential development. Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the temple in central China, has a reputation for business acumen.

china;australia

jp0000427

2015/02/28

The candy, the whip and freedom of press in Japan

We are familiar with the carrot-and-stick approach in the West, but the phrase in Japan is “ ame to muchi ” — literally, the candy and the whip. For journalists in Japan, there’s been a lot of whip in recent times and not much candy. How can we sweeten the deal? Since the ruling coalition came to power, press freedom in the country is the only thing that has sunk faster than the value of the yen. Reporters Without Borders this year ranked Japan at a new low, dropping two places to 61 out of 180 countries and territories, just one below Korea and several notches below Croatia. It had ranked as high as 22 in 2012. Reporters Without Borders didn’t shy away from the reasons behind Japan’s drop. “The (state secrets law) the National Diet in Japan adopted in late 2013 … (reduces) government transparency on such key national issues as nuclear power and relations with the United States, now enshrined as taboos. Investigative journalism, public interest and the confidentiality of journalists’ sources are all being sacrificed by legislators bent on ensuring that their country’s image is spared embarrassing revelations.” The domestic press hasn’t been controlled by the state to this extent since, arguably, 1937. It helps, or course, that the Islamic State group has recently carried out acts of terrorism on citizens of Japan. We live in a time when you can be labeled a “supporter of terrorism” for asking if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s speech in Cairo on Jan. 11 — in which he pledged $200 million for “those countries contending with ISIL (another name used to describe the Islamic State group)” — may have prompted militants to target Japan. National Police Agency sources say Islamic State militants seemed to regard Japan as neutral in the conflict until Abe delivered his speech. Well, not anymore. After the crisis died down, of course, news outlets and the opposition asked a few timid questions on the wisdom of that speech and why the government didn’t seem particularly interested in saving the Japanese hostages in Syria. Nikkan Gendai noted that Abe’s response after being informed of journalist Kenji Goto’s capture by Islamic State militants was a short vacation. The government has said that it will conduct an internal review of their handling of the hostage crisis that will not be made public. On Feb. 10, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida further kicked reporters in the teeth by saying at a news conference that all matters pertaining to the hostage crisis “could be a state secret.” That’s a very subtle way of saying: “Keep asking questions and we can put you in jail.” A freelance journalist who attempted to go to Syria last month was even directly threatened with arrest. Not so subtle. It appears the Abe administration has been focusing on the press and free speech from the very beginning, using intimidation, subversion — and some candy. The press is losing. The Wall Street Journal and others noted last month that NHK chief Katsuto Momii said the state broadcaster would refrain from reporting on the issue of “comfort women” who were forced to provide sex for Japanese troops before and during World War II “until the government stance on the situation was clear.” One has to wonder what is unclear about the government’s stance. Thus when the Asahi Shimbun — disliked by the Liberal Democratic Party and Abe — last year retracted a portion of its reporting on the comfort women issue in the 1980s and ’90s — right-wing groups seized the day and went on attack. The Asahi then also retracted important testimony on the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, perhaps out of fear. Abe himself said the Asahi had brought shame upon Japan, practically declaring it an enemy of the state, and warned other newspapers to exercise care when reporting on the comfort women issue. Still, when weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun revealed that Eriko Yamatani, chairwoman of the National Public Safety Commission that oversees the National Police Agency, was linked to a hate group known as Zaitokukai, she refused to renounce them. “It’s inappropriate for government officials to criticize individual groups,” she said during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. In other words, it’s alright to call the Asahi shameful because the government may disagree with its reporting but it’s not alright to call out racists. Similarly, Abe kept silent during the furor that arose last month after Ayako Sono — who was appointed by the prime minister to an education reform panel in 2013 — wrote a column in the Sankei Shimbun that advocated apartheid for Japan. What can be done to encourage those who value free speech to keep on fighting for the good cause when those who speak out are attacked publicly? The FCCJ has taken a small step forward by launching the first annual Freedom of the Press Awards, which will be announced on May 3 (World Press Freedom Day). There will be a specific award for investigative journalism, as well as an award for nonjournalists who have contributed to freedom of information. (Full disclosure: I’m ineligible to be nominated for any award because I’m on the organizing committee.) The judging panel will include some heavyweight Japanese luminaries. The prizes will “confer due recognition upon journalists whose work represents the finest in defense of free speech, open society and democratic accountability.” It will also offer an award for fallen heroes. The most likely candidate for the inaugural prize is Kenji Goto, the journalist who was beheaded by jihadis after Abe’s Cairo speech. Ultimately, however, the awards should recognize those in the media doing their job — informing the public of things those in power do not want them to know. That, to me, definitely seems worth rewarding.

shinzo abe;press freedom;reporters without borders;eriko yamatani;ayako sono

jp0000428

2015/02/28

Japanese sword sent to teacher; 12,800 war heroes to be enshrined in Yasukuni Shrine; Russian steps into outer space; Japanese-language 'Satanic Verses' raises Muslim ire

100 YEARS AGO Tuesday, March 30, 1915 Japanese sword sent to English teacher Mr. J. M. McGregor, once a popular teacher of English in Waseda University, went to England, it may be recalled, some years ago, to follow up a new line of work he had chosen. A Canadian by birth, he has lately been heard from, and it is known that he has joined the British Army to fight at the front. The news has aroused much interest among Mr. McGregor’s former associates and pupils at Waseda, and they have bought a fine old sword to be sent to him. The sword is now on its way to England, and will be a fitting souvenir of the warm hearts of his Japanese friends. The following is the text of a letter that accompanies the sword: “Dear Mr. McGregor, “We were rather surprised when we heard of your enlistment in the army. We have thought you would be the last man to fight; not because you are afraid of fighting, but because you believe so much in peace. “We feel deep sympathy for your brave determination to go to the front. There is nothing, we think, which can better express our present feeling than a Japanese sword. “We earnestly pray that this sword may protect you through your march to victory. Wishing you good luck and all success.” 75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, March 6, 1940 12,800 war dead to be enshrined at Yasukuni Approximately 12,800 war dead will be enshrined in an extraordinary festival from April 24 to 28 at the Yasukuni Shrine, it was announced today. Those who will be deified in the shrine include officers and men of the Army and Navy who were killed in action or died of wounds or illness in the China Affair since its outbreak until the end of May, 1938. The number of 12,800 is about 2,500 larger than the number of those who were enshrined at the shrine last October. Family members of those to be deified will be invited shortly by the Army and Navy authorities to attend the special festival. 50 YEARS AGO Friday, March 19, 1965 Russian astronaut steps into outer space The Soviet Union thrilled the world with a new space triumph Thursday, being the first nation to let a spaceman step into space for a “weightless swim” before returning to a high-flying manned satellite. A 30-year-old miner’s son, Lt. Col. Alexei Leonov, became the first to separate from a spaceship in orbit — and to survive. Radio Moscow said Leonov, father of a 4-year-old girl, “felt good” as he clambered back through the Russian spacecraft, Voshkod (Sunrise) II, after his 90-minute space adventure. Leonov’s breathtaking space swim was seen by millions on television in Russia and throughout the world as Moscow released a graphic videotape two hours afterwards. Scientific observers said it appeared to put Russia far ahead in its space race with the United States. Television viewers saw Leonov, carefully shielded in a specially-equipped spacesuit and helmet, step gingerly out of the hatch of the capsule. For a few seconds he floated free in a horizontal position. Once he was seen floating upsidedown. Tass, the Soviet news agency, said Leonov moved up to 5 meters away from the spaceship as it hurtled through space at eight kilometers per second. 25 YEARS AGO Saturday, March 30, 1990 Japanese “Verses” raises Muslim ire The Japanese version of “The Satanic Verses,” put on sale the middle of last month, continues to arouse vehement protests from Muslims here and abroad. Muslims in Japan have demonstrated against the publication and are demanding that it not be sold at bookstores. Some Muslim countries are reportedly considering asking that the Japanese government ban its sale. The original publication of the book, which many Muslims consider blasphemous, prompted the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeni to pronounce a death sentence last February against Salman Rushdie, the book’s Indian-born British author. Rushdie has since been in hiding. About 130 Muslims living in Japan demonstrated in Tokyo last month in anticipation of the release of the Japanese version by the Tokyo publishing house, Shinseisha. During a Feb. 13 news conference held to announce the publication, a Pakistani national tried to assault an Italian promoter of the book. He was arrested on the scene. The book sold out immediately in Japan, and the publisher is planning to print additional copies, a spokesman of the firm said. But the Islamic Center of Japan is urging bookstores to stop selling the book. The organization, based in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, represents about 30,000 Muslims in Japan, a spokesman for the group said. A spokesman of the Japan-Pakistani Association in Akasaka, Tokyo, said his office is getting many calls from people voicing their desire to kill the Italian promoters. “We cannot forgive the novel because it is insulting our prophet indecently and making God’s words the devil’s words,” the spokesman said. “Japanese people also get angry when their family members are insulted.” Some major bookstores are hesitating to sell the novel. “It is difficult for us to put the book on counters because of the potential problems,” said a spokesman for Maruzen books. On July 12, 1991, the Japanese translator of the book, Hitoshi Igarashi, was found dead in his office at the University of Tsukuba. He had been stabbed multiple times. The case remains unsolved.

space;yasukuni shrine;russia;salman rushdie

jp0000429

2015/02/26

Official says Afghan avalanches kill at least 124 people

PANJSHIR VALLEY, AFGHANISTAN - Avalanches caused by a heavy winter snow killed at least 124 people in northeastern Afghanistan, an emergency official said Wednesday, as rescuers clawed through debris with their hands to save those buried beneath. The avalanches buried homes across four northeast provinces, killing those beneath, said Mohammad Aslam Syas, the deputy director of the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority. The province worst hit appeared to be Panjshir province, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Kabul, where the avalanches destroyed or damaged around 100 homes, Syas said. The acting governor of Panjshir, Abdul Rahman Kabiri, said rescuers used their bare hands and shovels in an effort to reach survivors. Rescue teams had been dispatched to the affected areas and casualties were expected to rise, Syas said. The heavy snowstorms, which began early Tuesday, hampered rescue efforts. Snow fall from the storm was nearly 1-meter (3-feet) deep in places and fallen trees blocked roads in the Panjshir Valley. Gen. Abdul Aziz Ghirat, the provincial police chief of Panjshir, said the death toll from the avalanches was expected to rise when rescue attempts resumed at sunrise Thursday. Avalanches in the valley’s Dara district affected up to 600 families, according to people trying to reach the area to assist in rescue efforts. “People there have told me that two of my relatives have been killed and eight others are still under the snow,” said an Afghan who goes by the single name Sharafudin. “My son and I are trying to get through to see if we can help find their bodies. But it will take us at least three or four hours to get there because of the snow and the road is very narrow, so we have to walk, the car can’t get through.” He spoke at the mouth of the valley, where traffic moved at a crawl. “We’ve had no help yet from the authorities, no medicines, no machinery to open the roads so we can get to the buried houses,” Sharafudin said. Another man stuck on the highway trying to reach Dara told The Associated Press that many bodies remained in houses buried beneath feet of snow. “We are so concerned about our relatives who are just stuck there,” said the man named Abu Muslim. Large parts of Afghanistan have been covered in snow as a major storm interrupted an otherwise mild and dry winter. Authorities in Parwan province closed the strategic Salang Tunnel, which links the north and south of the country, over avalanche fears. Power cables traversing the tunnel have been damaged, cutting power to much of Kabul since earlier this week. In a statement, President Ashraf Ghani said he was “saddened by news of the avalanches and flooding across the country.” He said he had ordered urgent assessments of the extent of damage and offered his condolences to the families of the dead. Temperatures have plummeted across the country, though the snow was expected to start melting in the Panjshir Valley and much of the mountainous northwest of the Hindu Kush range in the coming days, according to forecasts. Afghanistan has suffered through some three decades of war since the Soviet invasion in 1979. But natural disasters such as landslides, floods and avalanches have taken a toll on a country with little infrastructure or development outside of its major cities. In May, a massive landslide killed anywhere from 250 to 2,700 people, authorities said at the time. Another landslide in 2012 killed 71 people. Authorities were not able to recover the vast majority of bodies and ended up declaring the site a massive grave.

weather;afghanistan;avalanches

jp0000432

2015/02/24

Filipino, Indonesian trainee nurses to get more time to pass Japan exams

The government decided Tuesday to allow nursing and care trainees from Indonesia and the Philippines to stay an additional year for further training and to give failed candidates another chance to sit their qualification exams to work in Japan under bilateral free trade agreements. The Cabinet decision is aimed at giving potential nurses and caregivers a better chance of passing their exams and securing permission to work in the profession in Japan. Pass rates have been low because of the language barrier. Both the Indonesian and Philippines governments have called for an extension. It is the third time the government has decided to give an extra year to prospective health care workers from the Philippines and Indonesia. A one-year extension was given in 2011 and 2013, which a Japanese official said has helped boost the overall pass rate. The latest extension applies to 93 nurses and caregivers from Indonesia who arrived in Japan in fiscal 2012 and 300 Filipino and Indonesian candidate nurses and caregivers who arrived in fiscal 2013. In fiscal 2013, the pass rate for the nursing exam was 10.6 percent, while 36.3 percent of candidates passed the caregiver test. The move will benefit those who failed the exams but were able to meet certain conditions such as having relatively good scores in the last qualifying exams they took. Under the bilateral deals, the current length of stay for prospective nurses is three years and that of caregivers is four years. The candidates must pass the exams within the designated period or leave. New candidates arriving in Japan take language lessons for six months as well as on-the-job training. Candidate nurses are given three chances to take the exams, but caregivers only one. An extension makes it possible for prospective nurses to sit the test four times and caregivers twice. Around 2,200 trainees have so far come to Japan from the two Southeast Asian countries under the agreements.

philippines;indonesia;nurses;caregivers

jp0000436

2015/02/13

Japan, Russia hold talks in Moscow to discuss Putin visit

MOSCOW - Senior Japanese and Russian diplomats met Thursday in Moscow to lay the groundwork for a planned visit to Tokyo by President Vladimir Putin this year. Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama and his Russian counterpart, Igor Morgulov, discussed the long-running territorial dispute and prospects for a post-World War II peace pact, Japanese officials said. After Japan’s surrender in World War II, the Soviet Union seized three small islands and a group of small islets off Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido. The dispute over their sovereignty has prevented Japan and Russia from concluding a peace treaty. Sugiyama and Morgulov skipped discussions on a postponed visit to Russia by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, the officials said. Russia has taken the position that a Kishida visit, which was put off following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in southern Ukraine last March, must precede a Putin visit to Japan. Sugiyama and Morgulov also discussed the crisis in Ukraine and international terrorist activities, including those involving Islamic State, with Sugiyama conveying Japan’s position that sanctions imposed on Russia by Japan, European countries and the United States should not adversely affect Japan-Russia relations. The deputy minister-level meeting, initially set for last August, was postponed after Japan imposed additional sanctions following the Crimea annexation. The previous meeting was held in January 2014.

vladimir putin;visit;shinsuke sugiyama;igor morgulov

jp0000437

2015/02/14

Japanese are quick to embrace robots

“Hello and welcome. I can tell you about money exchange, ATMs, opening a bank account or overseas remittance. Which one would you like?” This greeting is not uttered by a human employee but, instead, a diminutive robot named Nao. Just 58 cm tall, the humanoid will be deployed on a trial basis at one or two branches of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. in April to help customers with their enquiries. It — I’m really struggling not to say “she” — is just one of an increasing number of robots working in customer-service positions in Japan. By the time foreign visitors arrive in Tokyo for the Olympic Games in 2020, these multilingual robots may well be commonplace. Nestle Japan, for example, has unveiled plans to employ SoftBank’s emotion-sensing robot called Pepper to sell its coffee machines at up to 1,000 outlets by the end of the year. So does Nao and her — I mean, its — robot compatriots signal a significant change in robot intelligence? I’ve written before about how robots are more easily assimilated into society in Japan than in the West. Many put this down to the fact that Japan has been founded on Shintoism and, as a result, the lack of spiritual distinction between animate and inanimate objects means people in Japan don’t have problems accepting robots as living entities. In other words, Japanese folk simply aren’t weirded out by robots. This has fascinating implications for how we decide whether advanced machines can think, or even pretend to think. It’s something that a lot of scientists spend a lot of time wondering about, the heart of which can be traced back to the Turing test. Conceived by computer scientist Alan Turing in the 1950s, the test recognized that a computer could have the ability to “think” if a human interrogator couldn’t tell it apart from another person through conversation. The test has since become something of a sport, with tournaments evaluating the trickiness of computer programs in passing themselves off as human beings. Last year, Eugene Goostman — purportedly a teenager from Ukraine but, in fact, a piece of software called a chatbot — made headlines when it supposedly passed the Turing test. It hadn’t — it was just very good at chatting — but it won’t be long until a machine becomes so good at chatting that we may be forced to accept that thing as a real person. I don’t think we’re far away — at least not emotionally. I already find myself wanting to refer to the robot Nao as a female. Many Japanese who currently spend a lot of time with robots — and here I’m thinking particularly of people in hospitals and care homes — tend to refer to them affectionately and add the suffix “ chan ” when talking to or about their robots. Let’s say technology improves to a point where we can say that robots really do seem to be thinking, and not just chatting about hamsters (one of Eugene’s favorite subjects) but properly thinking. No doubt we will form bonds with these machines. The question then becomes: If these machines are good enough to really mimic human thought, should they be considered humans and, if so, should they possess the same rights as us? Funnily enough, these very issues are currently being explored by writers and directors as well as neuroscientists worldwide. Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” tackles precisely this issue. The U.K. writer, who wrote “The Beach” in the 1990s before going on to write screenplays for “28 Days Later” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go,” makes his directorial debut with a film that really only has three characters: Caleb, Nathan and Ava. Caleb’s a coder who wins a chance to spend a week at a house belonging to his billionaire boss, Nathan, to take part in an unusual kind of Turing test. Unusual, it transpires, is a bit of an understatement. The machine attempting to pass itself off as human is Ava — a devastatingly sexy robot. This is no mere humanoid, but a full-on gynoid — a female android — with curves in the right places and a beautiful face. The film’s title derives, of course, from the Latin “deus ex machina,” which means “the god from the machine.” While Ava is an unusual machine to use in a regular Turing test, her depiction reflects the all-too-familiar way feminized robots are portrayed in film. In such movies, gynoids are almost always sexbots. Check out the character of Motoko Kusanagi in the anime “Ghost in the Shell.” (The movie is currently being remade in Hollywood, starring Scarlett Johansson.) You might even remember that the female replicant in “Blade Runner,” Pris, is also a sexbot — albeit one who can turn violent in a heartbeat. “Ex Machina” recalls “Blade Runner” in several ways, not least the way a male character is asked to interrogate a beautiful female character to determine if she is “real” or not. Is Ava a conscious human being? Is she a very good simulation of consciousness, or does she have that “extra spark” that humans have? And in a sentence, I hope it’s clear what blind alleys the study of consciousness can lead us down. I don’t think there is an “extra spark” that differentiates humanity from machines — a robot smart enough to fake consciousness might as well be considered to be conscious. In “Ex Machina,” Caleb queries the setup of the Turing test he has to perform on Ava (the machine is hidden from view in a normal Turing test, but here the robot is in plain sight). Yes, says Nathan. He is so confident of Ava’s intelligence that he feels he can reveal the fact that she is a robot. I won’t give away what happens, but I wonder if intelligent robots are poised to be embraced in Japan before anywhere else in the world, not only because of the country’s proven prowess in robotics but because its people are more ready to accept the machines.

softbank;robots;pepper;nao

jp0000438

2015/02/14

Winter offers a wake-up call for local revitalization drive

Kansai’s corporate titans gathered in Kyoto earlier this month for their annual retreat, formally known as the Kansai Economic Forum. While there was no shortage of the usual slightly daft old men with slightly daft ideas, this year saw two important, positive changes. The first was that the old men decided they were tired of critics banging on about the lack of women in what has always been an old boys’ club. At this year’s forum, in the conference rooms and in front of the smoked salmon buffet tables, women were far more visible. The second change was an unprecedented sense of urgency in addressing issues the good ol’ boys (and girls) have long worried about: a declining population, especially in rural areas, a Tokyo-centric economy and local economic revitalization. Longstanding concerns such as the declining birthrate and aging society, as well as an intense concentration of people in the Tokyo region and what it means for Japan’s future economy, are finally getting some attention. Local governments from Okinawa to Hokkaido have tried to solve the problems by giving away land, offering tax credits to young families and firms, and concocting all manner of PR schemes to convince people to abandon the urban rat race and enjoy a higher quality of life in their locality. These and countless other programs to keep younger Japanese in particular from running off to Tokyo or, less so, Kansai have failed. The reasons for the continued migration of people to urban areas, particularly Tokyo, are said to be economical. Or political. Or cultural. All true. But there is another, less obvious, reason neither Kansai’s corporate mandarins nor local politicians mentioned: the weather, and modern attitudes toward it. The Kansai Economic Forum took place on a day when the national media squawked that the sky was, quite literally, falling in Tokyo — specifically, 3 cm of snow. If you’re from snow country, you might snicker at such reports. If you’re not from snow country (i.e. from Tokyo or Osaka), however, that’s reason for panic. For such people, snow is as scary as heavy rain and cold wind. It makes a mess of designer-label clothing and expensive hairdos. It turns shiny tile floors into slippery zones where you might break an arm. It means trains to and from work might be delayed or canceled. And then there’s the fact houses in Kanto and Kansai are not constructed for bone-cold weather. People from Hokkaido are often shocked to discover the well-insulated homes they grew up in are in short supply down south. No wonder in Osaka, once the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius (not Fahrenheit), the phrase most often heard is meccha samui (“It’s really cold”). Traditional Japanese art and literature may celebrate the four seasons, but modern advertising mostly prefers selling spring’s cherry blossoms, the hot summer sun and autumn’s leaves. No wonder few in Kansai or Tokyo can envision life, as opposed to a weekend ski trip, in winter. Local governments themselves have also failed to convey to potential residents the real lifestyles of those living outside uber-convenient and comparatively mild Tokyo and Kansai. PR materials abound with glossy photos of smiling villagers enjoying bucolic lifestyles — in spring, summer and fall, that is. Winter, if it is mentioned, is a magical world in white under deep blue skies. Nice — if the intent is to attract tourists. But as long as policies for rural revitalization and decentralization from Tokyo fail to address legitimate concerns about the realities of life in weather conditions different from Tokyo and Osaka, no one should expect them to succeed.

climate;winter;kansai economic forum

jp0000440

2015/02/22

Where's the beef? Kyoto looks to carve out global niche

The quintessential tourist image of Kyoto cuisine is one of a refined “bento” (boxed lunch) containing all sorts of small treats, but heavy on fish, tofu and vegetables, with much attention devoted to presentation and tastes that are sublime, but not overpowering. Certain Kyoto vegetables like “kujo negi” green onion form the base of many local dishes, while Kyoto tofu is famous throughout the country for its quality. But one food item not traditionally associated with Kyoto is beef. While Kobe beef is world famous and along with Omi and Matsuzaka beef is considered Japan’s finest, sparking spirited debates among fussy foodies over the merits of each, the idea of visiting a Kyoto restaurant for a thick steak, or even an excellent “shabu-shabu” or sukiyaki dinner with local beef, is not yet on the tourist list of must-do things while in the ancient capital. Kyoto Prefecture, however, is now trying to make “Kyoto Beef” into a brand name worldwide. Earlier this month, for the first time ever, about 500 kg of top quality beef from Kyoto was sent to Singapore as part of a trade promotion fair. “We chose Singapore because Kyoto Beef is expensive and Singapore has a lot of wealthy diners, as well as a large Japanese ex-pat community. A local Japanese restaurant offered a number of traditional Kyoto and Japanese-style lunch and dinner sets featuring not only local beef but also kujo negi, a traditional Japanese green onion or scallion associated with Kyoto, as well as Kyoto pickles and Kyoto ‘macha’ (green tea) ice cream,” said Koichi Kamimura, a prefectural agricultural official involved in promoting Kyoto Beef. How did the beef go over with Singapore’s diners? “People said they liked it because it was slightly sweet,” he said. The recent decision to market Kyoto prefectural beef as Kyoto Beef overseas is mostly to avoid confusion. There are, in fact, several names for beef from cows born and raised in Kyoto. The highest and most expensive grade of beef is simply “Kyoto Niku,” which rivals Matsuzaka and Kobe beef in terms of quality and cost. Then there is “Kyo no Niku,” using the old kanji for “capital.” It’s not certified as the highest grade but is still considered premium. Then there is “Tanba-gyu,” or beef from the Tanba region of the prefecture, and “Kameoka-gyu,” from the Kameoka region. Both types of beef can be bought for about half of what the other two cost. Finally, there is “Kyotankuro wagyu.” “It’s difficult for people overseas to get a fixed image of what Kyoto Beef is with all of the different names for Kyoto-area beef, In order to build an easily understandable brand abroad, we decided to call it all Kyoto Beef,” Kamimura said. For meat to be certified as Kyoto Beef, it must come from cows that were bred in Kyoto and raised there for most of their lives. It must also be certified as one of four top grades by the Japan Meat Grading Association. Like Kobe, Omi and Matsuzaka beef, Kyoto Beef is closely monitored and production history records are kept, allowing one to trace the lineage of a particular head of cattle. The next overseas promotion event will be in March, at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Torrance, California. But domestically, the push is just getting started, although the plan is to target luxury hotels, especially international hotels, and the city’s top restaurants. “The idea is to present Kyoto Beef as part of traditional Japanese dishes, though we have to keep in mind how beef is eaten overseas,” Kamimura said. While Kyoto’s brand name image and recognition give it a competitive advantage over other prefectures also trying to expand beef sales, a limited supply means the marketing strategy will focus not only on quality of taste but also exclusivity. The latter effort is not only a marketing choice but also a practical necessity. The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Ministry’s most recent data show there are about 2.5 million head of beef cattle nationwide. Hokkaido, with just over half a million cattle, ranks at the top. Hyogo Prefecture, the home of Kobe beef, only has about 52,000 head of cattle, while Mie Prefecture, where Matsuzaka beef comes from, has only 26,700 head. Shiga Prefecture, known for its “Omi beef,” has 17,200 head. Kyoto Prefecture, however, has just under 6,700, making beef from Kyoto rare domestically, let alone overseas. The other aspect of international promotion, one likely to resonate in countries where meat safety inspection standards are not as tough as Japan’s, focuses on assuring customers Kyoto Beef is extremely safe from disease. On the other hand, health-conscious consumers, especially in the United States or Europe, may have concerns about Kyoto Beef, especially those cuts with a much higher fat content than beef from their own countries to which they are accustomed. But unlike the somewhat exaggerated and sometimes patently untrue lore surrounding Kobe beef about beer dinners and tummy massages, Kyoto cattle don’t have a particularly unique, Kyoto-type diet. “We don’t feed the cattle things like kujo negi or tofu, although the feed mixture is probably not something the ranchers want to publicize too loudly,” said Kamimura.

food;kyoto;japanese cuisine;wagyu;kobe beef;kyoto beef

jp0000441

2015/02/22

Kyoto's tourism boom spells war for luxury hotel chains

Kyoto’s recent record-setting tourism boom has sparked a mini-“hotel war,” with some of the world’s best-known luxury inn chains opening branches in the ancient capital, as its international popularity as a travel destination spreads even further. Not too many years ago, Kyoto had a dearth of international first-class hotels. Visitors found a choice of domestic chains, some of which were run-down, with dark lobbies and moldy carpets in the lobby, and dirty, small rooms with hard beds. Or they could opt for a traditional evening in an ancient Japanese-style inn that cost far more and offered a cultural experience, but often lacked modern amenities that today’s international travelers demand. But one year ago, the Ritz Carlton opened, quickly earning accolades from tourists as well as long-time, slightly jaded Japanese and foreign residents as the place in Kyoto to be seen, either as a guest or simply as a customer in one of the bars or restaurants. The Ritz Kyoto, however, is expected to be joined by yet another high-end international hotel next spring, when the Four Seasons Kyoto is scheduled to open in the Higashiyama district. That’s not too far from the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, which opened back in 2006. These are joined by several smaller, luxury boutique hotels run by both Japanese and international resort chains that have opened in recent years or have announced plans to do so. The arrival of top-grade hotels comes as Kyoto’s reputation as a destination for domestic and international tourists continues to grow. Last year, the city was named by the U.S. magazine Travel + Leisure as the World’s best city, beating out Charleston, South Carolina, and Florence, Italy. In 2013, more than 51 million people visited Kyoto, according to municipal figures. More than 13 million people stayed in hotels in the city that same year, a 7 percent increase over 2012. In total, tourists spent just over ¥700 billion. One of the largest increases was recorded in the numbers of foreign tourists. About 1.13 million visited Kyoto in 2013, a 35 percent increase over the previous year. Tourists from Taiwan, the United States, China, Australia and France accounted for over 55 percent of the total, with Taiwanese, at 20.8 percent, the largest group. The news, the city says, is expected to be as good or better once the 2014 figures come out. “Overall, Kyoto tourism has been increasing these past few years, and 2013 was a record year for the number of visitors. We expect the overall upward tend to continue for 2014,” said Nobuo Hatanaka, a Kyoto municipal tourism official.

kyoto;tourism;hotels;kansai

jp0000442

2015/11/03

Ranking priest, past pope-picked reform panelist arrested by Vatican over document leaks

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican said Monday it had arrested a high-ranking priest and another member of a papal reform commission on suspicion of leaking confidential documents — a stunning move that comes just days before the publication of two books promising damaging revelations about the obstacles Pope Francis faces in cleaning up the Holy See’s murky finances. The developments threatened to become a new “Vatileaks” — the 2012 scandal that began with the publication of a blockbuster book by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi detailing the corruption and mismanagement in the Holy See. The scandal ended with the conviction of Pope Benedict XVI’s butler — and Benedict’s resignation a year later. The latest arrests of two advisers hand-picked by Francis to help in his effort to overhaul Vatican finances threatened to further expose infighting and rifts surrounding the pope’s efforts at reform and a more open church. Monsignor Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, a Spaniard, and Francesca Chaouqui, an Italian public relations executive, had served on a now-defunct financial reform commission set up by Francis in 2013 as part of his drive to clean house at the Vatican, especially in its scandal-tainted economic affairs. A Vatican statement said the arrests followed a months-long investigation and that the two had been interrogated over the weekend. It said Vallejo Balda was being held in a jail cell in Vatican City, while Chaouqui was released Monday because she was cooperating with the investigation. The Vatican’s statement stopped short of linking the latest leaks probe to the two potentially bombshell books that go on sale Thursday. But a clearly irritated Vatican contended publication of such expose works risk hurting Pope Francis’ cleanup drive. The Vatican described the books as “fruit of a grave betrayal of the trust given by the pope, and, as far as the authors go, of an operation to take advantage of a gravely illicit act of handing over confidential documentation.” “Publications of this nature do not help in any way to establish clarity and truth, but rather generate confusion and partial and tendentious conclusions,” the Vatican said, noting that “the leaking of confidential information and documents is a crime” under a law enacted in the first months of Francis’ papacy. Nuzzi’s 2012 best-seller, “His Holiness,” based on leaked papal correspondence detailing corruption, infighting and intrigue in the Vatican, has been cited by some as inspiring Benedict XVI’s stunning resignation from the papacy in 2013. According to the publishers, Nuzzi’s new book, “Merchants in the Temple: Inside Pope Francis’s Secret Battle Against Corruption in the Vatican,” promises to reveal “heretofore untold, unbelievable stories of scandal and corruption at the highest levels.” “A veritable war is waging in the Catholic Church,” a news release quotes Nuzzi as saying. “On one side, there is Pope Francis’ strong message for one church of the poor” and on the other, “there is the opaque and aggressive power systems within the Vatican’s hierarchy.” The other book, “Avarice: Documents Revealing Wealth, Scandals and Secrets of Francis’ Church,” is by Italian journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi. He writes for L’Espresso newsweekly, which has published some of the most damaging leaks of Francis’ papacy, including most recently a letter by 13 cardinals warning Francis about his family synod. According to the publisher, Fittipaldi’s book maps out the church’s financial empire, from the luxurious lives of the cardinals to the big businesses of Catholic-run hospitals in Italy. Speaking Monday to Italy’s Repubblica TV, Fittipaldi said his book “doesn’t talk about Francis, but about a church that seems very distant from the mottoes of the pope.” He said it was his understanding that the arrested pair had been accused of leaking “news for my book and that of my colleague,” Nuzzi. While Francis is intent on modernizing the Vatican and making its finances more transparent, the arrests were the latest confirmation that scandal and intrigue still swirl, as they have for centuries, through the largely closed world of the Vatican’s administrative bureaucracy. Elected on a mandate from his fellow cardinals to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy and bring order to its haphazard finances, Francis in 2013 created the commission Vallego Balda and Chaouqui served on to gather information from all Vatican offices to try to shed light on the Holy See’s overall financial situation and end an entrenched culture of mismanagement, opaqueness and waste. Francis named the Maltese financier Joseph Zahra to head the commission and Vallejo Balda as his No. 2. Chaouqui was named one of the six other commission members. The commission was given broad powers to solicit information from traditionally independent Vatican offices that were none too pleased to divulge their assets to a group of outsiders, regardless of their papal mandate. But the commission did its job, coming into possession of thousands of pages of information, such as the existence of “secret” accounts held by the Secretariat of State that had never figured into the Vatican’s consolidated balance sheets. That two of the commission members now stand accused of leaking documents is a remarkable new chapter in the Vatileaks saga, but it’s unclear if the investigation will stop with them. The 33-year-old Chaouqui, who favors slim-fitting jeans and long, bouncy hairdos, cut a figure in sharp contrast to the more somber dress of the relatively few laywomen with roles at the Vatican. She is being defended by Giulia Bongiorno, one of Italy’s top criminal lawyers who won acquittal for Amanda Knox’s co-defendant in their internationally watched murder trial. Opus Dei, the conservative Catholic religious movement, expressed “surprise and pain” over Vallejo Balda’s arrest, who it described as belonging to a priestly society linked to Opus Dei. If the allegation turns out to be proven, it will be particularly painful because of the damage done to the church,” it said in a statement.

scandal;vatican;pope francis;reforms;finances;holy see;synod;vatileaks

jp0000443

2015/11/03

Claws out after Israeli minister proposes deporting stray cats, dogs abroad

JERUSALEM - Claws were out Monday after an Israeli Cabinet minister proposed sending stray dogs and cats to another country as an alternative to government-funded efforts to sterilize them. “Use the budget to transfer stray dogs and/or cats of one gender (all the males or all the females) to a foreign nation that will agree to accept them,” Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel suggested in a letter to a Cabinet colleague leaked to the mass circulation Yedioth Ahronoth daily. The proposal, which a spokesman for Ariel said had been rejected after initial consultations within the Agriculture Ministry, was roundly criticized by animal rights activists and bemused opposition politicians. “No way am I going to apply for a foreign passport for Pitzkeleh,” former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni tweeted above a photo showing the smiling Zionist Union party politician reclining on a sofa and feeding her cat. The newspaper report said Ariel, a religious Jew and a member of the far-right Jewish Home party, views spaying and neutering as possible violations of God’s directive “to be fruitful and multiply” and ritual law that prohibits animal cruelty. But Zahava Galon, head of the opposition left-wing Meretz party, wrote on Facebook that Ariel’s idea runs contrary to “basic morality”— and she quipped that it is time to find a country prepared to grant the minister shelter instead.

israel;animals

jp0000445

2015/11/02

Does biometric authentication hold the key to a bright future or Pandora's box?

Forgot your password? Maybe that won’t be an issue in the near future. As an alternative to traditional digital authentication that requires individuals to input numbers or phrases to prove their identity, biometric authentication, which uses people’s physical traits, has become an increasingly common feature, particularly in popular mobile devices. Because of its convenience and high degree of accuracy, the government believes such technology may be used to identify the holders of integrated circuit (IC) chip-equipped My Number cards, which will be distributed from January. But will biometric authentication replace passwords? This week’s FYI looks at the issue. What is biometric authentication? Biometric authentication is a digital identification method using the physical traits or behavioral habits of individuals to unlock devices or access personal information, according to the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA), a government-affiliated IT security firm. By preregistering personal information on a computer database, individuals can verify their identity later by scanning a part of their body or demonstrating other personal traits, such as voice and walking style. As individuals do not have to carry keys or IC cards to verify their identity, biometric authentication can lower risks such as the loss or theft of keys. What are the major types of biometric authentication? The most well-known, cheapest biometric identification is fingerprint authentication, which is scanning the shape of a fingerprint pattern, according to the IPA. Other identification points include bifurcation (scanning the point in a finger image at which two ridges meet), dots, pores, ridges and islands. In all cases, a computer can compare the scanned image with information stored on its database to identify the user. Facial recognition is another increasingly popular ID method. It was recently introduced for the Windows 10 operating system as an option to log into a computer if the camera supports the feature. Users of facial recognition can verify their identity just by having a camera capture an image of their face. The image will allow a computer to identify the user based on information such as the distance between facial parts, shape of a face and skin color. Other types of biometric authentication include identifying a user’s iris, vein, voice, keyboard typing habits or even odor recognition. Is biometric authentication better than a password? Biometric authentication is more convenient than a password, but it’s not as safe as people might think. The biggest advantage of using biometric identification is it frees individuals from the burden of memorizing complicated passwords, said Rie Yamaguchi, a project associate professor at the University of Tokyo who researches digital security. Many people sacrifice security for convenience by setting simplistic phrases for their passwords. According to the latest “worst passwords” list released by U.S. security application company SplashData, compiled from 3.3 million leaked passwords in 2014, the most frequently used password was “123456,” followed by such simple phrases as “password,” “qwerty” and “baseball.” But in terms of security, “biometric authentication is not as secure as people think,” Yamaguchi said, adding it was actually easy for intruders to steal the biometric personal information stored on computer servers. For example, Tsutomu Matsumoto, a professor of information security at Yokohama National University, proved once that biometric fingerprints can be copied. He himself demonstrated how to do this by making fake fingers from gelatin and copying and pasting someone else’s fingerprints on them. The fake fingers passed the authentication test. Yamaguchi said is was therefore important to use different methods of identification for various situations, rather than just relying on one method. What does the future hold for biometric authentication? The market for biometric authentication technology is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade, as it has become increasingly popular among smartphone users. According to a forecast by American IT market intelligence firm Tractica announced in August, the global market for biometric technology will grow from $2.0 billion in 2015 to $14.9 billion by 2024. Although the technology itself is not new, biometric authentication became rapidly popular after it began to be installed on popular smartphones, Yamaguchi said. What are the concerns about biometric authentication? Privacy is a major concern. Mitsuru Kuroda, an adjunct lecturer at the Osaka University of Economics who teaches municipalities how to use IT, says leaks of biometric information could bring more harm than password breaches, because, unlike passwords, it is virtually impossible to change biometric information. Once an individual’s personal information falls into the hands of criminals, that person’s privacy will be permanently breached and the risk of identity theft increases, he added. Kuroda said it seemed contradictory to use such important private information to protect other private data, such as My Number. If the government decides to collect everyone’s biometric information for authentication purposes, this could result in “the ultimate surveillance society,” in which all individual activities can be recorded and monitored by the government, he warned.

privacy;my number;biometrics

jp0000446

2015/11/20

Tokyo cancels U.N. freedom of expression expert's visit; supporters cite secrecy law scrutiny

A U.N. expert in charge of freedom of expression said Thursday that the Japanese government has canceled the visit he was scheduled to make next month. David Kaye, U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, told Kyodo News he hopes he “can continue to work with the (Japanese) government” and that he has always had good interactions with it. The rare cancellation of the official visit drew criticism that the Japanese government is trying to hinder him from raising such issues as the secrecy law, which is aimed at preventing the leak of state secrets. Under the contentious law, which took effect last year, civil servants and others who leak designated secrets will face up to 10 years in prison, and those who “instigate” leaks — including journalists — will face prison terms of up to five years. “We will rearrange the schedule because we couldn’t make full preparations to accept the visit due to budget compilation and other reasons,” said a bureaucrat in the Foreign Ministry. “The government has said that they wanted to postpone the visit until the autumn,” Kaye said. The ministry declined to confirm the remark. Kaye announced his plans to visit Japan from Dec. 1 to 8 at the Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly in October. He planned to conduct hearings with bureaucrats, journalists and citizen activists about information disclosure regarding the secrecy law and other topics related to freedom of expression in Japan, according to Kaye and lawyer Yuichi Kaido, who planned to support him during his trip, said. The U.N. Human Rights Committee expressed concerns about the secrecy law last year. In response to Friday’s cancellation request, Kaye urged the Japanese government to reconsider. But Tokyo notified him of the decision again on Tuesday, Kaye said. “Japan as a government and as a country is, generally speaking, very respectful of freedom of expression,” he said. “We look at things that are worth celebrating, perhaps as a model that other countries could follow,” the special rapporteur said, adding, “We also identify areas where there might be some concerns.”

secrecy law;government;japan;david kaye;u.n. rapporteur

jp0000447

2015/11/27

BOJ posts ¥628.8 billion net profit in first half, thanks to JGB income

The Bank of Japan posted a net profit of ¥628.8 billion ($5.13 billion) in the April-September first half, thanks mainly to interest from its massive purchases of Japanese government bonds, it said. The profit, up 7 percent from a year ago, marks the central bank’s highest half-year figure since 2001. The BOJ started gobbling up state debt under the radical quantitative and qualitative ultra-easy monetary policy it launched in April 2013 and expanded in October 2014, in a bid to lift the world’s third-largest economy out of nearly two decades of deflation. The central bank’s total assets have thus ballooned 32.1 percent to a record ¥366.13 trillion, with JGBs accounting for ¥309.57 trillion of it, up 35 percent. Interest income from the JGB holdings meanwhile surged 23.8 percent to ¥639.1 billion, the BOJ said. But the bank’s appraisal gain on its foreign exchange holdings narrowed sharply to ¥27.2 billion from ¥305.5 billion in the same period last year, because the yen did not weaken as much in the period. The central bank’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 7.94 percent as of the end of September, down from 8.2 percent at the end of the previous March. The BOJ considers 8 percent a sound level.

bank of japan;monetary policy;central bank;assets;net profit

jp0000448

2015/11/29

Brazilian police hunt copter-stealing Santa Claus

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian police are hunting for a Sao Paulo Santa Claus who kicked off the Christmas shopping season by stealing a helicopter. The thief rented the aircraft late Friday from an air taxi service at the Campo Marte airport in Sao Paulo for a Black Friday “surprise,” the Sao Paulo state security secretariat said on Saturday. During the flight, the Santa forced the pilot to fly to a small farm outside of the city, where they were met by a third person. The pilot was tied up and the two perpetrators flew away. After several hours, the pilot managed to escape and alert police. There has been no sign of the helicopter, a Robinson model 44, authorities said.

brazil;holidays;theft

jp0000449

2015/11/16

TPP no done deal; hurdles include interpretation, legislative approval, U.S. election

The full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement was released this month. The document is a wide-ranging accord between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Pushed hard by the United States as part of its efforts to compete with Chinese influence in Asia, the agreement is being hailed by its supporters as a victory for free markets and a rules-based economic system. Its detractors warn it has little to do with free trade, and is more of a corporate power grab that will harm ordinary workers and reduce the power of governments to address domestic health, environment and labor concerns. In Japan, the potential effects are now being debated in the Diet. Attention is focusing in particular on areas like agriculture, where much of the opposition originates. Following are questions and answers about the next steps for the TPP. Is the pact a done deal? Not at all. The TPP text released in early November says it is “subject to legal review in English, Spanish and French for accuracy, clarity and consistency.” This “legal scrubbing” will take time, and could create more political concern in the TPP member countries about just what, exactly, they are agreeing on, or if everybody is agreeing on the same thing. Second, and more importantly, the deal must be ratified by the legislatures of the member countries. In Japan, the government, business community and mainstream media strongly support the deal, but whether the Diet will approve the text before next summer’s Upper House election remains unclear. And the TPP agreement’s approval by the U.S. Congress is much less certain. Why is Congress worried? Some Japanese media and political figures say it stems from the opposition to the pact as stated by elements of the Democratic Party and the labor unions that support the party. But that’s only half the story. Opposition to the TPP in the U.S. is growing and crosses political boundaries because of what is included and what is not. Some worry not only about products like auto parts, but also how the TPP will affect the regulation of the Internet, the health care industry, rules of origin on products, and patents. Many Republicans are also opposed or skeptical because of last-minute concessions in areas like the length of time drug companies can protect their data and the agreement to exempt tobacco from a new international dispute resolution mechanism called Investor-State Dispute Settlement that makes it easier for corporations to sue governments over health issues. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Republican, has suggested the TPP will have to be renegotiated to pass Congress. What might Japan be required to renegotiate? Many in the U.S. Congress are concerned about the Japanese government manipulating its currency. They worry that while there is language in the negotiated text to prevent that, the enforcement mechanism is insufficient. This could become a stumbling block between Washington and Tokyo. However, economic revitalization minister Akira Amari, Japan’s lead negotiator, said last week it would be impossible to redo the agreement. Even if it clears Congress, what about the U.S. presidential election? The main candidates for the Democratic Party nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have come out against the TPP, although there is great skepticism about Clinton’s position, as she has indicated dozens of times in the past she supported it. On the Republican side, of the 10 major candidates, Donald Trump, Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee are opposed, while Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and John Kasich have voiced support for the agreement. Others are still sitting on the fence. If the TPP is passed by the 12 legislatures, what does it mean for Japan? Given that the negotiated text and annexes run to over 5,000 pages and were just released, the full impact of the 30-chapter agreement on Japan is not yet clear. However, political and media attention has been on increased agricultural imports. Over the coming years, assuming there are no renegotiations, tariffs on nearly 1,900 agricultural products will be eliminated. This includes tariffs on items ranging from grapes, apples, oranges and tomato juice to margarine, ketchup and sherbet. Tariffs would be incrementally abolished mainly over a period six to 13 years after the TPP goes into effect. Other agricultural goods will see their tariffs reduced. The tariff for imported beef, currently at 38.5 percent, will fall to 9 percent 16 years after the TPP comes into force. Duties on pork will be reduced to ¥50 (42 cents) per kilogram over a decade from a maximum of ¥482. New nontariff import quotas will be created for rice from the U.S. and Australia, to be expanded to an annual total of 78,400 metric tons 13 years after the agreement takes effect, and there will be a low-tariff quota for milk powder and butter that will eventually be expanded to a volume equivalent to 70,000 tons of raw milk. While farmers and Japan’s domestic food industry remain concerned about agricultural imports, especially increased beef, pork, rice and dairy imports, the government has largely muted opposition by assuring farmers and businesses likely to be heavily affected by the TPP that they will receive various forms of assistance to soften the blow against cheaper foreign imports. What about other areas? Under the TPP’s rules of origin, up to 40 percent of an automobile’s parts could be manufactured in a non-TPP country like China, contain 40 percent Japanese-made parts and the rest would come from TPP countries like Malaysia, and be exported to the U.S. with preferential tariff treatment. On the other hand, under a new copyright agreement for TPP members, copyright protection has been extended from 50 years after an author’s death, for example, to 70 years. This means that works by Yukio Mishima, who died in 1970, will not become copyright-free until after 2040 instead of after 2020, while works by Yasunari Kawabata, who died in 1972, won’t be copyright-free until at least 2043.

agriculture;trans-pacific partnership;tariffs

jp0000450

2015/11/28

Australian sets Christmas tree record with 518,838 lights

CANBERRA - An Australian set his third Christmas-themed world record in as many years Friday by illuminating a tree in downtown Canberra with 518,838 twinkling lights. Guinness World Records confirmed that David Richards had broken the record for the most lights on an artificial Christmas tree that had been held for five years by Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. That 36-meter (118-foot) Japanese tree had set a new benchmark of 374,280 lights this month. Richards, a Canberra lawyer and businessman, brought together a team of volunteers including an electrical engineer, structural engineer, welders, carpenters, masons and steel fixers to erect the dazzling display on a 22-meter (72-foot) steel tree. Richards creates such Christmas extravaganzas to raise money for Canberra’s Sudden Infant Death Syndrome charity, SIDS and Kids, by drawing large crowds and inviting them to donate. “Some people say I’ve got quite a knack for getting people to do things for nothing,” Richards said. “I get people to do things for nothing because they know that I do things for nothing and I’m contributing my own money, resources, time and effort as well — so maybe they feel sorry for me,” he added. He set his first Guinness World Record in 2013 for the most lights on a residential property by covering his suburban home with 502,165 bulbs. Traffic snarls in his neighborhood created by 75,000 sightseers who visited the display over four weeks made it difficult for his family to get to and from their home and irritated some neighbors. So Richards promised never to try to better that record. He set his second record a year ago by stringing up 1,194,380 LED lights in a public space. The 120 kilometers (75 miles) of multicolored wire woven in the shape of three interconnected giant, wrapped Christmas gifts in a Canberra mall was the largest ever image made of LED lights. But records tumble fast in the competitive world of light displays. Richards’ 2014 record was smashed in June at a hotel in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture, by an image of a dragon comprising 1,529,103 lights. His 2013 record for lights at home was beaten within days by a family in LaGrangeville, New York, that decorated their home with 601,736 Christmas lights, reclaiming their 2012 record.

australia;christmas;records;stunts

jp0000451

2015/11/28

Why do we need a little bit on the side?

Dear Alice, I have been wondering about something for a long time: Why is sashimi always served on those piles of stringy daikon radish? Has this always been the case? Does the daikon serve any purpose, or is it just there for decoration? Also, what the heck are you supposed to do with it? Eat it or leave it on the plate? James S., Tokyo Dear James, The finely sliced daikon that comes under or around slices of raw fish is called “ tsuma .” That’s actually a generic term that can be applied to any of the many edible garnishes used to embellish presentations of sashimi. Common examples are artfully carved carrot strips, tiny whole chrysanthemum flowers, red and green seaweeds, and finely sliced myoga , the flower buds of the ginger plant. Yet the piles of white radish are so ubiquitous that, for most people, “tsuma” is pretty much synonymous with daikon. And speaking of synonyms, you probably know that “tsuma” also means “wife,” and are wondering whether there’s a connection. One theory as to why sashimi garnishes are called what they are goes like this: A plate of raw fish is like a happy household, in which the sashimi (the “husband”) exists in harmony with the supportive yet subordinate garnishes (the “wife”). Perhaps, but there are telling differences in how the two words are written. The kanji for tsuma-meaning-garnishes includes the character for tsuma-meaning-wife, but with the addition of the “ koromo hen” radical for clothing. Written this way, the character also refers to the lower front panel of a kimono, which is read — you guessed it — “tsuma”! So a second theory, which I find more plausible, is that “tsuma,” written with the clothing radical, was applied to garnishes because it means something at the side or edge. Turning now to history, I put in a call to Ayao Okumura, a chef, food consultant and cookbook author with a special interest in how Japanese cooking developed. He explained that the custom of eating raw fish was actually introduced to Japan from China, and perhaps as early as during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). At that time, the Chinese ate raw fish, including carp and sea bass, chopped into pieces and tossed with strongly flavored vegetables such as scallions and garlic. This was the way the Japanese initially consumed raw fish, too. The practice of eating raw fish died out in China, but only grew in popularity in Japan, although it remained a luxury only enjoyed by aristocrats. One of the oldest known cookbooks in Japan is the “Shijoryu Hochogaki.” It was written in 1489, in the middle of the Muromachi Period (1392-1573), and includes instructions on preparing raw fish for consumption. The fish should be very carefully sliced, then mixed with vinegar flavored with any number of possible variants. Examples given include salt, wasabi, ginger and a peppery leaf called date , which is a flowering plant in the buckwheat family. Those ingredients originally served important functions, according to Okumura. “Remember that this was in the days before refrigeration,” he said. “Highly flavored and aromatic ingredients were added to mask fishy tastes and smells. But they also slowed the rate of spoilage because, as we now know, many of these foods, and especially wasabi, contain natural anti-bacterial compounds.” The way we enjoy sashimi today — a presentation of plain slices of fish or shellfish that can be dipped in soy sauce to taste — was a much later development. “That style of eating raw fish didn’t come about until late in the Edo Period (1603-1868),” Okumura said. Instead of mixing the sauces and vegetables into the fish, sauces were offered in separate dishes on the side, and the vegetables and other edibles were placed under or around the fish. “As transportation and storage of fish improved, there was less need to mask odors and off tastes, so the original function of tsuma was lost,” Okumura said. “These days, tsuma are used only to make the presentation more attractive. The colors of the vegetables and seaweeds make the fish look more appetizing, and you can add a sense of the season by including seasonal flowers and plants.” There is, however, a new trend to use fewer tsuma, moving away from big, busy presentations. “The current thinking toward tsuma is that less is more,” Okumura commented. “We’re seeing less daikon, and a more measured use of other garnishes, too.” This reminds me of a colloquialism that seems to illustrate just how far tsuma have fallen since the glory days: The phrase “sashimi no tsuma” (“the garnish for sashimi”) can be used to mean someone or something is of little consequence. You can say, “ Kono ken ni tsuite, kare wa sashimi no tsuma no yōna mono da .” (“On this matter, he’s like the garnish for sashimi.”) This means the person’s input and opinion are unimportant, and there’s no reason to take them into account. But let’s get back to your final question: do you, or do you not, eat the daikon? Earlier this year, there was an online survey in which more 12,000 men and women offered their views. While some maintained it is a bad manners to down the decorations, and others said they won’t touch the daikon because it’s contaminated by blood from the fish, fully 76 percent of respondents said they do eat the tsuma. I thought it best to let Okumura have the final word. “It’s fine to eat the tsuma,” he assured me. “You might get a little extra nutrition, and you can certainly enjoy the different flavors and textures.” He did, however, add one caveat: “Just don’t eat the whole chrysanthemum flowers. The petals are fine, and are often used in fall dishes, but they really should be lightly boiled first.” Notice Sadly, this is the final installment of this column, which has run since 2005; Alice Gordenker has decided she needs to focus on other work. Past columns can be accessed at bit.ly/wthisthat .

japanese cuisine;sushi;daikon;sashimi;radish

jp0000452

2015/11/17

Shirt photos offer sometimes awkward moments of APEC unity

MANILA - The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, which draw the U.S. president and 20 other regional leaders, are sometimes memorable for just one moment: the leaders posing for a group photo in unexpected attire. Former President Bill Clinton started the tradition in 1993, when he handed out leather bomber jackets similar to those worn by American fighter pilots. The U.S. leader apparently wanted his fellow VIPs to feel relaxed at the meetings. Dubbed the “silly shirts” photo by some, the occasionally awkward ceremony became a signature event at most annual APEC gatherings, elevating native garb of the host countries to a brief moment of world fame. The 21 APEC leaders have posed for together in batik shirts (Malaysia in 1998), Chinese jackets (Shanghai 2001), flowing ponchos (Chile 2004) and in Vietnamese ao dai — elegant silken tunics in which several of the leaders were visibly ill at ease — in 2006. The Philippines’ barong tagalog, a partially see-through, embroidered shirt sewn from pineapple fiber and silk, appeared at the 1996 summit and returns this week in Manila. Designer Paul Cabral took months to craft the shirts for the leaders and their spouses, using different hand-embroidered themes. It’s bamboo and leaves for Chinese President Xi Jinping, a Sarawak shield design for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and cherry blossoms for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife, Akie.

fashion;apec;offbeat

jp0000453

2015/11/19

Colorado woman kills 38 sheep in crash, charged with drunken driving

DENVER - A 47-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after her vehicle plowed into a flock of sheep in southwestern Colorado, killing 38 of them, police said on Wednesday. Lynn Ann Michel was driving her Isuzu sport utility vehicle on Tuesday night on a rural road outside the town of Monte Vista when she crashed into the animals, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement. Another dozen sheep were injured in the collision, police said, which happened about 185 km (115 miles) southwest of Colorado Springs. Police said Michel then fled but investigators were able to track her down after finding the front license plate of her SUV at the crash site. Michel was cited for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, and failure to provide proof of insurance, the state patrol statement said. She was released from custody and issued a summons to appear in court to answer the charges, police said.

accidents;agriculture;animals;drinking

jp0000454

2015/11/21

Without tackling Japan's labor mismatch, Abe's GDP target is just a pipe dream

In September, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the government’s economic goal is to boost gross domestic product to ¥600 trillion in 2020. Most members of the business community have called this target impossible, since it would require an annual growth rate of 3 percent, and the last time Japan achieved that figure was in 1991. Japan would have to add ¥110 trillion to its economy to achieve the government’s target, and to do that Japan needs to add several million people to the workforce. Earlier this month a government panel of academics and business leaders recommended that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party accelerate the planned ¥18 yearly increase in the minimum wage. The conventional wisdom about raising wages is that it tends to reduce employment, though in the United States there have been recent examples that seem to contradict this economic truism. Some companies in Seattle, for instance, have already raised their hourly wage to $15 an hour ahead of a local law that sets that amount as the minimum wage for “large businesses” within the next four years, and unemployment has actually gone down, though some economists say it has nothing to do with pay. In any event, there’s no way Japan can boost GDP without expanding its workforce. The good news is that there is a surplus of job openings compared to the number of job seekers. The bad news is that there is a mismatch between the positions available and the people who are looking for jobs. In many instances it has to do with training or experience. There are not enough people with the skills necessary to fill many of the empty positions. A bigger problem is that the available jobs are not the kind that the majority of job seekers want, because of either the nature of the work or the employment conditions. An article in the Sept. 28 issue of Toyo Keizai explains that construction and social welfare are the fields that need workers the most. Building and public works projects started decreasing in number in the late ’90s, and as older workers retired, fewer new ones were hired and trained. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, construction demand has increased, but there is a serious lack of skilled workers. The labor ministry estimates that at the moment the industry needs another 500,000, and since more than 20 percent of the current construction workforce is over 60, a decade from now the shortage will expand to 1 million unless more workers are added in the meantime. In the social welfare field — nursing, caregiving, day care—the welfare ministry projects that 2.53 million people will be needed by 2025, and that at the current rate there will only be about 2.15 million. The main problem is low pay and the demands of the job, which combine to result in high turnover. Caregivers quit because they don’t think the remuneration is worth the hard work. Besides, there are other jobs available. Another field suffering from a shortage of labor is delivery services. More than 100,000 drivers are needed nationwide, and courier companies target caregivers since many caregivers have to travel to patients’ homes and thus already have drivers licenses. These companies also know that caregivers tend to be frustrated with their work, and while they don’t necessarily pay them more, the work is relatively easier. In this situation, however, workers are simply being moved from one field to another. They aren’t adding to the total workforce, so the overall economy doesn’t benefit. Another problem is so-called career blanks: workers who have skills but leave the job market for personal reasons and don’t return. The Labor Policy Research Center estimates there are something like 10 million career blanks in Japan. A fair portion are nurses who quit to get married and have children and decide not to return to work afterward. Another difficult demographic is men or women who quit their regular employment to care for elderly parents full-time, but because they tend to leave their jobs in middle age, their prospects for re-entering the job market are low. In a Reuters survey of major Japanese companies, 76 percent supported the idea of “using foreign laborers,” but the government has consistently resisted the call to allow more immigrants into Japan to fill labor needs. Consequently, it will have to persuade more Japanese to enter the workforce, and the only demographics available in any large numbers are women, the elderly and disabled persons. Abe is now advocating a program that will help workers whose parents require extensive care so that these workers don’t have to quit their jobs but, more significantly, the government should encourage companies to hire and even retrain middle-aged and retired people who don’t work at the moment. But it’s women who could make the biggest difference, especially in fields that require manual labor, like construction. The problem is mainly structural, despite the government’s claim that it is giving more women opportunities. Ever since equality in the workplace was guaranteed by law in 1985, women have been channeled into nonregular employment though revisions in the labor laws that satisfy corporate demand for cheaper workers. Right now, 70 percent of all nonregular employees in Japan are women. On the one hand, many of these women are homemakers who only work part time and purposely limit their hours so that they don’t make more than ¥1.03 million a year. If they make above that amount, they no longer qualify as dependent exemptions for income tax purposes and will also lose their type 3 status, meaning they will have to start contributing to social security plans. On the other hand, women who do want to work full time disproportionately prefer office work. According to the Mitsubishi UFJ Research Institute, there are 3.24 million women looking for regular employment and 1.22 million looking for part-time employment as ippan jimu (general office workers), but there are only openings for about a quarter of these women, which means 3.35 million won’t be able to secure their “desired” positions. The trick is to somehow channel this huge labor potential into fields that are desperate for workers, but that will take a concerted effort on the part of government and industry to not only retrain these women and make pay and working conditions more attractive, but also to convince them that women can be just as effective as men in jobs that men have traditionally filled.

women;jobs;abenomics;gdp

jp0000456

2015/11/07

YouTubers in Japan with 100,000 fans and counting

As more and more people turn off the TV in favor of the Internet, YouTube Japan is recognizing some of its top celebrities who are drawing in millions of people to their videos. The company threw a big celebration for more than 20 YouTubers living in Japan who each have over 100,000 subscribers. The channels range from expats explaining Japanese culture to girls giving out makeup advice. Here are some of the channels honored at YouTube’s event. 1. Bilingual Chika ’s fun and informational videos aim to help Japanese people learn English and to help everyone else to understand Japan . Her videos range from simply explaining grammar points all the way to reproducing English fairy tales . 2. Chihiro shares her beauty tips with the world with monthly favorites and test trials of 100 yen store makeup — Chihiro reviews it all. Scattered within these reviews are also a number of vlogs about her life . 3. Daichi Beatboxer ‘ s name pretty much says it all: Daichi Beatboxer is a beatboxer named Daichi. His channel consists of performances , experimental content and collaboration videos with artists such as Hikakin . 4. Einshine ’s channel has one primary theme: anime. Whether it be in his videos about gaming , vlogging or animation , the topic of anime almost always seems to make an appearance. 5. Kobasolo is a musician, producer and charismatic goofball. Showing off his talent in full blown music videos or covers , Kobasolo’s musical skills really shine through. 6. Kumamiki ’s channel is a collage of different do-it-yourself and do-yourself-up videos. In addition to her beauty and makeup tutorials, Kumamiki also vlogs and tries out a variety of food. 7. Melodee Morita is a TV reporter and director who has made her way to YouTube. On top of her travel videos , her videos feature tips on how to act , eat and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 8. Rachel & Jun are more than just a friends. This married couple shows a unique perspective on living in Japan as both a foreigner and native to the country. Whether filming together or alone , their videos tend to revolve around topics relating to Japan. 9. SekineRisa ’s channel is a guide for all things glamorous. Her videos include travel , shopping hauls , makeup tutorials or a combination of the three , and Risa does it all in style. 10. Sharla in Japan is almost like an Internet tour guide for all those looking to visit or learn more about Japan. When she’s visiting theme cafes or discussing Japanese fashion , Sharla always seems to do it with a smile on her face. 11. Takutaku is a gamer with a focus on horror games. His take on games such as “ Hide and Seek “ and “ Entity “ helps make the games feel a little less terrifying. 12. Dekakin runs channel where, whether combining nine hair products into one or drinking cold water in a bathtub full of ice , his humorous personality is the star. 13. Haiji ’s channel is a collection of food vlogs that are sure to make your mouth water. When he’s enjoying cheap sushi or ordering two large bento at once, viewers might feel a mix of hunger and jealousy. 14. Miki Pon provides makeup and hair tutorials for every season and every cost . Those who love her style can mimic it in the real world with her product collections . 15. Suzukawa Ayako is a family-oriented mother who loves her kids and cars. Her videos range all the way from visiting museums with her children to assembling models of toy trains . So there you have some of the top vloggers in Japan. While they may not be household names just yet, their dedicated group of fans are probably refreshing their channels right now hoping for a new video.

internet;youtube;videos;japan pulse

jp0000457

2015/11/09

Iran still trying to smuggle arms to Yemen, harass passing ships: 5th Fleet commander

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Iran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers has done little to stop the country from pursuing activities beyond its shores that the U.S. considers destabilizing, the U.S. naval commander charged with securing the waters around the Arabian Peninsula said Sunday. Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, commander of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, made the comments during an interview with The Associated Press at the opening day of the Dubai Airshow. He was careful not to underplay the significance of Tehran’s willingness to come to the negotiating table to hammer out a deal completed in July that gives it broad sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But he noted that other actions such as attempts to smuggle military equipment to Yemen and harassing ships transiting the Gulf continue just as they did before the agreement. “We’re still concerned about Iran’s behavior overall. Positive about the nuclear agreement, but concerned … about some of their malign behavior related to other things unrelated to the nuclear issue,” he said. Aside from the nuclear negotiations, “I don’t know that we’ve seen a change in behavior,” he added, speaking aboard a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane on display at the biennial show. Donegan, a former Navy fighter pilot and aircraft carrier commander, took over as head of the 5th Fleet in September. The naval force is based in the tiny Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain, just off the coast of Saudi Arabia. It is responsible for operations in a 2.5 million-sq.-mile area that includes the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway wedged between Iran and Oman that is the route for nearly a third of all oil traded by sea. In September, a ship assigned to a multinational naval force led by the 5th Fleet commander intercepted a vessel carrying anti-tank missiles and other equipment believed to be from Iran. That seizure came months after the U.S. sent an aircraft carrier and guided missile cruiser to the Arabian Sea amid concerns that a convoy of Iranian cargo ships was sending combat vehicles and other military equipment to Shiite rebels in Yemen. “We don’t think that was the only shipment that was working its way to Yemen,” Donegan said. He declined to elaborate. Iran acknowledges supporting the Yemeni rebels but denies it provides them any military aid. In the run-up to the nuclear deal, Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship, claiming that the shipping company that chartered it owed money to an Iranian firm. Days after it was released, an Iranian naval patrol opened fire on a Singapore-flagged commercial ship in the Persian Gulf. That incident was apparently linked to a financial dispute stemming from damage to an Iranian oil platform. U.S. Navy ships continue to face occasional harassment from Iranian patrols, Donegan said. While most encounters with the Iranians are professional, they occasionally get too close in ways that are “unsafe,” he said. “The behavior we’ve seen is about what we’ve come to expect,” he said. “They’ll like to intercept our ships, especially the combatants, as they’re going through the straits or in other places in the Gulf. They like to show that they can shoot weapons when they’re in proximity.” In the heavily trafficked Strait of Hormuz, Iranian vessels have occasionally approached commercial ships passing through and told them they must fly an Iranian flag to ensure their safe passage, Donegan added. For the first time since 2007, the United States has no aircraft carrier stationed in the Gulf. The last one left several weeks ago, and a replacement is not due until late this year. The Navy says maintenance needs after several years of heavy reliance on its carrier fleet and longer-than-usual deployments are to blame for the gap in coverage. Donegan said the U.S. can manage without a carrier for the time being even as it continues to handle the bulk of coalition airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, though he acknowledged he “wouldn’t want sustain this for a long period.” U.S. Air Force and other military aircraft are stationed around the Gulf, Turkey and elsewhere in the region. The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship that resembles a small aircraft carrier and has planes and helicopters, also operates in the theater. Donegan insisted that the temporary lack of a carrier is not a signal of the U.S. pulling back from the region — a growing fear among Washington’s Gulf Arab allies. “I don’t think that anyone who looks at it too deeply is going to say that in any way we’re leaving. Quite the contrary,” he said. “We’re here, and you can expect us to stay.”

yemen;iran;airstrikes;u.s. navy;strait of hormuz;5th fleet

jp0000458

2015/11/09

Attorney group to offer free advice to ID-less 'mukoseki' citizens

Japan’s attorneys are planning a wide-scale effort to advise people trapped in mukoseki status who are deprived of basic government services because they do not appear on family registries and thus lack legal identity. In response to a government request, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations will conduct a free, daylong toll-free advice session Wednesday, followed by a wider nationwide response through its regional bar association network. For the Wednesday session, which will be provided from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., callers with issues related to lack of family registration status will be connected to attorneys in their area who can advise them. People without a family registry are ineligible for passports and driver’s licenses, as well as such basic but critical services as public health insurance and national pension benefits. In addition, their lack of a legally valid identity leaves them open to a multitude of other potential problems. As of Oct. 10, there were 677 such people, 123 of them adults, based on cases reported to the Justice Ministry. A baby can fall into mukoseki limbo upon birth if it is fathered by the new partner of a woman who had divorced in the past 300 days. This can happen if she decides not to log the child’s birth in her family registry to circumvent a Civil Code law that deems a baby born in that period as the legal offspring of her former husband. Reluctance to contact a husband who was abusive can also contribute to such a debilitating decision. Critics blame the so-called 300-day rule for aggravating the situation. “The Justice Ministry figure is only the tip of the iceberg,” said Masae Ido, a former Lower House lawmaker who heads a mukoseki support group. She said there must be at least 10,000 people languishing in a mukoseki limbo, based on Supreme Court statistics. “The government should try to grasp the exact number of people who are in a mukoseki status and find out about why they remain in such a legal limbo,” she said.

lawyers;civil code;family registry

jp0000459

2015/11/30

Stress test to join annual health checks as mental problems rise in corporate Japan

In light of the nationwide rise in mental health problems, the Industrial Safety and Health Law was revised last year to oblige companies to offer annual “stress checks” to employees starting Tuesday. Here are some details on the impact the new test is expected have on companies and employees, what it involves, and the factors that led to its introduction. Are work-related mental disorders on the rise? Yes, worker compensation claims are on the rise. In fiscal 2014, a record 1,456 people claimed compensation for poor mental health, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, up from 1,181 in fiscal 2010. A health ministry questionnaire in 2013 found 10 percent of the 9,026 responding businesses said they had employees who had taken more than a month’s leave or quit because of poor mental health the previous year, up from 8.1 percent in 2012. Although the national suicide rate has been declining since 2009, 2,323 of the 27,283 suicides reported in 2013 were blamed on work-related problems, the 2014 white paper on suicide prevention said. The number of work-related suicides, however, stayed relatively stable from 2007 to 2013. What is the economic impact of mental disorders? A study released in 2010 by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research said cases of suicide and depression caused about ¥2.7 trillion in economic losses for Japan in 2009. In 2008, the Cabinet Office estimated that it would cost a company about ¥4.22 million to let an employee in his late 30s making about ¥6 million a year take a six-month leave of absence because of poor mental health. What is the purpose of the test? The primary aim is to minimize mental health problems in the workforce. It also is designed to help improve working environments, which in turn will presumably help prevent people from having breakdowns , according to the ministry. “The government has at last put in place a necessary law to cope with the working environment, where stress abounds,” said Kazuo Koiwa, a certified social insurance labor consultant who is familiar with the test. Koiwa said the mental health checkup will prompt companies to take care of employees’ mental health and help raise workers’ awareness of their psychological condition. How does the checkup work? Businesses with more than 50 employees will be required to offer the checks once a year, which means it will cover some 18,000 businesses and reportedly more than 20 million employees nationwide. All employees, including part-timers, will be urged to take the test, although it is not mandatory. Businesses will have the option of creating their own questionnaire covering three areas: causes of stress in the workplace, symptoms of stress, and personal relationships. They will also have the option of using the questionnaire made by the health ministry, which has 57 questions covering the three areas. For causes of stress in the workplace, the ministry’s test includes the question phraseology options: “I have an extremely large amount of work to do,” “My job requires a lot of physical work” and “The atmosphere in my workplace is friendly.” The test-takers response options will range from “very much so” and “moderately so” to “somewhat” and “not at all.” On symptoms of stress, the ministry’s test phrases include: “I have been lively,” “I have felt exhausted” and “I have been unable to concentrate.” The answer options include: “almost never,” “sometimes,” “often” and “almost always.” In the relationships section, one question asks how freely one can speak with superiors, colleagues, spouses and other family members. How will employees learn of the test results? The doctors or nurses who assess the tests will directly inform them. Since the medical professionals will be obliged to maintain confidentiality, they will be barred from notifying the test-takers’ employers of the results without formal consent. If test-takers are assessed as under heavy stress, they can see a doctor at their request. Based on the advice of the interviewing doctors, employers will be required to improve the situation, such as by reducing work hours or arranging transfers. Are there any concerns about the tests? Koiwa pointed out that the tests, which are not mandatory, won’t work if employees are reluctant to take them. “Companies need to show positive attitudes toward creating better working environments, while encouraging employees to take the test,” Koiwa said. A recent survey has shown that companies are being slow in preparing for the annual test. The survey by job information provider en-Japan Inc. in October said 49 percent of the 231 responding firms said they are getting ready to introduce the tests, 33 percent remain unprepared, and 5 percent have no plans for preparations. Of the companies preparing to introduce the tests, 36 percent expected the checkup to have little effect. An advertising and publishing industry source said companies expect to gain little from the tests in comparison with costs of introducing them, adding there might be other ways of safeguarding employees’ mental health. An official at a manufacturer said they are not yet sure how the results of the tests will be of use.

workers;mental health;companies;stress check

jp0000460

2015/11/08

Streak of light in night sky from U.S. Navy missile test gets social media buzzing

SAN DIEGO - The U.S. Navy fired an unarmed missile from a submarine off the coast of California and managed to create a stir on social media because people as far away as Nevada and Arizona reported a streak of light in the night sky. A navy spokesman told The San Diego Union-Tribune the Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted the missile test Saturday in the Pacific Test Range near Los Angeles. Cmdr. Ryan Perry said the launches are conducted frequently to ensure the continued reliability of the system and that information about such tests is classified prior to the launch. The streak of light led to a flurry of calls to law enforcement agencies.

u.s .;california;pacific;social media;missile test

jp0000462

2015/11/23

Fate of troubled Monju reactor hangs in the balance

After decades of repeated troubles, the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor is at a crossroads. Earlier this month, the Nuclear Regulation Authority lodged its first official request with the education and science ministry to find a new entity to replace the government-backed Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to operate the trouble-plagued facility in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture. The ministry has been given about six months to find a replacement. If it fails to do so, the NRA asked the ministry to conduct a fundamental rethink of Monju’s status, which, pundits say, could lead to its decommissioning. Following are questions and answers about the accident-prone research facility that was completed in April 1991 but has remained, except for brief operational interludes, effectively idled since then. What is Monju? It is Japan’s sole prototype fast-breeder reactor, designed to produce more plutonium fuel than it consumes to generate electricity. Once touted as a “dream reactor,” Monju is the central component of the country’s nuclear fuel cycle program aimed at resolving the nation’s shortage of natural energy sources. The plan has been to extract plutonium and uranium from spent nuclear fuel and reprocess them into plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel to be reused at the fast-breeder and other nuclear reactors. Had Monju worked according to plan, it was assumed Japan would no longer need to import uranium. Monju reached criticality in April 1994 and began generating electricity for the first time the following year. However, it was forced to shut down in December 1995, following a sodium coolant leak and fire, and subsequent cover-up attempt. Did it resume operation after the 1995 accident? The reactor went online again in May 2010 for the first time in about 14 years. But just three months later, in August, it was again forced to shut down after a fuel-loading device fell into the reactor vessel. Monju has been idle since then. Other troubles include JAEA’s failure in 2012 to inspect some 10,000 reactor components, including more than 50 parts vital for the reactor’s safety. This prompted the NRA in 2013 to issue an effective ban on restarting the reactor. Due to a spate of accidents and JAEA’s apparent slipshod safety management, Monju has operated for just 250 days since it reached criticality in 1994. Still, more than ¥1 trillion in taxpayers’ money has been poured into the facility. Reports say about ¥20 billion in funding is required annually to maintain Monju even when it is offline. Earlier this month, Taro Kono, an anti-nuclear Cabinet minister in charge of administrative reforms, criticized the JAEA for wasting money on nuclear fuel transport ship Kaiei Maru, which has been used only four times since its introduction in 2006 but costs about ¥1.2 billion annually to maintain. Why has Monju been prone to accidents? Unlike ordinary nuclear reactors that use water as a coolant, the fast-breeder reactor uses sodium, which reacts violently with water. Experts say Monju’s past accidents were partly due to the difficulty in handling sodium. Will the science ministry be able to find a replacement for the JAEA? It would be extremely difficult, experts say. The key to operating the facility is whether a candidate has the skill and experience to handle sodium. Hideyuki Ban, co-director of the Tokyo-based Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center, said companies that have been involved in Monju’s construction or operations, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and the Japan Atomic Power Company, could be possible candidates. But those companies’ knowledge and ability to handle sodium or Monju itself do not exceed that of the JAEA, he said. “Although it has struggled, . . . (in the end the JAEA) has continued to run the facility up until now,” Ban said. “I believe there is no entity that has deeper knowledge (about Monju) than the JAEA.” What would happen if the government scrapped the Monju project? What the government fears most is that it could have a huge impact on the nuclear fuel cycle goals Japan has pursued since the 1950s. “There is no change in the government’s policy to pursue (the nuclear fuel cycle) by gaining (the acceptance of) municipalities and the international community,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Nov. 13. Some 17,000 tons of spent fuel rods are stored at nuclear power plants across Japan, waiting to be reprocessed to extract plutonium. If the Monju project is scrapped, they may end up as dangerous waste with nowhere to go. Experts say that because the government plans to restart reactors nationwide, the storage pools will become full of spent fuel rods. Thus it is widely believed that the government will continue to pursue the use of reprocessed fuel in ordinary light-water reactors even if the fast-breeder reactor project is discontinued. How much plutonium does Japan possess? As of December 2014, Japan had about 47.8 tons of plutonium, according to the Cabinet Office. This includes about 10.8 tons in Japan and 37 tons that have been reprocessed and stored in the U.K. and France, waiting to be returned to Japan to be used as fuel. NHK reported the amount is enough to make about 5,900 atomic bombs. Are there any countries other than Japan pushing to develop fast-breeder reactors? Russia, China and India are still eagerly pushing to develop fast-breeder reactors, but none has established the technologies to operate the reactors. Many industrialized countries, including the U.K. and Germany, gave up development of the reactors a while ago, given the technical and cost hurdles.

fast-breeder reactor;monju;nuclear reactors;plutonium

jp0000464

2015/11/12

DPJ on the rocks amid calls for merger with Ishin no To

Japan’s largest opposition party appears to be in danger of falling apart, as some of its core members prepared Thursday to officially demand that their leader dissolve the party and create a new force with Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party). Democratic Party of Japan policy chief Goshi Hosono and former President Seiji Maehara held talks with former Ishin President Kenji Eda on Wednesday night and agreed to work for the dissolution of the two parties and the formation of a new opposition force powerful enough to challenge Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party in next summer’s Upper House election. Maehara is set to put the demand to DPJ President Katsuya Okada “sometime soon,” according to Kyodo News. Eda had met with Okada on Wednesday night and suggested the two parties dissolve and form a fresh force, but Okada rejected the idea, the news agency reported, quoting an anonymous source close to Eda. Since the DPJ lost power to the LDP in the December 2012 general election, the party has struggled to gain voter support and muster much influence in a Diet mostly dominated by the ruling LDP-Komeito coalition. The move, however, could trigger an internal feud between conservative DPJ members who support Hosono and Maehara, and those who are close to Okada and reluctant to dissolve the party. During a news conference Thursday, Okada said he had not confirmed the reported agreement, and attempted to reassure party supporters. “There is no need to worry. I am the leader (of the DPJ),” Okada said. Okada declined to make further comment, but said that to break the stagnant situation “(the party’s) essence must be changed.” “Changing the signs won’t work,” he said in an apparent reference that a new party could end up being the same people calling themselves by a new party name. Hosono and Maehara have been eager to form a new opposition force with Ishin for a long time and have criticized Okada after he seemed to be looking at ways to cooperate with the Japanese Communist Party in the next Upper House election. Meanwhile, the head of Ishin, Yorihisa Matsuno, who has repeatedly voiced hope of creating a new opposition force with the DPJ by the end of this year, welcomed the move and urged the DPJ leadership to accept the demand. “It would only take a nod from a member of (the DPJ’s) leadership such as Okada or (Secretary-General Yukio) Edano” to realize the realignment of the opposition forces, Matsuno said at a news conference. According to NHK polls, the DPJ’s support rate has faltered to around 7 to 10 percent in the past year, while that of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s LDP stands at about 35 to 40 percent.

democratic party of japan;goshi hosono;katsuya okada;opposition;kenji eda;seiji maehara;ishin no to

jp0000465

2015/11/14

Zzzz — a novel way to manipulate sleep

The Milinda Panha is a Buddhist text written more than 2,000 years ago. It takes the form of a dialogue between Indo-Greek King Menander I and a Buddhist sage. At one point, the king is interested in the meaning of dreams. The sage talks about the possible influences of the waking life on dreams and then mentions that they occur in the period between falling asleep and deep sleep. This insight is fascinating, because scientists weren’t able to make much more progress than this until the 1950s. For something so universal, it’s odd that scientists really didn’t start to understand what goes on when we sleep until relatively recently. The breakthrough came when American physiologists Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman were making observations of sleeping infants and recording different phases of sleep. In particular, they noticed that the eyes would sometimes jerk and twitch under the eyelids. The pair named this “rapid eye movement” (REM) sleep and later found that it didn’t just occur in babies but in people of all ages. We’ve seen it since in all mammals and in birds, too. You probably know that REM sleep is closely associated with dreaming. Wake someone during REM sleep and they will almost always be able to tell you about the dream they were having. It turns out that dreams are quite taxing in terms of energy, as measured by oxygen use and glucose metabolism in the brain. The brain uses up at least as much energy — and sometimes more — when in REM sleep compared to when we are awake. Now, it seems, our understanding of sleep has taken another important step forward. Yu Hayashi of the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine at the University of Tsukuba and colleagues have discovered the identity of the neurons that control REM sleep. “We found a brain region that controls REM sleep, and we hope to discover drugs that affect the activity of this area,” Hayashi says. “This should lead to an increase in REM sleep and, hence, improve sleep quality.” Hayashi’s colleague, Shigeyoshi Itohara, of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute says there will be ethical concerns to take into account. “However,” he says, “if our understanding reaches a certain level, we might be able to create a novel way to manipulate sleep in humans.” The pair studied sleeping mice to identify the neural circuit in the brain that regulates REM sleep. They also found that REM sleep controls the physiology of the other major sleep phase, the imaginatively named non-REM (NREM) sleep. Neuroscientists suspected that REM sleep was controlled from a part of the brainstem called the pons. Hayashi and Itohara observed that many cells in the pons originated from a distant brain area called the rhombic lip during early embryonic development. The team used a new technique to label cells from the rhombic lip in order to track their migration through the brain. They could then activate the cells artificially. They used a technique ominously called “DREADD,” which stands for “Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs.” They used mice that were genetically engineered to have special rhombic lip cells, which could then be controlled by giving the mice a drug. Hayashi’s team were able to suppress REM sleep, leading to an increase in the dreamless blank of NREM sleep. The scientists then investigated the role of REM sleep in controlling the other phases of sleep. If you record brainwaves at different stages of sleep, you find that NREM sleep has large, slow waves of activity moving across the brain, whereas REM sleep has lots of unsynchronized activity. Using their master control switch — the DREADD system — the team could shorten or lengthen REM sleep. What they discovered was that size of the slow waves that followed in the next bout of NREM sleep were correspondingly smaller or larger. It’s the first time that anyone knew that there was a hierarchy of sleep, and that NREM was controlled by REM sleep. “We found that REM sleep enhances slow waves during NREM sleep. Slow waves are important for memory consolidation,” Hayashi says. “Thus, we think one role for REM sleep is to control NREM sleep quality.” It’s important to understand how and why our sleep patterns evolved. Reptiles, amphibians and fish don’t have two phases of sleep in the same way that mammals and birds do. We know that new experiences we have during the day are stored in the brain that night during NREM sleep. Until the work of Hayashi and Itohara, we didn’t know that REM sleep had such an important role in this consolidation. “I hypothesize that REM sleep has crucial roles in nondeclarative memory and emotional memory,” Itohara says. Nondeclarative memory, also known as procedural memory, relates to unconscious memories and skills, such as knowing how to ride a bike. REM sleep occurs in bursts, getting longer throughout the night. By the end of the night, adults will have spent 90-120 minutes in REM sleep, totalling 20-25 percent of total sleep time. However, people with depression have more REM sleep, meaning they wake up still feeling tired. Sleep scientists try to understand the function of REM sleep by waking people up when their eyes start to flicker and their brain waves change. In this way researchers have built up a large set of dream diaries, and they found gender differences in dream subjects. There are obviously a huge variety of dreams but, generally, scientists have found that men tend to dream about fighting other men, whereas women commonly dream about talking with men and other women. A better understanding of how and why we sleep won’t just help us all feel more refreshed, it will help us understand how the brain works — and eventually help us answer those questions about dreams that Menander was so keen to understand.

sleep;dreaming

jp0000467

2015/11/14

Will Tokyo become Hashimoto's Wonderland?

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” — Alice Liddell from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” Six months have passed since Toru Hashimoto announced that when his term as Osaka mayor ends next month, he would retire from politics. Few believe him, but the utterance was in character, reflecting Hashimoto’s penchant for surprising allies and enemies. With the double election for mayor and governor now one week away, the question is whether Hashimoto will, like the Cheshire Cat from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” vanish from Osaka, only to reappear with a grin elsewhere (the prime minister’s office? The Diet?) in some other guise. Will he enter national politics if, as some media are speculating, next summer sees Upper and Lower House elections? Will he be appointed a nonelected member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet after the new year, or at the very least chairman of some blue-ribbon government reform panel? Or, will he become an influential courtier, pontificating on the state of Japan on television by day, and slipping in and out of smoke-filled rooms and expensive nightclubs for private conversations with senior politicians at night? Answers vary, but where Hashimoto ends up next depends upon three things: the results of the Nov. 22 double election, his support in Tokyo and, perhaps most importantly, his own financial situation. A loss by Hashimoto’s hand-picked successor for mayor, Hirofumi Yoshimura, to Akira Yanagimoto, who is backed by the local chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Communist Party, would likely create concerns about whether Hashimoto can still be a major political force, especially with the new national party, Osaka Ishin no Kai, he is creating. In politics, where power is often perception, Hashimoto could find his phone calls to senior LDP figures unreturned if a sense grows that his ability to expand the Ishin movement, with its LDP (or, at least, Abe) friendly views on constitutional revision, has waned. That leads to the second unknown, which is Hashimoto’s support base in Tokyo. Sure, he and Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui can pop by for tea and crumpets with Abe and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga whenever they are in town. But the LDP remains a series of factions and not all of them are as anxious to court Hashimoto as Abe, or at least Suga, sometimes appears to be. Mayoral candidate Yanagimoto is the nephew of Takuji Yanagimoto, an Upper House member from Osaka who belongs to the faction of Wakayama-based Toshihiro Nikai. He, in turn, has proposed a plan to revitalize Osaka that Hashimoto has criticized as vague, hinting it’s merely a political ploy by a Yanagimoto ally to win votes in the Osaka races. But if the younger Akira wins the Osaka mayor’s chair, the Nikai faction wins an ally and Abe and Suga have to think more carefully about how to handle Hashimoto. Finally, money. Hashimoto was a well-paid private attorney and television commentator before going into politics. Becoming a Diet member not only means spending lots of money, it also means stricter laws governing things like payment for television appearances. Does Hashimoto want the financial risk that comes with entering national politics, or will he take the safer route and remain in private practice, where he’s sure to add to his bank account? Perhaps Hashimoto himself does not know. He may attempt to reinvent himself after he leaves office, to convince the world he is not the same person he was yesterday. And that leads to the most important question of all: After seven years in the political limelight, who is he really? Ah, that’s the great puzzle. Curiouser and curiouser, indeed.

toru hashimoto;osaka

jp0000468

2015/11/22

Zimbabwe's Mr. Ugly pageant turns ugly as contestants accuse judges of bias

HARARE - Pageant judges have crowned a new winner of Zimbabwe’s 4th annual “Mister Ugly” contest, upsetting supporters of the crowd favorite and prompting rioting at the event. Judges on Saturday chose 42-year-old Mison Sere, citing his numerous missing front teeth and a wide range of grotesque facial expressions, over William Masvinu, who had held the title since 2012. Masvinu and his supporters mobbed the judges upon hearing their decision, claiming that Sere was “too handsome” to win and his ugliness is not natural since it is based on missing teeth. “I am naturally ugly. He is not. He is ugly only when he opens his mouth,” maintained Masvinu, gesturing at his rival. “Do we have to lose our teeth to win? This is cheating,” shouted another contestant, Patrick Mupereki. While no one was injured, there was a great deal of pushing and shoving as the results were announced and insults were hurled at the judges. Beauty pageants are popular in this southern African country and even though they are typically for women, scandal is not unusual. Earlier this year, Miss Zimbabwe winner Emily Kachote faced a backlash on social media, with Zimbabweans calling her ugly and undeserving of the crown. She was later forced to step down when just two weeks into her reign, images surfaced of her posing nude — which incidentally also brought down her predecessor. Sere dismissed the critics as just “sore losers” as he pocketed the $500 in winnings. “They should just accept that I am uglier than them,” he said. “I hope to get a TV contract. I already moved around schools performing and showcasing my ugliness so this is a chance to make it on TV.” The complaints of Masvinu and the other contestants may have a degree of validity. Organizers had previously announced that disabilities or enhancements would not be accepted in the competition, in which “natural ugliness” was the focus. Pageant organizer David Machowa originally said that he began the contest to remove the stigma of ugliness. “Looks are God given. We should all be proud of who we are,” he said. The pageant involved three rounds of modeling, with individual and group struts down a catwalk at a Harare nightclub. “Sere made tremendous effort to enhance his ugliness by pulling facial stunts,” said judge Abigail Mataranyika, a university student. “Masvinu thought he is so ugly that he didn’t need to try hard. That cost him the crown.” This year’s competition attracted a record 36 entries, compared to just five in 2012 when Masvinu began his winning streak. The competition was suspended in 2014 due to a lack of sponsorship, but this year the owners of a string of Harare nightclubs donated $1,000.

contests;zimbabwe;beauty contest;harare

jp0000469

2015/11/22

Osaka group preps Kansai solution to Futenma base row

OSAKA - If a group of Osaka residents has its way, the U.S. Marine Corps base at Futenma in Okinawa may not end up in the northern part of the island, but in one of five spots in their prefecture. The effort comes more than 20 years after the rape of an Okinawan schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen sparked calls to reduce the U.S. base presence. Over the past 15 years, three U.S. presidents and nine prime ministers, including Shinzo Abe (now taking his second swing), have failed to fulfill the bilateral agreement to replace U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, with a new base in Henoko, in Nago. This is due to fierce local opposition that has only grown more intense since last November’s election of anti-base Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, and a refusal by Tokyo and Washington to consider alternatives. Onaga, Nago Mayor Susume Inamine and a majority of Okinawans oppose the Henoko plan. Onaga recently defied Abe by withdrawing permission, granted by his predecessor, for a related landfill project. A long series of court battles between Okinawa and Tokyo now appears inevitable. Meanwhile, tensions and clashes between anti-base protesters from Okinawa and elsewhere, and security forces from Tokyo and Okinawa are increasing. To finally solve the problem, a small group of traditionally anti-base activists in Osaka has been calling for Futenma’s replacement airstrip to be built in Osaka. They hope to lighten Okinawa’s base-hosting burden and prevent an escalation of violence. The group, consisting of about a dozen core members, is led by Aki Matsumoto, a 32-year-old woman who became involved with the Okinawa base issue during college. As years passed by without any resolution, she realized that Japanese in the rest of the country were not thinking about the base issue as their problem. Pro-base and pro-security alliance Japanese were perfectly happy to voice their support for replacing the Futenma base, as long as nobody suggested its replacement be located in their quiet neighborhood, while anti-base protesters were not offering solutions. Caught in the middle were the Okinawans. “The members of our group who are offering to bring Futenma to Osaka are people who have long years of experience opposing U.S. bases around Japan, starting with Okinawa. Within Japanese society, which approves of a discriminatory policy toward Okinawa, shouting ‘We don’t need bases anywhere’ will just lead to the bases in Okinawa remaining where they are,” Matsumoto said. At present, Matsumoto and her group are thinking about five places in Osaka Prefecture where Futenma’s successor could be built. They include Kansai airport, Yao airport (a smaller facility used by the Self-Defense Forces), Yumeshima, an artificial island in the city of Osaka, Takatsuki, in the northern part of the prefecture, and Izumiotsu, a city on Osaka bay between Kansai airport and downtown Osaka. At a recent seminar on how to persuade Osaka residents to host the base, Matsuno said that at this point, the discussion is just getting started. The group’s goal and site suggestions, which include places where its members reside, have not yet been presented to government officials from either country, and the feasibility of each site still needs to be explored, she said. “I know there are concerns about bringing an Okinawa base to Osaka. However, we have to bear in mind that we’ve been avoiding responsibility for what’s happening in Okinawa. Upon deciding to bring the base to Osaka, all Osakans can resolve various problems and concerns,” Matsumoto said. A survey by the Cabinet Office earlier this year said 83 percent of the public believes the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty is useful for Japan’s peace and security, even as Okinawan media polls consistently show a clear majority of residents do not want the Futenma base to stay in their prefecture. A June survey by the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper said that while 31 percent of residents want the base removed from Japan, about 22 percent were willing to see it moved to another prefecture. Midori Ikeda, a professor at Otsuma Women’s University in Tokyo who studies Okinawa discrimination issues, noted that mainland Japanese tend to make excuses for keeping the bases in Okinawa, which just encourages further discrimination. “People say the Okinawans have so many bases because they are too conciliatory, or that Okinawa is using them as a negotiating card to get more central government funding for local infrastructure projects,” Ikeda said. “But what we have now is a situation whereby peace activism and discrimination toward Okinawans exists side by side.” The idea of shifting Futenma’s operations to Kansai is not new. In 2009, and then again in 2012, during a time when the Democratic Party of Japan was in power, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto suggested Kansai airport could host the base. In addition, Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui said in September 2012 that Osaka Prefecture could host Futenma’s replacement. “We’re ready to accept the base,” Matsui said at the time. However, Hashimoto and Matsui would later reverse their positions after the Liberal Democratic Party returned to power in December 2012. The hurdles — political, economic, and logistical — of trading the Henoko plan for Osaka are daunting. Tokyo and Washington remain firmly committed to the plan. Politically influential businesses involved in its construction would create problems if the plan were dropped. Local opposition in Osaka would have to be overcome and — most importantly — any new site would have to meet the logistic requirements of the U.S. Marines. In the past, Japanese officials in the ruling and opposition parties have also suggested Kyushu and Hokkaido as alternatives to Henoko. Kyushu in particular remains a possibility. There is a U.S. Navy base at Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, and the Defense Ministry has just unveiled a plan that would deploy up to 70 Self-Defense Forces aircraft, including contentious V-22 Ospreys, at underused Saga airport. In fact, there is already a group similar to Matsumoto’s in Fukuoka, which has proposed relocating Futenma’s operations there. Yet whatever the results of such efforts, it’s clear that some in Osaka who have long opposed building a new base in Okinawa believe it’s time for new, out-of-the-box thinking.

okinawa;osaka;futenma;henoko

jp0000470

2015/11/25

‘Japan Sumo Cup’ is possibly the most Japanese thing ever

Do you like sumo? Into horse racing? Longtime fan of “Street Fighter”? Well, then do we have a game to match your specific and varied interests. “ Japan Sumo Cup ” is a free web-based game that — prepare yourself — lets you play as real sumo wrestlers riding actual horses from the Japan Racing Association while competing against characters from “Street Fighter.” No, this isn’t a joke. The Japan Racing Association developed the game with the Japan Sumo Association and Capcom to help promote an upcoming race on Nov. 29, and also created the most Japanese thing in quite some time. In this rhythm game, players can choose from different sumo wrestlers and then compete against characters from Capcom’s popular fighting series, including Blanka, Guile and M. Bison. The best part is that there are many nods to “Street Fighter” in “Japan Sumo Cup,” such as Dhalsim riding an elephant instead of a horse. Each fighter’s stage comes with a remixed version of their background music from the original game, and they even perform their signature moves when the race gets close. Ryu shoots out his Hadouken blast and Chun-Li does her Spinning Bird Kick. In order to win, players have to tap the arrow buttons on their keyboards at the right moments to rack up combos and win the race. Since the beats match the music from “Street Fighter,” old-school players who have the original soundtrack burned into their brains will have a leg up on the competition. With this game, the JRA and Sumo Association, long the pastimes of elderly men, are clearly trying to reach out to the next generation. It kind of reminds us of when JRA put QR codes on betting tickets in 2002 or when the Sumo Association held “gokon” matchmaking events at one of its matches. You can place your bets now on whether or not this joint venture pays off. “Japan Sumo Cuo” can be played for free online. The site says that more characters will be unlocked later this week.

street fighter;video games;capcom;japan pulse;sumo;horse racing

jp0000471

2015/10/03

Who's responsible for the Fukushima disaster?

The International Atomic Energy Agency released its comprehensive — but mostly ignored — final report on Fukushima on Aug. 30. It blamed the March 2011 triple meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant on a blind belief in “the nuclear safety myth.” In other words, the myth that Japan’s “nuclear power plants were so safe that an accident of this magnitude was simply unthinkable.” “The regulation of nuclear safety in Japan at the time of the accident was performed by a number of organizations with different roles and responsibilities and complex interrelationships,” the report said. “It was not fully clear which organizations had the responsibility and authority to issue binding instructions on how to respond to safety issues without delay. The regulations, guidelines and procedures in place at the time of the accident were not fully in line with international practice in some key areas, most notably in relation to periodic safety reviews, re-evaluation of hazards, severe accident management and safety culture.” I’m sure we all remember the “unforeseeable” accident that happened in Fukushima in March 2011, an accident that will take an estimated 40 years and billions of dollars to clean up, some of it already subsidized with taxpayer money and higher electric bills. Having restarted a reactor at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima in August, one might suspect that the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kyushu Electric Power Co. don’t appear to remember this accident very well. For a start, putting the reactor in Kagoshima back online didn’t exactly go according to plan. Despite months of inspection, seawater was detected in the reactor’s cooling system in late August. Alarm bells sounded. In spite of all the checks and balances that were introduced in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, power utilities are continuing to drop the ball as far as their reactors are concerned. How can we ensure such oversight is avoided? Katsunoba Onda, author of “Tepco: The Darkness of the Empire,” which predicted in 2007 the nuclear accident at Fukushima, and lawyer Hiroyuki Kawai, who established the National Network of Counsels in Cases against Nuclear Power Plants, have proposed a very simple way of ensuring this happens: hold nuclear plant operators criminally liable for negligence. The threat of incarceration might help them take their work more seriously and less likely to cut corners. The Prosecutorial Review Board appears to back such a proposal, approving the first criminal prosecutions of three former Tepco executives last July. The board consists of a panel of 11 private citizens, who operate under a rarely used set-up in the Japanese legal system that allows outsiders to review prosecutors’ decisions. The panel ordered that Tsunehisa Katsumata, chairman of Tepco at the time of the accident, and two former heads of the utility’s nuclear division, be charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury. Prosecutors, however, have to date been slow to pursue criminal liability in the case. They did accept submissions from the public but then leaked their decision not to prosecute just as Japan won the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games. The story, however, doesn’t end there. This decision was again sent to the Prosecutorial Review Board, which again recommended that a criminal case be filed. For the second year in succession, the Prosecutorial Review Board overruled the prosecutors. Prosecutors have reportedly continued to reject the case because “it is not possible to prove negligence.” The IAEA report is expected to be submitted as evidence showing the exact opposite. “When you have a disaster of this scale, isn’t it crazy not to pursue responsibility?” Kawai, who led the citizen’s group that filed charges with the prosecutors, told Nikkan Gendai. “The common sense of the people overturned the judgment of prosecutors, prosecutors who favor large companies and the powerful. Tepco knew about the possibility of a large-scale tsunami and did nothing about it. The idea that if it’s not easily foreseeable, no one is responsible is mistaken. Abe says ‘Japan has the safest nuclear standards in the world.’ He’s the only one saying it. It’s not true. The Abe administration’s push for war and for nuclear energy are very dangerous — one mistake and this country will be destroyed.” If the Tepco executives are tried in court and found guilty, it wouldn’t be the first time nuclear power operators were convicted of criminal negligence resulting in death. In 1999, two employees died in an accident at the Tokaimura power plant run by JCO, a nuclear fuel cycle company. Six of the company’s executives were later charged and pleaded guilty to criminal charges of negligence resulting in the deaths. They were all given suspended sentences.

tepco;nuclear disaster;fukushima no . 1 power plant

jp0000472

2015/10/03

Germans at Kurume 'getting arrogant'; Throne Assistance body meets; hope abandoned for 208 missing fishermen; Kaifu congratulates unified Germany

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, Oct. 7, 1915 Germans at Kurume ‘getting arrogant’ According to a message from Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, some 700 German prisoners of war currently held at Kurume detention camp are becoming insolent. They refused to respond when the usual roll was called and burst out singing martial songs, paying no regard to the admonitions of the authorities. The demonstration was brought under control when some 100 soldiers with loaded rifles were dispatched to the camp from Kurume Regiment. Some practical measures will, it is understood, be taken to deal with the prisoners as they deserve. Recently the prisoners at Kurume have been markedly remiss in discipline, some trying to escape from the camp. Last Monday, camp director Masaki told the prisoners to be more careful in their conduct. Shortly after the director’s order was given, a prisoner failed to obey an order and was consequently punished severely. This incident led to the rebellious conduct the same evening. In this connection, it may be worth mentioning that the prisoners had been hoping for the return of four of their comrades who had escaped some time ago only to be recaptured, and that it was to their great disappointment that those four prisoners had subsequently been committed to prison by a court-martial. 75 YEARS AGO Sunday, Oct. 13, 1940 Throne Assistance body meets for the first time The Association for Assisting the Throne held its inaugural meeting today, marking the first step toward the realization of Japan’s new national order. Present were Premier Prince Fumimaro Konoye, all Cabinet ministers except Commerce and Industry Minister Ichizo Kobayashi, who is in the Netherlands East Indies, along with assorted advisers, directors, councilors, and bureau and department heads of the association. After an opening address by Cabinet Secretary Kenji Tomita, the attendants paid their respects to the Emperor, prayed for victory, offered a silent tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the State in the China Affair and sang the national anthem. Premier Prince Konoye then read the historic declaration of the Association to the following effect: “Japan is now confronted with an epochal transitional period. The time has arrived when we should proceed with the establishment of a new order in Greater Asia and also a new world order, consolidating our league with our good neighbors internationally and establishing a new structure internally. “In view of the current international situation, the Government is bending all its efforts on the construction of a highly organized national defense structure in obedience to His Majesty’s command. “Such a structure will become possible when all old shells are cast off the fields of politics, economy, culture and others, and when all people start to cooperate with each other in one mind and every field of state mechanisms are enabled to function organically and smoothly. “The object of the Association is to enable the people to render their sincerest service to the Throne day and night through their respective occupations.” The association’s name is now commonly translated as Imperial Rule Assistance Association. 50 YEARS AGO Sunday, Oct. 10, 1965 Hope abandoned for missing fishermen The Maritime Safety Agency virtually gave up hope Saturday afternoon for the survival of the 208 Japanese fishermen missing in the Marianas in the central Pacific after their boats were caught in Typhoon Carmen on Thursday. U.S. Navy and Coast Guard rescue planes dispatched from Guam Island and 16 Japanese fishing boats were combing waters near Agrihan Island in the Marianas, where seven Japanese fishing boats with a total of 251 fishermen were caught in the typhoon. As of Saturday morning only one of the seven boats — the 160 ton No. 11 Benten Maru with a crew of 40 — was found aground near the island, with one crew member reported missing. Among the crewmen of the missing boats were 11 minors fresh out of junior high schools. The teenage boys were recruited by shipowners to help ease the short supply of fishermen. This is the second worst maritime disaster in modern Japanese fishing history. The worst accident was the one on May 9 and 10, 1954, when a total of 409 fishing boats were lost in waters off Hokkaido in a violent storm, killing 337 fishermen. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, Oct. 4, 1990 Kaifu congratulates unified Germany A message of congratulations on Germany’s unification from Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu was aired on German television Tuesday, government officials said. “I heartily congratulate you on the accomplishment of unification of East and West Germany, the earnest wish of the German people, and pay deep tribute to the indomitable patience and wisdom shown by the German people for realization of unification,” Kaifu said. “I am convinced that a unified Germany will play a more important role in Europe, which seeks a new order, and for peace and prosperity of the international community. “There has not been a time like today when both Japan and Germany are being urged to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the international community.” German reunification is not likely to affect Japan’s foreign policy for the time being, government sources said. However, they expressed hope that creation of a unified German as a key member of the European Community might work against the emergence of a protectionist trading bloc.

germany;fukuoka;prisoners of war;kurume;imperial rule assistance association;maritime disaster;toshiki kaifu

jp0000474

2015/10/05

Shortcomings identified in new reporting system into hospital deaths

On Thursday, the government launched a new reporting system for deaths resulting from medical care. The iryojiko chosa seido (medical accidents investigation system), created based on last year’s revisions to the Medical Care Law, is aimed at preventing recurrences of medical accidents and ensuring patient safety. Under the system, all of the nation’s 180,000 hospitals and clinics are mandated to investigate “unexpected” cases of patient deaths themselves, regardless of their legal liability, and report the results to the next of kin and a third-party organization. While some people have hailed the move as a positive step to prevent adverse events, others say it falls short of adequately addressing the needs of patients and families wanting answers. Following are questions and answers on the issue: Does the new system cover all medical accidents in Japan? No. The system targets only “unexpected deaths” in relation to medical care. It is up to the heads of the medical institutions to determine whether the deaths could not have been anticipated. Also, since the system focuses on deaths that apparently resulted from improper patient care, it only covers those who died. Once a hospital concludes an unexpected death has occurred, it will probe the case. Their investigative teams must include outside experts to ensure impartiality. They must explain the results of their investigations to relatives of the deceased, and submit a report on each case to the Japan Medical Safety Research Organization — the health ministry-designated independent body held responsible for handling all reports. The names of doctors and hospitals are withheld in the reports. The organization’s job includes analyzing the information and proposing steps to avoid repeated fatal mistakes. What do the in-house investigations entail? The investigative team will examine medical records, interview doctors and others who provided care, and if necessary, interview the next of kin. They will perform autopsies or Ai — postmortem imaging before an autopsy — if they think they can gain further insight into the deaths, and if they have the consent of relatives. If the next of kin are unhappy with the conclusions made by the hospitals, they can ask the JMSRO to reinvestigate the cases, for a fee of ¥20,000. Why was the new reporting system created? The system was established in response to longtime calls by the public and medical community to create an independent, third-party mechanism to investigate medical errors and learn from them. A spate of serious accidents in the late 1990s sparked a public outcry and enhanced calls for patient safety. In January 1999, a patient mix-up at Yokohama City University Hospital resulted in surgeons performing cardiac surgery on a pulmonary patient, and pulmonary surgery on a cardiac patient. In another case that took place in February the same year at Hiroo General Hospital in Tokyo, a nurse mistakenly injected an antiseptic into a patient, who immediately died. The mistake was caused by improper labeling of medications. While these cases led to criminal prosecutions of the doctors and nurses involved, many in the medical community have argued that courts are not the best parties to deal with all adverse medical events, as judges do not have the high-level technical expertise necessary to determine often-complicated causal factors or to advise on error prevention. Patients and their families have also found it hard, mentally and financially, to sue hospitals. Is Japan’s approach unique? Not particularly. Across the world, there are two types of reporting systems: one focusing on learning and facilitating reform of hospitals, and the other focusing on pursuing public accountability, according to the World Health Organization. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry says Japan’s approach is the former, thus it won’t punish anyone, and will keep patients and hospitals anonymous. Are we seeing more medical errors? The number of reported cases in Japan is rising, but experts say it’s largely because hospitals are coming forward and making more of their cases public, whereas in the past, they tried to hide them. Because there has been no reporting system covering all medical institutions, the total number is unknown. According to the Japan Council for Quality Health Care, 3,194 adverse events, including those that resulted in the death or injury of patients, were reported by 993 institutions in 2014. That’s 2.5 times more than the number reported in 2005, when 555 institutions reported 1,265 cases. Reports to the state-affiliated body are mandatory for large hospitals, but voluntary for others. Is the system satisfactory for victims? Ikuko Yamaguchi, who has long been involved in the ministry-led process to create the new reporting system, said it is a big step toward making hospitals transparent and accountable, but still has shortcomings. Director of Osaka-based patient support group Consumer Organization for Medicine & Law (COML), which has offered more than 55,000 consultations to patients and their families over the last 25 years, she said the good news is patients’ families now have a way to find out the truth surrounding the deaths of loved ones without having to go to court. Until now, families had no option but to sue hospitals to have them explain cases in detail. To do so required hiring a lawyer at significant cost. Under the new system, it is the responsibility of hospitals and clinics to pay for the cost of postmortem investigations. But families can access such services only if the hospitals decide a case meets the “unexpected deaths” criteria, which Yamaguchi says will vary greatly from hospital to hospital. The patients cannot initiate the investigative proceedings by themselves. “The system is designed in such a way that the autonomy of hospitals will be protected,” Yamaguchi said. “That means it won’t function unless hospitals clean up their act by themselves.” Also, hospitals are only encouraged, not required, to share the written reports that they submit to the JMSRO with the next of kin, with no penalties stipulated for not sharing them. Many hospitals are believed to be hesitant to share detailed facts on such cases with the families for fear such information will be used against them in court. Yamaguchi said, however, that the number of civil cases will decline if hospitals pursue full disclosure.

deaths;investigation;hospitals;medical errors;medical care law

jp0000476

2015/10/27

China city misses Guinness fried rice title because of wastage

BEIJING - Guinness World Records has denied a Chinese city’s bid for the biggest serving of fried rice ever cooked, saying Yangzhou violated rules by wasting 150 kilograms of the feast. According to a posting on the record book’s Chinese microblog, organizers said 4 metric tons of cooked fried rice was distributed to five different outlets. However, it said a portion had been handled inappropriately, violating the organization’s rules requiring that the food be edible and not be wasted. Local media quoted the Yangzhou tourism bureau as saying some of the rice was considered inedible and sent to a farm to feed pigs. Yangzhou fried rice is famed in China and throughout the world for its creative use of ingredients, including carrots, peas and ham. Local media said the record attempt last Thursday involved 300 cooks frying up the dish in individual woks before ladling it into one giant bowl for presentation. Most of it was then distributed to schools that had taken part in the event. According to Guinness’ website, the Turkey Culinary Federation holds the current record for fried rice, having served up 3,150 kg of the dish on Sept. 27, 2014.

china;food;guinness world records;records

jp0000477

2015/10/16

Tokyo plugs into Google Play Music

If you haven’t heard the latest news from Google Play, you may have missed your opportunity to tune into a Google Play Billboard. From Oct. 8-24, music lovers can head over to Shibuya to, literally, plug into a selection of over 3,500 songs. The Google Play Billboard is meant to give visitors a much-needed chance to try out its new music service. After LINE launched its music-streaming service in July, followed only weeks later by Apple Music , as Google Play Music seemed to be stuck in buffering mode with no plans to enter the market. However, after finally launching in September, Google has been going to all lengths to make Google Play Music stand out from its competitors. Located on Supeinzaka near the Shibuya Parco department stores, the Google Play Billboard may appear, from a distance, to be any other advertisement. Within the billboard itself is 1,300 individual headphone jacks, however, continuously streaming music from noon-8 p.m. everyday. Each jack features a different song, and the song selection changes over time so that you’ll never know exactly what you’re plugging into. Just watching all the careful efforts that went into the construction of the billboard is like watching a symphony. The 3,500 songs that make up the Google Play Billboard playlist are hand-picked from submissions from the public that people voted for on the official Google Play Music website . The public were given six different categories to vote on — “a song you’d like to play when your significant other comes over”; “a song for when you feel that your heart is going to break”; “a song you’d personally want to leave for the next generation”; and so on. These categories, which play into people’s emotional connection with music, resulted in hundreds of songs featuring both a wide variety of both Japanese and Western music. Visitors to the Shibuya billboard can anticipate everything from Mary J. Blige to AKB48, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu to The Rolling Stones. Additionally, anyone who signs up for Google’s streaming service by Oct. 18 will be able to listen to the Google Play Billboard’s 3,500 songs unlimitedly for free, as well as pay a lifetime reduced rate of ¥780 per month . After only a week, the Google Play Billboard has made quite a splash on social media, thanks to the hashtags #GooglePlayMusic and #渋谷3500万曲ビルボード (Shibuya 35,000 song billboard). ぐえ！面白！壁に1万3000個イヤホンジャックがあって、それぞれ違う曲が流れてる…！！ #渋谷3500万曲ビルボード #googleplaymusic pic.twitter.com/B4DBPpsOFH — よっぴー/吉田尚記 (@yoshidahisanori) October 8, 2015 Regardless of whether Google’s PR campaign hits the right note or falls flat, the Google Play Billboard has certainly proven that music can bring us all together.

music;google;google play music;japan pulse

jp0000478

2015/10/28

Nevada cryotherapy center where worker died is closed because it lacked insurance

LOS ANGELES - Nevada officials on Tuesday ordered the closure of a cryotherapy center just outside Las Vegas where police say a worker was found dead last week in a chamber that exposes a person’s body to extremely cold air. The facility operated by Rejuvenice LLC was ordered closed because it could not provide proof it had a worker’s compensation insurance policy, said Teri Williams, spokeswoman for the state Department of Business and Industry. The move to close the facility just outside the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson comes a week after Chelsea Ake-Salvacion, 24, was found dead of an apparent accident at the center on Oct. 20. Ake-Salvacion’s death has raised questions about the regulation of whole-body cryotherapy, which was offered at the clinic. The treatment has in the past few years become increasingly popular in the United States, especially with professional athletes and celebrities. Supporters of whole-body cryotherapy say it helps with recovery from injury or intense exercise and can improve mood. A person walks into a chamber that exposes the body to hypercooled air with a temperature as low as minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit (-151 degrees Celsius), while the person’s head remains outside. Ake-Salvacion was discovered dead in a chamber at the facility by another employee who called police, authorities said. Her death, which occurred when she was alone, has been determined to be accidental and no foul play was involved, said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Officer Michael Rodriguez. The local coroner is still working to determine Ake-Salvacion’s exact cause and manner of death. The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined she was using the facility for personal use, Williams said. A representative for Rejuvenice did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment. It appears the facility was operating without a county business license, because it had not completed building and fire inspections, said Clark County Commissioner Mary Beth Scow. The death is of great concern to the local community, said Scow, who said the oversight of cryotherapy seems to fall between different state agencies. “It appears that there’s not a category for that because it is such a new industry,” she said. Hailey Cap, office manager at Rejuvenice, told the New York Times nitrous gas used to chill the air in a cryotherapy chamber can be debilitating. “I don’t know why she would go in there alone,” Cap told the newspaper.

medicine;accidents;aging

jp0000479

2015/10/28

Japan tricks out the Halloween treats

Halloween is a time to carve pumpkins, enjoy a few scares and, most importantly, shovel as much candy as humanly possible into one’s own mouth. While the practice of door-to-door trick-or-treating may not be a thing in Japan, the custom of eating special Halloween snacks certainly translates. Plenty of companies, both overseas and domestic, are looking to cash in on this boom. In fact, American doughnut company Krispy Kreme is featuring some especially creepy creations at its Japanese outlets. The “ Mad for Monsters ” series is available through October and includes: Spider Chocolate Custard, Maple Milk Franken, Caramel Halloween Jack and Purple Potato Monster. We’re big fans of the three-doughnut box, which comes in the shape of a coffin. Lotte’s Koala’s March — aka crackers that depict adorable koalas doing adorable things — are dressing up, too. Be it strawberry, cookies and cream or chocolate, each cracker depicts koalas in different Halloween costumes. And if you want to your sugar crash to the next level, there’s Lotteria’s Kaola’s March shake: ♡ハロウィーン コアラのマーチシェーキ♡ シェーキにロッテ『コアラのマーチ』をトッピング♪パッケージもハロウィーン仕様の見た目にもかわいいシェーキ販売中☆ 是非お試しあれ～(*´▽｀)◇ゞ #ロッテリア #コアラのマーチシェーキ pic.twitter.com/sGBG1ChF2R — ロッテリア (@lotteria_pr) October 27, 2015 In a more chilled aisles of grocery stores, be on the look-out for pumpkin pudding cups. For those who enjoy a bit more crunch than jiggle there are Kit Kat’s Halloween bars . #キットカット パンプキンプリン味が新発売しました☆ パンプキンの甘くて優しい味わいが、口いっぱいに広がります♪みなさん、お見逃しなく！ pic.twitter.com/uCwUHiuWdS — KIT KAT Japan (@KITKATJapan) September 2, 2015 Of course, one crunchy pumpkin pudding treat is not enough. Luckily, Tohato Caramel Corn is featuring a similar pumpkin pudding product complete with costumed packaging that features Frankenstein’s monster and other ghouls. After you gobble down all of these treats, you might need something to wash it all down. Well, don’t fear because many companies have released some spooky sodas. Pepsi has released Pepsi Ghost , which features a special mystery flavor inside each bottle of witchy brew. It seems that most who have tried it are leaning toward either pumpkin or cherry as the flavor, but the jury is still out. Of course, tis the season of pumpkin lattes. While Lipton’s Sweet Pumpkin Tea Latte apparently hard to find, the tea has been defined as being extremely milky and rich. Both the pumpkin tea and Lipton’s infamous Yellow Label Tea are being sold in a package that features a mysterious black cat on an orange background. Unlike the pumpkin tea, however, there is no change in flavor in the Yellow Label Tea. Toppo and High Chew are doing much of the same — new costume, same product. ハイチュウハロウィンバージョン♡(#^.^#) つい買ってしまいました。。。笑 pic.twitter.com/7auUWNnx4p — 👦滝口ミラっちょ（森山）👶⚾️ (@takiguchimira) September 14, 2014 Make sure you get a taste of these snacks before they slink away back into the shadows. With so many delicious options available at once, our wallets and stomachs truly have a reason to scream.

food;candy;halloween;japan pulse

jp0000480

2015/10/17

How male killers transform into caring parents

When animals kill babies of their own species, it’s brutal and shocking. Infanticide goes against everything we think adults should be in terms of looking after younger members of the species. Surprisingly, however, it happens fairly frequently in the wild. What’s going on? Primatologist Yukimaru Sugiyama of Kyoto University was one of the first scientists to document infanticide in the wild. Studying gray langurs in India in the 1960s, he found that monkey troops generally consist of a male and several females. Sometimes, however, a troop’s male is driven out by a stronger “intruder” male. When this happens, the new male often kills the troop’s infants. Sugiyama suggested that the killings were often due to stress, perhaps brought on by overcrowding. Indeed, infanticide was long thought to be pathological. In other words, the only explanation for infanticide was that the animal behind the act was either stressed or sick. These days, however, we have a better understanding of infanticide in the wild — males have no genetic interest in babies that are fathered by someone else. Their evolutionary concern is to mate with females and produce their own offspring. It’s abhorrent to us but, as far as natural selection goes, it makes sense for animals to kill babies that aren’t their own. It’s a simple waste of resources to raise another male’s offspring. Many different animals commit infanticide, most famously lions. Prides consist of several females and a dominant male, but, inevitably, a younger and stronger male will challenge and defeat the resident male. If there are lion cubs around at that time, well, that’s bad luck for them. However, infanticide also occurs with gorillas — otherwise believed to be relatively peaceful apes — and certain monkey species, as well as mice. If that all seems grotesque to us, it’s perhaps more monstrous to find that males who kills babies can easily — and naturally — become caring parents themselves when they father their own children. It’s hard to believe that male killers can transform into a doting parent, and yet that’s just one of those wonderful things about science. Kumi Kuroda is a scientist who is fascinated by the parent-infant relationship. Based at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, her past work has included a study showing why babies — both human and nonhuman — calm down when they are picked up and carried. “The ultimate goal of our research is to understand and assist the parent-infant relationship in humans,” Kuroda says. Kuroda was a medical psychiatrist before she became a neuroscientist, and many people she saw were psychologically damaged by the parent-infant relationship they experienced in childhood. “So I joined the neuroscientific research field to really understand the brain mechanism of infant attachment to parents, and parental caring motivations,” she says. “To treat and prevent child maltreatment, we need to know how the normal brain works to care for young.” Now she is examining how male mice make the switch from killer to kind parent. Kuroda describes the typical behavior of a male committing infanticide. “A male mouse first approaches the unrelated pup,” she says, “(It then) sniffs the pup and squints into its eyes.” The male continues to sniff and poke the pup with its snout more violently, all the while becoming increasingly excited. “Finally its tail starts rattling,” Kuroda says, “and the male bites the pup.” Kuroda and her colleagues have identified regions in the brain that control both nurture and aggression. They have found that brain activity actually changes after a male has mated with a female and lived with her once she is pregnant. To test how this behavioral switch occurs, Kuroda’s team examined brain activation patterns that are induced by parenting and infanticide. The team recorded what happened when adult male mice were exposed to mouse pups. The adult’s behavior, whether paternal or infanticidal, was recorded. The scientists measured what was happening in nine different regions of the brain. To their surprise, Kuroda and her colleagues found that two tiny areas of the brain are responsible for a male’s behavior. They even showed that blocking the activity of the region that controls parental behavior could induce fathers to attack newborn pups. Their work has just been published in the journal EMBO. “There are several subsequent steps that need to be taken,” Kuroda says. “We think that social experience with a female must lead to paternal behavior through enhanced brain activity, but we need to determine how this happens.” How can this help us understand human behavior? Human society is structured differently from lions or gorillas, and we don’t (usually) have a mating system that consists of a single man and a number of women. However, research along the same lines as Kuroda and her colleagues might eventually shed light on what’s going on in those rare cases when men do commit murder. Should researchers be paying closer attention to the areas of the brain that Kuroda and her colleagues examined? “Infanticide committed by male mice is not equal to human child maltreatment,” Kuroda says, “but it may have some mechanistic similarities, which we want to investigate.” Kuroda says her team would like to investigate the function of these brain regions in primates, and are currently doing so in marmosets. “This is particularly important because currently we do not know of any regions in the primate brain that are related specifically to parenting behaviors,” she says. This surprises me. After all, parenting is so central to human nature and our offspring are extraordinarily demanding in terms of the time and resources they require. Human offspring require far more nurturing and care than the offspring of many other species and yet we still don’t know much about how our brains are wired to provide this nurturing. It’s chilling to think that opposing aspects of behavior may activate such tiny changes in brain activity. However, it’s also exhilarating to think that we may finally understand them more deeply.

aggression;mice;gorillas;monkeys;lions;infanticide

jp0000482

2015/10/17

Kyoto forum's leaders warm up to renewables

Each autumn, the world’s most influential scientists, engineers, business leaders and science policy experts gather in Kyoto for the Science and Technology in Society Forum. The STS Forum is the brainchild of Koji Omi, a former finance minister and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry bureaucrat and one of Japan’s most powerful behind-the-scenes politicians. A regular STS theme over the years has been energy. Omi, as befitting a conservative Liberal Democratic Party politician and former METI bureaucrat, has long been aggressively pro-nuclear power. When Naoto Kan addressed the STS in 2009 as deputy prime minister, just after the Democratic Party of Japan took power from the LDP, he spoke of the need to pursue solar power and biomass energy. A few foreign attendees applauded, but guests from Keidanren, the utilities and the Japanese government sat stone-faced. For years, STS energy discussions were scripted less to address the realities of worldwide energy trends and how they were impacting “science and technology in society” and more to reflect the world view of Omi and the pro-nuclear Japanese government. This approach warmed the hearts of Japan’s fossil fuel lobby and nuclear power village. But it meant STS didn’t exactly attract creative, innovative thinking on cutting-edge energy technology issues. At this year’s conference in early October, however, renewable energy developments could no longer be ignored. Finally, some of Japan’s most influential leaders had given a nod, however slight, to more renewable energy discussion at STS. The old men at STS and in Japan’s nuclear power village had long seen renewable energy proponents as “communists” “eco-terrorists” or “dreamers” who were their ideological enemies and, therefore, not to be trusted with something as important as the nation’s energy future. It took them a while to admit (to themselves) that renewable energy was here to stay, especially since Japan’s major corporations (STS sponsors, many of them) were taking renewable energy very seriously indeed. True, Omi did make perfunctory remarks about nuclear power continuing to remain necessary — “both fission and fusion power,” he said. But the change of weather at the Kyoto conference was not merely the arrival of autumn. It was the winds of a subtle change in attitude: Some of Japan’s most trenchant defenders of fossil fuels and nuclear power were at least willing to listen to more presentations on the technological challenges of nuclear power and devoted a number of sessions to it. That this happened in Kyoto is also no surprise. From Hokkaido to Okinawa, local governments are pushing forward with renewable energy goals that are far more ambitious than the national energy strategy calling for 22 percent to 24 percent of electricity to be supplied by renewables by 2030. Kyoto Prefecture has announced it aims to be nuclear power-free by 2040. With liberalization of Japan’s electricity sector taking place over the next few years, most international predications showing renewable energy becoming ever-cheaper and battery storage technologies becoming ever-more efficient, local governments around Japan are often better poised to take advantage of these changes than megacity dwellers, who are hooked on lifestyles that require huge amounts of electricity and live in places whose sheer size means decisions take longer and opponents are more numerous and better funded. The revolution won’t happen overnight. But it is happening, and is now so obvious that even STS members who once fought tooth and nail to keep renewable energy discussion on the margins are, however reluctantly, embracing it more as a legitimate topic of discussion. When STS members gather in Kyoto next year, it may well be nuclear power, rather than renewable energy, advocates who suddenly find themselves, if not entirely on the margins, then at least further outside the center of attention.

energy;science;renewable energy;fossil fuels;science and technology in society

jp0000483

2015/10/10

Japan's rich: acutely aware of their wealth and not flashy with it

One of the biggest socioeconomic issues in the developed world right now is the widening income gap between the rich and the not-rich. In the U.S., the gap has become so big that the so-called 1 percent have adopted a siege mentality by isolating themselves from the rest of society, in either gated communities or urban condominium towers. In Japan the rich are different, or at least, they seem to be. It’s often said that in Japan you may live right next door to a millionaire and not know it because his house looks just like yours. The idea that wealthy people in Japan don’t show off their wealth is perhaps grounded in the Japanese stereotype of not wanting to stand out from the crowd. Still, with Japan’s stock market on a general roll for the last several years, the Japanese media has started talking about the “superrich” ( chō-fuyūsō ). But how do you define a rich person in Japan? According to Atsushi Miura, who last year published a book titled “The New Rich,” the financial industry considers a person to be wealthy if their yearly income is over ¥30 million and they have assets of at least ¥100 million. About 1.3 million Japanese people have assets in that range, or 1 percent of the population. Another way to define the rich is that they tend to live off the interest and other capital gains derived from their assets, without ever touching those assets. In his research, Miura found that Japan’s 1 percent does indeed tend to avoid ostentation. They don’t build mansions — we’re talking real mansions, not condos — and believe it unseemly to “throw one’s money around indiscriminately.” However, the Japanese rich will spend money on things they like and tend to favor the intangible. They’re more likely to patronize the arts and go to concerts than splurge on sports cars or expensive jewelry. They travel often and take cruises. Miura has also found that the new Japanese rich are looking inward more: They buy Japanese stuff and travel domestically. They prefer expensive nihonshu to foreign wine, and Japanese artworks to Western ones. This is not simply a matter of taste. It is also an expression of civic responsibility. The new rich understand their place in society, and know that Japan needs their money. In a sense they take the “trickle-down” component of the theory of “Abenomics” to heart. Nevertheless, rich people still try to avoid having their assets taxed, so if they can keep those assets overseas, they will, and it was only this year that the government finally mandated that people with foreign assets of over ¥50 million must report them. Another characteristic of the new rich is that they are conscious of being rich, whereas traditionally rich people in Japan didn’t ponder their wealth. They took if for granted. That’s mainly because the new rich usually obtained their wealth through their own efforts or through some special skill or idea. Even people who inherit wealth or are in line to inherit wealth tend to get jobs and work their whole lives. There’s no concept of the “idle rich” in Japan. In fact, what the children of rich people inherit and what keeps them rich is not so much money itself but the tools for making money: the best education money can buy and a fundamental understanding of how money works, neither of which the average person may be able to access so readily. This idea was explored more fully on a recent segment of the TV Tokyo financial program “Nikkei Plus 10,” in which an employee from Nomura Research named Junji Hatoriya talked about how the new rich maintain their wealth while the vast Japanese middle class continues to just get by. Hatoriya identified three important segments of upper-income earners who “will become the new rich in the future.” The first segment is composed of the children of rich parents. Miura’s own research in this area dovetails almost perfectly with Nomura’s: The children of the rich are not necessarily inheriting their wealth or expecting to inherit it. Instead, they are learning from their parents’ example and embarking on their own investment strategies. Only 8 percent of the general population has any “experience in investing,” while 24 percent of children of people with assets of over ¥100 million have such experience, and 52 percent have stock portfolios themselves. Another segment is “power couples,” which Nomura defines as married couples in which both partners work and bring home a combined income of at least ¥10 million a year. Forty-four percent of power couples have investment experience, while only 15 percent of all double-income households do. More significantly, power couples usually employ financial planners and other professionals who advise them on how to manage their money, because they usually don’t have time to do it themselves. They spend their money freely, but mainly on things that will give them more free time, such as housekeeping services and expensive private day care. The last segment is the one that really intrigues Nomura: “digital seniors.” These are retired people who are tech-savvy and spend a good deal of their time online. They understand how the world works and educate themselves about investments through the Internet. Which isn’t to say they buy and sell stocks online. They still do that the old-fashioned way — through brokers — but since they have deep knowledge about financial trends, they are able to talk seriously to these professionals and make sound decisions. Nomura estimates that there about 8.8 million digital seniors, whose average assets amount to about ¥26 million, while the average assets of all seniors is about ¥14 million. It literally pays to know how to use your computer.

tech;elderly;luxury goods;wealth

jp0000484

2015/10/19

At 122 meters, Milan expo baguette bags Guinness length record

MILAN - A judge from Guinness World Records has certified a 122-meter-long baguette baked at the Milan Expo 2015 World’s Fair as the longest in the world. Some 60 French and Italian bakers worked nearly seven hours Sunday to bake the French bread characterized by its soft middle and crusty exterior, methodically moving a specially designed portable oven along the length of the doughy preparation. The bakers worked at a rate of 20 meters an hour, their progress complicated by working outdoors and the biggest challenge to avoid any breakage. “It’s very difficult to do a big baguette because we are outside, you know, the temperature, it’s cold and we are outside so for the dough it’s not easy,” said Dominique Anract, one of the bakers and owner of the La Pompadour bakery in Paris. Putting a plastic cover over the dough helped. The Italian maker of Nutella, Ferrero, backed the enterprise to beat the 111-meter record held by a French supermarket chain. Once certified as a record-breaker, the baguette was cut and smeared with Nutella to share with the hundreds of Expo goers who celebrated the record. It was at least the fourth world record declared during the six-month Expo, which closes Oct. 31, including the longest pizza at 1.5954 km.

france;italy;guinness world records;expo;milan;baguette

jp0000485

2015/10/19

The Fukushima nuclear cleanup, four years on

Tokyo Electric Power Co. is scheduled to complete a seaside wall at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station at the end of the month. Since January, slightly tainted water has overflowed from drainage systems at Fukushima No. 1 into the ocean nine times. The company, which outlined the progress on the barrier last week during a tour of the facility, expects the completed wall to reduce the flow of contaminated water into the ocean. Following are questions about the current state of the plant: What are the next milestones? Along with the seaside wall, Tepco is reinforcing the drainage system that collects surface water from various parts of the facility with a new covered channel. Work on the new configuration, which began in May, is expected to be completed by March. The company also expects to start freezing a soil barrier around the wrecked reactor buildings by the end of the year. How long will decommissioning take? Tepco expects it will take another 30 years to 40 years to decommission the Fukushima No. 1 facility. What is the timeline for removing the spent fuel? Tepco expects to begin removing spent fuel in the No. 3 reactor in 2017, two years later than it estimated in 2013. Fuel removal in reactors 1 and 2 is expected to begin in 2020. Tepco is currently removing rubble from the three reactors that melted down. Once rubble is removed and the flow of water into the reactors is stabilized, workers will be able to enter the facility with a greater degree of safety, according to company spokesman Tatsuhiro Yamagishi. Tepco removed the largest piece of debris from the spent fuel pool inside the No. 3 reactor in August, a milestone for the early stage of decommissioning. Almost all debris removal efforts at No. 3 are complete, according to Akira Ono, chief of the Fukushima No. 1 plant. How much will the decommissioning cost? The company estimates that water management and reactor stabilization will cost more than ¥1 trillion in the next 10 years. The company had spent roughly ¥430.6 billion on decommissioning the facility as of June 30, according to Yamagishi. How many people are working at the site? About 7,000 contract workers and Tepco employees are at the facility on any given weekday. About half the workers are from the Tohoku region.

fukushima no . 1;nuclear power;tepco;q & a

jp0000486

2015/10/19

UNESCO strikes political nerve with Nanking Massacre documents

A fierce battle is raging over UNESCO’s stewardship of history. Last week, Japan — the biggest donor to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — created an international stir by threatening to suspend or reduce its financial contributions after the body accepted what China claims are historical documents about the 1937 Nanking Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, for inscription into its Memory of the World register. What is the Memory of the World program? And why are China and Japan battling over the details of the wartime atrocity? What is the purpose of the Memory of the World program? UNESCO launched the program in 1992 to fully preserve, protect and make permanently accessible documentary heritage with due recognition, according to the U.N. body’s website. UNESCO provides assistance to preserve historical materials,such as hand-written documents, photos, paintings, movies and other forms of records left across the world. So far 348 items in various categories have been registered, including the world’s oldest existing copy of the Quran, the archives of the Dutch East India Company, the hand-written musical score of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and the original “Diary of Anne Frank.” From Japan, five items have been registered, including documents on the Keicho Period Mission to Europe in the 17th century, materials related to the internment and repatriation of Japanese held in Siberia after the end of World War II, and historical documents archived at Toji Temple in Kyoto dated from 763 to 1711. UNESCO helps make registered materials more accessible, for example, by creating digitized copies and catalogs that are accessible over the Internet. How are the nominated documents screened? The International Advisory Committee, which consists of 14 experts appointed by the director-general of UNESCO, screens the applications. Countries, municipalities, private groups or individuals are all allowed to file nomination applications. The IAC then makes recommendations for registration that are usually endorsed by the director-general. The 14 experts, who serve in a personal capacity, are “chosen for their authority in the field of the safeguarding of documentary heritage,” according to UNESCO’s website. The director-general convenes IAC sessions every two years. Japan criticized UNESCO’s screening process as opaque and biased. Why? Japanese officials argued that the historical materials being presented are not verified as authentic by third-party historians or other countries involved in political rows over the materials. Tokyo and Beijing have been at odds over historical evidence on the weekslong massacre, in particular the number of estimated victims slaughtered after the Japanese army occupied Nanking in December 1937. The city is now pronounced Nanjing. The Chinese government claims that about 300,000 Chinese were massacred and numerous women raped by Imperial Japanese soldiers. The Japanese government does not deny that its troops murdered noncombatants and looted the city, but instead claims that the number cannot be determined by historical evidence. Despite the rhetorical dueling, Japan was not even allowed to review the documents China submitted, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said last week. “The (screening process) takes place amid concealment and secrecy,” Suga alleged at a morning news conference on Oct. 13. Is the process unfair? According to Koichiro Matsuura, former director-general of UNESCO, the Memory of the World program is not based on any international treaty. Thus UNESCO does not disclose all of the materials submitted for nomination, or the minutes of the advisory committee’s deliberations. Nor does it listen to the opinions of countries potentially related to the materials nominated, the former diplomat said in a recent interview with Kyodo News. By contrast, UNESCO’S World Heritage program, which documents such cultural and natural heritage as architectural and monumental works, is based on an international convention, and the registration process involves deliberation by member countries. In addition, the preliminary reviews of the heritage program’s advisory panel are disclosed, too, Matsuura pointed out. “The system (used by the Memory of the World program) is still immature,” he reportedly said. Historians note that Tokyo admits the Rape of Nanking occurred. So why is it so upset with China and UNESCO? Japanese politicians and bureaucrats believe that China, even 70 years after the end of the war, is still trying to use Japan’s wartime misdeeds for propaganda and diplomatic purposes. Toward that end, China has often exaggerated or even fabricated the particulars of Japan’s wartime atrocities to weaken its diplomatic position, they say. Some nationalist politicians and intellectuals meanwhile maintain the massacre never took place, making the contentious issue even more sensitive in Japanese political circles. This has apparently encouraged the Cabinet of nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take a tougher stance against UNESCO. Mainstream Japanese historians believe the Imperial Japanese Army slaughtered numerous captured Chinese soldiers and noncombatants, based on historical materials written by the soldiers. These include records of battles written during or shortly after Japan occupied the city. Their estimates range from 40,000 to 200,000 victims. They also agree that no existing evidence can provide a tally of the actual number of deaths with pinpoint accuracy.

wwii;nanking massacre;china-japan relations;unesco;memory of the world

jp0000488

2015/10/21

Turncoat mobster gives glimpse at '70s Lufthansa 'Goodfellas' heist, ringleader's warning to lie low

NEW YORK - The robbery crew that pulled off one of the biggest heists in U.S. history — the $6 million Lufthansa theft immortalized in “Goodfellas” — was elated at first but became fearful of being robbed itself, a turncoat mobster testified Tuesday at the trial of his former Mafia boss. The defendant, Vincent Asaro, was “very happy, really euphoric” when he learned about the mountain of $100 bills scored in the armed holdup, Gaspare Valenti told a jury in Brooklyn federal court. “We thought there was going to be $2 million in cash and there was $6 million.” But Valenti testified that the joy quickly evaporated when Asaro warned him, “We’ve got to be real careful now. They’ll look to rob us. They’ll look to kill us. It could be anyone who hears of the score.” The testimony marked the first time Valenti has given his blow-by-blow account of the heist. Prosecutors say he voluntarily came forward in 2008, implicated Asaro and agreed to testify against him in violation of the Mafia’s once-sacred vow of silence. After taking the witness stand Tuesday, Valenti, 68, was asked to point out Asaro in the courtroom and describe an article of clothing he was wearing — a blue V-neck sweater. He then described how he met the 80-year-old defendant in the 1960s and started working for him as a devoted Bonanno organized crime family associate. “I was very close with him. … We had, like, a bond,” he said. Valenti testified that his involvement in the heist orchestrated by James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke — played by Robert De Niro in the movie — began when Asaro told him, “Jimmy Burke has a big score at the airport coming up, and you’re invited to go.” The plan called for Valenti and another robber to take a stolen black van to the airport terminal and use bolt cutters to break into a side entrance, he said. Once inside the terminal, they teamed up with other armed and masked bandits who were holding several workers hostage in a lunch room, he said. The crew forced one of the workers to open a safe, where they discovered dozens of boxes containing packets holding $125,000 each, bags of gold chains and containers with precious gems that they threw into the van, he said. They then fled and rendezvoused with Asaro and Burke, who were in a car about a mile away, he said. Asked if the crew had an escape plan, Valenti responded, “No. It’s amazing — a robbery that big and nothing was discussed about where to go afterward.” Asaro and Burke decided the haul should be put in the basement of Valenti’s house in Brooklyn before it was moved to various stash houses, the witness said. Burke “gave very little money out at the beginning,” he said, and when he did, it was with a caveat: Don’t spend it in a lavish way that would draw the attention of law enforcement. Still, he said, Asaro used it to buy a second home, a boat and a Bill Blass designer addition of a Lincoln Continental. Prosecutors have said Asaro also gambled away a big chunk of his $750,000 cut at the racetrack. The defense has accused Valenti and other admitted mobsters expected to testify at the trial of framing Asaro to win leniency in their own cases. If convicted of racketeering conspiracy and other charges, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

new york;crime;robbery;mafia;jfk;goodfellas;gangster;lufthansa

jp0000489

2015/10/21

Warning: This viral video of high school girls might make you blush

Cosmetic company Shiseido has recently uploaded a YouTube video that is blowing viewers’ minds with a bona fide twist. In the promo video, titled “High School Girl? — The Makeup Secrets of High School Girls,” the camera weaves through a classroom full of drop-dead cute young women who pout and wink like true pop idols. But everything is not as it seems. The camera zooms in on the page of a book that one girl is reading. The small text reads “Did you notice the boys in this classroom?” As the camera backs out of the room, the viewer realizes that — SPOILER ALERT — they’re all dudes. The big gender-flipping reveal highlights the transformative properties of Shiseido’s makeup, which give you the tools to be whatever you want to be (granted, having veteran hair & makeup artists helps). Whether this invokes deeper commentary on herbivore men or gender fluidity or whatever, the bottom line is Shiseido has struck viral-video gold. [This behind-the-scenes video shows how the makeup specialists pulled it off.]

youtube;shiseido;makeup;viral video;japan pulse;viral marketing

jp0000490

2015/10/09

Technology key to clinching overseas projects, new infrastructure minister says

Japan should keep promoting its high technological standards when pushing for infrastructure projects overseas, despite a recent loss to China on bidding for Indonesia’s first high-speed railway, the new land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister said Friday. Keiichi Ishii, 57, a Lower House member of junior ruling coalition partner Komeito, said Japan should stick to its technological edge when exporting infrastructure, though it will need to fully examine how China won the Indonesian rail project. Jakarta dropped both country’s proposals last month, citing cost reasons, but subsequently awarded the contract to China, which, unlike Japan, did not require government guarantees. The loss to China is seen as a serious blow. “The biggest strength of our country (in infrastructure building) is safety and technologies,” Ishii said in an interview with media organizations following his appointment Wednesday. “That’s our unwavering principle. On top of that, we will need to understand where the needs of countries are.” Infrastructure exports are a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive to boost economic growth. Japan’s failure to win the Indonesian contract has thrown cold water on that plan. Ishii, chosen by Komeito to assume the party’s only post in the 19-minister Cabinet, will also oversee tourism policy. The number of visitors arriving in Japan has surged in recent years, and is expected to top 19 million this year, well in line with the goal of 20 million per year by 2020. Ishii remained cautious on the idea floated by some members of the ruling coalition that the nation revise the goal upward to 30 million per year. “We first need to be prepared to accept these 20 million people into our country smoothly,” he said. He added that Japan needs to tackle such issues as boosting airport capacity and improving Wi-Fi access before considering higher goals.

indonesia;land;infrastructure;komeito;keiichi ishii;transport and tourism minister

jp0000491

2015/10/31

'Obsolete' gangsters proving problematic

Organized crime syndicates are not fading away, they’re just becoming obsolete. Lawyer Hideaki Kubori and journalist Atsushi Mizoguchi, the country’s leading expert on the powerful Yamaguchi-gumi gang, held a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo on Oct. 20. While the recent breakup of the Yamaguchi-gumi led discussions, Kubori and Mizoguchi provided a succinct outline of the yakuza syndicates’ decline. “At first, they were parasites swarming to collect money whenever there was a bankruptcy. They were especially active before the ’80s,” said Kubori, who has 45 years’ experience in dealing with yakuza-related issues. Kubori noted the syndicates’ ties to gangsters known collectively as sōkaiya (specialized racketeers that extort money from companies by threatening to publicly humiliate management boards at annual shareholders meetings). In 1982, Kubori said, the government enacted legislation that banned payoffs to sōkaiya. In 1992, the country’s first anti-organized crime laws were enacted but had little effect. In 1997, however, the Tokyo Prosecutor’s Office arrested executives of a major securities firms for paying off gangsters and their associates, a move that Kubori said made large corporations sit up and take notice. Beginning in 2009, the police began to crack down on the gangs, and prefectural bodies began drafting anti-organized crime ordinances. By Oct. 1, 2011, such legislation had been enacted by local governments nationwide, making it illegal to work with gang syndicates. Ultimately, Kubota said, the consequences were devastating for organized crime syndicates. Any time someone takes out a loan, rents an apartment or even opens a bank account, applicants must acknowledge they do not have any ties to organized crime. If subsequent ties are identified, the police can — and often do — arrest applicants on suspicion of fraud. Life as a gangster in Japan has become something of an inconvenience. Mizoguchi noted that organized crime syndicates no longer engage in gang wars because, legally speaking, the leaders of the gang are held liable for any damages incurred. What’s more, syndicates are failing to recruit the country’s youth. “Youngsters aren’t joining yakuza syndicates,” Mizoguchi said. “They’d rather remain outside the gangs in a gray zone where they can put profit first. I can’t see this new generation of criminals getting involved in a gang war, and they certainly wouldn’t want to use firearms. At the worst, they might use a metal bat or beer bottle to bash their opponents into submission.” Both Kubori and Mizoguchi agreed that local authorities now need to target organized crime leaders for tax evasion. For example, police in Fukuoka arrested Satoru Nomura, head of the Kudo-kai, on June 16 on suspicion of not paying income tax on his earnings. “The (Yamaguchi-gumi) split will ultimately weaken the power of organized crime syndicates,” Kubori said. “As the country’s economy expanded so did the yakuza. Now, however, the domestic economic situation has changed.” Gangsters themselves aren’t seeing many advantages to working in a syndicate. “We can’t even wear our badges in public,” a low-ranking member in the Inagawa-kai, the third largest crime syndicate, told me earlier this year. “We can’t show people business cards with the organization’s logo on it. It’s like paying for a McDonald’s franchise without being able to use the golden arches — what’s the point? The brand no longer encourages people to pay up or earns respect. It’s a liability, not an asset.” A number of former gangsters agree. “Organized crime syndicates used to be thought of as a necessary evil,” Satoru Takegaki, a former Yamaguchi-gumi leader, told me in September. “Now they’re just evil. They are no longer even necessary.” Takegaki now runs Gojin-kai, a nonprofit organization that specializes in rehabilitating former gangsters. He said anti-gang legislation had made life for many low-level yakuza members economically unfeasible. Many are quitting but have few alternative opportunities, Takegaki said. Many of them are poorly educated and lack discipline. Takegaki helps many find work in the salvaging industry, dismantling obsolete electrical equipment. Still, he said, the country’s lawmakers need to provide better assistance to former gangsters who end up on welfare. “Dismantling a refrigerator is easy once you know how to do it but you have to careful, as dangerous materials are often involved,” he said. “The government is dismantling organized crime syndicates with no plan on what to do with the mess that is left behind. That can’t be good.”

yamaguchi-gumi;yakuza;organized crime

jp0000492

2015/10/31

Emperor Yoshihito's coronation; crowds pack Tokyo dance halls before ban; Hikari superexpress now world's fastest; nearly 600 dolphins slaughtered in Nagasaki

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, Nov. 11 1915 ‘Divine’ Coronation for Emperor Yoshihito The Coronation of His Majesty the Emperor Yoshihito, the 123rd Emperor in an unbroken line of illustrious sovereigns, was held today in the ancient Imperial Palace in Kyoto with impressive simplicity befitting the solemn occasion. The day opened with the weather fair and calm and the preparations for the morning ceremony passed off without a hitch. The great ritual service before the “Kashiko-dokoro,” enshrined in the Shunko-Den, began at eight o’clock this morning. At this important ceremonial, Emperor Yoshihito formally acquired the Three Sacred Treasures — the Divine Sword, Jewel and Mirror — and reported before his ancestral spirit, the “Kashiko-dokoro,” the fact of his succession to the great and time-honored heritage. His Majesty then fervently prayed for the prosperity of his reign. In the spacious compound before the Imperial Sanctuary, sheds were built for the accommodation of persons entitled to be present at this ritual service. Here assembled this morning most prominent men of the Empire as well as the diplomatic representatives of foreign powers. Glittering gold lace on the civilians’ full dresses and the brilliant decorations worn by military and naval officers served to embellish the spectacle of a most distinguished gathering. At the climax of the ceremony, chamberlains placed the Divine Sword and the Divine Jewel by the side of the Emperor on a table. His Majesty, rising from his seat, proceeded in front of the door of the Sanctuary, and after performing obeisance to the spirit of his Ancestress, symbolized by the Divine Mirror enshrined in the Sanctuary, recited an Imperial Report announcing his formal acquisition of the Divine Treasures and praying at the same time. Obeisance was then performed by royalties and the Emperor left the Sanctuary with his retinue. 75 YEARS AGO Sunday, Nov. 3, 1940 Crowds throng Tokyo dance halls before ban All the remaining dance halls in Tokyo were crowded on Thursday night with dance-lovers, out to have their last night of fun, elbowing and jostling in the throng to the plaintive melody of Auld Lang Syne which signaled the curtains to be drawn on the 13-year-old history of Tokyo’s dance halls. With the halls overflowing with three to five times more than the unusual number, the cheerful faces of taxi-dancers, about to start afresh in their new careers within a few hours, were seen over the shoulders of their partners on the narrow floor, made more narrower by those waiting their turn. The trumpets blared more energetically and the orchestras were tuning it up more gaily as if to make the sayonara night appropriate to their gay but short history. “About one-half of the dancers are going back to their homes,” said a manager. “The other half have obtained jobs as typists, office-workers and employees in a chemical factory. At least, we are glad that all of the girls have got jobs before we closed.” Dancing had been banned by a law enforced from Nov. 1. 50 YEARS AGO Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1965 JNR’s Hikari is now world’s fastest train The superexpress Hikari of the New Tokaido Line Monday began the world’s fastest train service at an average speed of 162.3 kph, cutting travel time between Tokyo and Osaka by 50 minutes to 3 hours 10 minutes. The previous world record holder in terms of average operational speed was the French train Mistral, which travels a little over 130 kph. It took a long time for the Japanese National Railways to make the Tokyo-Osaka train the fastest in the world. Ever since Japan’s first express train covered the distance — in 17 hours and 40 minutes — in 1904, the JNR devoted its top brains in a bid to reduce travel time on the line, which has always been regarded as the “face” of the JNR because of its commercial importance. By 1934, the company had managed to shorten the trip to eight hours, but the quest for speed had to make way for military transportation requirements during the war. With the electrification of the whole Tokyo-Osaka section in 1955, the travel time was cut to 7½ hours. Then, with the completion of the New Tokaido Line in October last year, the Hikari and Kodama “bullet trains” started running the distance in five and four hours respectively. Both the Hikari and the Kodama have a maximum speed of 200 kph. 25 YEARS AGO Sunday, Nov. 4, 1990 Nearly 600 dolphins killed in Nagasaki Fishermen drove hundreds of dolphins onto a beach and slaughtered them for their meat Friday on the East China Sea island of Fukuejima, police said Saturday. A police spokesman said fishermen came across a school of up to 3,000 dolphins off Miiraku, a coastal town on the island in Nagasaki Prefecture, at around 5 p.m. Friday. A local fisheries union sent boats to the area early Saturday and the fishermen chased hundreds of the animals onto Shiragahama Beach. Eyewitnesses said at least 580 dolphins were forced ashore and beaten to death with clubs. The fishermen then used cranes to pile the carcasses atop a breakwater, they said. The police spokesman said residents of the Goto Islands, which include Fukuejima, traditionally eat dolphin meat. Residents of Miiraku said dolphin meat is an important source of protein for them because beef and pork are too expensive. One elderly woman said, “Although conservationists are increasingly critical of us, we have no choice but to eat them because we have so many dolphins.”

dolphins;nagasaki;imperial family;dancing;emperor taisho;hikari;fukuejima

jp0000493

2015/10/08

Sony triggers clause to allow it to sell half of music venture stake to Jackson estate, or buy other half

LOS ANGELES - Sony Corp. triggered a contract clause that would allow the Japanese electronics maker to to sell its half of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing venture it co-owns with Michael Jackson’s estate, according to people familiar with the situation. The move means Sony can either sell its half of the music-publishing business or buy the other half, said the people, who asked not to be named because the agreement is private. Documents leaked by hackers who broke into Sony Entertainment’s computers last year revealed that executives at the company had discussed such a sale. A sale would bring Sony cash and reap a payday for a business it merged with Jackson’s in 1995 to establish Sony/ATV. Jackson, who had earlier purchased rights to The Beatles song library, died in 2009. In 2012, Sony, the executors of Jackson’s estate and other investors purchased the larger EMI song catalog, to form the world’s biggest music-publishing business. Music publishers collect songwriting royalties from album sales, use on TV and other performances. Sony/ATV also has rights to songs from several Motown artists, and administers the catalog for EMI. Sony/ATV has a value of around $2 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported on Wednesday that Sony had triggered the clause. It wasn’t clear whether Sony would include its share of EMI in a sale, the newspaper said. Sony Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Michael Lynton told Bloomberg News in January that the company had no plans to sell the music publishing business. Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier said the same in a memo to staff.

sony;beatles;michael jackson;music publishing

jp0000494

2015/10/08

Ex-professor indicted on charge of leaking bar exam questions

Prosecutors indicted a former Meiji University law school professor Wednesday on a charge of leaking questions in this year’s national bar examinations to a woman who was one of his former students. It is the first time that prosecutors have charged a person over leaking bar exam questions. Koichi Aoyagi, 67, had earlier admitted to the allegation and was indicted without detention on a charge of violating the confidentiality provision of the national civil service law. The prosecutors, however, decided not to indict the woman, in her 20s, whom Aoyagi had been tutoring, as they could not find any evidence that she had urged the former professor to leak the questions, according to prosecutorial sources. Aoyagi has said that he had leaked questions without being asked to do so because he was “fond of” the woman. According to the indictment and other sources, Aoyagi was in charge of creating questions for the bar exam held in May and allegedly gave the woman an essay question on the Constitution that later appeared in the exam. In the exam, the woman’s answer was better than those of other examinees and was also similar to a sample answer Aoyagi had made and circulated to other members tasked with formulating questions or grading answers in the bar exam. The members are appointed by the justice minister based on the recommendations of the ministry’s National Bar Examination Commission and have a legal obligation to keep secrets as a part-time national public servant. The commission filed a criminal complaint against Aoyagi on Sept. 8 for allegedly breaching confidentiality. Meiji University dismissed Aoyagi, effective Sept. 12. The prosecutors also indicted Aoyagi on a charge of leaking multiple-choice questions on the Constitution portion of the bar exam, in which the woman had perfect scores.

scandal;lawyers;bar exam;cheating

jp0000495

2015/10/01

Venom experts say global snake bite death tolls are grossly underestimated

LONDON - Venom specialists said Wednesday that disease and disability caused by snake bites is far higher than official global health estimates suggest, and that anti-venom stocks are running dangerously low. In a joint statement after a five-day conference in Britain, the international experts said snake bites kill more people than all other so-called neglected tropical diseases combined, yet get little attention or funding from the World Health Organization (WHO) or from governments. Citing new evidence from a study in India and Bangladesh, the experts said around 46,000 people died annually of snake bites in India, plus another 6,000 in Bangladesh. The WHO estimates the annual death toll in India from snake bites is 10,000. “Snake bite … is almost completely ignored and grossly underestimated,” said Alan Harvey, head of the International Society of Toxinology, who led the meeting. “WHO and governments need to … rank snake bite where it belongs — as a very real public health and medical concern which needs funding, training and focus.” Bites from snakes such as cobras, mambas and vipers mainly affect people living in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia that have scant health facilities nearby. Anti-venom treatment can cost between $250 and $500, the experts said, meaning many victims either seek no treatment at all or go to local witch doctors or herbalists. Despite high death rates, the WHO in 2013 downgraded snake bite to a “neglected condition” with no formal programme on how to address it as a health threat, the experts said. They also warned that anti-venom stocks are running “dangerously low” in many risk areas and that there is a “real crisis in the quantity and quality of anti-venoms in rural areas, where they are needed most.” Even where anti-venom stocks are of high quality, there is often a shortage of medical staff trained in how to administer them safely and effectively.

health;animals;pests

jp0000496

2015/10/01

Defense Ministry launches new equipment management agency

The Defense Ministry launched a new agency Thursday to centralize its logistical needs and deal with the development, procurement and export of defense equipment. By establishing the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, the government said it aimed to cut costs by consolidating defense equipment-related functions within a single entity, instead of going through individual divisions and agencies. A core function of the new agency is to manage the development and sale of defense equipment between Japanese contractors and their overseas partners under eased arms export rules adopted in April last year. It was the first major overhaul in nearly half a century of Japan’s arms embargo policy. The new agency, headed by Commissioner Hideaki Watanabe and with about 1,800 employees, has integrated the ministry’s equipment-related divisions, as well as similar Self-Defense Forces sections and related research functions.

defense ministry;equipment;agency

jp0000497

2015/10/06

Tokyo's Imperial Palace grounds are peaceful oasis amid concrete jungle

Adjacent to modern high-rises in the Otemachi business district, just a 10-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station, visitors can step into nature, peace and beauty in the grounds of the historic Imperial Palace. The area is a fine place to stretch out on the grass and enjoy a picnic or simply breathe in the autumn air. Formerly the site of Edo Castle, built by the Tokugawa shogunate, the Imperial Palace is where the royal family has resided, worked and conducted rituals ever since Emperor Meiji moved from the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1868. Some parts are closed to the public, but large areas of the 115-hectare grounds, roughly a third the size of New York’s Central Park, are open and are popular with tourists. Notable sights include a forest of 2,000 Japanese black pine trees and the well-tailored lawn of Kokyo Gaien National Garden. Strollers will also come across what is commonly known as Nijubashi Bridge — a popular spot for photos. A path around the perimeter of the Imperial Palace grounds attracts more than 4,000 runners daily, while inside the season’s flora is out in force — red spider lilies at this time of year — with ducks and swans swimming about. Open every day except for Mondays and Fridays, the East Garden is recommended for tourists who want a taste of Japanese culture and history. Visitors topped 1 million last year. This is were they can enjoy a Japanese-style garden and inspect the remains of Edo Castle. To cater to the growing number of foreign tourists, the park’s operator started offering free tours in English this year in addition to Japanese. Meanwhile, evening strollers can look forward to a new attraction: Plans are underway to light up buildings and bridges in Kokyo Gaien National Garden at night. At present, only the nearby Wadakura Fountain Park is set aglow.

tourism;imperial palace

jp0000498

2015/10/24

Water, water everywhere in Japan, but fewer people to pay for it

One of the most common received truths about Japan is that it lacks natural resources, which is why it relies so much on imports. Lack of resources was one of the reasons Japan invaded Asia in the last century. But there is one resource that is plentiful, and which is becoming scarce in other regions: water. In fact, there has been talk that Japan could export fresh water as a form of “security.” Japan currently buys a lot of coal from Australia, which is delivered by ship. Those vessels return to Australia empty, and usually have to fill up with sea water for ballast, a risky solution since the water could contain living things that might upset marine ecology systems back in Australia. But the ships could also fill up with fresh water — not necessarily drinking water, but water that could be used in the mining of the coal being sent to Japan. Coal mining requires a lot of water, and Australia doesn’t always have enough. It’s estimated that 900 million people in the world do not have ready access to safe drinking water, so Japan should count itself lucky. However, in recent years water supply agencies nationwide have been raising fees or proposing to raise fees on tap water. The reason has to do with Japan’s population decline. The infrastructure that processes water and delivers it to homes is superannuated in many places in Japan, but since revenues are dropping due to loss of users, local water supply agents don’t have enough money to repair and maintain these facilities. An article in the Asahi Shimbun on Sept. 7 looked at the town of Bibai in Hokkaido, which has announced that it is raising water-use fees by 30 percent this month, the first time it has done so in 33 years. If a household uses 10 cu. meters of water a month, it now pays ¥2,547. That fee will increase by ¥567. Before the war, the town was very prosperous because of a coal mine, and population peaked in 1956 at 92,000. Now it is down to 24,000, and the pipe network that moves water through the town is desperately in need of repair. Residential users may not feel as much pain, but business users are quite worried about the increase. One restaurant owner in Bibai told the paper that he now spends almost ¥600,000 a year for water, and with the fee increase he expects his bill to go up by more than ¥100,000. Bibai’s situation is typical of many towns and smaller cities throughout Japan. Because water supply agents cover specific areas, their revenue is limited by the number of users in that area. If there are many users, then costs for repair and maintenance can be spread more diffusely, but if the number of users is small, each one will have to bear more of the cost. A recent feature in the weekly magazine Shukan Josei reports that reservoir repair and maintenance costs for Tokyo’s water supply are the highest in Japan, but fees are among the lowest because of the number of users — about 10,000 per kilometer of pipe. Residents of Sendai and Sapporo, on the other hand, pay significantly higher fees for water because of the much smaller population density — in some neighborhoods as low as 100 users per kilometer of pipe. Bibai is now trying to consolidate its water supply agents with those in nearby towns, so that a larger pool of users can be tapped for revenues, thus reducing the per-user cost of repairs and maintenance. Another reason for the difference in fees is geology. The most expensive water, according to the Japan arm of accounting firm Ernst & Young Global Ltd., is in the town of Fukaura in Aomori Prefecture, where the average household is expected to pay more than ¥17,000 a month by 2040. Population decline is one reason, but the town is also very hilly, so the waterworks system needs lots of pumps to deliver water to a relatively small number of households. Of course, water abundance is also a factor. Kagawa, on the island of Shikoku, is one of the few prefectures that regularly suffers water shortages. Farmers on Shikoku traditionally grew wheat rather than rice, since rice requires so much water. The prefecture is now working on unifying the water supply agents of at least six cities so that they can reduce personnel and facilities expenses and thus not have to raise fees as much. The central government is also getting involved by identifying some 8,000 “simple water supply” ( kan’i suidō ) agents. Simple water supply agents are those who serve a user base that is not larger than 5,000 households. By identifying such agents, the government hopes to move them toward consolidating with neighboring agents, since the central government is required to subsidize waterworks in order to guarantee delivery of water. This happened in Shimane Prefecture, where smaller municipalities needed ¥2.1 billion a year for waterworks maintenance. Fees, however, only covered 30 percent of the maintenance expenses, so the government had to come up with the rest. Now, seven of these municipalities will merge their water networks with that of the capital, Matsue, with the help of the central government. Nevertheless, some municipalities are shrinking so fast that soon they will not be able to afford waterworks at all. Some agents may not be able to stay in business, regardless of how much they raise fees. That means the few households in their jurisdictions will have to actually transport water themselves, by vehicle. Another solution to the fee problem is conservation. Though Japan has abundant fresh water, the Japan Water Works Association is encouraging users to save water as much as possible. This will not only reduce their water bills, but ease the stress on the system, since there is less need for purifying chemicals and other treatments. The average person in Japan uses 250 liters a day. One of the reasons people here use such a large amount is that they tend to take daily baths, sometimes more than once. Switching to showers and changing toilet valves would help save water. To understand how lucky Japan is, all you have to do is look at a place like California, which, due to geology and climate-related developments, may never again have enough water for all its residents, no matter how wealthy they are. If higher fees are necessary to keep Japan’s water supply clean and plentiful, then that’s just the way it is.

water;depopulation;rural life

jp0000499

2015/10/15

Travels of 'serial killer' trucker accused in four Ohio slayings probed for links to more deaths

CLEVELAND - Investigators are looking into the routes driven by a trucker who traveled through Ohio and Pennsylvania and is now charged in four Cleveland slayings that came 18 years apart. Authorities want to know more about where and when Robert Rembert worked as a regional driver, calling him a “serial killer” who already served time in prison for a fatal shooting in the late 1990s. “The feeling is given his violent history it only makes sense to dig down into what was going on in the interim,” said Joe Frolik, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office Rembert is expected to be arraigned Friday after being indicted this week on multiple counts of aggravated murder in the slayings of one person in 1997 and three people this year. He was arrested last month after coming out of a shower at a truck stop outside Cleveland and was being held on a $1 million bond, prosecutors said. “Robert Rembert is a serial killer,” Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said. “So far, we know he’s purposefully executed five people.” Rembert, 45, couldn’t be contacted for comment, and court records did not show whether he has an attorney representing him. Investigators know that Rembert traveled all over Ohio and into Pennsylvania and want to find out if his work took him into other states in the Great Lakes area, Frolik said. Prosecutors have said that DNA evidence matched Rembert to the rape and strangulation deaths of Rena Mae Payne in May 1997 and Kimberly Hall this June. Rembert was a Regional Transit Authority bus driver in 1997 and knew the entry code for the restroom where Payne’s body was discovered at an RTA bus turnaround, prosecutors said. Rembert also is charged in the fatal shooting of Morgan Nietzel and his cousin, Jerry Rembert, at a Cleveland home on Sept. 20, the day before he was arrested. Prosecutors say Robert Rembert lived in the home and shot both Nietzel and his cousin in the head. Rembert had argued with the pair before the killings, Frolik said. Nietzel’s car was found in the parking lot of the truck stop in Medina County where Rembert was arrested. The fifth slaying was the fatal shooting of Dadren Lewis in December 1997. Rembert pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced in 1998 to six years in prison.

police;serial killer;dna;cleveland;ohio;pennsylvania

jp0000500

2015/10/15

Santa Claus elected to North Pole City Council

JUNEAU, ALASKA - A man with a soft white beard who prides himself on being an advocate for young children has been elected as a city councilman in North Pole, Alaska. The rosy-cheeked 68-year-old candidate, who happens to be named Santa Claus, won a three-year term in the community of about 2,200 residents southeast of Fairbanks, according to election results released Tuesday. Claus, who legally changed his name from Thomas Patrick O’Connor about a decade ago while living in Nevada, said he has been an advocate for legislation and services that benefit at-risk children. He could be seen in recent days wearing his trademark red velvet outfit and holding a campaign sign in North Pole, the namesake of the home of the legendary Christmas gift-giver. Claus was one of two write-in candidates for two vacant seats in the Oct. 6 election. He will take office on Oct. 26, North Pole City Clerk Kathy Weber said. In an interview, Claus said that calling state lawmakers and saying: “This is Santa Claus from North Pole,” either got their attention or a quick, though temporary, rejection. “It’s been a valuable tool for developing legislation to protect children,” he said.

u.s .;holidays;elections

jp0000501

2015/10/12

Safety of Fukushima-produced foods emphasized at Milan expo

MILAN - A campaign began at the Japan Pavilion of the food-themed world expo in Italy on Sunday to demonstrate to visitors that food from Fukushima Prefecture is safe despite a nuclear disaster there in 2011. During the four-day campaign which ends Wednesday, samples of local foods, such as fruits and Japanese sake, are being offered to highlight the quality control efforts producers have been making since the disaster. At the pavilion, Norio Hashimoto, an official of the Fukushima Prefectural Government, said the quality of fruits shipped from the prefecture is “fully vouched for.” He added, “Fukushima is one of the major producers of fruits in the country.” His colleague, Takeshi Fujita, said the purpose of the campaign is to convey “correct information” about Fukushima foods, but stressed that he does not intend to force it on anyone. The campaign is also aimed at conveying how far rebuilding has proceeded since the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant suffered meltdowns in tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake on March 11, 2011. A 59-year-old visitor said he enjoyed the dried peaches and sake that were served at the event, expressing hope that safety is pursued “sincerely” on matters of food. Some visitors had the chance to experience Fukushima folklore in which dumplings are skewered on tree branches to wish for a good harvest.

fukushima;fukushima no . 1;food;radiation;expo;milan

jp0000502

2015/10/13

893-kg pumpkin weighs in as plumpest entry at annual California event

HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA - A rippled white whopper weighing in at 1,969 pounds (893 kg) took the title Monday for plumpest pumpkin at an annual San Francisco Bay Area contest. Growers gathered with their gargantuan offerings to try to break the world record of 2,323 pounds (1,054 kg), which was set by a Swiss grower during a competition in Germany last year. It didn’t happen. But the winning entry at the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, was no small feat. Steve Daletas of Pleasant Hill, Oregon, won $12,000 for his lumpy, 1,969-pound (893-kg) pumpkin. “It’s been a good year,” he said after the contest. “I’ve never grown an official 1,900-pound pumpkin before.” Forklifts and special harnesses carefully placed the massive pumpkins on an industrial-strength digital scale with a capacity of 5 tons as officials from the county agricultural commissioner’s Office of Weights, Sealers, and Measures kept close watch. Second place went to Ron and Karen Root of Citrus Heights, California, for their 1,806-pound (819-kg) entry. A $500 prize also was awarded to the “most beautiful” pumpkin based on color, shape and size. With California in its fourth year of drought, some said the dry soil deflated their pumpkin-growing dreams. “No doubt about it,” Gary Miller of Napa, the 2013 winner, told Bay Area news station KNTV. He entered a 1,303-pound (591-kg) pumpkin. Last year, grower John Hawkley set a North American record with a 2,058-pound (933.5-kg) entry. He returned to defend his title, but his pumpkin registered 1,447 pounds (656 kg). Organizer Tim Beeman said the contest kicks off the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival this weekend.

u.s .;contests;offbeat

jp0000503

2015/10/13

Japan may empower courts to handle more cross-border divorce suits

After 18 months of deliberations, the Legislative Council of the Justice Ministry has drawn up an outline for legal revisions aimed at resolving a problem many failed marriages face: whether the Japan-based spouse can file for divorce here rather than overseas. The council on Friday submitted a proposal to Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki that lists several scenarios in which Japanese family courts should be authorized to handle divorce involving couples of whom only one partner is still living in Japan. If enacted, it would will mark the first time the government has clarified international jurisdiction rules for divorce. Following are questions and answers on the issue: What is the current situation? Japan has no law that spells out the circumstances under which family courts can handle cross-border divorce disputes between a spouse who sues, the plaintiff, and his or her ex-partner, the defendant. In the absence of a legal framework, family courts have traditionally decided on a case-by-case basis whether they have jurisdiction in divorce cases, relying only on past Supreme Court rulings. The rulings acknowledged jurisdiction of the Japanese courts when the defendant was resident in Japan, because the inconvenience of being forced into a legal battle, it was deemed, merited greater consideration than the inconvenience faced by a plaintiff. If the defendant was overseas, that was where the case should be heard. The-case-by-case approach means there has been no consistency in court judgments, while plaintiffs and their lawyers have had to convince the courts that they meet the special circumstances required to sue for divorce in Japan. The lack of clear rules has placed prospective plaintiffs under emotional stress as they await a court’s decision on where their suits should take place, said Tokyo-based lawyer Tomohiro Hayase. Under what circumstances have spouses been able to file for divorce in Japan? A plaintiff in Japan who fled an allegedly abusive marriage abroad may qualify to have a family court hear the case because unconditionally prioritizing the whereabouts of the defendant can incur problems, Hayase said. “For example, in cases where a Japanese wife has fled her abusive foreign husband and moved back to Japan, it would be unfair if she has to return to the husband’s country to start divorce (proceedings) against him,” the lawyer said. Under such circumstances, domestic family courts have customarily decided they will handle the plaintiffs’ cases in Japan — even if the defendants are abroad — in accordance with what the top court called “the idea of fairness between the parties and just and speedy hearing of the case.” What new rules are being considered? The Legislative Council, an advisory panel to the justice minister, has come up with seven scenarios under which domestic family courts would preside over cross-border divorces in Japan, including those in which both parties are Japanese nationals. Other cases include those in which a couple lived in Japan until just before they were separated internationally — a rule Hayase said will make it easier for Japanese to initiate a divorce action against a spouse who left Japan. While this will be a common scenario, the nationality is in fact irrelevant: It could involve two Americans, one of whom continues to reside in Japan and initiates the action. Until now it has been hard for a Japanese husband, for example, to file for divorce if his foreign wife deserts him, leaves the country and does not inform him where she is. This is because regardless of any culpability the residence of the wife — the defendant in this case — took priority. The husband would traditionally have to go through reams of paperwork to persuade a family court that he is not to blame for a failed marriage to win jurisdiction over his case. But the new rule, if realized, will grant him the right to initiate proceedings in Japan merely on the grounds that he shared a Japanese address with her before they separated. “Although beneficial to Japanese, the rule is likely to prove more of an inconvenience to foreigners who left Japan for whatever reason, because unlike before, under the new rule it would be possible to drag them into a court battle in Japan from abroad — even though they are the defendants,” Hayase said. What will change if the rules are enacted? The council said the rules will “improve the foreseeability of litigants” and “contribute to swiftly resolving conflicts.” Hayase agrees. “Whenever clients who sought an international divorce came to us for consultation, we weren’t able to tell them for sure beforehand whether they could proceed with a lawsuit in Japan. All we could do was study past court rulings and do some guesswork,” he said, noting most of his Japanese clients preferred to file for divorce in Japan to avoid the hassle of dealing with a foreign language and having to fly overseas. “If more precise determinations are possible, that would be a huge load off their shoulders.” What else does the outline cover? Subject to the council’s discussion was not only jurisdiction over divorces but also child custody rulings. Family courts have customarily claimed jurisdiction over cross-border custody battles if the child is in Japan. The proposed rule by the council endorses this tradition, declaring that Japanese courts are authorized to handle such cases when “the child has an address in or is staying in Japan.” However, should the child be repatriated abroad in the midst of a custody battle, such as one under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Japanese courts are likely to have to terminate the debate and relinquish jurisdiction to their overseas counterparts, said Muneki Uchino, councilor of the Civil Affairs Bureau at the Justice Ministry. Uchino said the Justice Ministry will compile an amendment based on the outline and submit it to the Diet “as soon as possible,” at the latest by early next year. How many international marriages take place in Japan? There were 21,130 new international marriages registered in Japan in 2014, according to data released by the welfare ministry in September. Of the total, 14,998 couples were those between Japanese husbands and foreign wives, mostly Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos. The remaining 6,132 were of Japanese wives, with the foreign husbands predominantly Americans and Koreans. There were 14,135 international divorces in 2014.

lawsuits;marriage;divorce

jp0000504

2015/10/14

U.S. government sued over skull-crushing fall of massive pine cone

DENVER - A military veteran who said his skull was crushed by a 16-pound (7-kg) pine cone as he rested in the shade of a conifer grove at a San Francisco park has sued the U.S. government, saying employee negligence led to his injuries. Sean Mace was reading and napping beneath the bunya pines, also known as false monkey puzzle trees, during a visit to San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park in October 2014, according to the lawsuit, filed in federal court. The cones dropped by the Australian trees can grow in excess of 14 inches (35 cm) in diameter and weigh more than 40 pounds (18 kg). Park staffers who planted the trees decades ago knew there was a high risk of injury to anyone below them, the complaint said. Mace, a U.S. Navy veteran, was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, where he had two rounds of surgery for traumatic brain injury. The lawsuit said he had been left with “severe and likely irreversible cognitive defects.” It seeks monetary damages for personal injury and losses caused by “the negligent or wrongful act of omission of any employee,” and names the park, the U.S. government, the National Park Service and the Department of Interior as defendants. It alleged that inaction by workers “created a hidden hazard or peril” for visitors to the park, and that a safety barrier was erected around the bunya pine grove in the northeastern part of the park only after Mace suffered his injuries. The lawsuit was filed last month but was first reported on Monday by the San Francisco Chronicle. The newspaper said Mace, who is in his 50s, had chosen the waterfront park to try to find a quiet spot to watch the Blue Angels air show during last year’s Bay Area Fleet Week. The National Park Service said it did not comment on ongoing litigation.

u.s .;nature;courts;lawsuits;offbeat

jp0000505

2015/10/22

Ginza Cozy Corner takes dessert into hyperdrive with 'Star Wars' cakes

One Japanese confectionary vendor is about to find the Force deep within a sweet tie-up. Ahead of the December release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Ginza Cozy Corner, which has outlets nationwide, has made a line of “Star Wars” sweets that are truly out of this world. The treats themselves are all based on people from the the films, and regardless if the characters were good or evil, the desserts will end up being sweet. The cake set includes Darth Vader, Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, an Ewok, a Stormtrooper, C-3PO and R2-D2, each having its own unique taste. The yellow C-3PO cake is lemon-flavored; the white R2-D2 one is cheese mousse; and so on. If that wasn’t enough to satisfy sci-fi fans, Ginza Cozy Corner is also releasing a “Star Wars” tin and pouch filled with the store’s original creations. They will also be selling an R2-D2 sponge cake that is covered in white frosting and colored biscuits. The “Star Wars” collection will be sold at select stores beginning Nov. 1, and the nine-piece cake set will sell for ¥2,000. For more information, visit the Ginza Cozy Corner website .

star wars;desserts;ginza cozy corner;japan pulse

jp0000506

2015/10/22

Man sentenced to 19 years for abandoning 5-year-old son who died of starvation

YOKOHAMA - The Yokohama District Court on Thursday sentenced a 37-year-old man to 19 years in prison for abandoning a 5-year-old son who died of starvation while he continued to receive child allowance payments for years afterward. Yukihiro Saito denied his son Riku sufficient food and water from around the fall of 2006, and left him to die of malnutrition at their apartment in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, in January 2007, according to the ruling handed down in a lay judge trial. Saito left his son’s body at the apartment, where more than seven years later police found the boy’s skeletal remains in May 2014. “The boy was left to die in an uncomfortable environment filled with garbage without being given food by his father who was the only person he could rely on,” presiding judge Koji Inaba said. “The cruelty is beyond all imagination.” Saito told police his wife left him in 2004 and he locked the boy up in the apartment when he went out. He denied intending to kill the boy. The ruling also said Saito did not tell his employer about his son’s death and swindled ¥410,000 ($3,400) in child allowance payments. Prosecutors charged him with murder and fraud and sought 20 years in prison. The incident called into question local authorities’ failure to keep track of the boy for such a long time, exposing shortcomings in the system and how a child could disappear unnoticed.

starvation;abandonment;son;yukihiro saito

jp0000507

2015/10/25

Bigfoot believers exchange stories at New York retreat

CHAUTAUQUA, NEW YORK - Believers in the legendary Bigfoot creature gathered Saturday in western New York state, convinced the giant ape also known as Sasquatch has left its footprints all over the region. Yeti, sasquatch, ape-man, Bigfoot. No matter the name, sightings have been reported in virtually every U.S. state, with more than 100 listed in New York and more than 250 in neighboring Ohio. Washington state leads, with more than 600 reports, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Association. At the fourth annual Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo, organizer Peter Wiemer knows the creature may not be the first topic that comes to mind in the rural county, best known for the Chautauqua Institution, a summer retreat devoted to scholarly and artistic pursuits. “You say ‘Bigfoot’ in a room full of people and watch everyone stop and look to see who’s talking,” he said with a laugh. And while he may have started the event as a way to draw people to the tourist-dependent region and his family’s rental cottages, he said he has since met dozens of people who are certain they’ve seen one of the ape-like creatures in the area. Wiemer is now enough of a devotee that he has tried to get New York state to put Sasquatch on its list of endangered species, alongside the mud turtle, the golden eagle and the cougar. The Department of Environmental Conservation isn’t convinced. Its 2012 response in part: “This mythical animal does not exist in nature or otherwise. . . . No program or action in relation to mythical animals is warranted.” Don’t tell that to Julia Karanasky, who was afraid she had a spy when she became aware of a large figure clearing his throat outside her bedroom window on her second night in her Niagara Falls home in 2009. Then she heard the stories of regular Bigfoot sightings on the nearby Tuscarora Indian Reservation. “I keep telling people, ‘I think he came to my house that night,’ ” said Karanasky, who sat in the front row for the expo’s lectures. Speakers included Steve Kulls, an Adirondacks-based Sasquatch detective who debunks Bigfoot hoaxes while seeking out credible reports, and Ken Gerhard, a cryptozoologist in pursuit of evidence of mystery creatures including the Loch Ness Monster, the chupacabra and werewolves. Dave Wargo said that years ago he smelled the pungent beast before he saw it standing on railroad tracks near the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. “People make fun of you,” said Wargo, who has appeared on Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot” series. “But I know what I saw.”

evolution;animals;supernatural;big foot

jp0000508

2015/10/25

Osaka elections pull LDP closer to old foes

OSAKA - In an unprecedented move that has left many senior Liberal Democratic Party members concerned, the Osaka chapter of the Japanese Communist Party has called on its members to back the LDP’s candidates in the Nov. 22 mayoral and gubernatorial elections. The mayoral election pits former Ishin no To Diet member Hirofumi Yoshimura, a close confidant of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto backed by the group Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka), against the LDP’s pick, Osaka Municipal Assemblyman Akira Yanagimoto. The gubernatorial election sees the incumbent Ichiro Matsui, a close Hashimoto ally, pitted against former LDP Assemblywoman Takako Kurihara. But the mayoral election is considered the real battle. The decision by the JCP, which often enjoys a closer behind-the-scenes relationship with the LDP at the local level than is generally understood, to not field its own candidate in favor of Yanagimoto and Kurihara comes as the communists seek an “All Osaka” coalition of parties to defeat Yoshimura. Before a May referendum on whether to merge the wards of the city of Osaka, Yanagimoto was the public face of the anti-merger movement, often appearing alongside JCP assembly members on televised debates with Hashimoto, who has made the merger one of his key political goals. The referendum was defeated by just over 10,000 votes out of more than 1.4 million cast, thanks to the combined efforts of the anti-Osaka Ishin parties. Osaka Ishin is Hashimoto’s local political group. When Yanagimoto then decided to run against Yoshimura after Hashimoto announced he would not stand for re-election, the JCP decided that, rather than run the risk of splitting the opposition with its own candidate, it would back Yanagimoto. Katsutoshi Yamaguchi, chair of the JCP’s Osaka prefectural branch, said the party supports Yanagimoto because of his trenchant opposition to Hashimoto and his group’s merger plan. “Osaka Ishin has said it will once again attempt to push the merger if Yoshimura is re-elected. Yanagimoto has strongly criticized this stance and said he wants to return to a less confrontational city administration. “He has also made it clear that he wants to reach out to other political parties. So, JCP members are being encouraged to individually support him in order to put an end to Osaka Ishin’s politics,” Yamaguchi said. Nine of the 85 members of the Osaka Municipal Assembly, and three of the 88 prefectural assembly members, belong to the JCP, which claims to have about 440,000 supporters within the prefecture. For his part, Yanagimoto has been trying to distance himself somewhat from the JCP’s endorsement, partially because local LDP voters are split over whether to support or oppose an anti-merger stance. After the May 17 referendum, exit polls by the Asahi Shimbun showed that 42 percent of LDP-affiliated voters cast ballots for the merger, defying the party. “It’s a strange situation in Osaka. Many LDP members are uneasy over the JCP endorsement, and there are also those who support Hashimoto’s goal of integrating Osaka. They may not vote for Yanagimoto,” said an Osaka LDP official, speaking anonymously. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has already been to Osaka to endorse Yanagimoto and Kurihara. But how enthusiastic both Abe and LDP headquarters are about that support, given that a Yanagimoto victory will bring the LDP’s Osaka chapter even closer to the opposition, is unclear. In addition, Abe has forged closer relations with Hashimoto and Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui, who is standing for re-election against local LDP-backed candidate Takako Kurihara, whom the JCP is also calling on members to support. The Osaka Ishin group holds a plurality in the city assembly but must work with entities like Komeito, the third-largest party, to pass legislation. Komeito has supported Hashimoto in past elections but has not officially endorsed either candidate yet. Given the bad blood between Hashimoto, who also favors merging the city with the prefecture, and Komeito, which along with the LDP and JCP opposes it, one of the keys to the election will be how many Komeito voters, especially those who belong to the lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, its main backer, cast ballots for Yanagimoto. Some might choose to back Yoshimura in the hope that he’ll be more flexibe with Komeito’s concerns about the merger plan than Hashimoto ever was. Whether Osaka Ishin should continue pushing to merge Osaka is one of the main issues in the double election. In May, 13 of Osaka’s 24 districts voted against it. Virtually all the wards opposing the merger are in the city’s less glamorous and prosperous southern area, home to traditional merchant neighborhoods and small businesses. The more prosperous wards of northern Osaka, almost all of which voted for the merger, include areas that are home to major corporations and luxury hotels and shopping areas that attract residents from all over Kansai and beyond. The southern wards worry that a merger will cost them vital tax revenue they receive under the current 24-ward system, which would leave them at an even greater economic disadvantage if they are forced to compete with their richer northern counterparts for new revenue under Hashimoto’s proposal. The other issue that has emerged in recent days, however, is an LDP proposal backed by its senior Diet members, to turn the area into a mega-region that would ensure the line for a magnetically levitated train system now under construction, is extended to Osaka. Osaka Ishin has criticized the plan for being little more than an ill-considered political ploy. “Does the LDP really think that the maglev train will be built based on the vague contents of the proposal they put out?” asked Yoshimura. For his part, Yanagimoto and the LDP are emphasizing that they are willing to work to improve municipal services in Osaka and avoid redundancies without resorting to a merger. They want discussions with not only the city, but also the prefecture and the city of Sakai on how to do it; Osaka Ishin insists on a merger. “The purpose of these meetings is to find areas where the three bureaucracies can eliminate redundant services through mutual agreement. But Osaka Ishin members are only thinking about a merger, and are determined to hold another merger referendum despite their loss in May,” he told supporters earlier this month.

osaka;elections;japanese communist party;akira yanagimoto;hirofumi yoshimura

jp0000509

2015/10/25

Kyoto advances nuclear-free agenda with Alaska LNG pact

KYOTO - The Kyoto Prefectural Government signed an agreement with Alaska last month to explore the possibility of importing liquid natural gas from the state to Maizuru, a port city on the Sea of Japan. While daunting financial and bureaucratic challenges mean it will still be a while before Alaskan LNG flows to Kyoto, the agreement represents a step forward for Kyoto to achieve a larger goal: ending prefectural dependence on nuclear power by 2040. The strategy, as outlined by Kyoto Gov. Keiji Yamada, calls for building up LNG facilities at Maizuru and installing new LNG pipelines in the Kansai region. The prefecture envisions Maizuru supplying not only Kyoto, but other prefectures in the region with gas to replace Fukui Prefecture’s nuclear power plants as a major source of electricity. Kyoto is not alone in seeking to replace atomic power with a combination of LNG imports and renewable energy. As of the end of 2014, more than 600 local governments nationwide had declared their intent to be nuclear-free, although not all of have set specific dates like Kyoto, and many lack a strategic plan for achieving that goal. Yamada listed several reasons why the prefecture needs to end its usage of nuclear power, which comes mostly from 11 Kansai Electric Power Co. reactors in neighboring Fukui. “We’re grateful to Fukui for hosting nuclear power plants. But given issues like what to do with spent nuclear fuel and the need to decommission older reactors, we in Kyoto have to think about our energy future,” Yamada said in 2013, when he first announced the plan. Just prior to the memorandum of understanding with Alaska, the governor also said that, in addition to helping the prefecture get out of nuclear power, increasing natural gas usage via the port of Maizuru would have regional benefits. “In the event of a national disaster off the Pacific coast of Kansai, it’s possible that LNG facilities in the Osaka Bay area will be destroyed. Maizuru could then serve as a major natural gas hub,” he said. At present, Niigata is the only prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast that has the facilities needed to serve as an LNG base. In Kansai, the ports of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, and Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, have LNG facilities. Kyoto and Hyogo, along with Osaka Gas, Kepco, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, agreed in early September to formally research the cost of building an LNG pipeline from Maizuru to Sanda, Hyogo Prefecture, that could then supply other parts of Kansai and likely lead to other localities needing less nuclear power.

energy;kyoto;nuclear power;lng;alaska;maizuru

jp0000510

2015/07/04

Could Hamp's detention reinforce prejudice?

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Julie Hamp, Toyota Motor Corp.’s first female managing officer, on June 18 on suspicion of importing oxycodone, an opioid used to relieve pain. The drug is tightly controlled in Japan but can be imported into the country with a prescription if certain procedures are followed. Hamp has since tendered her resignation via a lawyer, according to a statement posted on Toyota’s website on Wednesday. She hasn’t been able to speak with the company directly because she has been in detention since her arrest. According to weekly magazine Shukan Shincho, Hamp is being held in a detention cell at a police station not far from the United Nations University in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. She hasn’t been formally charged yet and the odds are very high that she will be held for the entire 23 days allowed under Japanese law. Hamp told prosecutors she had the powerful painkiller shipped from the U.S. to ease problems with her knees, The Japan Times reported Wednesday, noting that her father is believed to have mailed the package to her. Hamp claims she was unaware she was breaking the law. It doesn’t matter — once prosecutors have filed formal charges, a guilty verdict is almost certain. The country has a conviction rate that exceeds 99 percent, which has been attributed to prosecutors presenting judges with only the most obviously guilty cases. Those in detention are routinely treated as if they are guilty and if suspects don’t know how the system works on their first day inside, they soon learn quickly from other inmates. Suspects who protest their innocence are treated badly. Suspects who don’t confess to committing a crime are unlikely to be granted bail at all. If prosecutors decide to file formal charges, a suspect could be held in detention until their trial — which could be months away. What is life like in the police detention cells? Suspects are put in a cell with several other inmates. They’re not allowed to call each other by name, only by a number. Inmates wake up at 6 a.m.; they go to bed at 9 p.m. The food is always served cold, except on rare occasions. Suspects aren’t allowed access to a phone, iPod or computer. They generally aren’t allowed reading materials unless they are in Japanese. Suspects are allowed one 20-minute visit per day, excluding their lawyer. They have the right to remain silent but don’t have the right to have an attorney present. The lights in the cells are kept on all night. Inmates are not allowed to cover their heads. The police can interrogate suspects for as long as they like, although they generally restrict this to no more than eight hours a day. The monotony, poor treatment, isolation and despair that suspects experience in detention are enough to make many jump at any chance to be released before their trial. It has resulted in “confessions” that have later proven false. Hamp is likely to still be in detention at the time this article is published. At first, Toyota was very supportive of her. President Akio Toyoda apologized for the incident at a news conference, saying he believed Hamp had no intention of breaking the law. “To me, executives and staff are like my children,” he said. “It’s the responsibility of a parent to protect their children.” His unabashed support for his ‘child’ did not sit well with the police, who probably felt as if they had lost face. They raided Toyota’s offices on June 23. The police have judiciously leaked information to bolster their case since the arrest and the country’s newspapers have had no hesitation in reporting it under headlines such as “Medical exam shows no need for painkiller,” “Police fearlessly take on Goliath company” and the vaguely xenophobic “Diversification a problem for Japan.” In the end, Toyota accepted her resignation on July 1, because of “the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders.” Does anyone really believe that a high-paid executive of Toyota was smuggling oxycodone into Japan in an attempt to get high or, worse, sell it to a third party? However, the police and the prosecutors aren’t bad people — they’re just doing their job. In 2002, Briton Nicholas Baker was accused of smuggling drugs but he claimed he was set up by another man, James Prunier. The police in Belgium, who were pursuing Prunier, wanted to provide evidence to courts in Japan that might have exonerated Baker. However, the prosecutors refused to accept the evidence. After persistent nagging, a representative from the Chiba Prosecutor’s Office met with me. I asked him why the prosecution refused to talk to the Belgian police. He looked at me, dumbfounded. “We have everything we need to win this case,” he said. “Why would we want evidence that weakens it?” Prosecutors don’t seem to care so much about justice — it all comes down to winning the case. Hamp may simply be on the losing side; her guilt or innocence is irrelevant. That said, the arrest took place after a meeting of Toyota stockholders, suggesting that the police showed some concern for the corporation. National Police Agency sources say Eriko Yamatani, chairman of the Public Safety Commission, which oversees the country’s police force, was consulted as well before the arrest. This in of itself isn’t odd — Toyota is a major pillar of the domestic economy. It’s worth noting, however, that weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun has previously accused Yamatani of being associated with Zaitokukai, an ultranationalist group that has been condemned by the United Nations, the United States and the National Police Agency. In the end, Hamp will probably confess — almost everyone does. Unfortunately, however, her “confession” may only serve to reinforce Zaitokukai’s view that non-Japanese are nothing but trouble. There’s another word for a presumption of guilt or preconceived opinion that is not reasonable: prejudice.

drugs;toyota;julie hamp

jp0000511

2015/07/04

Emperor photographed; gendarmes arrested; teen held after Tokyo shooting spree; work becoming easier

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, July 1, 1915 His Imperial Majesty officially photographed H.I.M. the Emperor was photographed in full Military and Naval uniforms Tuesday morning in a studio specially built for the occasion, close to the riding ground in the Fukiage Gardens of the Imperial Palace. This was for presenting his likeness to the Emperors, Presidents and Kings of our treaty powers, and also for giving them to the schools of all grades in the Empire. Imperial artists Kuroda, Maruki and Ogawa had the honor of photographing his Majesty, and tens of thousands of copies will be prepared before October next. 75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, July 10, 1940 U.S. Marines arrest Japanese gendarmes U.S. marines in Shanghai committed outrageous acts against plain clothes Japanese gendarmes escorting General Toshizo Nishio, commander-in-chief of the Japanese expeditionary forces in China, on Sunday while the General was inspecting the Shanghai International Settlement and French Concessions on the occasion of the third anniversary of the China Affair, report special dispatches to the Asahi and Yomiuri. Japanese gendarmes in plain clothes, numbering 16 were outrageously attacked by American marines with bayoneted guns, and despite nonresistance by the Japanese officers of the law they were unduly taken over to the headquarters of the American marines to be kept in detention, it is reported. Some of the Japanese were reported wounded in the attacks. The area Nishio was visiting is included in an American policing area and the gendarmes were reportedly detained because they were armed with revolvers. Japanese military authorities immediately lodged a written protest with Captain Peck of the American marines. According to the American attitude dealing with this affair, the Japanese military authorities are determined to take decisive steps. The Japanese were detained until 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, when they were only released after strong protests by Japanese military officers. The U.S. Marines were eventually withdrawn from Shanghai, in November 1941, days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 50 YEARS AGO Friday, July 30, 1965 Teen detained after 8-hour shooting spree An 18-year-old ex-seaman staged a Wild West-style gun battle in the heart of Tokyo Thursday in a desperate effort to avoid arrest for the killing of a police officer earlier in the day. He kept more than 100 armed policemen at bay for an hour and a half, shooting at random from inside a gun shop near Shibuya Station, at the end of an eight-hour shooting spree that began in Yamato, west of Yokohama, shortly before noon. Using tear gas, police finally apprehended the youth at the Royal Gun Shop, located between the station and the National Olympic Swimming Stadium at 7:20 p.m. Twelve persons were wounded by the youth before he was taken into custody. The youth, identified by police only by age and occupation, held three persons hostage in the shop. He used rifles taken from the shop to fire at the police. Four police officers and six spectators were wounded by stray bullets during the battle. Finally, at 6:50 p.m., police started firing tear gas into the gun shop. They eventually overpowered him at 7:20 p.m. Eight hours earlier, the youth had shot and killed a police officer, Yasuo Tadokoro, 20, with a rifle near a housing complex in Yamato. Tadokoro had been sent to the area after an emergency call to his police box that a young man carrying a rifle was loitering in the area. After his arrest, the youth told police he had been shooting birds in a wooded area when the police officer came up and began questioning him. When the officer appeared to reach for his pistol, the boy shot him. The youth then changed into the police officer’s uniform and took his pistol. He then stopped a passing motorist and had the driver take him to a nearby town. The youth reportedly changed cars twice before being spotted at Koganei Park, west of Tokyo, where he managed to evade capture by some 300 police officers. He then appeared in Shibuya at around 5:40 p.m., where after running out of ammunition, he entered the gun shop. The tall and stoutly built youth is the son of a carpenter. He lives a few kilometers from Shibuya. 25 YEARS AGO Monday, July 2, 1990 Jobs becoming easier, less interesting Technological developments have improved labor conditions but Japanese workers find their jobs less interesting, according to a survey released Sunday by the Prime Minister’s Office. The Survey Regarding Scientific Technology and Society, which polled 3,000 Japanese men and women over the age of 18, also shows that many Japanese believe the nation lacks the training environment needed to produce scientists with “individualistic and creative” character. The surveyors asked respondents how their jobs have changed, either through the use of robots or other labor-saving technology. When asked if working conditions have improved, 47.6 percent responded positively, up 7.7 percent from the same survey in 1987, while 13.6 percent said conditions have worsened. The percentage of workers who find their work interesting decreased by 4.7 percentage points to 41.9 percent. Also, 58.1 percent said that the training environment for Japanese scientists is unable to produce individualistic and creative scientists, while 53.9 percent said it is difficult for Japan to acquire its own awareness of scientific technology.

tokyo;employment;shanghai;technology

jp0000513

2015/07/02

The new face of Japanese beauty products

A wise woman once said that beauty is pain, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be boring. With designer face masks, even the simple act of skin moisturizing can become fun. Face masks rose to popularity after the 2011 Korean BB Cream craze . Over the past four years, the “lazy girl” alternative to traditional, time-consuming facials has been gaining prominence worldwide. Coated in serums containing everything from collagen and hyaluronic acid to more adventurous ingredients such as snail extract, these face masks claim to moisturize and brighten one’s skin. To stand out, face mask makers gradually started to experiment with different designs, such as cute pandas or classic kabuki makeup. Inspired by Japanese cosplay (“costume play”), they serve not only as a beauty essential, but also as fun way to remake yourself, if only for 15 to 20 minutes. These face masks seemed to hit their stride this year. According to a PR representative from beauty company Pure Smile, design face masks first came to being when faced with the question of how to make regular, white face masks more attractive. Fashion icon Kansai Yamamoto was recruited to design a line of colorful kabuki- themed face masks in March, and beauty company Pure Smile recently teamed up with special makeup artist JIRO to concoct three ghoulish designs for their “Art Mask” line. Prisoner No. 0, Test Subject No. 13 and Type A Zombie were released in early June. Artist JIRO is already well known for his makeup skills that have transformed models from animals to aliens. In the latest installation to the Pure Smile “Art Mask,” line JIRO lives up to his name by making face masks that nobody would be afraid to answer the door with. Even Japan’s favorite pear fairy Funassyi has made his mark on the designer face-mask trend, with a limited-edition Funassyi face mask included in one of Pure Smile’s face mask packs. Of course, there is a built-in marketing value here. Once a private matter, the design mask begs for a selfie to be shared. Pure Smile is even holding an Art Mask Photo Contest . Art mask enthusiasts can post their pictures to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #アートマスクコンテスト, and Pure Smile will select the winners. A photo posted by manami horie (@mana6314) on Jun 26, 2015 at 4:23pm PDT A photo posted by Yui Sato (@ugauga_sato) on Jun 6, 2015 at 7:16am PDT A photo posted by ラリソン彩華 (@ayakalarrison) on Mar 25, 2015 at 5:48am PDT What is the grand prize? Nothing other than a year’s supply of Pure Smile art masks!

jiro;face mask;kansai yamamoto;trends;japan pulse

jp0000515

2015/07/18

Surfing the waves between two worlds

In a Tokyo lab, a remarkable experiment is exploring the meeting of worlds. This is not a boring old metaphor for a meeting between East and West, it’s a description of the interface between the world we live in and the frankly insane world of quantum objects. Quantum physics is famously difficult. Renowned Danish physicist Niels Bohr described it ominously: “Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum mechanics cannot possibly have understood it.” I’ll try not to let that put me off. Today, I’m going to explore a small part of the quantum world, courtesy of the laboratory of Yasuhiro Ohshima in the Department of Chemistry at Tokyo Institute of Technology. To say quantum physics is difficult to understand is an understatement. However, it underpins our world and even a hint at its incredible power makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “The heart of quantum physics is that particles also behave like waves,” Ohshima says. “Our work clearly demonstrated this experimentally.” Before I go over the work Ohshima has done, let’s look at the fact that matter and light can behave both as a particle and as a wave. More than 100 years ago, German physicist Max Planck discovered that energy is not continuous but is, instead, divided into packages, or quanta. Einstein then showed that light, at its most basic level, also comes in packages, or photons. It’s often observed that works of genius are achieved at a precocious age. Einstein, for example, won his Nobel prize for work carried out in his 20s. And so it is with quantum physics. One of its architects was a young German called Werner Heisenberg. Heisenberg realized that fundamental particles such as electrons don’t always exist. Sounds crazy, right? It’s no wonder that scientists still struggle with the implications of quantum physics a century later. What’s really crazy, however, is that Heisenberg was right. As Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli writes in his new book, “Seven Brief Lessons on Physics,” “it’s as if God had not designed reality with a line that was heavily scored, but just dotted it with a faint outline.” We’re not even saying everything we know is built on quicksand. Our foundations are even more precarious — even more uncertain. How can the basis of reality not be solid? I don’t understand the equations that describe this result, but I grasp the meaning and it leaves me both dizzy and exhilarated. Fortunately for us and all objects bigger than subatomic particles, reality is quite secure — we are not likely to wink out of existence suddenly. It’s now time to examine the work of Ohshima and his colleague, Kenta Mizuse, at the Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences. They have managed to capture an image of a spinning molecule of nitrogen — no easy feat, since the molecule was rotating at 100 billion times per second. Nitrogen gas is obviously going to behave like a particle, as it is made of two rather large atoms stuck together. However, it is still governed by the rules of the quantum world. “It is usually more difficult to see the quantum behavior of atoms than that of electrons, because of the atoms’ much heavier masses,” Ohshima says. By using a laser to capture an image of the spinning molecule, Ohshima and Mizuse saw the molecule showing wave-like behavior, the first time this has been achieved experimentally. The work is published in the journal Science Advances. Ohshima and Mizuse say the result will help develop more sophisticated molecular manipulations, such as an ultrafast molecular “stopwatch.” However, what I like about it is that they saw the fuzzy, shifting interface between our familiar world and the bizarre world of quantum physics. In the world of quantum physics, it’s not possible to say where anything is. We are unable to determine where an object is, exactly, unless we observe it. It turns out it’s only possible to say that something will probably be at a certain place. It might not seem like much, but the shock is still sinking in 100 years later. Physicists used to have a world that was complicated, but at least it fitted together predictably, like a huge clockwork mechanism. Now the world is built on a ghostly, mysterious foundation. We don’t have to fully understand it — thank goodness — but quantum mechanics is here to stay. Because of it, I can write this on my laptop. Transistors, microprocessors, LEDs, lasers, magnetic imaging in hospitals, electron microscopes — they are all applications of quantum physics at work. Novelist Natsume Soseki — he who adorns the ¥1,000 bill — gave a lecture at Tokyo Higher Technical School in 1914 ( bit.ly/1CvicIo ). The school would go on to become Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Soseki’s words are still remembered to this day, despite the fact that he opened by saying, “I cannot speak of anything interesting … and my talk has no title.” “You aim to reduce distances between destinations, save time, make lives easier,” Soseki told the students. “That is what you do. Literature, art, music and theater, on the other hand, exhaust human energy. That is what I do. I do not measure anything in terms of time or distance.” Soseki went on to illustrate how the two apparently different breeds — artists and scientists — could learn from each other. It is often said that a wall exists between art and science but, 100 years later, Soseki’s words at the institute remind us that the barriers are not insurmountable.

physics;albert einstein;quantum physics;yasuhiro ohshima

jp0000517

2015/07/27

NHTSA fines Fiat Chrysler record $105 mlllion over safety recall lapses

WASHINGTON - The U.S. auto safety watchdog, toughening its stance against manufacturer defects, announced on Sunday a record $105 million in fines against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV over lapses in safety recalls involving millions of vehicles. The Italian-U.S. automaker’s consent agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contains an unprecedented buyback option covering hundreds of thousands of vehicles, including more than 1 million Jeep sport utility vehicles, whose owners can receive a trade-in or a financial incentive to get their vehicles repaired. Fiat Chrysler also agreed to submit to an independent monitor’s audit of its recall performance over a three-year period. The $105 million in fines sets a new standard for NHTSA’s dealings with car manufacturers, eclipsing the previous record fine of $70 million imposed against Honda Motor Co. in January for failing to report death, injury and other claims. Last year, General Motors Co. was ordered to pay $35 million for a decade-long delay in reporting faulty ignition switches tied to more than 120 deaths. NHTSA has taken a more aggressive enforcement posture under its new administrator, Mark Rosekind, after coming under fire from leaders of both parties in Congress for lapses in its handling of deadly defects, including Takata Corp. air bag inflators and GM ignition switches. “Fiat Chrysler’s pattern of poor performance put millions of its customers and the driving public at risk,” Rosekind said in a statement. “This action will provide relief to owners of defective vehicles, will help improve recall performance throughout the auto industry, and gives Fiat Chrysler the opportunity to embrace a proactive safety culture.” The recalled vehicles covered by the agreement include Dodge Ram, Dakota and Chrysler Aspen trucks from model years as early as 2008. More than half a million of the vehicles subject to buybacks have faulty suspension parts that can cause a loss of control. Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. unit, FCA US LLC, formerly Chrysler Group LLC, said it accepted the consequences of the agreement with “renewed resolve to improve our handling of recalls and re-establish the trust our customers place in us.” The fines include a $70 million cash payment, an agreement that Fiat Chrysler will spend $20 million improving its recall process and an additional $15 million payable if the automaker is found to have committed any further violations. The two sides have been engaged in discussions since NHTSA held a July 2 public hearing on Fiat Chrysler’s recall performance. At the proceedings, NHTSA staff cataloged alleged failures in 23 separate recalls, including what they termed misleading behavior, while an FCA executive pledged to work with the agency to improve the automaker’s recall programs. Fiat Chrysler has had a contentious relationship with NHTSA for years, pushing back on the agency’s efforts to secure recalls and threatening lawsuits to avoid mandatory action, according to former auto regulators. Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne told reporters this month that the company needs to change the way it deals with regulators going forward. “We are intent on rebuilding our relationship with NHTSA,” the automaker said on Sunday.

defects;fine;nhtsa;fiat chrysler;safety recalls

jp0000518

2015/07/27

Fertile eggs produced through donation from anonymous women

Two women with ovarian problems have produced fertile eggs through in vitro fertilization using sperm from their husbands and eggs donated from anonymous females, a nonprofit organization supporting fertility treatment said Monday. While there have been 24 cases in Japan in which women have given birth by using sperm from their husbands and eggs from their sisters or friends, it is the first time that complete strangers had donated the eggs. The development could bring attention to a host of issues Japan needs to deal with over egg donation, including ensuring the rights of children to know about their origins and compensation for health problems that donors could face when offering eggs. The fertile eggs will undergo screening for hepatitis and other diseases before being implanted in the two female patients — both in their 30s and suffering from premature menopause — possibly by the end of this year. The donors are also in their 30s and have children. The children to be born will be notified before they enter elementary school that people other than their mothers have donated eggs, according to Kobe-based NPO OD-Net, or Oocyte Donation Network. If the children wish to do so, they can also learn about the donors when the reach the age of 15. The organization quoted one of the donors as saying she offered her eggs in the hope she can “help couples having a hard time in fertility treatment.” One of the patients said in a statement: “I am overwhelmed with gratitude toward the donor. Now it is my turn to try hard.” OD-Net in January 2013 started soliciting volunteers under age 35 to donate eggs on an anonymous basis to women who can’t produce eggs due to illnesses but are capable of giving birth. Because two cases satisfied medical conditions, OD-Net said in April this year that an ethics panel of an institution consisting of fertility treatment clinics gave the green light to their treatment. On in vitro fertilization involving people other than a couple, a health ministry panel said in a 2003 report that eggs should be donated only from an anonymous third person because receiving eggs from a close person could complicate family relationships. But it has been nearly impossible for individuals to find an anonymous egg donor. With no laws or regulations on egg donations, patients’ sisters or friends have usually become donors. Sachiko Kishimoto, the head of OD-Net, said: “There are mixed reactions to in vitro fertilization involving people other than a married couple, but I want people to know there are many couples wishing (to undergo the treatment). “We want (the government) to swiftly prepare laws, thinking about people who are donating eggs without being paid and without compensation,” she said.

pregnancy;donation;in vitro fertilization;eggs

jp0000520

2015/07/11

Consumers slow to embrace generic drugs

In May, the health ministry announced that it would set a new target for the use of generic pharmaceuticals. In 2013, 46.9 percent of the prescription drugs dispensed in Japan were generics, and at first the ministry said it wanted to raise this portion to 60 percent by 2017, but the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, which advises the ministry on fiscal matters, insisted it speed up the process in order to curb runaway medical costs, and now the ministry says it will shoot for a target of 80 percent in line with the dispensing rate in Europe and the United States. Generics — cheaper versions of drugs whose patent protection has expired — tend to be more expensive in Japan than they are in other countries when compared to patent drugs with the same active ingredients. Because of the national health insurance system, drug prices in Japan are determined by the government, and prices for generics tend to be about 60 percent of the price for patent drugs, whereas in the U.S. generic prices are about 20 percent that for patent drugs. Insured Japanese consumers only pay 30 percent of the drug price out of pocket — 10 percent if they’re elderly — so the difference isn’t acutely felt and the urge to request generics not as strong. By pushing generics, the government hopes to save as much as ¥1.3 trillion a year, which is important since medical costs are continually rising, mainly due to drug costs. Overall medical expenses rose by 7 percent from 2009 to 2013. During that same period the money spent on drugs increased by more than 20 percent. As pointed out by journalist Mika Tsutsumi, who covers the U.S. health care situation, the Japanese government reviews drug prices every two years and the trend has been to reduce them, but Japanese physicians are prescribing more drugs. In addition, American companies have recently been successful in marketing drugs in Japan that have yet to be approved by the government and thus are very expensive. Patients can ask pharmacists for generics unless the doctor’s prescription expressly says that only a patent drug can be dispensed. The reason many don’t is that they have been conditioned to think that “brand name” drugs are safer and more effective than generic drugs, even though the health ministry says there is no appreciable difference. Tsutsumi reports that U.S. drug and insurance companies want to exploit this preference and are working to undermine Japan’s national health insurance system. That’s why they are pushing for the Trans-Pacific Partnership to be ratified, since it would activate the ability to sue governments for erecting trade barriers, and they consider national health insurance a trade barrier. Japanese doctors have also appeared in the media reinforcing this preference by claiming that generics are inferior to patents for various reasons, which may cause some people to think these doctors have a vested interest in the patent drugs they prescribe. The government addressed similar such concerns in the ’50s when it implemented the iyaku bungyo law in an attempt to “separate” pharmacies from medical institutions and by doing so stop doctors from buying prescription drugs in bulk at low prices and then selling them through their own clinics and hospitals. Since drug prices are set, it was thought these doctors were prescribing drugs unnecessarily and in large amounts in order to reap huge windfalls. The new law introduced incentives for pharmacists who set up businesses outside medical facilities. These monzen yakkyoku (literally, “outside-the-gate drug stores”) could charge more for dispensing drugs than in-house pharmacies could, and the scheme worked to a certain extent. By 2013, 67 percent of all the pharmacies in Japan were independent operations. However, the added cost is considerable. The independent pharmacy receives ¥410 as a special “preparation fee” from the government for each prescription filled, and another ¥410 for “record keeping.” Sankei Shimbun estimates that these additional fees cost the government ¥80 billion a year just for one popular hay fever medication. According to the law, the pharmacist advises the patient in the proper dosage and, more significantly, keeps records of the efficacy of the drug and any side effects. These tasks justify the added value, but they don’t have any practical meaning. Very few pharmacists have the inclination or the opportunity to follow up a patient with regard to how the drug works, but they are nevertheless required to keep a record of every person to whom they dispense drugs. The suspicion that few really do was borne out earlier this year when two drug store chains, Kusuri no Fukutaro and CFS Corp., were cited by police for not having kept any records at all. This isn’t to suggest that keeping records is a bad idea. It could prevent patients from mixing drugs that shouldn’t be mixed and avoiding overdoses, but there is no central system where this sort of data is made available to pharmacists and physicians. The record-keeping obligation is limited to each pharmacy, which is not compelled to share that information. Ideally, pharmacists are supposed to be in close contact with prescribing physicians, but that doesn’t happen either. As it stands, Japanese doctors typically do not release medical records to patients, because they don’t want them to be shared with other doctors. A Cabinet survey of consumers found that almost no one thinks the separation system has any merit. Some find it inconvenient since it means going out of one’s way to pick up drugs, which could be difficult for the elderly and people with disabilities. But as already pointed out, even if consumers think Japanese drug prices are abnormally high—which they are compared to prices in other countries—they seem reluctant to risk their health on generics. According to Tokyo Shimbun, one member of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy has a solution: If patients insist on using patent drugs when equivalent generics are available and their physicians don’t expressly prescribe patents, then those patients should pay 100 percent of the cost. The major pharmaceutical companies would protest vehemently if such a condition were codified, but it sure would make generics popular.

medicine;drugs;generic drugs

jp0000521

2015/07/29

It ain't Malibu, but surf's up in North Korea

PYONGYANG - Here’s a new take on gnarly. A pro surfer who coaches the Chinese National Surf Team and a tourism agency based in New Jersey plan a surfing expedition and training camp in North Korea, which has pristine beaches, virgin waves and, they say, the potential to become an international wave-riding destination. Nik Zanella, a native of Italy who along with coaching Chinese surfers is a representative of the International Surfing Association, said the decision to hold the surfing camp for a small group of North Koreans and foreign tourists along North Korea’s east coast follows a year of studying the area to assess wave and weather conditions. “The DPRK will not become the next Malibu, but it receives enough swells to sustain a vast surf community,” he said Tuesday, referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “Our goal is to evaluate the resources and make them available to local surfers in a sustainable and safe way. We are not there to simply go surf, brag about it and then bail.” The expedition, scheduled for September, has been approved by the North Korean government, which is eager to boost its small but developing tourism sector. Andrea Lee, CEO of Uri Tours, which is organizing the excursion, said it will be used to map out the coastline for prime surfing locations, take risk assessments and develop evacuation and safety plans. Though most North Koreans do not have the means or leisure time to devote themselves to recreational hobbies, she said the government is keen on getting the mapping data and on drawing tourists. “We want to open the DPRK as a surfing destination on a larger scale,” she said. “The hope is to create a foundation and to pave the way for future surfers.”

north korea;surfing;offbeat

jp0000522

2015/07/16

Pokemon ages ungracefully with middle-aged 'Ojisan Monsters'

Someday Pikachu and friends will have to stop following Ash Ketchum around the world, retire from battling and get a real job. That’s part of idea behind “Ojimon,” a new mobile game that is a portmanteau of ojisan (middle-aged man) and Pokemon. Using “ojiballs,” players can catch aging pocket monsters, who have disturbing Kobito Dukan -like faces, and make them do their bidding. Players can put their new Ojimon to work in gold mines and construction sites, but they’ll need pay attention: These Poke-oldies have a tendency to doze off on the job but can be woken with a quick jab on the touch screen. If enough gold is harvested, players can build roads to the next town and find new Ojimon to catch. The game includes the original 150 Pokemon, with graying versions of Charizard, Haunter and Gyarados. Even though it’s not as exciting as battling wild monsters, your Ojimon can still gain experience points through their menial labor and evolve into more powerful forms, albeit with the same sad, unshaven faces. For an extra laugh (or to avoid copyright infringement), all of the monsters have been given punny names. For example, Fushigidane (Bulbasaur) has been renamed Oyajidane. “Ojimon” is available for free on Android and iOS .

video games;pokemon;japan pulse;mobile apps

jp0000523

2015/07/28

Fiat Chrysler buy-back of unrepaired trucks may cost billions but it has resale option

DETROIT - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles could pay billions of dollars to buy back defective trucks as part of a settlement with U.S. safety regulators, but has the option to recover costs by reselling vehicles once they are repaired. The auto safety watchdog on Sunday slapped the Italian-American automaker with a $105 million fine — the largest ever levied by U.S. regulators against a carmaker — over lapses in safety recalls involving millions of vehicles. FCA said on Monday that about 193,000 Ram trucks previously recalled for suspension and steering problems had not been repaired and were therefore eligible for the buyback deal negotiated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That could put FCA on the hook for nearly $3 billion, if the average buyback price is $15,000 per vehicle. But the net cost could be much lower. A company representative noted on Monday that the NHTSA agreement gives FCA the option of repairing and reselling any vehicles it repurchases from owners. The automaker said in a statement on Monday that the net cost of the buyback program would not be “material to its financial position, liquidity or results of operations.” FCA shares were down 4.8 percent at $14.43 on Monday afternoon in New York trading. The fine and other provisions of the consent order are aimed at improving “the entire industry’s performance” on safety, said Mark Rosekind, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a conference call with reporters on Monday. Rosekind was joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who flagged his own efforts to make NHTSA a “much more muscular agency” in dealing with the auto industry’s spotty record on recall repairs. In addition to the $105 million fine and vehicle buyback provision, FCA agreed to provide financial incentives to more than a million Jeep owners to bring their recalled vehicles in for repairs. The penalties address lapses spanning nearly two dozen recalls affecting more than 11 million vehicles, including older Jeeps with rear gasoline tanks linked to numerous fatal fires. In the consent order, NHTSA said FCA had failed to repair recalled vehicles within a reasonable time, and had failed to notify owners and the agency in a timely manner. The automaker also agreed to NHTSA’s appointment of an independent monitor to provide additional oversight of FCA’s recall activities. In the past week, the automaker has recalled more than 3 million U.S. vehicles, including 1.4 million to install software to prevent hackers from gaining remote control of the vehicles. NHTSA said on Friday it would investigate whether FCA’s solution to upgrade software was enough to protect consumers from hackers, although FCA said in its recall announcement that it was unaware of any injuries. Over the weekend, NHTSA also released details of two new FCA recalls, totaling more than 1.7 million vehicles, involving Ram pickups from model years 2012-2014 for inadvertent deployment of air bags.

defects;buybacks;fine;recalls;repairs;nhtsa;fiat chrysler