Thursday, May 17, 13:30 (JST)
Japan's loo with a view is world's largest too 
A Japanese town has opened what is claims is the world's largest public lavatory - a single toilet in a glass cubicle surrounded by more than 2,150 square feet of carefully tended gardens.
(telegraph.co.uk)
A Japanese town has opened what is claims is the world's largest public lavatory - a single toilet in a glass cubicle surrounded by more than 2,150 square feet of carefully tended gardens.
(telegraph.co.uk) Dying to be thin: Anorexia in Japan 
'In Japanese there are no words for "I'm suffering" or "I'm sad". I can't share my feelings with anyone. Needing help is seen as failure, something to be ashamed of.'
Hachiko is 25 years old, 5ft 2in and weighs just over five stone. She is one of a growing number of Japanese women suffering with anorexia nervosa. (biulimiafighting.info)
'In Japanese there are no words for "I'm suffering" or "I'm sad". I can't share my feelings with anyone. Needing help is seen as failure, something to be ashamed of.'
Hachiko is 25 years old, 5ft 2in and weighs just over five stone. She is one of a growing number of Japanese women suffering with anorexia nervosa. (biulimiafighting.info) Japanese 'island' claims dismissed by UN 
Tokyo's bid to upgrade the status of a Pacific atoll into an island, and claim an exclusive economic zone around it, was dismissed by the United Nations.
(China Daily 
)
Tokyo's bid to upgrade the status of a Pacific atoll into an island, and claim an exclusive economic zone around it, was dismissed by the United Nations.
(China Daily ) Japan penguin escapee 'spotted' in Tokyo Bay 
A penguin which escaped from Tokyo's Sea Life Park has reportedly been spotted swimming in waters around the Japanese capital. (BBC )
A penguin which escaped from Tokyo's Sea Life Park has reportedly been spotted swimming in waters around the Japanese capital. (BBC ) China, Japan, US to witness 'ring' solar eclipse 
At sunrise in some parts of China and Japan and by sunset in the western United States, a partial solar eclipse is set to slink across a narrow swath of the Earth on May 20 and 21. (AFP )
At sunrise in some parts of China and Japan and by sunset in the western United States, a partial solar eclipse is set to slink across a narrow swath of the Earth on May 20 and 21. (AFP ) Residents ponder significance of Okinawa's reversion on 40th anniversary 
Many Okinawa and mainland Japan residents pondered the significance of the return of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty on May 15, the 40th anniversary of the reversion. (Mainichi )
Many Okinawa and mainland Japan residents pondered the significance of the return of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty on May 15, the 40th anniversary of the reversion. (Mainichi ) Eatery's buoy washes up in Alaska 
A spherical buoy found on the coast of Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska after apparently being swept away in the March 2011 tsunami was one of several used for the sign of a restaurant in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, 5,000 km away. (Japan Times )
A spherical buoy found on the coast of Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska after apparently being swept away in the March 2011 tsunami was one of several used for the sign of a restaurant in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, 5,000 km away. (Japan Times ) Mickey Mouse hosts gay weddings in Japan 
Just days after US President Barack Obama came out in favour of gay marriage, another supporter of homosexual unions emerged in Japan: Mickey Mouse. Despite their having no legal status, same sex couples are able to hold fairytale wedding ceremonies at hotels inside the popular Tokyo Disney Resort, including at the Cinderella Castle, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday. (AFP )
Just days after US President Barack Obama came out in favour of gay marriage, another supporter of homosexual unions emerged in Japan: Mickey Mouse. Despite their having no legal status, same sex couples are able to hold fairytale wedding ceremonies at hotels inside the popular Tokyo Disney Resort, including at the Cinderella Castle, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday. (AFP )| May 17 | Osaka association offering gangster reasearch services busted for fraud |
| To be filed under "Who can you trust nowadays?" Shukan Jitsuwa (May 24) reports on the bust of an organization offering consulting services regarding organized crime. For its November 3 issue, the weekly tabloid profiled the Osaka-based Nationwide Organized Crime Relationship Certification Association, which performed background checks on firms or entities to expose any possible ties to crime syndicates. It seems, however, that the association was up to a fair bit of criminal activity itself. (Tokyo Reporter) |
| May 17 | Japanese lesbian can't wait for Disneyland 'wedding' |
| Like many Japanese women, Koyuki Higashi adores Tokyo Disneyland. So it was only natural that she would want to hold her wedding there, as many other couples have done. (Reuters) |
| May 17 | Man gets 17 years for child porn |
| The U.S. Federal District Court in Riverside, California, has sentenced a Japanese man to 17 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography on the Internet, the Justice Department said Tuesday. (Japan Times) |
| May 17 | Imperial couple set out for British queen's fete |
 The Emperor and Empress departed for an official visit to Britain on Wednesday morning to attend events celebrating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne. (Yomiuri ) |
| May 16 | 3-yr-old boy, left home alone, falls to death from 11th-floor balcony |
 A three-year-old boy fell to his death from the balcony of his 11th-floor apartment in Adachi Ward on Tuesday after his parents left him home alone. (Japan Today ) |
| May 15 | 'Fire Fighting Water Pageant' underway in Harumi |
 Many families gathered in Harumi on Sunday for what the Tokyo Fire Department is calling the customary "Fire Fighting Water Pageant." (NewsOnJapan.com ) |
| May 13 | Low-cost airlines may change travel culture in Japan |
| When it comes to travel, low-cost airlines have caught the spotlight this year in Japan more than anything. In March, Peach Aviation Ltd., whose shareholders include All Nippon Airways (ANA), began operating out of Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture. (Mainichi) |
| May 11 | Harry Potter 'Wizarding World' to open in Japan |
 Harry Potter is taking his act to Japan as Warner Bros. and Universal team to bring the "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" to the Universal Studios in Osaka. (MSNBC ) |
| May 09 | Japan's Peach launches route to Seoul |
| Peach Aviation, a Japanese budget carrier, on Tuesday launched its first international route linking Seoul and Osaka, signaling fiercer competition with Korean and foreign low-cost airlines here. (Korea Herald) |
| May 09 | Kyushu cashes in on Jeju hiking sensation |
 On the South Korean island of Jeju, hiking trails called "olle" have become a major tourist attraction over the past few years. Now the tourism industry in Kyushu also hopes to cash in on the phenomenon, importing the olle concept and establishing four of its own hiking courses. (Japan Times) |
| May 17 | Toyota rolls out redesigned Corolla |
| For four guys going golfing in Japan's picturesque countryside over the weekend, there's slim pickings when it comes to small fuel-economy vehicles big enough to fit clubs and all passengers. (Wall Street Journal) |
| May 17 | K-1 promoter FEG goes bankrupt |
| FEG Inc., a K-1 martial arts promoter, has effectively gone bankrupt by starting protection procedures with the Tokyo District Court on May 7, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Wednesday. (Japan Times) |
| May 16 | Okada bets to win with fine dining and casinos |
| |
| May 16 | Japan firms eye $4.4 billion stake in Australia LNG project |
| A group of Japanese firms is in talks to pay $4.4 billion for a stake in Australia's Wheatstone gas field that had been set aside for bailed-out nuclear operator Tepco, as the country looks to shore up long-term energy supplies, the Nikkei business daily reported. (Reuters) |
| May 15 | Mixi mulls putting itself up for sale |
| Japanese social networking company mixi Inc. is considering putting itself up for sale as its users defect to increasingly popular U.S. rival Facebook Inc., Nikkei Business Online reported Tuesday. (MarketWatch) |
| May 17 | Welfare recipients hit another record |
 The number of people on welfare hit another record high of 2,097,401 in February, up 5,499 from the previous month, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Wednesday. (Yomiuri ) |
| May 16 | BOJ misses JGB buying target for first time |
| The Bank of Japan fell short of its target for buying government bonds on Wednesday for the first time since introducing an asset-buying scheme in 2010, the latest sign it is pumping more cash than markets can swallow. (Reuters) |
| May 15 | Tide turning in Japan deflation fight, BOJ's top economist says |
| The Bank of Japan could reach its 1 percent inflation goal in two years as brighter growth prospects spur prices, the central bank's top economist indicated. (Bloomberg) |
| May 14 | Japanese self-employment hit hardest by the Great Recession |
| Many people have reported that the Great Recession took a toll on self-employment. As bad as this was, the situation was worse in Japan. As the figure below shows, the number of people in business for themselves in that country fell by 7.2 percent during the downturn. (Forbes) |
| May 11 | Current acct surplus hits 15-year low |
| Japan's current account surplus fell below 10 trillion yen for the first time in 15 years in fiscal 2011 that ended in March, its first decrease in three years, the Finance Ministry said Thursday. (Yomiuri) |
| May 16 | Nikkei falls 0.9 pct, deep in "oversold" territory |
 Japan's Nikkei average fell 0.9
percent on Wednesday as investors cut exposure to risky assets
after the failure of Greek politicians to form a government
raised the prospect leftists opposed to bailout terms could win
new elections. (Reuters ) |
| May 16 | Japan trading houses target assets to meet catalyst demand |
| Japan's trading houses are targeting deals to secure platinum and palladium supplies to meet expected shortages later this decade, when tighter rules on auto pollutants and higher car sales boost demand for the metals used in autocatalysts. (Reuters) |
| May 16 | The decline of Japan, Inc. |
| There are numerous examples of American companies performing badly this earnings season (hello, JPMorgan Chase!). But at least they're not doing as poorly as several formerly world-beating Japanese companies. (dailyfinance.com) |
| May 15 | Nikkei falls to 3-1/2 month closing low |
| Japan's Nikkei share average fell 0.8 percent to a 3-1/2 month closing low on Tuesday, weighed by exporters with exposure to Europe after Greece struggled to form a coalition government, raising fears that it may exit the euro zone. (Reuters) |
| May 14 | Nikkei inches up, helped by China easing |
| Japan's Nikkei share average inched higher on Monday to end a three-day losing streak as China's monetary easing countered unease ahead of Greece's last-ditch attempt to form a coalition government later in the day. (Reuters) |
| May 16 | Meeting between Yonekura, Chinese minister canceled |
| A planned meeting between Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) leader Hiromasa Yonekura and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has been canceled, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. (Yomiuri) |
| May 15 | Gov't to accept price hike for F-35; each jet to cost over 10 billion yen |
 The Japanese government agreed May 14 on plans to accept a price hike on Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth jets that it will buy from the U.S. as next-generation fighters.
(Mainichi ) |
| May 15 | Okinawa marks 40 years since return to Japan |
 The tropical island chain of Okinawa on Tuesday marked 40 years since U.S. occupying forces returned it to Japan, as locals readied to protest against the continued American military presence there. (Japan Today ) |
| May 15 | Protest over Tokyo Uygur gathering |
| Beijing on Monday lodged strong protest over Tokyo's permission for the separatist World Uygur Congress meeting to be held in Japan, and slammed Uygur separatist Rebiya Kadeer's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. (China Daily) |
| May 15 | Japan assembly agrees to restart reactors, hurdles remain |
 The local assembly in a Japanese town that hosts a nuclear plant agreed on Monday it was necessary to restart two off-line reactors, its chairman said, the first such nod since all the country's stations were halted after the Fukushima crisis. (Reuters ) |
| May 16 | Promoting computer literacy in Japan's disaster-stricken areas |
| Eighty per cent of businesses in Kamaishi city in Iwate Prefecture are believed to have resumed operations, some in temporary facilities. It is one of the coastal areas damaged by last year's earthquake and tsunami that is now showing signs of recovery. (Channel NewsAsia) |
| May 15 | England's schools should learn from Japan, says Twigg |
| England's schools should take lessons from Japan and the Far East on how to improve performance, the shadow education secretary says. (BBC) |
| May 13 | Hello Work branches to be set up at universities |
| The government plans to set up Hello Work job placement branches at universities to support college students who have been struggling to find jobs amid a stagnant economy. (Japan Times) |
| May 13 | Parents awarded Y12 mil after child injured smashing milk bottles together at school |
| Back in 2008, at an Osaka elementary school, there was an incident involving a 3rd grade student who smashed two bottles of milk together during lunch time. As a result, the bottles shattered sending a shard of glass into the child's eye and leaving him disabled. It's certainly a terrible accident but what followed had turned the public's sympathy into outrage. (Japan Today) |
| May 13 | Though spooked by new threats, Japanese accept mass killers |
| Before March last year, if you'd asked a child in Japan about nuclear radiation you would probably have been told about Godzilla, the monster powered by mutations caused by radiation, or Tetsuwan Atomu, aka the nuclear-powered robot Astro Boy. Not any more. (Japan Times) |
| May 17 | Power saving reduced heat island effect |
| Last summer's energy-saving drive alleviated the heat island effect in Tokyo, with the temperature difference between central and suburban areas in the capital shrinking by up to 0.67 C compared with the previous year, researchers have found. (Yomiuri ) |
| May 16 | China, Japan, US to witness 'ring' solar eclipse |
| At sunrise in some parts of China and Japan and by sunset in the western United States, a partial solar eclipse is set to slink across a narrow swath of the Earth on May 20 and 21. (AFP ) |
| May 16 | Aftershocks along Fukushima, Ibaraki borders may take over 100 years to subside |
| It may take at least 100 years before aftershocks from the March 11, 2011 quake along the boundaries of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures subside, a recent study reveals. (Mainichi) |
| May 15 | Honda shows robotics for handsfree unicycle |
 Look, no hands. Scooting about in a unicycle is no sweat with Honda's new robotics technology.
Swaying your body from side to side is all you need to do to turn, rotate full circle and zip around on the Uni-Cub, which looks a bit like a floating car seat. (Jakarta Post |
| May 15 | Japan to launch 4 satellites Friday, 1 for SKorea |
| Japan plans to launch four satellites into space this week, including a South Korean one that is its first payload for a foreign customer. () |
| May 17 | DoCoMo to launch smart phones for elderly |
 Leading Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo on Wednesday unveiled its first smart phone specially designed for elderly users, as the company bids to tap into an ageing consumer population. (AFP ) |
| May 15 | Sony, Panasonic eye next generation TV tie-up |
 Japan's cash-bleeding electronics giants Sony and Panasonic are looking to join forces to produce next generation televisions in a bid to claw back market from South Korean rivals, a report said Tuesday. (Japan Today ) |
| May 11 | 5,000 illegal 2channel messages not deleted |
 A total of 5,068 messages containing information on illicit activities, such as ads for banned drugs, were left undeleted in 2011 on 2channel, one of Japan's largest online forums, despite repeated requests for their removal, National Police Agency data showed Thursday. (Yomiuri ) |
| May 11 | Apple's iPhone was No. 1 smartphone in Japan in 2011 with 7.25M sold |
 Sales of the iPhone reached 7.25 million units in all of 2011, making Apple the top smartphone vendor in the country. (appleinsider.com) |
| May 10 | Japan's social media heavyweights scrap gambling games |
| Japan's leading social gaming companies Gree Inc and DeNA Co Ltd said on Wednesday they would gradually phase out games that contain aspects of gambling as they face increased pressure from regulators. (Reuters) |
| May 17 | Baseball: Matsui hitless in minor league debut |
| Hideki Matsui went hitless in his minor league debut on Tuesday. The 37-year-old, who recently signed a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, batted fourth as the Triple-A Durham Bulls' designated hitter against Pawtucket. He struck out once in four at-bats. (Japan Times) |
| May 15 | Sumo: Hakuho defeated again; Kisenosato shares lead |
 Kisenosato lost his cool but still emerged the winner in a heated bout against rival ozeki Kotoshogiku, retaining his share of the lead with rank-and-filer Tochiozan on the ninth day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday. (Japan Times ) |
| May 15 | Olympics: Japan pins judo hopes on young blood |
| Japanese judo has been in a state of decline in recent years but the country is pinning its hopes on an infusion of new blood at the London Olympics. (Reuters) |
| May 14 | Sumo: Goeido sends Hakuho crashing to third defeat |
| Sekiwake Goeido served up a fresh blow to yokozuna Hakuho's hopes of capturing his 23rd career championship title Sunday, scoring a stunning upset victory on the eighth day of action at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. (Japan Times) |
| May 14 | Golf: Taniguchi claims fourth major title |
| Toru Taniguchi held on to his overnight lead to win the Japan PGA Championship on Sunday for the fourth major title of his career. (Japan Times) |