News On Japan

Man, 2 sons hurt in hit-and-run involving U.S. military vehicle

AP — 2010-03-17 10:24:46

A U.S. military vehicle hit a car on a road in Okinawa Prefecture and drove away Tuesday night, leaving a man and his two sons inside the car injured, police said Wednesday. The U.S. Navy in Okinawa said its military police have arrested a 25- year-old petty officer third class who is suspected of driving the vehicle, adding that she drank alcohol Tuesday evening before the incident. The Okinawa prefectural police have begun investigating the case as a hit-and-run and made a request to the Navy that she turn herself in. But the police said they have not received a reply. (AP)

No executions carried out under Chiba's watch

Yomiuri — 2010-03-17 22:03:54

During the six months since she took office, Justice Minister Keiko Chiba, a former member of the federation of Diet members promoting abolition of the death penalty, has ordered no executions. The last execution was carried out in July under former Justice Minister Eisuke Mori. The country currently has a total of 109 death-row prisoners. The highest number of death-row inmates as of year-end was 107 at the end of 2007. (Yomiuri)

Medical tourism seen as a tonic for Japan's ailing economy

Vancouver Sun — 2010-03-17 22:12:01

In its new economic growth strategy, the government has defined health care and nursing care as fields that are currently hindering growth in this nation. The strategy aims to generate new markets worth 45 trillion yen that would see an additional 2.8 million people employed in these fields. It points out that as society ages, medical expenditure is swelling and that this is not just a "social cost" but also something that creates huge domestic demand. Regenerative medicine, which treats diseases using cultured human cell transplants, is a new field that is expected to advance significantly. (Vancouver Sun)

Japan's creepiest iPhone App has its eyes on the West

appmodo.com — 2010-03-17 22:12:01

HourFace from MotionPortrait, one of Tokyo's hottest iPhone dev studios, has topped the charts in Japan since it launched in January and is now updated and better than ever. Using MotionPortrait's cutting-edge avatar-builder technology, HourFace analyzes a still photo and turns it into a living, breathing 3D movie that ages right there on the iPhone screen. Don't just take our word, or the screenshots', for it - these movies totally rock and will be the center of attention, whoever you apply the wrinkly brush to. Amaze and shock your friends - turn them into creaking old wrecks right in front of their eyes. Discover what you might look like 50 years from now - all in 3D! (appmodo.com)

Campbell cancels Tokyo visit despite scheduled Wed. meeting

Yomiuri — 2010-03-16 22:13:46

Kurt Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, has canceled a planned visit Wednesday to Tokyo for discussions with senior Foreign Ministry officials, a U.S. official said Monday. Speaking at a news conference, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley attributed the abrupt cancellation to a change in Campbell's itinerary for his tour of Southeast Asian countries that has been cut short due to political unrest in Thailand. Futenma was expected to be a major topic at the meeting. (Yomiuri)

Nothing says springtime like a penis festival

Global Post — 2010-03-16 22:30:47

It's springtime in Japan and that means one thing. Actually, two things. Penis festivals and vagina festivals. It may sound like a sophomoric gag. But these are folk rites going back at least 1,500 years, into Japan's agricultural past. They're held to ensure a good harvest and promote baby-making. One of the best-known penis festivals is at Komaki City's Tagata shrine, about 45 minutes outside Nagoya, every March 15. In a neighboring village, a vagina festival is held the Sunday before that. (Global Post)

Heavier snowfalls in Japan due to big chill blowing from the Arctic

Asahi — 2010-03-17 04:23:26

Bitterly cold air blowing south from the Arctic Circle triggered highly unusual weather fluctuations that brought heavier snowfalls to areas of Japan this winter. A committee of experts under the Japan Meteorological Agency said the highly unpredictable weather is an anomaly that may occur "only once in 30 years." A key factor was a dramatic change in what meteorologists call the Arctic oscillation. When the oscillation is positive, atmospheric pressure in the Arctic Circle is lower than in regions to the south and warm air flows north into the Arctic. (Asahi)

Tokyo rediscovers long-forgotten waterways

Asahi — 2010-03-17 04:23:26

The custodians of the grand canals in Venice and the colorful floating markets in Bangkok need not worry about their status just yet, but in Tokyo a group of concerned citizens is convinced it can transform the city's sludge-clogged waterways into a magnet for tourism. The hubbub on the capital's rivers and canals was once one of its most celebrated sights. During the Edo Period (1603-1867), boats carried people and goods on an intricate water system that was the equal of any in the world. (Asahi)

Okada does not rule out introduction of nuclear weapons in emergency

AP — 2010-03-17 06:21:47

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Wednesday did not rule out the possibility that nuclear weapons may be brought into Japan by U.S. forces in a defense emergency in the future, while reiterating that the current government would stick to Japan's three non-nuclear principles. "In a case in which Japan's security cannot be protected unless we accept temporary port calls by U.S. ships carrying nuclear weapons, the government at that time would make a decision even if it may affect its political fortunes," Okada told a parliamentary committee. (AP)

In Tokyo buzz, street vendors recall a lost era

Time — 2010-03-17 10:43:23

In a dark alleyway not far from the bustle and glare of Tokyo's Shibuya district, smoke smelling of scorched starch spirals from a wood-burning stove set in the bed of a small truck. A sonorous ditty coming from a horn on the roof announces the arrival of something that seems oddly ancient in a city that often feels futuristic: the sweet-potato vendor. Until the late 1970s, vendors of all stripes tramped Tokyo's streets, armed with goods and a gimmick. The caramel-candy man told tales; the frog-oil man rapped; the herb seller dressed like a hermit. Most are now gone, replaced by 24-hour convenience stores and complex vending machines, but Table-Mono, a company that peddles healthy tofu products, has revitalized the once fading industry. Table-Mono sellers blow a catchy tune on toy trumpets and cater to both a housebound and nostalgic elderly population and a younger group who are health-conscious and in a hurry. (Time)

In sushi bars, tuna vanishes bite by bite

AFP — 2010-03-17 10:46:08

As chefs at the upscale New York sushi restaurant Megu slide huge knives through their latest bluefin tuna, the possible extinction of the species is far from their minds. Only the fatty underbelly of the fish has their attention -- the white, marbled "otoro" section that tastes like butter and sells at 16 dollars for a morsel smaller than a mobile phone. That frenzy for "otoro," the slightly pinker, leaner "chutoro" and classic red "akami" is also what many countries attending this week's CITES conference on endangered wildlife fear is pushing the entire Atlantic bluefin species toward annihilation. (AFP)

For Japanese women, a competition to be thin

twincities.com — 2010-03-15 20:57:57

As women in the United States and across the industrialized world get fatter, most Japanese women are getting skinnier. Still, many view themselves as overweight. Social pressure - women looking critically at other women - is the most important reason female skinniness is ascendant in Japan, according to Hisako Watanabe, a child psychiatrist at the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo. (twincities.com)

Prada denies it wanted 'fat' managers sacked in Japan

AFP — 2010-03-15 23:21:25

Italian fashion house Prada on Monday dismissed allegations by its former top retail manager in Japan that it had harassed her and asked her to fire "old, fat and ugly" managers. "Following the many press reports published on Ms (Rina) Bovrisse's termination of employment, (her) accusations regarding an alleged misconduct of the company towards her have no ground," Prada said in a statement. "The Japanese competent court has dismissed all of the employee's accusations and had ruled that the termination of her employment was perfectly legitimate," the statement said. (AFP)

Hatoyama's brother quits LDP, aiming to form new party

AP — 2010-03-16 00:12:05

Former internal affairs minister Kunio Hatoyama, the younger brother of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, announced Monday that he has left the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and will form a new party. "The current LDP alone cannot bring about a major change in Japanese politics," Kunio Hatoyama, 61, told reporters Monday evening after tendering his resignation letter to the LDP, indicating he hopes to create a new party before the Golden Week holidays starting at the end of April. (AP)

3 Filipinos arrested for illegal entry

AP — 2010-03-16 06:05:24

Three Filipino men have been arrested in the city of Fukuoka for entering Japan on passports with women's names after undergoing sex change operations, police said. Although it is not legally possible in the Philippines to change one's registered gender, the three, aged 30, 43 and 44, have formally married Japanese men, according to local immigration authorities. After falling in love with the Japanese men while working at night clubs, they reentered Japan on different persons' passports to submit marriage registrations and have obtained residential status as spouses of Japanese nationals, the police said. (AP)

Actresses gear up for '200 mil. yen' kimono play

AP — 2010-03-16 12:01:00

Popular actresses in Japan recently promoted the upcoming replay of the popular drama "Oh-oku" depicting elite women in the 19th century, wearing some of the kimono outfits to be used on the stage worth 200 million yen in total. "As the revival has been decided, I, as an actor, feel the happiest ever," said Yuko Asano, who plays the boss of the women-only backroom in Edo Castle filled with mysterious lives of female aides to the shogun. (AP)

Pro-N.Korean school mums rally in Japan

AFP — 2010-03-16 14:55:14

Hundreds of mothers whose children attend pro-North Korean schools in Japan rallied on Tuesday, demanding that the government include them in plans to make high school tuition free. Japan's six-month-old government on the same day passed a lower house bill to scrap school fees and give aid to private schools, meeting one of their key pro-family election campaign pledges. The pro-Pyongyang schools have so far been excluded from the programme that starts in April after opposition from conservatives who say Tokyo should not support schools linked with the nuclear-armed communist country. (AFP)

2.76 mil. Japanese estimated to have used illegal drugs

Yomiuri — 2010-03-14 21:58:31

An estimated 2.76 million people in Japan, or about 2.9 percent of the population, have used illegal drugs, according to a survey by a research team of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The percentage is the highest since similar surveys started in 1995 and suggests the use of drugs is growing in this country. The previous highest percentage was 2.7 percent in 2001. (Yomiuri)

Japan's famous Tsukiji fish market braces for tuna trade ban

calgaryherald.com — 2010-03-15 04:20:24

As bartenders close the shutters in Tokyo's glitzy nightlife district, just a short walk away handbells ring in the pre-dawn tuna auctions in an old warehouse in Tsukiji. Veteran auctioneers call for bids for hundreds of snap-frozen tuna laid in neat rows in the world's largest fish market, the size of more than 40 football pitches. The ocean predators, laid out on steaming dry ice, have their tails cut to reveal oval windows of the burgundy flesh that has fetched as much as 175,000 dollars for a 232 kilogram fish here. In the chilly halls, fishmongers with headbands and aprons slice the red flesh with large knives, while three-wheel trolleys are pushed through the narrow aisles. The famous market on Tokyo Bay, long a must-see tourist spot, is facing a disputed relocation plan in coming years - but another threat is looming large, a possible cross-border trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna. (calgaryherald.com)

'Therapeutic ringtones' for mobile phones create a buzz in Japan

Times Online — 2010-03-15 04:26:51

"Well . . . I can definitely feel a bit of adrenalin," says Yukari Sendo, savouring the mobile phone ringtone like a fine wine, "but it really doesn't make me want to do any housework." She flicks through a menu of alternative tunes and settles on one that offers to improve her skin tone through the power of alpha-waves. Ms Sendo and her friend Ayaka Wakabayashi are among an army of young Japanese drawn to the allure of "therapeutic ringtones" - a genre of melodies that promises to ease a range of day-to-day gripes, from chronic insomnia to a rotten hangover. Japan is no stranger to bizarre phone fads but the popularity of the ringtones is perhaps surprising given the flimsiness of the science behind them. (Times Online)

Cartoonists oppose new regulation on sexual expressions in comics

AP — 2010-03-15 08:20:50

A group of cartoonists including Tetsuya Chiba, illustrator of popular manga series "Ashita no Joe" (Tomorrow's Joe), voiced their opposition Monday in Tokyo to a proposed ordinance revision aimed at regulating sexual imagery in comics and animations. Arriving at the Tokyo metropolitan government, the cartoonists voiced concerns over the proposal, to be put before a vote Friday, which calls for restricting comics and animations that contain sexualized depictions of "nonexistent minors" -- a controversial concept described in the draft regulation, referring to characters that people would assume to be minors. (AP)

Rudd plan to skip nonproliferation summit ups tensions with Japan

AP — 2010-03-15 08:20:50

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's decision to skip a nuclear nonproliferation summit to be held in Washington next month is adding to Australia's already strained relations with Japan over the issue of whaling, The Australian newspaper reported Monday. Deputy opposition leader and shadow foreign minister Julie Bishop, who recently returned from a visit to Japan, told the daily there were concerns "that Mr. Rudd's commitment to the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament is waning, given that he will reportedly not attend an important meeting next month." (AP)

English school manager in Fukuoka indicted over shooting child porn

AP — 2010-03-15 09:13:17

An American man running an English school in Fukuoka Prefecture has been indicted for allegedly shooting pornographic images of a girl who was his student, investigative sources said Monday. The 69-year-old resident of Fukuoka City was indicted in early March after police seized from his home more than 600 videotapes and photographs comprising images of dozens of his students, mostly elementary school-aged girls, they said. The man was initially arrested in January on suspicion of conducting lewd acts on his students but released later without being indicted, according to the sources. (AP)

Sumo: Ticket sales sluggish with Asashoryu gone

Japan Times — 2010-03-13 23:53:14

Things just got really lonely at the top. After perennial troublemaker Asashoryu quit sumo following allegations he attacked a man outside a Tokyo nightspot, Hakuho remains as the sole yokozuna and hot favorite to cart home the Emperor's Cup at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament getting under way on Sunday. Alas, sumo without Asashoryu, who took time out from his reputed street brawling to also win the New Year's meet, could be a lot like watching a one-man show - predictable and lacking the unique pizzazz that the Mongolian firebrand brought to the sport. (Japan Times)

Japan unveils solar powered spacecraft

wfie.com — 2010-03-14 00:04:38

The Japanese Space Agency has unveiled a prototype of what it says is the world's first solar powered sail spacecraft. At a news conference on Friday, Japanese space officials showed off the space yacht. The craft has a diameter of roughly five feet and navigates by means of an ultra-thin membrane that harnesses solar energy. While the sunlight in space is very weak, the space agency believes it will provide enough energy to propel the space yacht. It will be launched together with the country's first Venus orbiter on May 18. (wfie.com)