News

Japanese Police Shut Down Chinese Brothel Near Yokosuka Base

News - Blogs

Sep 02 |04:00

Source:

Japanese police have raided a Chinese massage parlor in Yokosuka and arrested 24 people: The parlor, which was located near an American naval base, had actually been a brothel offering illegal sex services to members of the American military. It managers and the women who worked there were Chinese. The Yomiuri Shimbun has reported the [...]

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African/Japanese Group Arrested For Money-laundering

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Sep 02 |04:00

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A group of 3 Nigerians, 2 Japanese and one Ghanaian have been arrested for international money-laundering: The six are suspected of having received funds that were the proceeds of a crime, wired to them from a New York Citibank account in the name of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Japan’s Metropolitan Police Department said. Police said they [...]

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Smile Measurement Technology

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Sep 02 |04:00

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A Japanese company called Omron recently developed something it calls “Smile Measurement Software.” The software analyzes an image of a human face and determines whether that face is smiling. An ideal smile would receive a score of 100, while no smile at all would get a score of zero. They have been [...]

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Seated and seemingly satisfied scarecrow

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Sep 02 |04:00

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Some mannequins, somehow, appear more than a little melancholy, but despite being a bit dirty and somewhat dishevelled, this fella, with his slightly shaded seat and sun hat, looks largely content with his lot in life.

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Aozora and electronic books in general in Japan

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Sep 02 |04:00

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If you’re a learner of Japanese, or just wanting to get hold of classics of Japanese literature, the free repository Aozora is a good place to start, but judging by this survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com into Aozora, it’s not that well-known. Demographics Over the 19th and 20th of August 2010 [...]

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Japan to sentence Greenpeace anti-whaling activists

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Sep 02 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Two Greenpeace activists will face possible jail terms in Japan on Monday for stealing a box of whale meat in a trial the environmental group says will test the country's limits on political activism.

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Japan finds fresh suspected foot-and-mouth case

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Sep 02 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan discovered a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease in a cow in its southern prefecture of Miyazaki, just days after it lifted a state of emergency, an official said.

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Another Monkey in Tokyo?

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Sep 01 |16:00

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A couple weeks back, a wild monkey was caught in Tokyo and returned to the mountains. However, a couple days ago, a resident of Tokyo’s Itabashi ward called the police to report that a monkey was climbing around on a nearby house: The eyewitness was a foreign guy who spoke in English to Japanese reporters. [...]

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Foreign Tourists Go Without Dinner

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Sep 01 |16:00

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A Japanese news program interviews foreign tourists on the streets of Asakusa to see how they’re coping with the Yen’s rise in value: One guy claims that he’s saving money by not eating dinner. A woman whose business relies on foreign tourists says that there has been a definite decline in the number of European [...]

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The Ainu and the Bear

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Sep 01 |16:00

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There’s a very neat article in the Hokkaido Shimbun (Japanese) about a group called Project U-e-peker. The members of the Project have been working hard to translate books so that Ainu culture accessible to an international audience. Their latest release is “The Ainu and the Bear,” and English translation of a children’s picture book about [...]

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Gunman Attacks Discovery Channel

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Sep 01 |16:00

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A gunman has been shot and killed by police after taking hostages at the American headquarters of the Discovery Channel: A website registered to Lee criticized Discovery and announced plans for the protest in January 2008: “These guys have been very sneaky and deceptive as to their contribution to the planetary problems. Just look at their [...]

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Don’t fight it, feel it

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Sep 01 |04:00

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At least that’s one possible way of trying to deal with the Japanese summer. However, when it really is that sizzling, and the cicadas won’t cease and be silent, Listen! then there’s sometimes nothing to be done but to succumb and simply suffer.

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Mirrorless SLR pluses and minuses

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Sep 01 |04:00

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I think the buzzword in the English speaking world is Micro Four-Thirds, but in Japan they use mirrorless to describe the new generation of SLRs that have no optical viewfinder. To find out more about them, iShare took a look at the merits and demerits of mirrorless SLRs. Demographics Between the 13th and 17th of [...]

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Japan endures hottest summer on record

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Sep 01 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan has endured its hottest summer since records began in 1898, the meteorological agency said Wednesday, during a heatwave that saw thousands of people taken to hospital suffering heatstroke.

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Believing the unbelievable causes goshin fears

News - Life in Japan

Aug 31 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

The fat, ungainly kensatsukan (検察官, prosecutor) rises and, without speaking, niramu (にらむ, glares at) the hikokunin (被告人, defendant). For a fleeting instant the chinmoku (沈黙, silence) in the hōtei (法廷, courtroom) is so deep that when Reiko Keyes, one of the six saibanin (裁判員, lay judges), inadvertently coughs slightly, the saibanin next to her starts almost as if a bomb has gone off.
"Nikunde ita (憎んでいた, You hated her). Correct?"

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ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED

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Aug 31 |16:00

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A TV Tokyo police special that aired last weekend contained this brief segment about Gunma police arresting a foreigner: The cops stop the man because he is riding around without a bicycle light. When they ask to see his alien registration card (they say “Alien card” in English), the man says he doesn’t have one. [...]

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Bryozoan Slime Blobs Menace Japan

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Aug 31 |16:00

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A report about two blob-like lifeforms that are threatening the peace of this nation: The first part is about jellyfish, where seem to have increased in number compared to this time last summer. Their stings can be quite painful. The second part is about Bryozoans. In one part of Fukushima prefecture, the heat and lack of [...]

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Daytime Drinking Parties: Bring Your Kids!

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Aug 31 |16:00

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Asahi TV news reports on an interesting new development: drinking establishments that are holding daytime drinking parties. Their reporter visits an izakaya in Kabuki-cho at 1:00PM on a weekday. They find that it is full of female customers, many of whom have brought along their children. It is somewhat odd to hold a drinking [...]

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Japan leadership battle kicks off

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Aug 31 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his rival, powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa, kicked off a leadership battle Wednesday that threatens to divide the ruling party only a year after it took power.

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Panasonic has Japan’s most valuable web site

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Aug 31 |04:00

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Here’s an interesting ranking survey/mathematical trickery that I came across, produced by Japan Brand Strategy Inc, looking at Japanese web site value. Demographics Between the 10th and 25th of June 2010 18,600 people completed a public (I believe) internet-based survey, collecting between 1,200 and 1,500 people per web site that offered the survey. Exactly 50% [...]

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Japan's sumo vows to cut mob ties as tournament nears

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Aug 31 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's scandal-hit national sport of sumo has vowed to weed out any links to yakuza organised crime groups as its governing body readies for the autumn tournament being staged in less than two weeks.

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Japan says too early to resume Korea nuclear talks

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Aug 31 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan rejected North Korea's apparent interest in a quick resumption of six-party talks on Pyonyang's nuclear program, saying Tuesday that the time was not right for fresh discussions.

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Japan welcomes Zaccheroni as new football coach

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Aug 31 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Alberto Zaccheroni's appointment as Japan coach was welcomed by local media who said Tuesday his attack-minded style could help the Blue Samurai build on progress made at the last World Cup.

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Japan factory output rises 0.3 percent in July

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Aug 31 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's factory output unexpectedly rose in July for the first time in two months as companies bolstered production of machinery, chemicals and paper despite signs of a slowing global economy.

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A struggle through Aokigahara Jukai (the Sea of Trees)

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Aug 30 |16:00

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Situated as it is on the northwestern slope of Fuji-san, and next to a couple of the mountain’s famed five lakes, Aokigahara Jukai (the Sea of Trees) would be incredibly well known anyway, as its vast and volcanic rock strewn landscape make it a very unique place indeed. However, due to the area being well [...]

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Discipline in schools is not a bad thing

News - Life in Japan

Aug 30 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Dear minister of education Tatsuo Kawabata,
I have been working as an assistant language teacher (ALT) in your public school system for five months now. Although it might be considered a bit premature to pen a word to you after such a short time, I would like to draw your attention to some fairly standard behavior across the six schools I work at. I think it is also time to let you in on a little secret: Disciplining students is not a bad thing. It just depends on how it is done.

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Tsukuba: Muslims about their experiences of Ramadan in Japan

News - Life in Japan

Aug 30 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Fatma HachaniStudent, 30(Tunisian)Ramadan is the hardest month for me to be away from my family and country. I spend weekdays working in the lab. From 2 p.m. I start to feel tired. Not eating is not a major problem for me, but not drinking in such an exceptionally hot summer is a challenge! I realize that water is a great blessing and should be consumed responsibly. I'm experiencing the suffering of people living in countries with insufficient drinking water. And this is one of the greatest messages of Ramadan: patience and humility.
Ayman AtiaStudent, 32(Egyptian)Ramadan in Japan is

unique. I feel that I'm different from everyone around me, and my friends always think I'm a fool because "not eating and drinking is so hard, man." But I think spending Ramadan here makes me focus more on the meaning of it: training my soul to control my desires. I also enjoy the prayer gatherings every night and meeting many people from different cultures. In our countries we just pray and return home, but in Japan we have discussions and try to help each other out.

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Fingerprint all Japanese, for safety's sake

News - Life in Japan

Aug 30 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

If you're a noncitizen and have entered or re-entered Japan in the last couple of years, you've undoubtedly been invited to participate in the wonderful, fun-filled world of biometrics. It's safe to say that many of you felt as though you were being treated like criminals — not to mention the humiliation of being discriminated against, knowing that your Japanese companions could quickly walk through immigration without having to endure the same indignities.
Worse still is the fact that the foreign community of Japan worked so long and hard to finally get fingerprinting abolished — only to see

it reinstated just a few years later due to pressure from the U.S. government. And, let's not forget the frosting that gives this cake its real zest: the added discomfort of knowing our fingerprints will be kept in a database indefinitely.

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NPO's tours give foreigners a taste of community life

News - Life in Japan

Aug 30 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Forty people from 19 countries have been taking part in tours, which included home-stays and exchanges, since June to experience community life in various parts of Japan with local residents.
The participants in the program, organized by Tokyo-based nonprofit organization World Campus International every year since 2007, range in age from 18 to 32. The countries they hail from include the United States, Venezuela, the Netherlands, Finland, China and Kenya.

height="1" width="1" />...(Read whole news on source site)

Seikatsu hogo : help for those in dire straits

News - Life in Japan

Aug 30 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Reader KS is having a hard time and doesn't know where to turn.
"I have been working for years but suddenly find myself unemployed, over 60 and unwell. I didn't know about the pension program so have not paid into it at all. What can I do?"

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For Japanese Men Who Don’t Like Being Hairy

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Aug 30 |16:00

Source:

A Japanese commercial for a body/facial hair removal product for men: The product is promoted by a trio of dancing white guys, all of whom have hair-free faces and chests. Those that choose not to use this product are doomed to end up looking like hairy gorillas! [It brags about having lots of worldwide [...]

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Scary Japanese Playground

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Aug 30 |16:00

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“Nanikore” visits a playground at an elementary school in Tochigi prefecture to check out a really weird object: The weird thing is a monument created 35 years ago by a graduating class, and I’m guessing the creepy faces are meant to represent the kids of the class. Although kids freely play on it, there are [...]

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Japan factory output on-month rise

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Aug 30 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's industrial output rose 0.3 percent in July from the previous month, official data showed Tuesday, better than market expectations of a 0.3 percent fall.

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Yahoo Japan, Google expanding video offerings: Nikkei

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Aug 30 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Yahoo Japan Corp and U.S. firm Google Inc are broadening the scope of their video delivery services in Japan, the Nikkei business daily reported.

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Japanese workers (having a relaxing rest) from working #32

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Aug 30 |04:00

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Unlike some things in Japan, the nation’s parcel delivery services are unbelievably efficient rather than efficiently bureaucratic, meaning desired delivery times are strictly adhered to, and a quick and easy call will have a re-delivery round in no time. But such conscientiousness must come at a cost, and for those doing the rounds of doorsteps, [...]

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Japan announces 920 billion yen stimulus package

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Aug 30 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan on Monday announced plans for a "swift" stimulus package worth around 920 billion yen (11 billion dollars) as it looks to safeguard a fragile recovery and curb the impact of a strong yen.

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Japan announces 920 bln yen stimulus package

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Aug 30 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan on Monday announced plans for a stimulus package worth around 920 billion yen (11 billion dollars) as it looks to safeguard a fragile recovery and curb the impact of a strong yen.

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Japan eases policy to shore up weak economy

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Aug 30 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's central bank eased monetary policy at an emergency meeting Monday, seeking to contain a strong yen and mollify growing political pressure to revive a faltering economy.

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Japan name Zaccheroni as new coach

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Aug 30 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan on Monday ended a two-month global hunt by naming Italian Alberto Zaccheroni as their new national coach following their best-ever World Cup on foreign soil.

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Japan eases policy, plans new economic stimulus

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Aug 30 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's government and the central bank threw the economy a double lifeline Monday, seeking to contain a strong yen and revive a faltering recovery.

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Japan announces fresh stimulus measures

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Aug 30 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan on Monday unveiled an 11 billion dollar stimulus and announced monetary steps to safeguard a fragile economy and curb the impact of a strong yen, but markets were left unimpressed.

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Japanese Taxpayers Will Fund North Korean Propaganda

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Aug 29 |16:00

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The Japanese government has apparently decided that they will use taxpayers’ money to fund private schools that teach students loyalty to Kim Jong-il’s North Korean regime: The ministry has ruled that foreign schools, such as international schools outside the national school system, are eligible in principle for free education. However, the pro-Pyongyang schools do not [...]

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Robot Arm Gets Rid of Bomb

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Aug 29 |16:00

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Japanese police use a robot arm to take care of some suspicious luggage during an anti-terror drill in Roppongi: The drill was part of the preparation for November’s APEC summit in Yokohama. It was meant to show how Japanese police are ready for terrorist threats against foreign dignitaries who may be staying on hotels in [...]

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Ric O’Barry Reads Japan Probe

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Aug 29 |16:00

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A reader in the States who saw Friday’s episode of “Blood Dolphins” has sent some screen captures of dolphin rights activist Ric O’Barry reading Japan Probe to find out the latest news about the Taiji dolphin hunt: And here is the video: The segment was filmed last year, right after it appeared that Taiji would not go [...]

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Japan central bank eases policy as economy falters

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Aug 29 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's central bank further eased monetary policy Monday in response to a strong yen and growing political pressure to take action on a faltering economic recovery.

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Bank of Japan announces additional easing measures

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Aug 29 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

The Bank of Japan decided at an emergency policy meeting Monday to expand its funding programme introduced in December in an effort to safeguard a fragile recovery threatened by a strong yen.

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Ex-Japan football coach mistaken for a farmer

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Aug 29 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's outgoing coach Takeshi Okada, who guided the Blue Samurai to the knockout stage at this summer's World Cup, says he has been declining unlikely offers to become a farmer.

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Bank of Japan holds emergency policy meeting

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Aug 29 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

The Bank of Japan is holding an emergency meeting Monday as political pressure mounts for the central bank to ease monetary policy in the face of a surging yen.

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Bank of Japan to hold emergency policy meeting

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Aug 29 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

The Bank of Japan said it will hold an emergency meeting on Monday as political pressure mounts for the central bank to ease monetary policy in the face of a surging yen.

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Japan takes Little League WS title

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Aug 29 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

The Little League aces from Japan ended the United States' five-year reign as World Series champions.

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Japan takes Little League World Series title

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Aug 29 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan has ended the United States' five-year reign as Little League World Series champions.

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Gachapin and Mukku top twenty trivia

News - Blogs

Aug 29 |04:00

Source:

A recent raking survey by goo Ranking looked at one of Japan’s favourite children’s characters, Gachapin and Mukku, Gachapin being the one who looks like Paul a green monster and Mukku the one who looks like John a red one. Demographics Over the 21st and 22nd of July 2010 1,159 members of the goo Research [...]

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Bank of Japan likely to meet on Monday to ease policy

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Aug 29 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

The Bank of Japan is likely to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to ease monetary policy after Governor Masaaki Shirakawa returned to Tokyo from a trip to the United States earlier than expected.

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Japanese Make-up Commercial

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Aug 28 |16:00

Source:

This foundation will make your skin look so pretty that you’ll attract the attention of random white dudes: — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

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Monkey Attacks in Japan

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Aug 28 |16:00

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Wild monkeys in Japan usually avoid human beings, but it looks like a group of them in Shizuoka Prefecture have started attacking people: Wild monkeys inflicted biting and scratching injuries on 43 people from Aug. 22 to Aug. 25 in the neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture cities of Mishima and Susono, it has been learned. Reports of monkey sightings [...]

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New look at old Edo's window to the West

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Japan's seclusion policy (sakoku) from the early 17th to the mid-19th century is commonly studied from the point of view of the bakufu, the Tokugawa government in Edo that exercised central control over the other domains of the realm.
Much research has also been directed at Deshima — often called "Japan's only window to the West" — in Nagasaki harbor where the Dutch East Asia Company VOC maintained a commercial factory, enjoying trade privileges for more than 200 years.

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Garden dualities

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Traditionally, gardens patronage in Japan came from two sources: the nobility and the coffers of well-endowed temples.
The wealthy and privileged commissioned landscaped gardens for their estates; head abbots employed the services of ishi-tate-so (rock-setting priests) to create gardens that would complement religious architecture and promote spiritual practices.

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Twin tours de force offer insights into Japan not lost in translation

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

The year 2010 may come to be seen as a landmark in terms of literature written in English that draws on Japan as a setting.
That's because two books released this year — one non-fiction, the other fiction — are each remarkable in the sense of Japanese reality they conjure.

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How Japan embraced the advent of cinema

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Japanese cinema was different from the very start. In the days of the silent movie, recitators called benshi, took it upon themselves not only to interpret the action, but to add their own vocal and acting embellishments as self-appointed supra-dramatists.
There were other localized touches. During funeral scenes, for example, it was not uncommon for a member of staff to move stealthily through the darkened emporium lighting sticks of incense as mood enhancers.

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Anyone for tennis?

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

If you've ever had a tennis lesson, your coach likely told you to block, rather than swing at your volleys. That knowledge makes it all the more thrilling to watch someone like the athletic 16-year-old Sanae Ota rush in from the back of the court, leap up to a high, floating ball — before it bounces — and smack it back over the net with a full-strength forehand swing.
The stunning, if unconventional, winning shot (which almost knocks the racket from her opponent's hand) prompts the crowd to jump to its feet and roar — and Ota and

her doubles partner, Miyuki Hatsukawa, to high-five each other mid-court. Passersby pause outside the court to see what is going on. For a moment, the din of celebration (even though this is still the second set of three, and Ota and Hatsukawa are actually in trouble after losing the first) drowns out all other sounds — including the guitar-playing Christian missionaries across the road. Then the crowd quietens, and all that can be heard is the wind blowing through the giant cedar trees nearby — and those Christians' strummings. Next comes the bounce of the tennis ball, as Ota prepares...(Read whole news on source site)

Tightened credit rules threaten to spawn 'loan refugees'

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Japan may be in the midst of a silent epidemic of kinketsu-byo ("lack of money disease"). The source of the infection is a new statute that bans many borrowers from obtaining unsecured loans.
While the full repercussions of the revised Money Lending Business Law (MLBL), which was passed in 2006 but went into force on June 18, are still unclear, the law's impact appears likely to affect discretionary spending by hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who are no longer eligible to borrow. It is feared that many, desperate for a short-term infusion of cash, will

turn to illegal loan sharks.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Racy pop distracts from lip service

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

In April, China's Culture Ministry fined two young women 50,000 yuan (¥625,000) each for lip-syncing during performances in the city of Chengdu last year. The authorities characterize this edict against "fake singing" as a kind of truth-in-advertising rule, but most people think it was an overreaction to the negative publicity the government received when it admitted that a 9-year-old girl lip-synced a song during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. That girl had replaced another who was a much better singer but was considered unphotogenic.
The Olympic organizers were being criticized for something that professional entertainers

do frequently. Though international stars such as Britney Spears and Janet Jackson have been slammed for lip-syncing on stage, it's understood to be a widespread phenomenon, and understandable given the huge production costs for major pop-music shows, which are expected to be perfect.

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Journey to the land of Pashmina, Aya Ueto's drama debut; CM of the week: iPhone 4

News - Life in Japan

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

The final installment of the travel show "Gyakuryu! Shiraberu Toraberu" ("Against the Current! Investigating and Traveling"; TV Tokyo, Mon., 8 p.m.) spends the bulk of its two-hour running time in the Pashmina region of Nepal, which is famous for its cashmere wool. This wool is produced by a specific species of goat that can only be found deep in the Himalayas, and the reporters go to a great deal of trouble to find these animals.
The program also visits Peru to check out the habitat of another animal, the alpaca, which is popular in Japan thanks to a

commercial featuring the llamalike quadruped. Finally, it's off to Turkey and a tomato cannery that exports the bulk of its product to Japan.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan calls for transparent labor rules in China

News - News

Aug 28 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan called for "transparent policies" governing workers in China, saying labor disputes that halted operations at dozens of factories this year were troubling to Japanese companies.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan vs. Hawaii for Little League title

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Aug 28 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Hawaii's offensive punch followed Japan's stirring win in extra innings to create some high drama at the Little League World Series.

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Japan moves on to LLWS title game

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Aug 28 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Ryo Motegi hit a two-out grounder through the infield to send Tokyo, Japan, to the Little League World Series title game with a dramatic 3-2 victory in seven innings Saturday over Kaoshiung, Taiwan.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan complains to China about business environment

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Aug 28 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan pressed China to improve its climate for foreign businesses during talks Saturday between the world's number two and three economies that also touched on the issue of North Korean disarmament.

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Suspicious deaths have suspiciously few autopsies in Japan

News - Blogs

Aug 28 |04:00

Source:

Japan has one of the lowest rates of autopsies in the developed world, with a mere one in ten deaths resulting in one, so to find out more about people’s opinions this survey by the Cabinet Office Japan took a look at the prevention of overlooking suspicious deaths. Demographics Between the 15th and 25th of [...]

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Japanese Cat Doesn’t Care About Annoying Baby

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Aug 27 |16:00

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Asahi TV finds Rei, a cat in Japan that doesn’t get angry when a baby crawls all over him and does annoying stuff: This phenomenon is not limited Japan. Here’s a few popular American videos of babies testing the patience of cats: — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

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Cute Japanese Kids Make Doughnuts

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Aug 27 |16:00

Source:

A Japanese news show visits the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shop in Kawaguchi, where kids can do a special “Let’s Decorate Your Doughnuts!” activity: — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

...(Read whole news on source site)

Putting true community back in theater

News - Life in Japan

Aug 27 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Throughout the Western world, community theater spices the dramatic arts.
Mentors passionate for the stage infuse young artists with their experience and knowledge; social and cultural concerns pepper the community with fresh viewpoints and raw perspectives; audiences swallow new ideas and old traditions as they celebrate storytelling.

...(Read whole news on source site)

An insane asylum for tourists

News - Life in Japan

Aug 27 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

As the world spins faster and faster on its axis, threatening to cut off our supply of gravity and fling us into outer space, Japan is left wondering what to do next.
At this very moment company presidents around the country are scratching their bar code heads thinking, "What can we do to keep our place in the global economy? How do we maintain our gravitational pull in the world?" And though the answers are there, staring them in the face, the answers are hard for them to see. Take our small island of 651 people. Once a

popular sea side resort, it has been abandoned by the Japanese who nowadays prefer air conditioned shopping malls and movie theaters. The islanders complain that no one comes to the beach anymore. This year I often heard Japanese people say, "It's too hot to go to the beach." Go figure.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan Tests Out Judgemental Touchscreen Vending Machines

News - News

Aug 27 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

A railway station in Japan has been testing out the latest in the touchscreen craze, with a slight twist.

...(Read whole news on source site)

About half the Japanese can explain what the iPad and iPhone are

News - Blogs

Aug 27 |04:00

Source:

A recent survey by goo Research, reported on by japan.internet.com, looked at IT-related technical terms. Demographics Between the 30th of July and the 3rd of August 2010 1,077 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.5% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan PM Kan vows firm moves against strong yen

News - News

Aug 27 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's prime minister said on Friday he will take firm measures on currencies when needed and will meet the Bank of Japan governor, increasing the possibility the central bank will ease policy soon as it confronts a surging yen.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan opens up "sterile" gallows to media

News - News

Aug 27 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan opened up its gallows to local media for the first time on Friday, a move that could spark debate in a country where the majority supports the death penalty.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan opens up death chamber to media for first time

News - News

Aug 27 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan threw open the doors to its mystery-shrouded execution chamber for the first time on Friday, as part of a crusade by the justice minister to stoke debate about the death penalty.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan opens up gallows to media, may spark debate

News - News

Aug 27 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan opened up its gallows for the first time to domestic media on Friday, a move that could spark public debate over executions in a country where a hefty majority supports retaining the death penalty.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan gives rare tour of gallows to spur debate

News - News

Aug 27 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan opened up the secretive world of its capital punishment system to the public Friday, offering journalists a rare tour of Tokyo's main gallows in an effort to stoke debate about a practice widely supported here.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Tokyo tilt-shift #3

News - Blogs

Aug 26 |16:00

Source:

For me at least, faffing about with the iPhone’s TiltShift Generator app never fails to fascinate, and although the results can be more than a little mixed, the better ones undoubtedly offer a different take on a topic — such as, for example, the fairly recently featured Kyotei boat racing stadium, photos of which, when [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

'Agnosian Fields'

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Maison Hermes Le Forum
Closes Nov. 23

...(Read whole news on source site)

U.S. sake lovers spread some joy

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

For the first time ever, The Joy of Sake, the biggest sake tasting soiree outside of Japan, will bring its American brand of culture-crossing conviviality to Japan. On Nov. 2, the event, which originated in Hawaii, will be celebrating its anniversary in Tokyo.
"It's the 10th year for us, so we wanted to do something special," says organizer Chris Pearce, " and Japan is the place where sake comes from."

height="1" width="1" />...(Read whole news on source site)

Neon Gravity ready to jack the party at Fukuoka's Sunset Live

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Summer's end may be near, but music festival season is far from finished. Featuring 70 acts, the 18th edition of Fukuoka's Sunset Live will take place Sept. 3-5. Situated along the shore of Keya Beach, the event's picturesque surroundings boast plenty of greenery, sand and surf for the anticipated crowd of 15,500 to enjoy.
Concerts start each day just before noon and run until 9 p.m. Each of the main performance areas — Palm Stage, Beach Stage, Sunset Stage and Bamboo Stage — has its own space for live painting.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Summer samba carnival brings the heat to Asakusa's streets

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Powerful drum beats, cheerful songs and passionate dancing from Brazil will fill Tokyo's Asakusa district, the capital's traditional downtown, during the 30th Asakusa Samba Carnival.
The annual event was launched in 1981 by an association of local stores in an effort to revitalize the area. The group modeled the event after Rio de Janeiro's famed Carnival. The festival attracted some 500,000 audiences last year, according to the organizers.

/>...(Read whole news on source site)

Outdated skin flick sequel begs money for old rope

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Author/director Oniroku Dan's "Hana to Hebi (Flower & Snake)" is the recognized classic of sadomasochistic literature in Japan, probably equal in reputation to Pauline Reage's "Story of O." While the novel has been brought to the big screen in many guises — and to the small as well, in an pervy video game by erotic-games studio elf — it was the 1974 "Hana to Hebi" that first saw Nikkatsu studio's roman poruno (big-budget adult movies) series move profitably into sadomasochism, and made its lead actress — Naomi Tani, the queen of sub sensuality — an Asian Bettie Page for the

'70s.
Of course, that was then, this is now. Much of the charm of the old roman poruno films lies in their retro-chic appeal, which leaves would-be remakers grasping for an angle. 2004 saw a retread of "Hana to Hebi" that proved it is still possible, even in the age of the Internet, to make a cinematic splash with a moderately-budgeted, well-shot softcore porn spectacle.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Baby Tigers in Japan

News - Blogs

Aug 26 |16:00

Source:

Three Siberian tiger cubs at the Tama Zoo now have names: The tigers have been given athletic names: Keisuke (after soccer player Keisuke Honda ), Mao (after figure skater Mao Asada), and Ai (after golfer Ai Miyazato) — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

...(Read whole news on source site)

Ichiro Ozawa: Americans Are “Simple-Minded”

News - Blogs

Aug 26 |16:00

Source:

Ichiro Ozawa, the shady “Shadow Shogun” who controls a significant part of Japan’s ruling party, has said some not-so-kind things about Japan’s ally: “I like Americans, but they tend to be simple-minded,” he said during a speech in the capital, using a Japanese idiom that literally means ‘monocellular’. He also offered some back-handed praise for U.S. [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

In the absence of information comes greater imagination

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

The 1990s saw the rise of what at the time seemed an important generation of Japanese female photographers. This included Junko Takahashi, HIROMIX, Rika Noguchi, Mika Ninagawa and Tomoko Sawada. While much of this new wave — most notably the narcissistic soft-porn of HIROMIX and the cosplay outings of Tomoko Sawada — clearly had a limited shelf life, this photographic breakthrough for women also included some stronger talents, such as Mika Ninagawa, whose lush, sensual color photography soon found its way into glossy magazines and advertising, and Rika Noguchi, whose blurry minimalism didn't.
Perhaps the most interesting photographer

of this generation, however, is the one that got away and made a name for herself overseas. In 1993, after some success and recognition in Japan, Yuki Onodera, then 31, decided that living abroad would be the best inspiration and accordingly set up shop in Paris.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Immersed in epic visions of nature

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

It is as epic as it is arresting. With a gentle whirr, thousands of white feathers are blown into the air in a vast clear space where they proceed to toss and tumble like snowflakes.
The man-made snowstorm is the opening work in a new exhibition that tackles a subject over which poets, philosophers and painters have obsessed for countless centuries: nature.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Lust, power, death and deception — welcome to paradise

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

It's a common fantasy — being the only guy on an island of beautiful women. But to be the only woman on an island of men, including the good, the bad and the ugly? Somewhat different, isn't it?
That is the situation in which Okinawan Kazuko Higa found herself toward the end of World War II, when she was stranded together with nearly 30 Japanese men on the island of Anatahan in the Marianas group. The war ended, but the men refused to admit defeat — and continued to live a primitive life on the island. Higa deftly

transferred her affections from suitor to suitor, while several died competing for her favors.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Klaxons

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Klaxons divide opinion like few others. Emerging in 2006 to a crescendo of hype, they were held up as leaders of the nu-rave movement even before their debut album "Myths of the Near Future" was busy thrilling and irritating in equal measure.
It led to much debate. The two opposing camps argued whether Klaxons were the pivot for an exciting new world or the worst of a bad bunch annoyingly smattered in Day-Glo, and whether their references to the cosmic and poet J.D Bullard were genuine or the worst type of in-joke. Even their gigs where heralded alternatively

as era-defining moments or derided as noisy confusion where each member seemed to be playing a different song at a different speed.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Orchestra taps dancer Kumagai for cross-genre concert

News - Life in Japan

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Thirty-three-year-old Kazunori Kumagai started tap dancing when he was 15. Four years later, he went by himself to New York to attend special training for a role in "Noise/Funk," a Broadway show that traced black history in the United States through tap, hip-hop and funk rhythms. His Broadway dream was thwarted by visa issues, but that didn't stop him from getting experience on a different stage — the clubs, lounges, streets and subways of the city.
It wasn't long before Kumagai was attracting serious attention for his artistry, with weekly newspaper The Village Voice dubbing him Japan's

Gregory Hines (referring to the U.S. dancing legend) and Dance Magazine naming him one of "25 to Watch" in 2006, saying, "Tapper Kazunori Kumagai dances like the American Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock painted."

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan's jobless rate falls, but deflation persists

News - News

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's government released a mixed bag of economic indicators Friday that did little to inspire confidence in the country's fragile recovery.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan's consumer prices slide, unemployment falls

News - News

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's consumer prices continued to slide while the unemployment rate fell for the first time in six months in July, the mixed data Friday illustrating the fragility of the country's recovery.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan unemployment rate down, consumer prices drop

News - News

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's consumer prices continued to slide while the unemployment rate fell for the first time in six months in July, as mixed data Friday illustrated the headwinds facing a fragile recovery.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan Airlines to launch budget carrier: report

News - News

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Crisis-hit flag carrier Japan Airlines, which is undergoing government-backed rehabilitation, is considering establishing a low-cost carrier to boost its earnings, a report said Friday.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan consumer prices fall, deepening deflation

News - News

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan says its consumer prices fell for the 17th straight month in July, as deflation kept a tight grip on the economy.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan's Sejima rolls out Venice architecture showcase

News - News

Aug 26 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima on Thursday rolled out the programme for Venice's blockbuster biennial architectural exhibition with a people-oriented vision.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Sax is Japan’s coolest wind instrument

News - Blogs

Aug 26 |04:00

Source:

Here’s a quick filler survey from iShare, looking at wind instruments. Demographics Between the 23rd and 27th of July 2010 474 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.2% of the sample were male, 33.1% in their twenties, 30.4% in their thirties, and 36.5% in their forties. I [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Chemical substances in Japan: 2 of 2

News - Blogs

Aug 26 |04:00

Source:

A recent very detailed survey from the Cabinet Office Japan looking at chemical substances in the immediate environment found that, as is the case in English, “chemical substances” is a scary word, despite of course everything being made out of chemical substances, and there’s dangerous natural chemical substances and perfectly safe man-made ones as well [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Tokyo Times return

News - Blogs

Aug 26 |04:00

Source:

After gallivanting around Great Britain for five weeks — which left Tokyo Times noticeably only plodding along with nowhere near the normal amount of new material — I’m now back in Japan, so, fingers crossed and photo opportunities permitting, things should very quickly return to normal. Particularly so in fact should the sun continue to [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japanese Police Dog Disarms Terrorists

News - Blogs

Aug 26 |04:00

Source:

Haneda Airport is going to open its new international terminal in October, so Japanese police put on a show for the press to let everyone know that there’s no need to worry about their readiness to deal with terrorists: — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan's maestro Ozawa makes a fragile comeback

News - News

Aug 26 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's most famous orchestral conductor, Seiji Ozawa, has concluded esophageal cancer treatment but will only conduct one piece in September concerts since his health remains frail, organizers said.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan set to draft fresh economic stimulus

News - News

Aug 26 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan is set to outline fresh stimulus measures "as soon as possible", the government said Thursday, as officials heaped pressure on the central bank to take steps to support the economy.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan PM faces challenge for party leadership

News - News

Aug 26 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan Prime Minister Naoto Kan faced a party leadership challenge from a scandal-tainted powerbroker Thursday, raising the possibility of the country getting its sixth premier in four years.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan government econ plan to call for BOJ easing: report

News - News

Aug 26 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's government will urge the Bank of Japan to ease monetary policy further as part of a package of steps to stem the yen's rise and support the fragile economy, the Asahi newspaper said, ratcheting up pressure on the central bank to take action before a policy meeting next month.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Touch Panel Vending Machine

News - Blogs

Aug 25 |16:00

Source:

“Mezamashi TV” visits Shinagawa Station to observe how people are using the new smart vending machine that can recommend drinks based on the appearance of customers: A few interesting points from the video: High school girls think it’s cool. Some customers have trouble figuring out what part of the screen needs to be touched in order to buy [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Homeopathic Treatment Leads to Infant’s Death

News - Blogs

Aug 25 |16:00

Source:

Homeopathy, a laughably stupid Western pseudoscience, seems to have caught on with a few people in Japan: “Homeopathy’s therapeutic value has been scientifically and conclusively disproven,” said Science Council of Japan Chairman Ichiro Kanazawa at a press conference on Aug. 24. Kanazawa made the comments in response to the October 2009 death of a newborn infant [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

River Surfing in Japan

News - Blogs

Aug 25 |16:00

Source:

A few residents of Minokamo city( in landlocked Gifu prefecture) have come up with a fun way to enjoy summer: river surfing! Here’s a video clip of them in action: — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

...(Read whole news on source site)

Hidden Cameras in JR Yokohama Station Toilets

News - Blogs

Aug 25 |16:00

Source:

I hope none of the female readers of this site used any public restrooms at Yokohama station recently. According to this news report, a man has been arrested for placing seven hidden cameras in the station’s toilet stalls and filming unsuspecting women: The man, an employee of JAL, confessed his guilt and said he did [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

All for the love of Tajima cows

News - Life in Japan

Aug 25 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

When you hear the term, "Kobe beef," a few things are likely to come to mind: the velvety, fatty richness of the meat, the extraordinarily high price of a steak and the lavish lifestyle of the cattle. The pampering these cows receive is renowned and the image of beer-chugging bovines has been seared into the popular imagination.
But it turns out that the imagination is where such tales belong. So says Yoshinori Nakanishi, a Kobe cattle farmer who's been in the business for nearly 40 years. "Neither I nor any beef farmer I know would ever dream of

giving cows beer," he says.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Buddhist priest Shinno Yamasoba

News - Life in Japan

Aug 25 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Shinno Yamasoba, 58, is the vice head priest at Daijyoji Temple in Hyogo Prefecture's Kami town. Founded in 745, Daijyoji is nestled between peaceful rice fields and sheltered by layers of mountains. The closest city is Kyoto, about three hours away by local train. Still, visitors often make the journey to Daijyoji to see its exquisite Buddhist paintings, 165 of which are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The main temple was built at the end of the 18th century as a collaboration between Mitsuzo (1716-1786), the head priest of Daijyoji, local carpenters and one of Japan's greatest painters Maruyama

Ohkyo (1733-1795). Designed to be harmonious with the surrounding gardens and mountains, the temple's walls are made of fusuma sliding doors, painted on both sides with birds, monkeys, trees and flowers. Depending on which of the 165 sliding doors are opened or closed, the rooms and interconnecting spaces offer different views that metamorphose from naturally beautiful to breathtaking. An almost endless number of views can be revealed. Recently, however, this picture of pure harmony has been disrupted, breaking the heart of priest Yamasoba. To protect Ohkyo's 45 masterpieces, they have been stored in a concrete warehouse next door and, using...(Read whole news on source site)

Objets d'art with a purpose in life

News - Life in Japan

Aug 25 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Award-winning designer Mikiya Kobayashi is the director behind Kime, a new line of beautiful wooden household accessories for Hokkaido-based manufacturer Dreamy Person. Named after the Japanese term for wood grain, all of Kobayashi's designs emphasize the natural beauty of his medium with a clean, modern aesthetic.
The Kime collection currently includes the following seven items: a bottle opener (¥2,940), a toothpick holder (¥2,300), a shoehorn, both long (¥10,500) and short (¥3,990), a pen case (pictured, ¥5,040), a tape measure (¥2,625), and a clock (¥7,350). Each item is also available in one of three wood finishes: maple, cherry

or walnut.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan government econ plan to call for BOJ easing: media

News - News

Aug 25 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's government will urge the Bank of Japan to ease monetary policy further as part of a package of steps to stem the yen's rise and support the fragile economy, the Asahi newspaper said, ratcheting up pressure on the central bank to take action before a policy meeting next month.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan PM to face fight for ruling party leadership

News - News

Aug 25 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's prime minister will have to fight for his job next month when the ruling party holds its leadership election.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Chemical substances in Japan: 1 of 2

News - Blogs

Aug 25 |04:00

Source:

A recent very detailed survey from the Cabinet Office Japan looking at chemical substances in the immediate environment found that, as is the case in English, “chemical substances” is a scary word, despite of course everything being made out of chemical substances, and there’s dangerous natural chemical substances and perfectly safe man-made ones as well [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Lost but looking good

News - Blogs

Aug 25 |04:00

Source:

All dressed up with somewhere to go, but where the bloody hell said somewhere is obviously isn’t as forthcoming for some as fashion sense.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan blind-school teacher in drag arrested for panty theft

News - News

Aug 25 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

A teacher at a school for the blind in Japan has been arrested for allegedly stealing a woman's underpants from a laundromat while dressed in a miniskirt and wearing a blonde wig, police said Wednesday.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan senior lawmaker: Americans are simple-minded

News - News

Aug 25 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

A key figure in Japan's ruling party dubbed Americans "simple-minded" in a speech to fellow lawmakers Wednesday.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan struggling to lure big-name coach

News - News

Aug 25 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Former Asian champions Japan, who reached the last-16 at this year's World Cup in South Africa, are struggling to sign a new coach from Europe or South America as they aim to improve for 2014.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan keeps intervention option open to curb yen

News - News

Aug 25 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan is not ruling out market intervention to curb the yen's rise, government sources said on Wednesday, sending the strongest signal yet that the currency's march toward all-time highs may spur Tokyo into action.

...(Read whole news on source site)

iPad Self-Ordering System for Japanese Izakaya

News - Blogs

Aug 24 |16:00

Source:

Sharp System Products has created this self-ordering system for restaurants that can be run on Apple’s Ipad: With this system, the pictures shown on the iPad can be exactly the same as those on the conventional menu. The system makes intuitive use of the iPad’s user interface; for example, pictures can also be enlarged by pinching. [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Cross-dressing Panty Thief Caught on Camera

News - Blogs

Aug 24 |16:00

Source:

A 43-year-old man has been arrested in Saga prefecture after he was caught on camera stealing women’s underwear from a coin laundromat: The laundromat had a surveillance camera to prevent theft, but the man had a plan: he dressed-up like a woman and wore a wig. Apparently he had even bought fashion magazines to help [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan’s Samurai Actors: A Dying Breed?

News - Blogs

Aug 24 |16:00

Source:

Al Jazeera English reports on “Japan’s dying samurai heritage“: Samurai movies once made Japanese cinema famous worldwide. In the 1950s, films such as the Seven Samurai by Akiro Kurosawa were extremely popular both in Japan and abroad. But waning interest is now leaving many of Japan’s silver screen swordsmen out of work. They probably have a point about the [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

'<I>Ii</I>' is a perfectly good way to say, 'No, thank you'

News - Life in Japan

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

When I was in elementary school, a certain comma was the bane of my existence. No, not the serial comma. I learned (and later unlearned) that one relatively easily. It wasn't the comma before "too," either. Nor was it the one between multiple adjectives modifying a single noun. No, it was the comma in "no, thank you." The role that comma plays, the way set phrases are spoken and understood, and the disconnect caused by a phrase of refusal that incorporates a word of affirmation and acceptance is mirrored in the Japanese word ii (良い, いい) and its polite alternatives,

yoroshii (宜しい, よろしい) and kekkō (結構, けっこう).
Perhaps I was uncomfortable with "no, thank you" because the phrase sounds more like "nothankyou." We utter set phrases so often and so quickly they seem to merge into a single word — such as "thanksalot" and "howzitgoin." This is especially true for "nothankyou," since we attach it to the end of a conversation in order to exit a situation — for example, to leave a convenience store or supermarket unburdened by a receipt. We shouldn't feel bad, though. This is, after all, the goal of set phrases: We use them...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan high-tech toilet makers flush with success

News - News

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

In Japan, the global leader in high-tech toilet design, the latest restroom marvel should come with a health warning for hypochondriacs -- it doubles as a medical lab that can really spoil your day.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan warns on intervention after yen rise

News - News

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's finance minister sharpened his rhetoric on the yen's steep gains after the Nikkei newspaper reported Japan may consider selling the yen in solo intervention if speculators drive it up, threatening the economy's recovery.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan export growth slows for fifth straight month

News - News

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's export growth slowed for a fifth straight month in July, official data showed Wednesday, amid signs a fragile recovery is continuing to lose steam, hampered by the strong yen.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan export growth slows for fifth month in July

News - News

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's export growth slowed for the fifth straight month in July as slowing global demand and a strong yen erode a key driver of the country's economy.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan advances to LLWS international finals

News - News

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Kaname Shinozaki's solo homer in the fourth inning broke a tie, and Tokyo, Japan, clinched a spot in the Little League World Series international finals with a 3-2 win Tuesday night over Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan may mull solo yen-selling intervention: report

News - News

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's Ministry of Finance may consider unilateral yen-selling market intervention if speculators drive up the currency, the Nikkei newspaper reported, after failed attempts to verbally curb sharp yen gains.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan may consider unilateral yen-selling: report

News - News

Aug 24 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's Ministry of Finance may consider unilateral yen-selling market interventions if speculators drive up the currency, Nikkei Business Daily reported on Tuesday.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Corporate Tweeting in Japan

News - Blogs

Aug 24 |04:00

Source:

A recent very detailed survey from goo Research, in conjuction with social media consultants Looops Communications, took a look at corporate Twitter accounts. Demographics Between the 9th and 12th of July 2010 315 members of the goo Research online monitor group who used a corporate Twitter account as part of their job completed a private [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Blood Dolphins

News - Blogs

Aug 24 |04:00

Source:

Starting this Friday, the Animal Planet network will begin airing “Blood Dolphins,” a TV series that follows around animal rights activist Ric O’Barry as he denounces what he sees as the “murder” and “enslavement” of dolphins. The title of the series is meant to teach us that the “blood trade” in captive diamonds is [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan's Nikkei leads world markets lower

News - News

Aug 24 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's Nikkei index led world markets lower Tuesday as the yen's rise to a fresh 15-year high against the dollar and a nine-year best against the euro hit the share prices of the country's high-value exporters.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Wartime labor redress efforts at key juncture

News - Life in Japan

Aug 23 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Sixty-five years since the end of World War II, and one year since the Democratic Party of Japan came to power, redress campaigns for forced labor in wartime Japan are bearing promising fruit and entering a decisive phase.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) surprised many observers last month by announcing it will start talks on compensating the 300 Korean women who were deceived as teenagers into toiling without pay at a Nagoya aircraft factory. The so-called teishintai (volunteer corps) workers lost their lawsuit at the Japan Supreme Court in 2008, but last December the Japanese government issued seven of

the women refunds of a mere ¥99 for pension deposits withheld during the war.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Teachers of English face unregulated, unfair system at universities

News - Life in Japan

Aug 23 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Dear minister of education Tatsuo Kawabata,
Regardless of education and experience, once an English instructor starts work at certain universities in Japan, they are placed at the bottom of the list for promotion or advancement — a practice which ignores the internationally recognized principle of being able to transfer experience from job to job as long as one remains in the same profession. Surely, this can't be right.

/>...(Read whole news on source site)

Sapporro: What was your summer highlight?

News - Life in Japan

Aug 23 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Michiko AnzawaHousewife, 57I live near Odori Park, so I went for walks around here quite often. It's a big park and it's much less crowded than the rest of the city. I like the roses in the 12-chome area of the park, and the cherry blossoms in spring are amazing.
Shinya SagaiEvent coordinator, 32The best thing for me this summer was the Rising Sun Rock Festival. Tatsuro Yamashita's live show was absolutely amazing! It brought a tear to my eye. The festival really feels like a matsuri — loads of people and a great atmosphere.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Purikura – Japanese Print Club Photos Make Your Eyes Bigger & Skin Lighter

News - Blogs

Aug 23 |16:00

Source:

The “Mezashi TV” takes a look at some of the interesting features of Japanese “Print Club” [Purikura] photo booths: For years now, such photo booths made girls happy by washing out the colors in photographs to make one’s skin look smoother and lighter. In the last few years, photo booth manufacturers have strengthened these “beautifying” [...]

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Chimpanzee Entomologist Hunts for Bugs

News - Blogs

Aug 23 |16:00

Source:

Pan-kun the Chimpanzee is not a real entomologist, but he does play one on TV. Here he is teaming up with James the bulldog for a summer bug-hunting exhibition [clip from "Shimura Zoo"]: — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

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A new generation's search for ground zero

News - Life in Japan

Aug 23 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

An estimated 140,000 were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, another 70,000 in Nagasaki, with thousands more succumbing to radiation-related illnesses in the months and years that followed. Shocking statistics like these are supposedly etched in history, taught in classrooms across Japan and the rest of the world in an effort to ensure each new generation understands the horror of nuclear weapons and vows never to see them used again.
But shocking as the figures are, simply dusting them off around the anniversaries of the bombings every August won't prevent the horrors of 65 years ago from

one day being revisited, says filmmaker Shinpei Takeda.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Incoming versus outgoing telephone calls

News - Blogs

Aug 23 |04:00

Source:

I don’t really know what to make of this recent survey from iShare into preferences for telephone call direction, but I present it anyway. Demographics Between the 21st and 26th of July 2010 476 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 56.1% of the sample were male, 29.8% [...]

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A definite festival don’t

News - Blogs

Aug 23 |04:00

Source:

There are a tremendous amount of things that one can, or indeed should, take to a Japanese festival, such as a sense of fun, a fair bit of cash for some booze, and a camera in some form or other to fire off a few photos. But a dog, is definitely, not a decent idea.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan PM, central bank chief discuss yen

News - News

Aug 23 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa spoke by phone Monday to discuss the economic impact of a strong yen, officials said, but did not discuss possible intervention.

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Japan execution chamber opening could spark debate

News - News

Aug 23 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japanese Justice Minister Keiko Chiba's decision to allow the media a rare look at an execution chamber this month could spark public debate in a country where a hefty majority supports retaining the death penalty.

...(Read whole news on source site)

HMV Closes Flagship Store in Shibuya

News - Blogs

Aug 22 |16:00

Source:

Crowds of people gathered outside the HMV store in Shibuya the other night to watch it close its doors for the last time: The store was a local landmark that is credited with having helped popularize Shibuya-kei music: The first Japanese outlet of the U.K.-based CD chain opened in Shibuya in 1990, and was moved to its [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Porco Rosso: The Last Sortie

News - Blogs

Aug 22 |16:00

Source:

It looks like Hayao Miyazaki might be making a sequel to Porco Rosso: The next Ghibli film by a young director has a girl as the leading character, and Suzuki suggested that Miyazaki can make a film after that one as a “hobby.” Miyazaki wants to make “Porco Rosso: The Last Sortie,” his previously introduced sequel [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Naked Irish English Teacher Hit by Truck in Gunma

News - Blogs

Aug 22 |16:00

Source:

A truck driver has been arrested in Gunma prefecture for driving away after he hit and killed Alan Buckley, an English teacher from Ireland. According to the Mainichi/Kyodo reports about the incident, Buckley was apparently drunk and not wearing any clothing when he died: The police said they received a call that a man was [...]

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Japan stocks slip on yen worries

News - News

Aug 22 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japanese shares extended losses on Monday amid worries a strong yen would derail the fragile economic recovery, while the Australian dollar recovered after falling to a one-month low on inconclusive weekend elections.

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Japan's hunt for missing elderly exposes social woes

News - News

Aug 22 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

A Japanese media frenzy over missing centenarians has cast a spotlight on the isolation and loneliness potentially faced by millions of elderly as the government struggles to cope with a rapidly graying population.

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Ryusuke Japan beats PR to stay unbeaten at LLWS

News - News

Aug 22 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Ryusuke Ikeda pitched 3 2-3 innings of scoreless relief to help Tokyo, Japan, stay undefeated with a 7-2 win Sunday night over Manati, Puerto Rico, at the Little League World Series.

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Summer quarrels with your partner

News - Blogs

Aug 22 |04:00

Source:

With a longer and hotter summer than usual in Japan, tempers inevitably fray, so goo Ranking took a look at what tends to be the cause of lovers’ tiffs in summer, for both men and women. However, looking at the answers there seems to be no pattern to which side starts the argument. Demographics Over [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Fuji-Q Highland: Fat Bellies

News - Blogs

Aug 21 |16:00

Source:

One way to break into the entertainment industry in Japan: be so fat that your belly can be used in a commercial like this one for Fuji-Q Highland. — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

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Japanese Cops Arrest Iranian Drug Dealer

News - Blogs

Aug 21 |16:00

Source:

Fuji TV’s “Super News” embeds a reporter with narcotics “G-men” in Nagoya to see them take down a foreign drug dealer: During the day, Nagoya’s Central Park may seem like a nice place to take one’s kids. However, according to word of the street, at night it becomes a place where “rough-looking” Middle Easterners [...]

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Families dictate Japan's economic fate

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Though everybody saw it coming, the announcement last week that China's economy supplanted Japan's as the second largest in the world shocked many people. It matters little that China's sheer size makes its dominance inevitable. What matters is that Japan's 42-year run as the world's No. 2 is over, and if there's anything Japan takes seriously it's its position in the eyes of the world.
And the world is taking notice. Japan has become the prime example of what happens when a mature economy continues to stagnate. Scholar Alexandra Harney analyzed recent Japanese news stories in the online

magazine Slate as a means of showing Americans what they may be in for.

...(Read whole news on source site)

'Family History' of Kimimaro Ayanokoji; profile of the Glover House; CM of the week: Gin no Sara

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Bewigged comedian Kimimaro Ayanokoji made it the hard way; not on TV or even in theaters, but at sightseeing destinations where he would board tour buses and pass out cassettes of his act to middle-aged women, who tended to be the target of his humor. They loved it, and word-of-mouth eventually made him one of Japan's most popular standup acts.
This week, the first installment of NHK's four-part "Family History" (NHK-G, Mon., 10 p.m.) looks at Ayanokoji's upbringing as a means of understanding the man. He was born and raised in a rural part of Kanagawa Prefecture, where

his father carried out insemination of dray horses. Though the family was poor, poverty was not as serious a problem as it might have been owing to his father's gentle nature, developed out of his deep love for horses. It wasn't until after his father died 13 years ago that Ayanokoji learned the tragic truth of his father's own past.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Rakuten's English-only policy endures close media scrutiny

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Learn to speak English, or else!
That's the message for employees of Internet services company Rakuten, Inc. Back in May, the company announced plans to adopt English as the company's official language by 2012. That means all meetings and communications within the company would be conducted solely in English.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Uneasy neighbors across the sea

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The 1965 treaty normalizing relations between South Korea and Japan is often invoked by the Japanese government as evidence it has not neglected this shared past. It also points to the $800 million in loans and aid it provided then as a concrete gesture of contrition. Tokyo cites the 1965 agreement to fend off individual claims for reparations, arguing that the South Korean government was obliged to distribute a portion of the settlement to individuals and that further claims were waived.

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Way up North

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

If you're trying to get to Sarufutsu in a hurry, the best way is to fly into Wakkanai, a blustery little fishing town on the extreme northern tip of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, then rent a car or take the bus east. From Tokyo the whole trip takes just over three hours.
But if you are in a hurry, you probably shouldn't be headed to Sarufutsu in the first place — and if you're not watching the clock, there's a slower, better way to go.

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Indonesia intrigue, Tokyo high-tech high jinx

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

While such enduring bad guys as Nazis, KGB agents, Cosa Nostra gangsters, sinister Asiatics and the occasional vampire still receive top billing in U.S. popular fiction and cinema, the events of 9/11 have not surprisingly inspired a stream of works featuring villains of Middle Eastern and/or jihadist persuasion.
"The Malacca Conspiracy" stands out as one of the most disturbing examples yet to appear.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Forbidden romance in Saigon

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

United by wars against the United States, yet divided by the economic results and effects of those wars, Vietnam and Japan are the real subjects of Aska Mochizuki's Knopf Kodansha Prize-winning novel "Spinning Tropics."
Set in Ho Chih Minh City, the narrative concerns the complications of a woman-woman-man love affair underscored by detailed observations of Vietnamese life, politics and culture.

...(Read whole news on source site)

How to stand, individually, against your nation on the warpath?

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

A dilemma confronts each and every citizen of a country at war: what to do if you believe that your country is in the wrong?
The overwhelmingly common action is inaction. Silence protects you from most present consequences and allows you, in the future, to say, "I never said a word in favor of that war."

...(Read whole news on source site)

Korean-Japanese history in modern times

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

The following is a chronology of the key points in modern Korean-Japanese history.
1873: Japanese military and political leader Takamori Saigo calls for invasion of Korean Peninsula due to Korea's refusal to recognize the Emperor Meiji's legitimacy and its claimed insulting treatment of Japanese envoys. His political rival Toshimichi Okubo thwarted those plans, arguing that such an invasion would be premature.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Of forests and floods

News - Life in Japan

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Last week I enjoyed the sublime luxury of watching a sunrise from the middle of a lake in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine.
At 5 a.m., while friends and family slept, I strapped a kayak to the roof of the car and drove several minutes to Eagle Lake. With mist rising off the water and the sky beginning to turn steel gray, I paddled the boat out to a point where I could watch the sun rise between two of the island's low granite hills.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan's Miyazato leads LPGA Safeway Classic

News - News

Aug 21 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

There is nothing like a tight battle for the world number one ranking to help motivate Japanese star Ai Miyazato.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Skype most popular chat service in Japan

News - Blogs

Aug 21 |04:00

Source:

A recent survey from goo Research, reported on by japan.internet.com, into chat services found that more people were aware of, and used, internet telephone than instant messaging services. Demographics On the 5th of August 2010 1,069 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.7% of the sample were male, 17.0% [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan minister warns India against nuclear tests

News - News

Aug 21 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's foreign minister warned India on Saturday against conducting any new nuclear tests, saying such a move would force a halt to any civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

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Japan minister in India to discuss nuclear cooperation

News - News

Aug 21 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's foreign minister Katsuya Okada arrived in India on Saturday to push forward civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

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Creepy Japanese Water Park

News - Blogs

Aug 20 |16:00

Source:

Osaka’s Spa World Onsen/Water Park advertises itself using creepy male comedians doing creepy stuff: [hat tip to Ken Y-N of What Japan Thinks] — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

...(Read whole news on source site)

Smiling Cat

News - Blogs

Aug 20 |16:00

Source:

Here’s a cat named Tomato. Tomato can “smile” when resting: If you want to meet Tomato, just visit the Nyancy Cat Cafe near Shiki Station in Saitama prefecture. Here’s its location on Google Maps: View Larger Map — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

...(Read whole news on source site)

A Keyboard for Long-nailed Women

News - Blogs

Aug 20 |16:00

Source:

Have you got long nails (or chubby fingers)? You might want to get a keyboard like the one shown in this news report There is more space between the keys than on a regular keyboard, making it easier to type without accidentally hitting other keys. This kind of keyboard is apparently selling well, especially [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Voice of the times bridges cultures for seven decades

News - Life in Japan

Aug 20 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Most of us would probably be happy to have a handful of memories to reminisce over in our later years, episodes from our youth we could run past our friends while hoping their eyes don't glaze over. Ichiro Urushibara, a British citizen who has spent 69 years in Japan, has enough memories and amusing anecdotes to entertain people for hours and keep them coming back for more.
His employment history reads like a Wikipedia page of significant organizations and companies of postwar Japan: Civil Censorship Detachment, Time-Life International, Otani Insurance, USIS, U.S. Embassy, Foreign Reports Tokyo, Hill &

Knowlton. The page listing freelance stints is just as impressive: Nippon Shortwave Broadcasting Co., Radio Nippon, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Pioneer Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and the Lower House of the Diet.

...(Read whole news on source site)

It takes a lot of guts in Katakana Land

News - Life in Japan

Aug 20 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

One struggle in learning Japanese is getting a grip on all the various loan words that have slipped into the vernacular from abroad.
Lots of these are high-tech creations that have more or less formed a new-world pidgin. I bet "Google," for example, now communicates anywhere on earth, from the Silicon Valley to Eskimo igloos to the steamiest corner of the Amazon warehouse.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Pen mightier than samurai sword

News - Life in Japan

Aug 20 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

You've probably heard that Japanese people are shy to speak English because they are afraid of making mistakes. Every night before I go to bed, I pray that this English language phobia will spill over into English writing. As one visitor to Japan said to me, "You could spend your life correcting all the poor English on signs and menus in this country."
Why is it that the Japanese, who are so shy to speak even good English, are so bold to abuse the written language? Especially when it comes to using permanent mediums such as signboards that

broadcast errors to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. On signs and menus, no one seems to care if things are misspelled or incomprehensible. That's your problem!

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan's Miyazato leads at LPGA Safeway Classic

News - News

Aug 20 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's Ai Miyazato fired a six-under 66 for the first-round lead at the LPGA Safeway Classic at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Move the US Bases to….Korea?

News - Blogs

Aug 20 |04:00

Source:

The South Korean media has reported that President Lee Myung-bak supposedly told Barack Obama that he could count on Korea as a last resort relocation option if no US/Japan deal could be worked out over the future of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma: Citing anonymous sources, the monthly Bungeishunju reported in the September edition that Lee, [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Tranquil time out #77

News - Blogs

Aug 20 |04:00

Source:

A ponder. And a peruse. Of the petals.

...(Read whole news on source site)

One in five Japanese workers totally demotivated

News - Blogs

Aug 20 |04:00

Source:

A recent survey from iShare into relationships with one’s boss revealed some interesting facets of the worker-boss relationship in Japan. Demographics Between the 20th and 23rd of July 2010 427 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.9% of the sample were male, 30.4% in their twenties, 31.1% [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Summary Box: Japan mulls stimulus to aid recovery

News - News

Aug 20 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

HELP ON THE WAY?: Faced with meager growth and a strong yen, Japan's leaders are moving toward injecting more stimulus measures to fight a sharp slowdown in momentum.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japan considering new stimulus to revive recovery

News - News

Aug 20 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's economy may get another lifeline soon.

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Japan finance minister watching forex 'with interest'

News - News

Aug 20 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan's finance minister said Friday he was closely watching currency markets as a stubbornly strong yen threatens the country's export-led recovery from recession.

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Patriotism of 'The A-Team' more suited to Reagan era

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

There's no greater sign of the creative bankruptcy in Hollywood these days than the fact that pretty much any old TV series, no matter how stale or silly, is ripe for a remake. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a TV series from my youth that hasn't been remade.
"Charlie's Angels," "S.W.A.T.," "Starsky & Hutch," "The Dukes of Hazzard," "The Brady Bunch," "Scooby Doo," "Bewitched," "Lost In Space" . . . the list goes on and on, and good luck finding one that wasn't a big steaming pile of bad. The only thing that's amazing is

they have yet to tackle that "Moby Dick" of perpetual re-runs, "Gilligan's Island." Oh, wait: Warner Bros. has that in production. (And I'll give you even odds that Hugh Grant is cast as The Professor, 3:1 on Jay Baruchel as Gilligan, and 10:1 that it's going to suck Twizzlers.)

...(Read whole news on source site)

Films about Sen no Rikyu and wagashi could be your cup of tea

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

There's nothing sweeter than being introduced to a foreign culture than through tea and confectionary.
And screenings of films about the beverage and traditional sweets in Kyoto next week are aimed at introducing these and other aspects of Japanese culture.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Japanese Bra Makes Breasts Look Smaller

News - Blogs

Aug 19 |16:00

Source:

According to this news report, polls showed that 10% of Japanese women wanted bras that actually made their breasts look smaller, so a company has created a bra that does just that: For some women, large breasts make them feel fat. Others feel like they can’t comfortably wear certain shirts and tops. One woman [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Autopsies for Only 10% of Suspicious Deaths

News - Blogs

Aug 19 |16:00

Source:

The Yomiuri reports that a mere 10% of suspicious deaths in Japan are followed-up with autopsies: Japan’s autopsy rate is the lowest among advanced nations, compared with 100 percent in Finland and Sweden and 50 to 60 percent in Britain, the United States and Australia. Chiba University Prof. Hirotaro Iwase, director of the Japanese Society of [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

3-D Porn

News - Blogs

Aug 19 |16:00

Source:

Filmmakers in Hong Kong have hired Japanese AV idols and actors to star in the first ever 3-D pornographic film (local actors were considered “too conservative”): Taking almost twice the time to shoot than conventional films and with a higher budget, more advanced equipment and elaborate lighting, the takeup of 3-D productions has been relatively slow [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Can the Self-Defense Forces Actually Defend Japan?

News - Blogs

Aug 19 |16:00

Source:

If a foreign bomber entered Japanese airspace, would Japan shoot it down? Not necessarily, according to this hypothetical example from Beat Takeshi’s “TV Tackle”: In this example, a foreign bomber would enter Japanese airspace without announcing the purpose of its intrusion. If one were to strictly interpret the law, the Self-Defense Forces are not [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Julia Roberts in Japan

News - Blogs

Aug 19 |16:00

Source:

Julia Roberts in Tokyo to promote “Eat Pray Love”: It was apparently the first time Roberts has ever visited Japan. According to the WSJ, Julia’s failure to visit Japan had led to some rumors: In recent years, the actress’s absence from Japanese red carpets even manifested into a rumored theory that she does not like the [...]

...(Read whole news on source site)

Pearl-diving sirens return

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

The castaway on a deserted tropical isle has inspired everything from "Robinson Crusoe" to innumerable New Yorker cartoons — but it was no joke to Kazuko Higa, the young wife of an assistant plantation overseer living on the small Pacific island of Anatahan in the closing days of World War II.
About 30 Japanese soldiers landed on Anatahan after their ship, sailing from Saipan to escape the advancing Americans, was bombed and sunk. When Japan surrendered, they refused to accept defeat and scraped out a bare existence on the island.

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In search of society's true affluence

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

"When I was 40, my father died. When he died, he was working on a project for a children's campground on the island of Naoshima. When I returned from Tokyo to Okayama to lead the family company, I inherited the project. As I lived and worked with the locals, my thinking went through a 180-degree reversal. I realized that my life in Tokyo, which seemed so full, had in fact been impoverished, and everything that was meaningful was right here in the Inland Sea."
These words were spoken on Hiroshima Day by Soichiro Fukutake, billionaire president of

the Benesse Corporation and the general producer of the Setouchi International Art Festival 2010, as he opened the Setouchi International Symposium 2010, a companion event to the festival. This three-day gathering of 40 local and international speakers explored the question "What is true affluence in our society?" and considered ways to revitalize the island's communities in a sustainable and authentic way.

...(Read whole news on source site)

Mao's dancer makes great jete forward in U.S.

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

Some say that art thrives best in the face of adversity and "Mao's Last Dancer" is certainly proof of this. Based on the life and breathtaking ballet skills of Li Cunxin, who honed his art under the red flag of China's Cultural Revolution, "Mao's Last Dancer" could be a lesson in perseverance and keeping the flame alive, whatever the circumstances. In fact, seen in a certain light it has the tone and patina of a communist youth handbook; an intriguing facet of a film that was tailor-made in Hollywood.
Directed by Bruce Beresford ("Driving Miss Daisy" "Black Robe"),

"Mao's" zigzags from Li's childhood in a village in rural Shangdong Province in the early 1970s, to his exchange student days in Texas where he pirouetted his way to success under the tutelage of Houston Ballet Company director Ben Stevenson (Bruce Greenwood). The rags-to-riches process is rather over the top, but perhaps Beresford hoped that the depictions of political oppression and the scene of a near-kidnapping of Li (it's a classic Cold War moment) by communist officials trying to drag him back to the other side of the Bamboo Curtain, would have enough impact to obliterate the cliches. While that's...(Read whole news on source site)

Tales of Ueda Akinari and his contemporaries

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

With the advent of postmodernism in Japan from the 1980s, which fostered eclecticism and diverse stylistic practices, interest in the earlier Edo Period (1603-1868) was revived and it subsequently was embraced as a kindred spirit.
Kyoto National Museum's "Ueda Akinari 200th Memorial Retrospective," until Aug. 29, pursues the diversity of the Edo Period's cultural and intellectual life through the remembrance of the author of "Ugetsu Monogatari" ("Tales of Moonlight and Rain"), a popular collection of supernatural tales.

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Kanagawa taverns with brews of note

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

When we find ourselves thirsty in Yokohama, we know exactly where to head. Our latest favorite watering hole in the city is Pivoya, a small pub that specializes exclusively in beer from the Czech Republic. It's in a quiet, out-of-the-way locale but definitely worth tracking down.
The master of the house, Ryosuke Yonehara, first discovered central Europe, its drinking culture and outstanding lagers in the early 1990s. It was love at first sip. A few years ago he finally cut loose from his company job and set up shop in this simple, intimate pub in the Tennocho district.

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Workshop brings out your inner Buddha

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

A Tokyo-based artist is re-creating a modern-day version of the famed 1,000 Kannon Bodhisattva statues in the Sanjusangendo Hall of Kyoto's Rengehoin Temple — and you can be part of the process.
The artist, who goes by the name of Tetta, is holding an experiential workshop at Akibatamabi 21, an exhibition space for Tama Art University graduates. Anyone who comes can get a Buddha makeover.

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Detoxify amid views of Tokyo Bay

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

The Conrad Tokyo hotel has a new accommodation plan. Conrad Fasting — Reset Yourself, created under the direction of skin care professionals, that comes with a program to cleanse the body with a special diet.
In the two-night stay package, five specially prepared macrobiotic meals are provided. The dinner on both nights will be room service of sweet vegetable soup. The second day's breakfast is fresh organic fruit juice, followed by green vegetable juice for lunch. The program finishes on the morning of the third day with a recovery meal: boiled vegetables and rice porridge.

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Teenage jerk daringly painted in both light and dark shades

News - Life in Japan

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

One of the iron rules for Hollywood scriptwriters is that the audience must root for the hero. Character flaws and bad behavior are permitted, but, in the final analysis, the hero should not be a jerk.
The teenage hero of Keiichi Honda's new anime, "Colorful," comes about as close I've ever seen to violating this axiom. For much of the film he behaves abominably with less reason than usual for a chip-on-his-shoulder adolescent.

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Japan stimulus plan to focus on green tech: report

News - News

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan is planning subsidies to boost corporate investment in factories making environment-friendly products, in a fresh economic stimulus package expected next month, a report said Friday.

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In Japan, bystander CPR often not so helpful

News - News

Aug 19 |16:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

A nationwide study from Japan shows chest compressions did little to help people who'd collapsed but didn't have underlying heart disease, such as those who had drowned or suffocated.

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Two in five Japanese have heard of PayPal

News - Blogs

Aug 19 |04:00

Source:

Around two in five of the online population questioned here to be precise have heard of it, although usage of PayPal is still very low according to this survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com. Demographics Between the 28th of July and the 1st of Augut 2010 1,079 members of the goo Research [...]

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Practicing English With Nicolas Cage

News - Blogs

Aug 19 |04:00

Source:

Nicolas Cage’s promotional tour for “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” had him appear briefly on last night’s episode of “Za! Sekai Gyoten News,” where he got to speak English with the other guests: — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

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Japan, US plan naval drill near disputed islets: report

News - News

Aug 19 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japan and the United States are planning a joint naval exercise in southwestern Japanese waters later this year near islets disputed with China and Taiwan, a media report said on Thursday

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Japan shares up, yen holds steady on easing talk

News - News

Aug 19 |04:00

Source: Yahoo! News Search Results for japan

Japanese shares rose on Thursday, outperforming the rest of Asia, and the dollar held steady on a report that the Bank of Japan was considering new monetary easing measures to weaken the yen's export-sapping rise.

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Problems getting off the ground

News - Life in Japan

Aug 18 |16:00

Source: JT Online logo

In this age of perpetual "War on Terror," we have gotten somewhat accustomed to "disrobing" ourselves at airports. Taking off our watches, necklaces, belts or sometimes even shoes, has become routine when we go through security gates.
But how would you feel if you were taken aside and questioned or even denied entry into an aircraft, on grounds that your leg or lungs could pose a security threat?

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Miss Universe Japan 2010 Maiko Itai

News - Blogs

Aug 18 |16:00

Source:

Miss Universe Japan 2010 Maiko Itai poses in her “national costume”: The costume is a big more modest than the one used in the 2009 competition, which some Japanese called a “national disgrace” because of its trashy underwear-flashing design: The winner of this year’s competition will be announced on August 23th. Which Japan costume do you prefer? 2009 [Pink [...]

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Hyper Speed Finger Snapping

News - Blogs

Aug 18 |16:00

Source:

Asahi TV’s “Nanikore” finds Daisuke Ebihara, a guy who can snap his fingers 12 times in a single second (6 snaps per hand): — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

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