Sunday, February 5, 1:51 (JST)
Search goes on for thousands of Japan's tsunami missing
Leaden winter skies lour on a coastguard boat as it cuts its way through the seas off Japan's tsunami-wrecked shores.
Leaden winter skies lour on a coastguard boat as it cuts its way through the seas off Japan's tsunami-wrecked shores.
Somewhere under these unforgiving grey waters lie hundreds, perhaps thousands of bodies; the unfound, unclaimed dead of one of the country's worst ever disasters.
Even though the hunt on these sullen seas goes on every day, Yoshifumi Suzuki says none of his coastguard colleagues has seen a single corpse since the partial remains of a man were untangled from a fishing net in November.
But they are not prepared to give up.
"If we don't do this, nobody will," Suzuki said.
"We want to continue the search until we find the very last one. I want to return people to their families not because it is my official duty, but because it is my duty as a human being."
"The (missing) person is in the mind of his or her family but they still want proof that the person lived in this world. I think it's hard for them to accept the reality" without a body, he said. (AFP)
A winter's tale: cold homes, poor lives in wealthy Japan
Question: What am I doing outside my home at 6 a.m. with a gas can, a pump, and stalactites under my nose?
Question: What am I doing outside my home at 6 a.m. with a gas can, a pump, and stalactites under my nose?
Answer: I'm swearing.
I know, this is only half the answer, but at zero degrees Celsius my brain has the tendency to freeze up. Give me a minute to thaw out and I'll elaborate later . . .
According to some people, Japan is already living in the future. I beg to differ. While Japan is a technological giant and our rabbit-hutch houses are bursting with the latest electronic gadgets, the quality of life in this country could be much better if we enjoyed the same basic services people take for granted in the West. Even in Italy - where I come from - the seemingly never-ending recession rarely prevents many people from enjoying rather high living standards. After all, the average Italian lives in a well-built house, with plenty of space to stretch out and relax, and plenty of free time to actually enjoy it.
Japan, on the other hand, may still be the world's No. 3 economic power, but all too often its people seem to lead relatively poor lives, spending their whole day stressing out on the job, getting drunk afterwards, then going back to houses so small that the washing machine has to sit on the balcony or outside the front door. (Japan Times)
Flu hits 'alarm level' for 1st time this winter 
Influenza reached the "alarm level" for the first time this season after an estimated 1.73 million flu cases were reported last week, an increase of more than 50 percent from the previous week, the health ministry said Friday.
According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, about 5,000 medical institutions throughout the country reported an average of 35.95 flu cases in the week starting Jan. 23, exceeding the alarm level of 30, ministry officials said.
The average has surged from 22.73 new flu cases per institution, which was the "alert level," the previous week. It also eclipsed last year's peak of 31.88. (Yomiuri 
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Influenza reached the "alarm level" for the first time this season after an estimated 1.73 million flu cases were reported last week, an increase of more than 50 percent from the previous week, the health ministry said Friday.
According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, about 5,000 medical institutions throughout the country reported an average of 35.95 flu cases in the week starting Jan. 23, exceeding the alarm level of 30, ministry officials said.
The average has surged from 22.73 new flu cases per institution, which was the "alert level," the previous week. It also eclipsed last year's peak of 31.88. (Yomiuri ) More leaks found at crippled Japan nuclear plant 
Leaks of radioactive water have become more frequent at Japan's crippled nuclear power plant less than two months after it was declared basically stable.
The problem underlines the continuing challenges facing Tokyo Electric Power Co. as it attempts to keep the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant under control. A massive earthquake and tsunami badly damaged the plant last March, resulting in the melting of three reactor cores.
Workers spotted a leak Friday at a water reprocessing unit which released enough beta rays to cause radiation sickness, TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto said. He said no one was injured and the leak stopped after bolts were tightened on a tank. (AP )
Leaks of radioactive water have become more frequent at Japan's crippled nuclear power plant less than two months after it was declared basically stable.
The problem underlines the continuing challenges facing Tokyo Electric Power Co. as it attempts to keep the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant under control. A massive earthquake and tsunami badly damaged the plant last March, resulting in the melting of three reactor cores.
Workers spotted a leak Friday at a water reprocessing unit which released enough beta rays to cause radiation sickness, TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto said. He said no one was injured and the leak stopped after bolts were tightened on a tank. (AP ) 1.3 mil. will have nowhere to go in major Tokyo quake 
At least 1.3 million people in the Tokyo metropolitan area will likely have no place to take temporary refuge if the area is directly hit by a strong earthquake, according to projections by local governments concerned.
There will only be space to accommodate 270,000 people, or more than 10 percent of the Tokyo residents whose houses are expected to be damaged in a major quake that has its epicenter in central Tokyo, the projections show.
Combined with those who will be unable to return home due to the suspension of public transportation, local governments concerned will have to secure additional shelters for more than 1.3 million people. (Yomiuri )
At least 1.3 million people in the Tokyo metropolitan area will likely have no place to take temporary refuge if the area is directly hit by a strong earthquake, according to projections by local governments concerned.
There will only be space to accommodate 270,000 people, or more than 10 percent of the Tokyo residents whose houses are expected to be damaged in a major quake that has its epicenter in central Tokyo, the projections show.
Combined with those who will be unable to return home due to the suspension of public transportation, local governments concerned will have to secure additional shelters for more than 1.3 million people. (Yomiuri ) Record lows recorded at 38 locations 
The nation experienced severe cold weather Friday with temperatures dropping to record lows at 38 locations in the morning, the Meteorological Agency said.
From Tohoku to Kyushu, temperatures hit their lowest records in 16 prefectures, including the town of Kusu in Oita Prefecture, where temperature fell to minus 14.7 degrees. In Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, it was minus 8.4.
Of 927 observation points, over 90 percent, or 874 sites, marked temperatures below zero early Friday, the agency said. The lowest figure observed was minus 32.6 in Esashi, Hokkaido.
The agency said the cold air mass that led to blizzards in several Sea of Japan coastal areas has now passed over the archipelago. (Japan Times )
The nation experienced severe cold weather Friday with temperatures dropping to record lows at 38 locations in the morning, the Meteorological Agency said.
From Tohoku to Kyushu, temperatures hit their lowest records in 16 prefectures, including the town of Kusu in Oita Prefecture, where temperature fell to minus 14.7 degrees. In Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, it was minus 8.4.
Of 927 observation points, over 90 percent, or 874 sites, marked temperatures below zero early Friday, the agency said. The lowest figure observed was minus 32.6 in Esashi, Hokkaido.
The agency said the cold air mass that led to blizzards in several Sea of Japan coastal areas has now passed over the archipelago. (Japan Times ) Panasonic projects record annual net loss 
Panasonic on Friday nearly doubled its projected net loss for the fiscal year to a record 780 billion yen ($10.2 billion) amid weak TV and mobile phone sales and ongoing restructuring costs after acquiring smaller Sanyo Electronics Co.
Panasonic joins Sony and Sharp as the latest major Japanese electronics maker to predict huge losses for the year through March. That reflects the battering these brand name companies have taken from the yen's surge, a weak global economy, last year's tsunami disaster as well as flooding in Thailand, which disrupted supply networks.
For the October-December quarter, Panasonic reported a net loss of 197.6 billion yen ($2.6 billion). A year earlier, it had a net profit of 40 billion yen for the same quarter. (AP )
Panasonic on Friday nearly doubled its projected net loss for the fiscal year to a record 780 billion yen ($10.2 billion) amid weak TV and mobile phone sales and ongoing restructuring costs after acquiring smaller Sanyo Electronics Co.
Panasonic joins Sony and Sharp as the latest major Japanese electronics maker to predict huge losses for the year through March. That reflects the battering these brand name companies have taken from the yen's surge, a weak global economy, last year's tsunami disaster as well as flooding in Thailand, which disrupted supply networks.
For the October-December quarter, Panasonic reported a net loss of 197.6 billion yen ($2.6 billion). A year earlier, it had a net profit of 40 billion yen for the same quarter. (AP ) Woman sentenced to 4 1/2 years for breaking babies' legs 
A Tochigi court on Wednesday sentenced a 30-year-old woman to 4 1/2 years in prison after she was found guilty of breaking the legs of four babies. The sentence was handed down at the Ashikaga branch of the Utsunomiya District Court.
The court heard that Yuko Saotome approached mothers in children's goods stores and other public places, asking to hold their children and then surreptitiously broke their legs, NTV reported. According to police, the incidents took place between April and May 2010.
The court said that Saotome could not be excused of her crimes on the grounds of temporary insanity. The judge went on to describe her actions as "despicable" and added that the crimes were motivated by jealousy at seeing happy mothers. (Japan Today )
A Tochigi court on Wednesday sentenced a 30-year-old woman to 4 1/2 years in prison after she was found guilty of breaking the legs of four babies. The sentence was handed down at the Ashikaga branch of the Utsunomiya District Court.
The court heard that Yuko Saotome approached mothers in children's goods stores and other public places, asking to hold their children and then surreptitiously broke their legs, NTV reported. According to police, the incidents took place between April and May 2010.
The court said that Saotome could not be excused of her crimes on the grounds of temporary insanity. The judge went on to describe her actions as "despicable" and added that the crimes were motivated by jealousy at seeing happy mothers. (Japan Today )| Feb 04 | Panasonic joins ailing Japan giants |
 Japan's Panasonic Corp warned of a record annual $US10.2 billion net loss, joining beleaguered rivals Sony and Sharp in a sea of red ink as they struggle to fix their broken TV businesses and show they have not lost their way.
Panasonic's forecast loss of 780 billion yen ($US10.2 billion) for the year to March dwarfed expectations, and is almost all due to restructuring charges and writedowns for its Sanyo Electric unit.
Sony on Thursday pressed its reset button after warning of a bigger-than-expected annual loss, announcing that Kazuo Hirai will take over from Stringer as CEO in April, triggering an 8 per cent jump in its share price on Friday, its biggest one-day per centage gain in almost a year.
(Sydney Morning Herald ) |
| Feb 04 | NHK to sell relay stations to Softbank |
| NHK is in talks to sell some 1,050 analog broadcasting relay stations it no longer uses to Softbank Mobile Corp., sources said. The mobile phone service provider will use the stations - rendered obsolete by the nationwide switch to digital broadcasting last July - mostly as cell towers in mountainous areas because of complaints about reception in rural areas, the sources said Thursday. By improving its network, the carrier hopes to gain an advantage in the competition for radio bands for next-generation, high-speed data communications that might be allocated by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry later this month, they added. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Hitachi to reorganize business structure |
| Hitachi Ltd said on Friday it would reorganize its operational structure in April by setting up five new groups as the Japanese conglomerate continues to overhaul its sprawling operations to boost profitability. The nation's biggest industrial electronics company has been revamping its empire of some 900 firms after it reported one of the biggest losses in Japanese corporate history only three years ago under the weight of a high-cost structure and lack of operational focus. Hitachi bounced back from those losses and has been a rare bright spot among its peers during the current earnings season, with its shares jumping more than 7 percent on Friday after it maintained its full-year profit outlook, in contrast to other electronics makers that have forecast massive annual losses. (Reuters) |
| Feb 03 | Court rules on using stars' images |
 The Supreme Court on Thursday handed down the nation's first ruling on publicity rights, saying celebrities' names and photos are protected under publicity rights, but rejecting a compensation demand by the plaintiffs in the case, singing duo Pink Lady.
Presiding Justice Ryuko Sakurai said in the ruling: "Celebrities' names and images can help sales by attracting potential customers. They are protected under publicity rights."
By clarifying the status of publicity rights and providing a guideline on what constitutes a violation, the ruling will likely be seen as a wake-up call on using celebrities' names or images in publications and on the Internet without permission.
Pink Lady had demanded that Kobunsha Co. pay them compensation of 3.72 million yen, saying the use of their photos without their agreement in a magazine published by the company infringed on their publicity rights. (Yomiuri ) |
| Feb 02 | Sony more than doubles net loss forecast |
 Japanese entertainment giant Sony more than doubled its full-year net loss forecast to $2.9 billion, a day after announcing that its president and CEO Howard Stringer would step aside.
The firm on Thursday said it was expecting a net loss of 220 billion yen ($2.9 billion) for the year to March, up from 90 billion yen previously, in what will be its fourth consecutive year of losses.
Last year the Tokyo-based maker of PlayStation consoles and Bravia televisions lost 259.6 billion yen.
Sony also announced a net loss of 201.45 billion yen for the nine months to December, having made a profit of 129.22 billion yen in the corresponding period in 2010. (AFP ) |
| Feb 04 | If Japan is our worst-case scenario, we're all right |
| In 1991, former MIT dean Lester Thurow wrote that "If one looks at the last 20 years, Japan would have to be considered the betting favorite to win the economy honors of owning the 21st century." He wasn't alone. The standard view of the 1980s held that Japan's sway over the world economy was unbreakable. Its economy grew faster. Its corporations were more efficient. Its workers more productive. In 1988, former Reagan official Clyde Prestowitz warned: "The American century is over. The big development in the latter part of the century is the emergence of Japan as a major superpower." Such comments are now ridiculed relentlessly by analysts and commentators, including myself. Japan, after all, did not boom. Far from overtaking the United States, its economic growth stagnated for two decades, its stock and housing markets collapsed, and its government entombed itself in debt. Twenty years ago, Japan was synonymous with the phrase "juggernaut." Today, it's often seen next to the phrase "lost decade." America should take notice, we hear these days. If we don't get our act together, we could be in for a lost decade or two just like Japan. (Motley Fool) |
| Feb 04 | Detroit automakers say 'no' to Japan joining trade talks |
| Detroit automakers are urging President Barack Obama to reject Japan's bid to join talks on a regional free trade agreement, the head of an automotive group representing GM, Ford and Chrysler said on Thursday. "Adding Japan to the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations will lengthen those negotiations ... by years and perhaps keep them from ever coming to fruition," Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, told Reuters. While Detroit automakers support Obama's goal of creating a free trade pact in the Asia Pacific, they do not believe U.S. negotiators can dismantle "non-tariff" measures Japan has long used to keep U.S. autos out of its market, said Blunt, a former Republican governor of Missouri whose father is a U.S. senator. (Reuters) |
| Feb 04 | As red ink flows, Japanese firms struggle to keep manufacturing at home |
| Following the report of Japan's first annual trade deficit in more than 30 years, the country's major manufacturers have been delivering earnings results soaked in red ink. The factories that once powered the economy by churning out world-beating electronics, cars, and machinery are either being relocated overseas or losing out to Asian rivals. Japan will now have to come to terms with a new post-industrial economy that will see it increasingly rely on income from overseas investments. Japan recorded a trade deficit of nearly 2.5 trillion yen ($32 billion) in 2011 as a storm literally battered its industries. The March tsunami destroyed factories, ports, and infrastructure, disrupting supply chains across the country and the globe. (csmonitor.com) |
| Feb 04 | Japan must be ready to expand stimulus: IMF official |
 The Bank of Japan (BOJ) should be ready to expand monetary stimulus and intervention is an option if the yen moves excessively, an IMF official said in Tokyo.
"Intervention could be an option," if yen moves are too large, Naoyuki Shinohara, a deputy managing director, said yesterday. "Japan's economy has many downside risks, so depending on the circumstances, the BOJ should always be ready to expand quantitative easing."
The central bank kept its asset-buying fund at ￥20 trillion (US$260 billion) and its credit-lending program at ￥35 trillion on Jan. 24 while cutting its forecast for the nation's growth. A yen near post World War II highs against the US dollar is eroding exporters' profits just as faltering global growth undermines demand, with Panasonic Corp yesterday forecasting a record loss for the 12 months ending March. (Taipei Times ) |
| Feb 03 | Japan Inc. suppliers cut jobs as yen batters tv, chip profit |
| Japan Inc. is suffering and the supply chain is bearing the cost. Sumco Corp., a supplier to Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp., said yesterday it will cut 1,300 jobs. Auto windshield maker Nippon Sheet Glass Co., which sells to Mazda Motor Corp., said it will cut 3,500 jobs. They join NEC Corp., a Japanese maker of telecom equipment and components, which said last month it would eliminate 10,000 positions. The yen's 7 percent surge against the dollar in the past 12 months has widened losses at Panasonic Corp. Sony, Mazda and Sharp Corp., which plans to halve TV production at its biggest factory to reduce inventory. Manufacturers have been forced to both relocate production outside of Japan and to press their suppliers for cost cuts. (BusinessWeek) |
| Feb 03 | Japan stocks fall on profit taking, strong yen |
| Japanese shares dropped Friday as investors sold stocks to lock in profits after recent gains and as market sentiment was hurt by the yen's rise against the euro. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 44.89 points, or 0.51 per cent, to close at 8,831.93. The broader Topix index was down 1.76 points, or 0.23 per cent, at 760.69. For the week, the Nikkei was down 0.11 per cent while the Topix inched down 0.1 per cent. Investors were also cautious ahead of the release of US employment data later in the day. (monstersandcritics.com) |
| Feb 02 | Tokyo stocks close up 0.76% |
| Tokyo stocks have closed up 0.76 per cent as hopes for the global economy offset heavy sell-offs in individual companies including Sharp, which sank to its lowest level in more than three decades. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 67.03 points to 8,876.82 on Thursday and the Topix index of all first-section issues rose 0.59 per cent, or 4.49 points, to 762.45. The bourse halted trade in 241 issues for the whole morning due to a technical glitch. The suspension was lifted when the afternoon session started and its impact on overall market volatility was minimal, brokers said. (tradingroom.com.au) |
| Feb 02 | Trading suspended in 241 issues in Tokyo on glitch |
| The Tokyo Stock Exchange says it has suspended trading in 241 securities, including Sony Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., due to a glitch in its electronic trading system. The problem was not affecting other issues on the exchange, which handles nearly 2,500 stocks and other financial instruments, exchange officials said. The Nikkei 225 index was up 68.73 points, or 0.8 percent, at 8,878.47 in midmorning trading. Stock exchange officials said they discovered the problem before trading opened at 9 a.m. and technical staff are working to correct it. (AP) |
| Feb 01 | Japanese Stocks Advance After ANA Raises Forecast, Shipping Lines Surge |
| Japanese shares advanced, with the Topix (TPX) Index snapping a four-day loss, after All Nippon Airways (9202) Co. raised its operating profit forecast and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. led shipping companies higher. All Nippon Airways, Asia's largest listed carrier by sales, jumped 6.8 percent. Mitsui O.S.K. led a rebound among cargo lines after Jefferies Group Inc. boosted its target price. Unicharm Corp. (8113) rose 2.1 percent after a report the diaper maker will double its production capacity in India. "Earnings aren't looking that bad," said Hisakazu Amano, who helps oversee the equivalent of $29 billion at T&D Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. "Investors aren't buying across the board, but they're picking companies that have specific strengths and that's buoying the market." (Bloomberg) |
| Jan 27 | Tokyo stocks close flat |
| Tokyo stocks have closed flat as investors cautiously looked to a European Union leaders meeting next week. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange edged down 0.09 per cent or 8.25 points to 8841.22 on Friday. The Topix index of all first-section issues lost 0.46 per cent or 3.48 points to 761.13. Shares stayed rangebound following declines in US stocks on Thursday on data including weaker-than-expected December home sales. Dealers said investors stepped aside as they looked to the EU summit meeting on Monday. (ninemsn.com.au) |
| Feb 04 | U.S. fighter said flew low over school |
| A U.S. F/A-18 fighter jet flew over an elementary school in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture, at a dangerous and illegally low altitude in December, the Japanese Communist Party's local chapter said. According to an investigation by the party's Hiroshima prefectural committee, the aircraft flew over the school at an altitude of about 200 meters around 1:20 p.m. Dec. 20, in violation of the Aviation Law, which sets the minimum level at 300 meters. The committee said it has asked the Hiroshima Prefectural Government to urge the U.S. military to stop low-altitude flights, adding the flyby also violated a Japan-U.S. agreement that calls on American forces to show consideration over flight training around schools and hospitals. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Japan's parliament approves fourth extra budget to fund disaster relief projects |
| Japan's parliament has approved a 2.5 trillion yen ($32.9 billion) extra budget bill, the fourth one to fund reconstruction projects after last year's disasters and support the nation's economy. The lower house on Friday approved the supplementary budget for the fiscal year ending March 31. The bill will be further debated in the upper chamber but will eventually become law due to the lower house's superiority. The budget includes 740 billion yen ($9.7 billion) to help small businesses hit by last March's earthquake and tsunami obtain loan guarantees to rebuild. The budget also earmarks 300 billion yen ($3.9 billion) to finance green vehicle promotion programs. (Washington Post) |
| Feb 03 | Manabe denies intent to break law |
| Ro Manabe, the Defense Ministry's Okinawa bureau chief, strongly denied Friday that he intended to break the law by urging ministry officials and their relatives to vote in the Ginowan mayoral election, or that he advised them to vote for a specific candidate, but also admitted his actions could be judged unlawful. Manabe, summoned for unsworn testimony in the Diet, has been blasted by the opposition for allegedly trying to influence the Feb. 12 mayoral race. The opposition camp is charging that Manabe suggested during two internal lectures last week that participants vote for the candidate who is relatively more in line with the government's contentious plan to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to Nago, also in Okinawa. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Genba meets AKB48 China envoys |
 Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba met with members of all-girl idol group AKB48 on Thursday and thanked them for taking part in a campaign to attract Chinese tourists and dispel harmful rumors about the safety of Japanese food products.
The "Vibrant Japan" campaign will start Feb. 16 in Beijing, before moving on to Shanghai toward the end of the month and Hong Kong in late March.
During his meeting with three of AKB48's members - Tomomi Itano, Rie Kitahara and Yui Yokoyama - Genba, a Fukushima native, expressed his gratitude for the group's support of disaster-hit areas in the northeast and said he hoped its participation in the campaign will help deepen ties with China. (Japan Times ) |
| Feb 03 | Ministry seeks again to set smoking rate target |
 A health ministry panel has approved a draft plan seeking to decrease the smoking rate to 12.2 percent by fiscal 2022, facilitating the ministry's long-hampered wish to officially set a target figure, it has been learned.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has sought several times since 1999 to set a target figure for cutting the smoking rate. However, it was foiled each time by stiff opposition from the tobacco industry and related ministries and agencies.
The ministry's latest plan for decreasing the smoking rate by nearly 40 percent to 12.2 percent or less by fiscal 2022 was presented Wednesday at a meeting of the panel for discussing cancer prevention measures. (Yomiuri ) |
| Feb 04 | Japanese city takes on its gangsters |
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| Feb 04 | Cellphone taps resulted in 22 arrests last year |
| Police wiretapped mobile phones in 10 investigations last year and the eavesdropping led to the arrest of 22 people, a Justice Ministry report to the Diet showed Friday. The 10 investigations involved narcotics trafficking, underworld-conspired murder and gun possession, three of the four areas in which courts issue wiretapping warrants. All 22 arrests involved drug-trafficking cases, according to the report. The police obtained warrants for each instance of cellphone-tapping, allowing them to listen to conversations and read text messages. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Manabu Miyazaki among those opposing anti-yakuza legislation |
| On October 5, the National Police Agency announced a revision to the Anti-Organized Crime Law to be submitted to the ordinary session of the Diet. The initiative follows anti-gang ordinances adopted by all prefectures and administrative divisions last October. In spite of attempting to reduce criminal activities, the moves are not without their critics, reports Nikkan Gendai (Jan. 28). At a January 24 meeting broadcast on video sharing site Niko Niko Douga (see link below), a panel of writers and journalists, including Makoto Sataka, Manabu Miyazaki, Soichiro Tahara, and Takashi Tsujii, voiced displeasure with the measures, which are intended to discourage ordinary citizens from fostering the activities of yakuza groups. Since its institution in October, the prefectural legislation has been called "overkill," with critics calling it a violation of basic human rights. (Tokyo Reporter) |
| Feb 03 | Japanese archaeologists find pottery with ogre's face |
| A team of Japanese archaeologists has found a piece of pottery painted with the face of ogre which dates back to the 12th century in Nara Prefecture in western Japan. The earthenware was excavated from a well built in the early 12th century at Shindo Remains in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture, where once Japan's capital was located, Japan's Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK) public broadcaster reported Friday. The excavation team said that the pottery is round shape with about 10 centimeters in diameter, noting that a face of ogre was drawn on its surface in ink. In particular, the team stressed, bold lines are clearly shown for his eyes, eyebrows and tusks from his mouth, making the face quite humorous and impressive. (People's Daily) |
| Feb 03 | Retired police chief, 74, arrested after paying two 16-year-old girls for sex |
| A 74-year-old retired police chief has been arrested on suspicion of paying two 16-year-old girls for sex in Sapporo, a Hokkaido police spokesman said Thursday. Keiji Kato, who retired 15 years ago from the Hokkaido force, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly paying ¥6,000 each to the two high school girls to engage in sexual acts simultaneously in a Sapporo hotel Nov. 19 in violation of the law banning child prostitution, the spokesman said. Kato, who lives in Sapporo, also allegedly paid one of the two girls for sex at another hotel in the city on Dec. 3, the spokesman said. The police quoted Kato as saying, "I didn't know they were minors." (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Basketball: Fan dribbles 370 km for tsunami-hit kids |
| Moved by the plight of children in Japan's tsunami-hit north, one diehard sports fan did something a bit different to help -- dribble a basketball 370 km (231 miles), through rain and snow, to bring sports back to damaged schools. A long-time basketball fan, Hiroshi Moriaka set out from the heart of Tokyo in mid-January to raise enough money to buy 100 basketballs for children in the northern Tohoku region, a vast swathe of which was devastated by the March 11, 2011 disaster and the ensuing nuclear crisis. Wearing long tights and basketball shorts, a thick cap pulled down over his ears, Moriaka dribbled the basketball from hand to hand as he walked, dodging puddles and, in some places, weaving a narrow path along snow-lined sidewalks. (Reuters) |
| Feb 03 | Baseball: Axed Giants general manager Kiyotake, Yomiuri face off in court |
| Both sides stood fast at their first court session Thursday as former Yomiuri Giants general manager Hidetoshi Kiyotake maintained his firing was illegal while the Yomiuri group countered that his public criticism of the team's chairman was defamatory. The Tokyo District Court litigation combines Kiyotake's suit and Yomiuri's countersuit. Kiyotake, who claims he was unfairly dismissed and discredited, has demanded that the baseball club, its chairman, Tsuneo Watanabe, and the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper group pay ¥62 million in damages and run an apology in the paper. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 02 | Sumo: Shamed Japan Sumo Association chairman back in post |
The discredited ex-chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, who stepped down in 2008 amid a drug-abuse scandal, is back in his job.
Former yokozuna -- grand champion -- Kitanoumi was elected by the board to return as chairman, tasked with increasing transparency in the embattled martial art.
Sumo's image has been seriously tarnished in recent years due in part to the death of a teenage apprentice after a violent training session.
Its credibility took a nose-dive in 2010 and 2011 as long-simmering allegations of bout-fixing bubbled over when evidence emerged as police probed another scandal involving wrestlers placing illegal baseball bets. (AFP) |
| Jan 29 | Soccer: Japan draw 0-0 with Qatar in practice match ahead of Olympic q'fier |
| Japan's Under-23s continued their preparations for their upcoming London Olympic qualifier with Syria with a 0-0 draw against Qatar in a practice match at their camp in Doha on Saturday. Kashima Antlers duo Yuya Osako and Kazuya Yamamura both started and Cerezo Osaka's Hiroshi Kiyotake came on as a substitute as all 21 of Takashi Sekizuka's squad were given a run out in the match played behind closed doors in the Qatari capital. (Mainichi) |
| Jan 27 | Horse racing: Hokkaido racehorse breeders bet on China |
 Business has been lean over the years for many of the horse breeders in Hokkaido, Japan's leading region for producing thoroughbreds, as the popularity of racing declines.
But breeders now see a ray of hope in China, where an increasing number of wealthy people are aspiring to own their own racehorses and thus acquire a new status symbol.
"The Chinese public is showing growing interest in racehorses," said Han Guocai, vice chairman of the China Horse Industry Association, who was on a visit to a horse ranch in the Hokkaido town of Shinhidaka in December.
"Gambling on horse races is banned in China, but that ban could be lifted in the future," he added while taking a close look at the sinewy bodies of some thoroughbreds. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Stocking up on useless facts to pass an exam |
| I have been studying academic juku (for-profit supplementary schooling) for many years and have visited over 50 individually operated juku throughout Japan. I have been thrilled by the dedication of charismatic educators, and dismayed by the relentless focus on standardized test results and by the lack of a diversity of offerings beyond the narrow confines of the curriculum in an era of hypereducation. In January, thousands of students in Japan sat for the central university entrance examination (center shiken or center test). For ambitious students, the exam is merely a requirement to check off on their way to the entrance examinations for specific fields of study that follow later. For others, the exam is a convenient way to avoid multiple examinations. The exam is one of the ultimate goals that supplementary education through primary and secondary schooling focuses on. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 02 | Govt to create new child care program in '15 |
| The government has agreed on a final draft plan for a new preschool child care program designed to combine kindergartens with day care centers. The scheme is designed to reduce the number of children on day care center waiting lists, and the target year for its introduction is fiscal 2015. The government will cover the projected cost of the new program by allocating more than 1 trillion yen in the fiscal 2015 budget to its implementation. It intends to cover about 700 billion yen with revenue expected to be earned through an increase of the consumption tax rate. The hike is part of a government plan to reform the social security and tax systems. (Yomiuri) |
| Feb 01 | Japan jobs treadmill grinds down workers and firms |
| Third year university student Saki Fujii flips through a meticulously kept diary of her six-month job hunt and eyes the busy week of interviews ahead -- another step on the treadmill for one of Japan's would-be workers. The 22-year-old knows her best hope of finding a full-time position is by doing exactly the same thing as those before her, in an unending round of interviews, job seminars and employment fairs. "I don't think it's necessarily a good thing that everyone takes part in the job hunt," she says. "With so many students looking to be recruited at the same time, we can't really expect to be employed at the company we want to work at." She is following in the footsteps of generations before her -- but a few corporate exceptions are now beginning to offer a different path. Like most of her fellow students at the prestigious Waseda University, Fujii's school life was one long slog of exam cramming. (mysinchew.com) |
| Jan 31 | Foreigners' poor test grades force rethink on nurse tests |
| Non-Japanese applicants hoping to become certified nurses could see the government's notoriously rigorous exams get easier with the inclusion of English-language tests and a new set of communication exams based on basic Japanese. Non-Japanese hoping to become care workers took the certification test for the first time Sunday, while those aspiring to become certified nurses have been applying for the exam since fiscal 2008. But the low pass rate is prompting the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry to consider changing the system. (Japan Times) |
| Jan 29 | Students: English useful, but not for me |
| Seventy percent of middle school students think English ability would be useful for obtaining a job in the future, but only 11 percent want to get a job that requires English, according to an education ministry institute survey. The survey, conducted by the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry's National Institute for Educational Policy Research in November, covered 3,225 third-year middle school students nationwide. Eighty-five percent said they think, "It is important to study English" or "It is rather important." (Yomiuri) |
| Feb 04 | Dolphins take up residence in Japan bay |
 Wildlife experts in Japan say Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins appear to have taken up permanent residence in Kagoshima Bay on the south coast of Kyushu.
Experts at Kagoshima City Aquarium said several years of field studies have confirmed two schools of some 50 dolphins are residing in the bay, Kyodo News reported.
There are young dolphins in both schools, meaning the animals are probably reproducing in the bay off Japan's southernmost island, they said.
(UPI ) |
| Feb 04 | Scientists say contamination of ocean fish minimal so far |
| The massive radioactive fallout from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has sparked fear in seafood lovers and commercial fishermen both at home and abroad, and some worry the contamination could pass through and even become more concentrated in the ocean food chain. But more than 10 months after the three reactor meltdowns, testing of thousands of fish, including tuna, bonito and "sanma" (Pacific saury), caught far from Tohoku's coast has turned up little contamination. Nevertheless, experts point out that consumer concern and uncertainty will remain regarding bottom fish from coastal areas near Fukushima Prefecture, including "hirame" (Japanese flounder), as well as freshwater fish from Fukushima and parts of Gunma and Tochigi prefectures. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Bird life badly hit by nuclear fallout in Japan |
| Researchers working in the irradiated zone around the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant say bird populations there have begun to dwindle, in what may be a chilling harbinger of the impact of radioactive fallout on local life. In the first major study on the impact of the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years, the researchers from Japan, the US and Denmark say that analysis of 14 species of birds common to Fukushima and Chernobyl shows the effect on numbers is worse in the Japanese disaster zone. Published next week in the journal Environmental Pollution, the paper says its findings demonstrate "an immediate negative consequence of radiation for birds during the main breeding season March-July". Two of the study's authors have spent years working in the irradiated 2,850sq m zone around the Chernobyl plant, which exploded in 1986. A quarter of a century later, the zone is almost devoid of people. (irishtimes.com) |
| Feb 02 | Pipe leaks water from reactor 4 fuel pool |
 Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday it has found radioactive coolant water leaking from a broken pipe in reactor 4 of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, but it hasn't flowed outside the building.
The reactor's fuel rods are in the spent-fuel pool, as the reactor was offline for maintenance when the March 11 disaster struck. The leaked coolant water contains radioactive materials from the fuel pool.
According to Tepco, about 8.5 tons of water leaked onto the floor of the reactor 4 building at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The leak was stopped 13 minutes later by closing a valve, officials said. (Japan Times ) |
| Feb 02 | Japan plans to merge major science bodies |
| In its battle against a sluggish economy, Japan's government is gearing up to make cost savings through a root-and-branch reform of the country's science system, merging some of its most prominent research organizations. Plans approved by the government's cabinet on 20 January would consolidate the RIKEN network of basic-research laboratories with the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) - the national funding body. The policy would probably create an overarching body to supervise all five institutions, which would share more of their research and administrative resources, and lose some of their executive directors. But with few details about the timing, potential cost savings or full implications of the change, many researchers are concerned that it could be a recipe for harsh funding cuts and even greater bureaucracy. (nature.com) |
| Feb 03 | Japanese entrepreneurs aim for Silicon Valley |
| For an emerging generation of Japanese innovators, the dream isn't a job for life at a big company. They have new ambitions, and they're determined to go places. Especially Silicon Valley. Small but growing numbers of Japanese entrepreneurs are jumping into the startup scene in northern California, particularly since the earthquake and tsunami last March. They include Naoki Shibata, who took the plunge by giving up the sort of life many Japanese in past decades spent their lives trying to attain. Only 30, Shibata had an executive-level position at online retailing giant Rakuten Inc. and an assistant professorship at the prestigious University of Tokyo, where he earned a Ph.D. Last June he launched AppGrooves, an iPhone application discovery tool. "I wanted a global company from the first moment," he said. "If you want to reach a global market, then you have to start from Silicon Valley." (AP) |
| Feb 03 | E-book apps found 'stealing' private user info |
| What kind of electronic books do smartphone users prefer? When and how much of each book are they reading? Some smartphone e-book applications have collected this sensitive information for developers without obtaining permission from users, according to sources. The e-book market has been rapidly expanding, and is expected to grow to 200 billion yen in three years. Therefore, experts are calling for clear guidelines on how e-book software should handle smartphone users' private information, as it can reveal their thoughts and beliefs. Viewn, an application provided by the SoftBank group, features 42 items, including magazines, newspapers and television programs. Since June 2010, the software collected identification data of smartphones that had installed the app, as well as kept records on items viewed by users--without first obtaining user permission. Furthermore, in September, the app began collecting users' names and e-mail addresses. (Yomiuri) |
| Feb 02 | Brazil passes Japan as number two country on Twitter |
| Brazil has leapfrogged Japan to become the second most-represented country on Twitter, according to a study from social media research company Semiocast. The U.S. is still the top country on Twitter in terms of number of users with 107.7 million accounts. But Brazil now comes in at number two with 33.3 million, followed by Japan with 29.9 million. To determine its results Semiocast analyzed 383 million Twitter accounts created prior to 2012, looking at criteria like the location listed on the profile, time zone, language used to tweet, and GPS location when available. Although Brazil has more Twitter users, Japan's Twitterati is still more active, Semiocast said. Nearly a third (30 percent) of Japanese accounts tweeted between September and November of last year, while a quarter of Brazilians posted a 140-charater message during the the same period. Additionally, Japanese is the second most-used language on the platform behind English. In fact, Japanese was the first non-English tongue added to Twitter in April 2008. (pcmag.com) |
| Feb 01 | Disney Mobile on DoCoMo brand launches with two new Android phones in Japan |
 It appears Disney's mobile efforts in Japan are going pretty well, and with the help of carrier NTT DoCoMo they're expanding under the joint "Disney Mobile on DoCoMo" brand name. The partnership is kicking off with two new Android-powered handsets launching over the next couple of months that pack in access to exclusive content from Disney like full-length animations, games, wallpapers and more. First up is the F-08D (left), a "luxury smartphone" that features silhouettes of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, a 4.3-inch HD (720x1280) LCD display, dual cameras and 1.2Ghz dual-core OMAP4430 CPU available in pink or white next month with preorders opening up February 17th. (engadget.com ) |
| Jan 31 | Cyber-attack disrupts website of nuclear crisis panel |
| The website of the government-appointed panel probing the Fukushima disaster was hit by a cyber-attack Saturday night that lasted until Sunday morning. The content of the website was replaced with a black background and an English sentence reading, "DR. MTMRD from K.S.A. f--- your site," said Shinji Ogawa, the panel's secretary general. An analysis of the website's access logs showed that the cyber-attack began at 11:13 p.m. Saturday, Ogawa said. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 04 | A taste of old Japan in a mountain ryokan |
 The Japanese clearly value tradition, yet for one reason or another - fire, natural disaster, the second world war, an enthusiasm for progress - there aren't many towns left that truly encapsulate the way things were. Kyoto has its temples, but in between them is a thoroughly modern city.
Takayama is different - an old castle town in the mountains of central Japan. You can still see the ruins of the 17th-century castle in the town's Shiroyama Park, but Takayama is much better known for its townscape of narrow lanes and low wooden buildings stained the colour of espresso. With its steep hills the town couldn't produce much rice, so it produced artisans instead. Many were carpenters, who would go on to work on the palaces and temples in Kyoto, then return to construct their signature lattice-front buildings for local merchants.
(guardian.co.uk ) |
| Feb 03 | Ice sculptures, snow slides at Hokkaido fest |
The City of Sapporo will be hosting the 63rd annual Snow Festival this month. The event is considered a "must see" for tourists and about 2 million people visited the festival last year.
The main draw is a collection of sculptures created entirely out of snow and ice. This year, organizers say that 222 sculptures will be on display.
The festival is held at three different sites in the city. The main site is at Odori Park, which is in the middle of downtown Sapporo. The site will feature 136 sculptures, and stages that will host a variety of performances scheduled to take place throughout the week. (Japan Times) |
| Feb 03 | Japan's celebration of Spring: Penis and vagina festivals |
 Dating back more than 1,500 years, Japan's rites of spring are deeply rooted in its agricultural past.
As in all the world's ancient cultures, such observances were believed to promote a successful harvest and produce many babies.
It is ironic that Japan's Penis and Vagina Festival is an annual event dating back to ancient times and today that nation has one of the world's lowest birth rates.
The government hopes to ease the financial burden of child-rearing and encourage more children by offering a monthly stipend of $280 per child.
But these annual festivals, which attract many tourists and fill local coffers, offer more encouragement on a visceral level. (weirdasianews.com ) |
| Feb 02 | Hamamatsu new 'gyoza' capital |
 Boasting dozens of restaurants and shops and the highest household consumption rate of "gyoza," Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi Prefecture, has long been regarded as the capital of the Chinese dumpling as well.
News photo
Pot stickers: "Gyoza" dumplings are arranged for a photo Wednesday at a restaurant in Minato Ward, Tokyo. YOSHIAKI MIURA
But no longer.
For the first time in 16 years, the city lost its No. 1 ranking in gyoza consumption, beaten out by Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, according to a recent survey of household spending released Tuesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Last year, Utsunomiya households spent on average just ¥3,737 on the dumplings, down 40 percent from a record high ¥6,133 in 2010. Meanwhile, households in Hamamatsu spent ¥4,313, down 10 percent from ¥4,754 in 2010.
(Japan Times ) |
| Feb 02 | Gundam park to open in Odaiba |
 A theme park featuring popular "anime" series "Mobile Suit Gundam" will open on April 19 in Tokyo's Odaiba district.
According to Bandai Co., the new theme park, named Gundam Front Tokyo, will have a huge dome-shaped screen showing images of Gundam, the venerated fighting robot in the popular series, and rare documents related to the series' production will be on display.
The theme park will be on the seventh floor of a new shopping complex, DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, opening on April 19.
An 18-meter statue of Gundam will stand outside the complex. A second outlet of the popular Gundam Cafe, located in Akihabara, Tokyo, will also open on the second floor of the complex. (Japan Times ) |