Stories about Japanese from September, 2007
Japanese cameraman killed in Myanmar
During a demonstration on September 27, Japanese photojournalist Nagai Kenji was killed while reporting on the ongoing unrest in Myanmar. Initially, news reports were that Nagai had likely been struck...
Japan: Fukuda Slated to Be Next PM
In the Liberal Democratic Party election held on Sunday the 24th, Fukuda Yasuo defeated opponent Aso Taro, and is slated to become the next Prime Minister. He will follow Abe...
World Reaction to the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights
In every society in which they find themselves, the world's 370 million indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable and marginalized. After over 22 years of negotiations and consultations, the...
Japan: Impatient patients
In recent years, harsh criticisms have been focused at hospitals and healthcare workers about the quality of medical care. An example of the target of criticisms was a doctor conducting...
Japan: Abe Double in Hospital?
Blogger Kikko passes on the rumor [Ja] that the Abe Shinzo currently in hospital is not the real Japanese prime minister but a double, and that the real PM is...
Japan: Axe Murder, School Days and a Nice Boat
In a bizarre twist of events, the shocking story of a girl who killed her father with an axe, believed to be motivated by her interest in manga, triggered TV networks to cancel airing of the final episode of School Days, a popular anime show. In its place, broadcasters aired a series of slow, meandering shots of castles, mountains, and... a nice boat. A meme was thus born that has spread like wildfire across bulletin boards and blogs, sparked various creative offshoots, and even inspired conspiracy theories.
Japan: Monju reactor trial to begin Sept. 20th
Blogger tokyodo-2005 writes about the famous sodium leak and fire at the Monju fast-breeder reactor in Fukui Prefecture (Japan) in 1995 [Ja] and about the subsequent cover-up of a video...
Japan: Prime Minister Abe Steps Down
After less than a year in office, with approval ratings dropping to record lows after a recent humiliating upper house election defeat, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo finally took the step many had been demanding on Wednesday and declared his intention to resign. The timing of the move, which brought the prime minister yet more criticism from politicians and the media, doesn't seem to have gone down very well with bloggers either.
Japan: Protecting the Kyoto Cityscape
While many countries around the world are struggling to tackle Kyoto at home, the city the environmental accord was named after is caught up in its own struggle. The capital...
Japan: Controversy over the Gun-Shaped Lighter Incident
Blogger Kikko writes about the case of an off-duty officer in Yokohama [Ja] who was arrested after hitting a high-school student supposedly because the boy had been brandishing a lighter...
Japan: It's in the Milk
A group of scientists announced yesterday that Japanese women's breast milk has been found to contain a toxin similar to the pollutant PCB, with possible sources including a contaminated fish supply, fumes from garbage incinerators, and factory wastewater. Bloggers outline the issues surrounding the findings, reacting with shock and fear for the future.
Japan: The Penalty of Death
On August 23, three inmates, in Tokyo and Nagoya, all convicted of murder, were put to death by hanging. The executions brought the number of hangings administered under then-justice minister...
