· December, 2008

Stories about East Asia from December, 2008

Thailand: Revenge of the reds

Forget the yellow protesters who occupied Thailand’s airports last month. Today’s anti-government protests in Bangkok are organized by supporters of the ousted government. They have vowed to launch bigger street actions “to restore democracy.” Do not confuse them with the Left. They just like the color red.

31 December 2008

China: Guarantee happiness

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI translated a local report on the government manipulation of a happiness survey in a local town so as to achieve the state targets for improving the...

29 December 2008

The Death of Ai Iijima, the End of an Era

For many men in Taiwan, this Christmas Eve was a day of regret and disappointment. It is not because that at this eve some of us would need to spend a significant amount money to please our lovers--thanks to the endless bombing from merchants and commercials. And neither it is because that others would be upset due to lack of lovers for the holiday--yes, for most people, Christmas in Taiwan is more like Valentine's Day--perhaps the forth or the fifth one. It is that in the era of closure on any discussion of sex issues, an ex-AV porno Japanese actress who accompanied us during much of our private time, and later successfully transformed into an entertainer in show business, was found dead in the afternoon at her house in Shibuya, Tokyo: her name is Ai Iijima.

28 December 2008

Global Health: 2008 Blogs In Review

Bloggers in 2008 showed all the ways in which global health is interconnected with other issues, by covering health stories that touched on everything from poverty and women's rights to...

27 December 2008

Japan: Un-hiring fresh graduates

Job hunting for fresh graduates in Japan is an intense trial called shushoku katsudo or shukatsu for short. University students in their third year start shukatsu during the winter in hopes of receiving several naitei (informal job offer/promise of employment) in May at the earliest, to start their new jobs on April 1st of the following year.

27 December 2008

Northeast Asia: 2008 Review

The northeast Asia region is becoming more integrated politically, economically and socially. State leaders from China, Japan and South Korea recently signed a Joint Statement for Tripartite Partnership to address...

27 December 2008

Southeast Asia: Newsmakers of 2008

For Southeast Asia, 2008 was a year of terrible disasters, both natural and man-made. Rice consumption was reduced, milk products were contaminated with melamine, jobs were lost, bloggers were arrested, and homes were destroyed. But the situation is not hopeless.

26 December 2008

About our East Asia coverage

Oiwan Lam
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Mong Palatino
Mong Palatino is the South East Asia editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.