Stories about East Asia from January, 2010
Japan: Sit-In Protest against US Helipads in Okinawa
TenThousandThings from Kurashi blogs about a sit-in protest against the construction of US Helipads in Yanbaru Forest, a mountainous region full of biodiversity in the northern part of Okinawa.
Japan: Micro-gardens
Palmsundae from Tokyo Green Space blogs about the micro-gardening practice in old Tokyo neighborhood.
South Korea: Why do Koreans like cute things?
Ask a Korean! tries to answer the question on why Koreans like cute things.
China: Threatened by American Internet censorship
Reactions from Chinese programmers to SourceForge.net's decision to follow American law and block users from several countries include suggestions for how to work around American censorship of the global Internet.
MENA: Breaking the veils
AltMuslimah reviews the exhibition Breaking the veils: Women artists from the Islamic World, which contains art and literature from women in over 20 countries, including Palestine, Yemen and Morocco. The exhibition, which stated in Jordan, is now touring the US. The review can be read here.
Japan: In Choosing a Job (or Company)
With limited work experience, how does one make the decision on which company to work for, straight out of university? The question carries weight when you take in the fact that there's a good chance that some of these students might work for that company until they retirement.
Korea: Translating The Tweets Of Novelist Lee Oisoo
Lee Oisoo is a Korean novelist and artist who has been described as "an eccentric, a genius and a lunatic". When he set up a Twitter account last year he quickly amassed thousands of followers. Now his tweets are being translated into English in order to reach a wider audience. But how did a Bahraini blogger get involved?
What the Tibetan Language Needs is Space
A young Tibetan blogger based in the US, who goes by the name of “Jhutok” (one of those untranslatable Tibetan words that describes someone who is nosy and likes to interfere, gossip and busybody all in one), has written a blogpost about written Tibetan, arguing for language reform to written...
Japan: Itami Airport
In response to the news that the Osaka Governor is talking about closing down Itami Airport, Joe Jones at the Mutant Frog Travelogue contemplates obsolete airports and suggests alternate uses.
China: Animal cruelty law
Joel Martinsen translates the mainstream media's discussion on drafting of animal cruelty law. The new law may ban the selling and eating of dog and cat's meat.
Japan: Peace walkers
TenThousandThings from Kurashi reports on a 4-month peace walk from Okinawa to Tokyo calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
Japan: The Japan-China-U.S. trade relation
MTC from Shisaku shows the changes among Japan, China and U.S relation with a statistical illustration on foreign trade.
Japan: Website Localization
Motoko discusses the need for foreign websites to be localized into Japanese: If your website is not in Japanese, it would have little to no chances of being found in the search results in Japan.
South Korea: Mediact to be dismantled
Mediact, South Korea's first public media center, will be dismantled in 1st of February under the Lee Myung Bak's government (more from interlocals). A petition has been launched to save the center.
Japan: Pokemon in Japanese Style Paintings
Mari from Watashi to Tokyo links to a pageful of illustrations of Pokemon done in ancient Japanese style.
College Students Protest on Japanese Employment @ TOKYO
Spurred by a protest late last year by a small number of college students in Hokkaido Prefecture, a number of students in Tokyo organized for a demonstration protesting against Japan's employment system. Coming together under the name “College Graduates Protest on Japanese Employment @ TOKYO” (就活くたばれデモ＠TOKYO [ja]) , the organization...
Philippines: “Renewable Marriage Bill”
A partylist group in the Philippines wants to introduce a law that would put a ten-year expiration date on marriage contracts. As expected this unique proposal generated an intense reaction in the blogosphere.
China: Sexism in Han Han’s Film Review?
C. Custer posts the question on whether Han Han, a famous Chinese writer, is using sexist language in his comment on the woman director of the recent movie Confucius.
China: Wedding banquet
Maryannodonnell blogs about Chinese wedding style – banquet and happy wine.
Philippines: Mindanao review in 2009
The Mindanao Examiner reviews the significant events in Mindanao Island in the past year. Mindanao is the second biggest island in the Philippines
Philippines: Blogger charged with libel
A Filipino blogger was charged with a libel suit by the secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development after writing about the ‘rotting’ relief goods in a government warehouse. This is the first time a public official has sued a blogger in the Philippines.
About our East Asia coverage
Oiwan Lam is the North East Asia editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
Nevin Thompson is the Japan editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
