Stories about East Asia from April, 2013
Marijuana in China
Chengdu Living has an interesting post on the potential disappearance of relatively free weed smoking atmosphere in China as the police has recently started to crack down on Marijuana trade.
China Earthquake Donation Protected by Spell
Hong Kong based inmediahk.net's Facebook page shared an image circulated widely on Chinese social media which shows spells written on money, that says, “This is a donation for a Ya'an earthquake victim, those who dare to misuse this money will go to hell.”
Do All Miss Korea Contestants Look Alike?
The web was abuzz over the photo of 20 of South Korean pageant contestants who all look uncannily alike, and jeering comments were made against South Korean women's beauty standards. However, some Korean net users, pointing out some media coverage can be misleading, posted another photos of contestants which people can...
Malaysia: Which Party Has the Best Election Manifesto?
Malaysia’s 13th General Elections will take place on May 5 and fortunately, the major parties have unveiled their election manifestos which can guide voters in choosing the right candidates. Which party has the best manifesto?
Red Cross’ China Scandal – This Time About Sex
While Chinese people still remember Red Cross China's corruption scandal during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, a new scandal has exposed, this time it also involves Guo Meimei, a then “manager at China Red Cross”, showed off her fancy sports cars and luxury handbags on Sina Weibo in 2011. This time...
Chinese Dream: To Become the Father of an American
Seeing Red in China has translated current affair commentator, Jia Jia's Chinese dream. Nowadays, most Chinese middle class want to see their daughters and sons going to the U.S and become Americans.
Chinese Corruption Spreading to Hong Kong “Like SARS & Avian Flu”
A misconduct scandal implicating Timothy Tong, the former chief of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), has Hong Kong and mainland Chinese people worried that ubiquitous corruption in China has spread to Hong Kong.
Introducing Contemporary Indonesian Art
Adrian Vickers introduces the latest issue of the online journal ‘Inside Indonesia’ which features articles about contemporary Indonesian art. While politics has dominated the foreground of Indonesian art, the country’s contemporary art world faces a struggle between art’s engagement with society and the forces of commercialisation.
Indonesia: Teaching Jakarta's Street Children
Sahabat Anak is a non-profit Indonesian NGO which helps Jakarta's street children by conducting tutorial programs and providing an activity center for street teens, kindergarten for street toddlers, and transit house for street kids.
Animal Welfare Included in Singapore School Syllabus
Good news for animal lovers. Singapore’s Ministry of Education has confirmed that animal welfare will be included in the new ‘Character and Citizenship Education’ syllabus for primary and secondary students.
Giants, Hackers, Trolls: Where Mythology and Online Activism Meet
The online world has much more in common with the mythological world than you might expect. A look at Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks, and Anonymous and their corresponding roles in mythology.
Hong Kong Boycotts Donations for Sichuan Earthquake
HK Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s call for donations to China’s quake-hit Sichuan province has been denied by legislature due to overwhelming opposition by Hongkong citizens.
Chinese and Western Media Bias Claims in Xinjiang “Terrorist Attack”
A terror incident took place in Bachu County of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on April 23 2013, in which 15 police officers and community workers were killed and 6 suspects were shot dead. Chinese media outlets depicted the incident as a terrorist attack and criticized western media for not using the term "terrorists" to describe the suspects.
Bill Gates’ Handshake Irks South Koreans
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has sparked controversy for his single-handed handshake when meeting with the South Korean president. Gates’ left hand was jammed into his pants pocket during the handshake, which is considered disrespectful in South Korea. An extensive photo compilation of Gates’ handshake [ko] was viewed more than 76,000 times in...
Diaper Ad Hit for ‘Twisting’ Philippine History
A popular diaper manufacturer has been ordered to stop airing a TV advertisement that parodies an episode in Philippine history. An online petition was also initiated which criticized the ad for “insulting the Filipino people.”
Social Media’s Role in the Sichuan Earthquake
ChinaFile and TeaLeafNation analyzed the important role social media has played in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake that has killed 208 people. Social media's instant reactions to the quake has made a difference when compared to the coverage of the 2008 earthquake dominated by China's state media.
Cheap Gold Puts China in a Frenzy
Mainland Chinese tourists tempted by the plunging price of gold emptied Hong Kong's local banks and jewelry shops over the weekend of the precious metal.
Tokyo Joins NASA's App Challenge
Japan participated in NASA's International Space Apps Challenge 2013 with a hackathon in Tokyo on April 21 and 22, 2013. Eighteen project teams developed apps with the aim of improving life on Earth and in space, including an app to create dishes in a shape of celestial bodies [ja] such as...
Japan's Cherry Blossom Tradition Tests Rookie Employees
Among the thousands of people that fill Japan's parks every spring to picnic under the delicate pink cherry blossoms are young professionals sent by their bosses to reserve a spot for the company's outdoor feast.
China Says ‘No’ to Japan's Earthquake Aid Offer
The Chinese government has turned down Japan’s offer to help with relief efforts following an earthquake in China's southwest Sichuan province that left at least 193 people dead and more than 12,000 injured.
Eric Schmidt and North Korea's Internet Dilemma
North Korea Tech blogs about Google Chairman Eric Schmidt's visit to North Korea and his views on the limitation and potential of internet technology in the North Korea.
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.
