Stories about Japan from August, 2005
Japan: Geisha goof
Japundit says the movie version of Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha, scheduled for Christmas release, is a goof. Apparently, the American producers had cast Chinese actresses in the roles of the Japanese characters, and the dialogues are in English. Bottomline: So un-authentic.
Inside The Japanese Blogosphere
Blogging in Iraq Japanese photojournalist Hiroshi Okamoto, who travelled to Iraq on assignment in 2004 and spent one month in Samawa, has produced a food blog of his experiences. Although Okamoto says he hopes to introduce Iraqi cuisine to his readers, his blog also provides a rare glimpse of life...
Brazil, Japan: Samba!
Though held in Tokyo, Japan, Japundit tells us Samba dancers from Brazil were invited to the capitol city for the 25th annual Asakusa Samba Carnival parade.
Japan: Labour pains
Japan is not a place where fathers are readily allowed to attend the birth of their children. In fact, recounts Cottontimer, it is against many hospitals’ policies to allow husbands to be with their wives during labor and delivery. On the other hand, due to work culture in Japan, husbands...
Cambodia: More condoms
While Japan is facing a dwindling population, Cambodia needs to increase condom production to protect its sexually active population. Cheang Sokha of Cambodian Morning blog reports that twenty million condoms are not enough and the country's leading distributor plans on increasing production to 23.5 million condoms by the end of...
Japan: Tokyo Noon
Japan's parliamentary election campaign is underway. Japundit says ex-PM Junichiro Koizumi is coming out swinging.
Inside the Japanese Blogosphere
Japanese bloggers were able to offer almost realtime accounts of the recent earthquake in northern Japan. Says one Japanese blogger: The fridge door swung open, the goldfish bowl fell off the shelf, and it was just a terrible situation inside the house…There have been a lot of earthquakes here in...
Korea: Made in China
How do North and South Korea commemorate their liberation from Japanese rule 60 years ago, and the 5-year-old joint North-South declaration? Joint-produce a line of wristwatches – manufactured in North Korea under the direction of a South Korean watchmaker. Symbols of Korean unity? Perhaps. Exhilaration? Wait a minute. According to...
Asia: Daily linklets 12th August
Simon World, back from vacation, has resumed his valuable roundups of East Asian blogs and stories.
Flickr Pick From Japan
“Nishiki Ichiba(Kyoto) #3″ by osanpo
Inside the Japanese Blogosphere
Japanese bloggers were able to offer almost realtime accounts of the recent earthquake in northern Japan. Says one Japanese blogger: The fridge door swung upon, the goldfish bowl fell off the shelf, and it was just a terrible situation inside the house…There have been a lot of earthquakes here in...
Japan: Postal reform, part two
Japundit follows up yesterday's post about postal reform in Japan with a look at some of the obstacles that stand in reform's way.
Japan: Postal reform, part one
Japundit has an excellent post on postal privatization in Japan, why it's so controversial, and what's really at stake.
Japan: Anti-Korean comic book No. 1 bestseller in Japan
The Marmot's Hole reports that an anti-Korean comic book is the #1 bestseller at Amazon Japan.