Stories about Japan from October, 2005
Japan: Antique Show
Japundit has an article on Nandemo Kantedan, a 10-year-old TV show that, like the popular U.S. series Antiques Roadshow, values people's old junk and makes their wildest dreams come true.
Images from Japan: Sushi
“Sushi” by Sekihan A young woman ponders the display at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo.
Japan: Mobile Auction Space
Technology blogger Gen Kanai shares his end of a conversation with a telecoms analyst on mobile auctions.
Japan, South Korea: Compulsory English
The Asia Pages weighs in on proposals in both Japan and South Korea to prioritize English — most controversially, in South Korea, to make it the official language in certain free economic zones.
Japan: Maid Cafes
Tokyo Times reports on the expanding “maid cafe” franchise, in which waitresses dressed in frilly outfits wait hand-and-foot on patrons. The police are suggesting that the business apply for an “adult entertainment” license.
Japan: Yasukuni Visit
Yaw and Mog passed by the Yasukuni Shrine during PM Junichiro Koizumi's visit on the anniversary of the interment of fourteen war criminals there and asks what Japan gains by provoking its neighbors. Says vincentvds of Achikochi: “Japanese prime ministers should stay away from Yasukuni.”
Images from Japan: Oko
“Oko” by MC MasterChef A small grill/noodle shop in Oko, a small town near Hiroshima. Note that most of the counter space is actually a cooking surface.
Japan: Mutual animosity
Remember all those anti-Japan protests in China? asks Japundit, and cites a recent opinion poll by the Mainichi Shimbun which suggests the feeling is mutual.
Japan: Blogging vs. journalism
Journalist Thomas Crampton sparks a debate on the difference between blogging and mainstream journalism after a month as a guest on Joi Ito's blog.
Japan: Geisha Watch
Sushi and Sensibility has a two-part interview with Sheridan Prasso, author of The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls & Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient.
