Stories about Japan from March, 2006
Japan: Kawaii culture
The Japundit takes us into a discussion on the aesthetic sensibility of kawaii. (Kawaii translates approximately as “cute“.)
Japan: Corporate culture
Japanese corporate culture gets personal for Riding Sun‘s Gaijin Biker when an analyst at his firm receives an e-mail from a disgruntled ex-employee of one of their clients. “Blaming [investor...
Japan: Textbooks
The issue of Japanese textbooks is revisited today with new translations from Coming Anarchy and background to the controversy at The Korea Liberator.
Japan: Increases tower size
“The race for the world's biggest phallic symbol continues,” says one reader in response to Japundit's post on plans to build a new Tokyo Tower by 2011 which will stand...
China: Growing Nationalism
A year after violent anti-Japanese demonstrations swept across China, The Angry Chinese Blogger argues that anti-Japan sentiment is stronger now than ever. “Over the last few years…things appear to have...
Japan: Sumoto River recovers
Justin at Cosmic Buddha sees the first signs of life—maybe carp, maybe mullet—on the Sumoto River since a disastrous typhoon two years ago.
Japan: Rise of anime
Japundit‘s Marie writes about the recent rise in popularity of anime and manga (cartoon movies and books) in the United States, sparking a lively discussion in the comments section.
Japan, China: Organ Market
OhmyNews! reports that a growing number of Japanese are seeking organ transplants in China, where lax regulations and a high number of executions make organs available for desperate buyers.
Cuba: World Baseball Classic
Blogging from Havana, Cuba, Ernesto commiserates with his homeland over their loss to Japan in the final of the World Baseball Classic, but also notes the silver lining: “two island...
Japan: National archives
Japundit shows off its list of Japan-related Web links, including one for the National Archives, and discovers a somewhat less serious approach to Japanese culture, at Ask A Ninja.
North Korea: American defector in Japan
OhmyNews! runs an in-depth interview with U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins, now living on Sado Island after spending four decades in North Korea. “My life is not worth five cents,...
Japan: Mind your language
Japundit‘s post on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reprimand of a lawmaker for using English financial terms in the course of a parliamentary session sparks further debate in the comments section.
Japan: See it. Film it. Change it.
Joi Ito announces his appointment to the board of WITNESS, a group which aims to advance human rights advocacy through the use of video and communications technology, and strengthen grassroots...
Japan: Out of the tunnel
Miyakonojo takes note of the lengthening spring days, and the shortening weeks until his wedding day. “Over the last ten days the glow of the center of our solar system...
Japan: How to become a Japanese citizen
Japundit highlights a book by U.S.-born Arudou Debito, formerly David Christopher Aldwinckle, about how he went to live in Japan and became a citizen of that country.
Japan, S. Korea: The Tao of baseball
The Tao of baseball, proposes Japundit, lies in balancing the energies of two familiar and bitter rivals through careful study and appreciation of the Korean flag.
Japan: Volunteer firemen
Miyakonojo gives a heart-warming (and lung-burning) account of his debut at the volunteer fire department in a small town in southern Japan, where visits to Filipina hostess bars punctuate the...
Japan: Printing a blog post
Joi Ito calls on anyone who may have commented on his April 2005 blog post about anti-Japanese sentiment in China to let him know if they don't want their comments...
Japan: Anti-war protest
OhmyNews! asks whether three men arrested for posting anti-war fliers can seriously be considered enemies of the State, saying that Japanese democracy took a “large step backwards” with their arrest.
Asian History Carnival
Frog in a Well presents the 3rd Asian History Carnival, including discussions of Memoirs of a Geisha (Media and Popular Culture), an entire pre-modern Japanese history seminar blogging their reading,...
Northeast Asia: Discussion forum
OhmyNews and the Civil Network for a Peaceful Korea are co-hosting a series of online discussion fora entitled Talk! Northeast Asia. Translated and cross-posted in Korean, Japanese, Chinese and English...
