Stories about Japan from July, 2011
U.S.A., Japan: The US Declares War On The Japanese Mafia
Investigative journalist Jake Adelstein reported [en] that US President Obama has officially declared war on the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, as it represents an “extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” Japansubculture.com also published the text of the actual executive order.
Japan: On Fake Glasses
Marxy at Neojaponisme gives an interesting insight [en] on the “lens-less frame” trend spreading in Japan.
South Korean Twitterers Mobilized As East Sea(Sea of Japan) Conflict Intensifies
The ongoing territorial dispute over the Dokdo(Takeshima) island has flared up as the Japanese Foreign Ministry instructed a boycott against Korean Air for hovering over the island located in the disputed water. Korean Twitterers have set up a special website, IssueTok [ko], to plan a mass tweet-protest in several languages.
Japan: Indie Music Rocks the Nukes
With a spreading nuclear crisis and related issues such as radiation fears, new energy policies on the horizon and an uncertain future for the operating reactors, Japanese netizens have started a revival of music videos with a clear anti-nuclear message.
Japan: A Fukushima Poet Tweets His Verses
Since the March 11 Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster, Ryoichi Wago, a poet from Fukushima city, has been experimenting with a new form of poetry. He expresses his feelings about issues such as uncertainty of the future and fear of the radiation that has been threatening his land and its inhabitants.
Texting in North Korea
The Japan Probe site made a commentary on Asahi TV's recent report on North Korea. An Asahi TV reporter filmed mobile devices and comfortable lives enjoyed by North Korea’s small elite group and luxuries offered to foreign tourists.
About our Japan coverage
Nevin Thompson is our Japan editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write.
