· August, 2011

Stories about Japan from August, 2011

Japan: A Revealing Blog by a Fukushima Robot Operator

  30 August 2011

Blogger Erico Guizzo at IEEE Spectrum's robotics blog reported that “an anonymous worker at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has written dozens of blog posts describing the ups and downs of his experience as one of the lead robot operators at the crippled facility.” The blog was called “Say...

Japan: Noda elected as leader of ruling party

  29 August 2011

Finance minister Yoshihiko Noda has been elected leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, and will become the next prime minister. On the Agora blog, Hiroshi Ohnishi calls [ja] it a safe, if low-key choice, while Seki Obata claims [ja] Noda's virtuous personality is the only way of survival for...

Japan: Trends in the blogging service landscape

  28 August 2011

Netaful shares observations [ja] from a recent comScore report [ja/pdf] that in terms of visitor count, livedoor blogs have surpassed Ameba Blogs. The report concludes that even with the spread of SNS, “Japan remains one of the world's leading blog markets“.

South Korea: Blood Type Personality Theory, How It Works

  16 August 2011

The blood type personality theory claims that people's blood type is predictive of their personality and compatibility with others. Nowhere is this belief more popular than in South Korea and Japan. Yoo Eun Lee delves deeper into the theory's history.

Japan: How to Unplug Your Life and Save Electricity

  15 August 2011

People in Japan have been unplugging their lives as electricity-saving measures have been implemented to cope with power shortages. The effectiveness of the measures is yet to be proven but many have taken this opportunity to change their power consuming life style.

Japan: Kusoshigoto blog closed down

  13 August 2011

“Diary of a NEET Working Abroad” by Kusoshigoto “crappy job” was unexpectedly closed down and deleted, with a short message that conveyed his regrets and fear of danger. Tweeps are speculating [ja] that his identity had been compromised. A Japanese expat in Singapore, Kusoshigoto blogged against “slaving away” for Japan...

Japan: Chaos at Chitose Airport on March 11

  11 August 2011

On March 11, 2011, a Delta airplane pilot approaching Tokyo airport described his experience of an emergency landing in an email so vividly, that it spread rapidly across the blogosphere. Aviation fan blogger BUTA_NEKO responded to the meme in Japanese, to tell the other side of the story.

Japan: “Plutonium is safe,” they say

  11 August 2011

Youtube user tokyobrowntabby has translated into English the video clips of three Japanese nuclear researchers who claimed safety for plutonium in a TV show. A blogger at EX-SKF – who nicknamed the researchers the “Three Plutonium Brothers” – posted the transcript [en] of their speeches.

Walking through Japan

  8 August 2011

On August 1st Thomas Köhler started a mission: to walk trough three of the major Japanese islands, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Köhler – who works as a manager at a tour operator – came up with the project after the March 11 disaster, when the number of visitors to Japan...

Japan: Foraging for food in Tokyo

  7 August 2011

Jess Mantell blogs about “free food everywhere, in Tokyo” at her blog, Edoble. Her latest discovery is perilla growing in the pavement.

Japan: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Creative Industry Survey Results

  6 August 2011

Chris Palmieri published “Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Creative Industry Survey Results” in English and Japanese on the AQ blog, reporting how people who work in the creative industries were affected by the events following the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11. It's also been translated into Chinese.

Japan: A Nuclear Gypsy’s Tale

  3 August 2011

Blogger Takeshi Kawakami was one of Japan's so-called ‘nuclear gypsies’, who for about 30 years made his livelihood working at the country's different nuclear plants. In his blog he has denounced the corruption and collusion between the government and the nuclear industry.