· September, 2012

Stories about Japan from September, 2012

Japan: Anxiety Over Human Rights Commission Bill

  25 September 2012

A bill to set up a Human Rights Commission has been met with opposition from different parties and citizens. The bill aims to set up an independent commission for human rights violation such as bullying, descrimination, and slander on the Internet, as an extra-ministerial committe of the Ministry of Justice.

Japan: Petition to Release Violin from Frankfurt Customs

  25 September 2012

On August 16, 2012, German customs officials at Frankfurt Airport seized a Guarneri violin from Japanese professional musician Yuzuko Horigome when she failed to present correct documentation. They demanded that she pay nearly US$ 500,000 in order to get it back.

Japan: Citizens Respond to New Nuclear Power Policies

  24 September 2012

Individuals with vested interests in nuclear power have been named to lead a regulatory commission of the Japanese government that will play crucial role in determining whether to phase out nuclear power during the 2030s and how. While environmental groups welcome the government's statement of intent to end nuclear power, citizens are calling for commission members with a conflict of interest to be declared ineligible.

China: Writer said “I am a Traitor”

  20 September 2012

Sijia Song from Tea Leaf Nation has translated a Chinese prominent writer, Li Chengpeng's latest blogpost: “Confessions of a Traitor”. The post has received more than 200,000 views and 19,000 comments in less than two days on Sina Weibo.

Porn Star Appeals for China/Japan Friendship

  19 September 2012

Popular Japanese porn star Sola Aoi appealed for friendship between Chinese and Japanese early last week when the tension between China and Japan elevated. But her friendly gesture was not well received.

China: Censor Machine Suspended for Anti-Japan Mobilization?

  16 September 2012

As the tension between China and Japan over the disputed Diaoyu Islands (also known as the Senkaku Islands) has elevated, large scale anti-Japan protests have taken place all over China in more than 50 cities over the weekend. But what lies behind the scenes of the weekend's demonstrations?

Japan: Imagining Future Japanese-Korean Relations with ‘Free Hugs’

  15 September 2012

A "free hugs" video filmed in Korea by a young Japanese man attracted another round of attention this summer. The creator's intent was to "prove that there is hope for the future of Japan and South Korea". The deterioration in international relations between the two countries, reported upon daily in the media, has been causing a stir recently.

Japan: Radio Airs Story of Fukushima Province Evacuee

  15 September 2012

Multilingual community radio station FMYY in Kobe has aired a radio drama titled “Under Invisible Clouds” [ja], the story of Yasuko Sasaki, one evacuee from the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture. This story was produced by volunteers in Hiroshima as a part of the 100 Stories Project [ja] about...

China: Another Waves of Anti-Japan Protest

  15 September 2012

Anne Henochowicz from China Digital Times reports on the new waves of anti-Japan protest in major cities in China. Some angry protesters attempted to attack Japanese restaurants and cars.

Japan: Kansai Queer Film Festival Kicks Off

  14 September 2012

Japan's 7th Kansai Queer Film Festival kicks off in Osaka this weekend September 15-17, and will be held in Kyoto on October 12-14. It celebrates and shows various films that focus on diverse gender and sexuality issues around the world.

In Sea of Censorship, China Allows Anti-Japan War Vitriol

  14 September 2012

A fleet of six Chinese surveillance ships has been deployed in response to the Japanese government's move to purchase three disputed islets from their private Japanese owners. Some Chinese netizens have reacted to the news with anti-Japan warmongering on social media channels.