· December, 2012

Stories about Japan from December, 2012

Japan's Kanji of the Year 2012

  31 December 2012

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation has announced the kanji of the year 2012 is gold (金) on December 12, 2012. How do netizens conceive this announcement and how do they look back this year?

International Fast Food Chains Involved in China's Chicken Scandal

  28 December 2012

A number of international fast-food chains are involved in the latest food safety scandal to hit China. Nationalistic voices are reacting by calling for foreign brands to be kicked out of China, while some believe that the government is to blame for the lack of food safety control.

Police Accuses “2channel” for Assisting in Drug Trade

  26 December 2012

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sent papers on Hiroyuki Nishimura, the founder and former operator of Japan's popular online bulletin board “2channel” [ja] to prosecutors on December 20 2012, accusing him of helping in the solicitation of the narcotics trade, Jiji Press reported. @Ikalga commented [ja] on Twitter that accusing...

Are Dynastic Politics Making a Comeback in East Asia?

  24 December 2012

First, Kin Jong-un took over North Korea after the death of his father. Then, Xi Jinping, the son of a communist politician veteran Xi Zhongxun, was announced the new leader of China. Last week, Park Guen-hye, daughter of South Korea’s longest-ruling dictator Park Chuang-Hee, was elected the new president.Chinese netizens...

Film Festival on Organic Farming in Japan

  20 December 2012

The international Film Festival on Organic Farming was held in Satta Hall at Hosei University in Tokyo, December 16, 2012. One participant ama_san [ja] commented on Twitter: Yesterday I went to the International Film Festival on Organic Farming. I was surprised to learn about the power of soil. This day and age, we...

Hashtag Criticising Mass Media Trending in Tokyo

  14 December 2012

Former Sankei Newspaper journalist Sumio Yamagiwa, organized an online campaign to tweet #マスコミ断罪 [ja], a hashtag criticising Japanese mass media for its biased reporting. The hashtag was a trending topic amongst Japanese twitter users, roughly around 9 PM to 11 PM on December 12, 2012

Standing Up for Stalking Victims in Japan

  11 December 2012

Forty-nine different groups that campaign to end violence against women came together and made a joint statement on November 19, 2012 calling for concrete measures to support stalking victims and prevent homicide by stalkers in Japan. The statement was made after an incident on November 6 in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, where a woman was stabbed and killed by her stalker ex-boyfriend. The victim had asked the police for help four times, but was turned down each time due to lack of legally permissible evidence.

Brazilian Immigration Policy Faces New Challenges

  3 December 2012

Whereas the subject has long been debated in Europe and the USA, the issue of immigration has only recently gained prominence in Brazil. This new Brazilian reality throws up a series of new challenges both for Brazilian society and the government.