Stories about Japan from October, 2013
Journalists Fear Japan's Proposed Secret Information Protection Act
The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a bill [ja] on October 25, 2013 to impose tougher penalties on civil servants, lawmakers and others who leak national secrets and harm national security. The so-called Secret Information Protection Act has been unpopular among Japanese press, human rights advocates, and citizens...
The Guardian's (Mis)guide To Japanese Sex Trends
"Japan's under-40s appear to be losing interest in conventional relationships," said The Guardian. "Millions aren't...dating, and increasing numbers can't be bothered with sex." Not so fast, said Japanese netizens.
92 Countries Sign Minamata Convention to Prevent Mercury Poisoning
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global legally binding instrument on mercury was adopted in Minamata, Japan. The city known for tragedy now hopes to be known for solutions.
Japan: OpenStreetMap Aggregates Typhoon Info
OpenStreetMap users volunteered their time to create a crisis map of Izu Oshima island [ja], a small island to the south of Tokyo where more than a dozen of people were killed by mudslides triggered by this week's deadly Typhoon Wipha. The red dots on the map represent reports submitted by users, which give...
On Blog Action Day, Thousands of Blogs on Human Rights
Bloggers around the world, including Global Voices contributors, are highlighting this year's #BAD13 topic: human rights.
Is Japan Ready to Host the Paralympics?
Ayako Yokota and Ryan Ball take a look at the facilities and technological solutions for people with disabilities in Japan.
Massive Anti-Nuclear Protests Held in Tokyo
On October 13, 2013, thousands of people marched down the streets of Tokyo to protest against nuclear power. In a rally dubbed Goodbye Genpatsu [ja], Japanese people demanded the end of nuclear power plants and the use of more environmentally friendly sources of energy. Kenzaburo Oe, winner of the 1994...
Mapping Earthquake Reconstruction in Tohoku, Japan
TPFsquare, a project by a group of volunteer professionals based in Tokyo, compiles a list of efforts to rebuild areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 into single map. The project, which is available in English, seeks to aggregate various reconstruction projects in different locations so that...
Should Japan's Children Be Reading This Comic About a Hiroshima A-Bomb Survivor?
One city's attempt to restrict children from reading "Barefoot Gen", a comic series about the Hiroshima bombings, has started a debate in Japan about how the tragedy should be interpreted.
