Stories about Japan from August, 2007
Indonesia: Miss Universe Go Back
Japundit links to a news story where visiting Japanese Miss Universe Riyo Mori was given a cold reception by protesters in West Java, Indonesia. The protesters are a part of a hardline Islamic group that opposes the exploitation of beauty.
Japan: Urban Legend
Mari Kanazawa listed out various urban legends that spread through Japanese society.
Japan: Giant mechanical O-nyudo doll
Edo introduces a giant mechanical O-nyudo doll in Pink Tentacle. O-nyudo is a Japanese legendary monster that can cause people to fall ill simply by looking at them.
Japan: 62 Years Later, Still Remembering
Sixty-two years have passed since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the close of World War Two. While people with first-hand experience of the bombing are disappearing, many people are fighting to keep their stories alive. Translations featured in this post include bloggers describing stories of the bombing, first-hand accounts of victims, a comparison of the way the history of events is taught in Japan and in the U.S., and thoughts about the relevance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the world of today.
Japan: The words that changed my life
In her article this week at Magazine 9, Amamiya Karin talks about the words that changed her life [Ja], through the experiences of poet and former hikikomori (shut-in) Tsukino Koji, writer Misawa Chiren, and activist Takato Nahoko (famous for her work on Iraq issues).
Japan: Tanabata Festival
Shari at My So-Called Japanese Life has posted an article with many photos about the Tanabata Festival which just finished in Asagaya, Tokyo.
Japan: Street Artist in Tokyo
Hasan at hasanhujairi[dot]com writes about a street artist who draws calligraphy on the sidewalk in Harajuku, Tokyo. Hasan writes: “I couldn’t help but take in the site of him with an after-taste of envy; something about being a street artist always seemed radically magical to me.”
Japan: Death Penalty Killings
The Asia Death Penalty blog has a post about an appeal from Amnesty International to stop the death penalty killings of three men in Japan scheduled for tomorrow (August 9th). As mentioned in the post, there are suspicions that the timing of the killings was scheduled to line up with...
Amid Controversy, YouTube Launches in Japan
Late last week, Google announced that it was teaming up with six Japanese firms, including SkyPerfecTV and Mixi, creator of Japan’s most popular social networking software, to link content to a new YouTube website exclusively in Japanese in order to boost the company’s presence in Japan. A blogger who was at the meeting where the announcement was made describes his thoughts on the future of YouTube in Japan.
YouTube launched in Japan
Andreas at Chosaq writes about the launch of YouTube in Japan and hostile reactions from Japanese television, music and film companies.
Japan: A Visit to Tokyo's Homeless District
Debito has posted a report about his visit to Sanya, Tokyo's day-labourer and homeless district. He writes that: “unless you have a reason to come here at all (cheap hotels during the World Cup 2002, day laboring), you could possibly spend your life in Tokyo and never know the place...
Japan: The Seikaryo Dormitory
Roy Berman at Mutant Frog Travelogue writes about Seikaryo, a Chinese student dormitory located in Tokyo constructed in 1927 by an organization belonging to the Japanese colonial Governor General in Taiwan.
Japan: 3D animation from photos
Edo from Pink tentacle blogs the new technology of motion portrait: Motion Portrait is a killer little piece of digital animation technology that easily transforms an ordinary digital photograph of a face into a living 3D animation that can blink and move its eyes, turn its gaze to follow the...
Japan: More signs of Abe's end
Japan Observer has some analysis of the implications of recent upper house election in Japan, including: international politics, in particular anti terrorism special measures law; signs that show Abe's final defeat. Besides, there are two letters written by Japan NGOs on the political implication of the UH election result at...
