Stories about Japan from September, 2007
Japan: Prime Minister Abe Steps Down
After less than a year in office, with approval ratings dropping to record lows after a recent humiliating upper house election defeat, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo finally took the step many had been demanding on Wednesday and declared his intention to resign. The timing of the move, which brought the prime minister yet more criticism from politicians and the media, doesn't seem to have gone down very well with bloggers either.
Japan: Abe's Resignation
Japan Observer was surprised by Abe's resignation and wrote down his first thoughts: The LDP is in trouble, but Mr. Abe's unexpectedly hasty exit gives the party a chance to select someone who can communicate with the public, earn the trust of the Japanese people, and move an agenda forward...
Japan: Abe down, otaku up?
Roy Berman from Mutant frog comments on the resignation of Japan Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and lists out a colorful history of the potential candidate Aso Taro.
Japan: Protecting the Kyoto Cityscape
While many countries around the world are struggling to tackle Kyoto at home, the city the environmental accord was named after is caught up in its own struggle. The capital of Japan for over 1,000 years (794-1868), Kyoto was once a picturesque ancient city surrounded by mountains. Today it is...
Japan: Prime Minister Abe Resigns
DeOrio at Trans-Pacific Radio has been one of the first bloggers to write about the breaking news that Japanese Prime Minster Abe Shinzo has decided to resign. On the news that Abe may be replaced by his colleague Aso Taro, DeOrio writes: “If Abe is followed by Aso, more competent,...
Japan: The “Happy Family” Bill
At from the inside, looking in, blogger fukamimi writes about a new bill calling for an increase in the number of white collar workers not eligible for overtime pay. In an attempt to overcome its unpopular image, the bill has been named the “Happy Family” Bill on the assumption that...
Japan: Real-time Smile Analysis
Edo from Pink Tentacle introduced a new technology in analyzing face expression, in particular smiling faces.
Japan: Interview with Dr. Patricia Steinhoff
W. David Marx at Néojaponisme interviews Professor of Sociology Dr. Patricia Steinhoff about her research on the history and social organization of post-war Japanese Marxist radicals. In this first part of a five-part series, Dr. Steinhoff describes the formation of the student movement in Japan, its re-organization into the “Red...
Japan: Controversy over the Gun-Shaped Lighter Incident
Blogger Kikko writes about the case of an off-duty officer in Yokohama [Ja] who was arrested after hitting a high-school student supposedly because the boy had been brandishing a lighter in the shape of a gun. Kikko explains that the media have twisted the story: the boy and some friends...
Japan: Voters get the government they deserve
Ampontan writes about the long-time “nexus of money, politics, and government” in Japan, translating a blog post on a book about the late Agriculture minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu, whose career famously ended in suicide. After highlighting numerous money scandals in Japanese politics, Ampontan notes that: “All the people we discussed for...
Japan: It's in the Milk
A group of scientists announced yesterday that Japanese women's breast milk has been found to contain a toxin similar to the pollutant PCB, with possible sources including a contaminated fish supply, fumes from garbage incinerators, and factory wastewater. Bloggers outline the issues surrounding the findings, reacting with shock and fear for the future.
Wikiscanning arrives in Japan
Adamu at Mutant Frog Travelogue reports on the use of the Japanese version of Wikiscanner to track self-editing on Wikipedia by, among others, the health and labour ministry, the education ministry, a member of the Japanese National Diet, and the newspaper Mainichi shimbun. The post also links to local bloggers’...
Japan: Discrimination At Well-known Gym Chain
Debito blogged a letter written by Jim Dunlop which complained about various forms of discrimination in their policy: Be aware, that if you are either a foreigner, or have any sort of physical disability, you may be discriminated against, or even prevented from joining.
Japan: Salaryman Quiz
Englishman invites you to guess which one of the salarymen in the photo is dead. It is a difficult question as everyone would look the same after a 20-hours working day…
Japan: First Manifesto of Neojaponisme
W. David Marx, Ian Lynam, and Jean Snow have launched Neojaponisme, an online group blog following in the footsteps of neomarxisme, a “post-blog” about topics related to Japan and Japanese culture.
Japan: The Penalty of Death
On August 23, three inmates, in Tokyo and Nagoya, all convicted of murder, were put to death by hanging. The executions brought the number of hangings administered under then-justice minister Nagase Jinen, who was removed from the position shortly later in the recent reshuffle, to 10 during his 11-month term....
