Stories about Japan from July, 2009
Russia-Japan: Renewed row over the Kuril Islands
LJ user rover seti reacts against [RUS] a resolution of Japan's parliamentary House of Councillors, declaring the Kuril Islands, occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, Japanese territory “since ancient times.”
Japan: Amano elected as IAEA chief, some doubts
Lawyer and blogger raymiyatake expresses his doubts [ja] over the election of Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano as director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). First, he says, Amano was supported by only 23 nations out of 35. Second, he points out the difficult situation that the Agency is dealing...
Japan: Eight endangered languages in the Japanese archipelago
In February UNESCO presented the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, giving an accurate and worrying description of the languages considered endangered (about 2,500). Among these eight belong to the Japanese archipelago. Not a big surprise if we think about the severe policies of linguistic and cultural assimilation carried...
Japan: Gundam 30th anniversary
This year is Mobile Suit Gundam‘s 30th birthday. While a giant statue of the robot stands in Odaiba's park (in the Tokyo bay area), in a theatre of northern Tokyo, blogger/actress Rie Takahashi [ja] and her crew pay tribute to the animated television series in stage play Robot.
Japan: On How to Perceive the Japanese Web (Part Three)
Continued from Part Two. As examples of the Japanese web that it isn't ‘disappointing’ at all, many bloggers referred to the success of the video sharing website Nico Nico Douga. A-list blogger Dan Kogai pointed to the recipe site Cook Pad (which went public a few weeks ago) and Yahoo!...
Japan: Aokigahara and Suicide
Matt Holland at Feedbackward on Aokigahara, and Meaningful Suicide in Japan – “The ubiquitous and accessible nature of trains in Japan make them a logical and effective choice for those attempting suicide, but it is Aokigahara, the forest situated at the base of iconic Mount Fuji that hosts the most...
Japan: Implications of the Population Crisis
Ian Wright at Japanian analyzes the implications of the diminishing population in Japan from an economic, political, and military point of view.
Japan: Manga-style illustrations by Shohei Otomo
Pink Tentacle has a selection of Manga-style illustrations by ballpoint pen artist, Shohei Otomo.
Japan: On How to Perceive the Japanese Web (Part Two)
Part Two and Part Three of this post highlights some of the discussions in the blogosphere and Twittersphere that followed the conterversial interview “The Japanese web is ‘disappointing': An interview with Mr. Mochio Umeda, summarized in Part One. [All links in this article link to Japanese content unless otherwise noted.]...
