Stories about Japan from September, 2008
Japan: The Success of Saizeriya
Blogger teruyastar draws over 800 bookmarks [ja] with a post [ja] about why Saizeriya [ja], a Japanese fast-food restaurant chain that serves Italian meals, has been so successful in Japan. As reasons for the chain's success, teruyastar points out that Saizeriya's prices are very low (you can buy everything on...
Japan: TechCrunch50
Serkan Toto from Tokyotronic lists out 10 things he learned from the TechCrunch 50 conference 2008.
Japan: Idiomatic Expressions
You can pick up some Japan idiomatic expressions at Yuki Sakuma's blog post.
Japan: Nike buys out name of public park
Nike Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of sportswear multinational Nike, will turn a public park in central Tokyo, Miyashita Park, into what they call “Nike Park”. The naming rights have already been acquired from the Ward for about 150 million Yen, which will be paid over the next 5 years, and the go-ahead for the work was given last August. Bloggers give their thoughts about the move.
Japan: “Green” Manga Summit In Kyoto
Martin J Frid from Kurashi blogs about the tradition of using the screen or manga book to convey environmental messages in Japan. The main theme for the International Manga Summit in Kyoto this year was “Environmental Innovation”.
Japan: The Mixi Breakup
At Hatena's AnoymousDiary, a blogger writes about how his girlfriend broke up with him after finding out what he wrote about her on Mixi [ja], Japan's most popular social networking service. Within 20 minutes, the blogger writes, his girlfriend ended a relationship that had lasted a year. “I wrote a...
Japan: Street View's Missing Streets
The launch early last month of Google's Street View service in major Japanese cities brought with it considerable controversy and debate among Internet users. While that debate has since quieted down, another discussion has emerged in its wake, centered on a curious property of the new service that, as of yet, remains unexplained by the company that created it.
Japan: Bloggers debate Uesugi's Collapse of Journalism
In his new book “The Collapse of Journalism”, released in July, freelance journalist Takashi Uesugi strips down the murky Japanese media system and offers a glimpse inside. A former New York Times journalist and currently a contributor to numerous Japanese magazines and TV programs, Uesugi points out anomalies in Japanese journalism when compared with other democratic countries. Read responses from Japanese journalists and bloggers, translated in this post.
Japan: PM resignation starts Internet buzz, but was it real?
With less than a year spent in office, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda made a sudden announcement on live television last Monday night that he had decided to resign. While the PM's resignation on Monday came out of the blue to most observers, however, the buzz that followed on the Internet was even more of a surprise. Some writing in bulletin boards were asking: was the buzz fabricated?
Japan: I am different from you
A buzz phrase “I am different from you” made by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda during his resignation has inspired some new designs. More from Pink Tentacle.
Japan: Cup Ramen Museum
Peter Payne from Japundit blogs about the cup ramen museum in Osaka.
Japan: How much does a trip to Japan cost?
Some helpful travel tips from Ryuichui: How much does a trip to Japan cost?
Japan: Anonymous online forum for women
Shunichi Arai from Asiajin introduces a successful anonymous online forum for women in Japan.
Japan: More on Fukuda Resignation
Tobias Harris from Observing Japan gives more background information about the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Fukuda.
South Korea: Patriotic summer fashions
Matt from Gusts of popular feeling introduces some patriotic summer fashions in South Korea related to Dokdo.
Japan: Fukad resigns
Tobias Harris writes a brief comment on the breaking news about the Prime Minister Fukuda's resignation.
