Stories about East Asia from September, 2008
Japan: Missing Pieces in Tainted Rice Scandal
The latest food scandal making headlines in Japan revolves on the nation's staple commodity: rice, one of only a small handful of foods for which the country achieves almost complete self-sufficiency. Bloggers discuss the roots of the latest food scandal, and one blogger points out holes in media's reporting on the issue.
Philippines: Contaminated milk from China
Filipino Journalist and blogger Ellen Tordesillas reports that contaminated milk products from China are being sold too in a public market in Manila.
Philippine blog awards 2008
The winners of the Philippine blog awards 2008. The blog of journalist and GV author Tonyo is Best News and Media blog of the year.
Successful Barcamp Phnom Penh 2008
Participants were impressed over the broad range of topics in the 2008 Barcamp Phnom Penh. Check also Twitter updates of the event.
Indonesia-made aircraft
Little-known fact: Several Indonesia-made aircrafts are still being used in the Philippines, Malaysia and Pakistan.
Taiwan: the need for mother tongue education
Talking Taiwanese has written a long essay on the importance of mother tongue education. He discusses how the Taiwanese language is neglected in the education system and the implications this has for students’ academic achievement and the future survival of the language.
Taiwan:Cairo Declaration and Taiwan's status
It is almost 65 years since the Cairo Declaration. Jerome Keating looks at the rhetoric of it and asks why the status of Taiwan remains undetermined after all this time.
Korea: Teachers and Education
On the 15th of September, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MEST) announced that they will make public the number of teachers who joined Korean Teachers & Education Workers’ Union (KTU) at each school after the MEST agreed to open international secondary schools on the 4th of September. The...
Blogger of the Week: Leonard Chien
Today's Blogger of the Week series introduces us to Leonard Chien, English-Chinese translator and interpreter from Taiwan, and a Lingua powerhouse for Global Voices. When asked what he would chose for a superpower he said “May I increase my translation rates?” So what more can we learn about Leonard than his love for translating? Read more to find out.
Singapore bans imported milk from China
Singapore Dutch lady brand of strawberry flavored milk was found with melamine, the same chemical which caused several injuries and death in China. Imported milk from China is now banned in Singapore. A blogger writes: “As a testament to how inter-linked the world now is and how processed many foods...
Another Malaysian blogger arrested
Malaysian blogger Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, better known as Kickdefella, was arrested by the police because of his online campaign to fly the Malaysian flag upside down. The blogger was released Saturday afternoon.
Vietnam: Dishonest gas stations
Some gas stations in Saigon are cheating their customers, Saigonnezumi writes.
Brunei: Abandoned children
A campaign to help three children who were abandoned by their parents was recently launched in Brunei.
China: Milk Contamination to Catalyze Consumer Awareness
Rich from Crossroad points out some potential positive impacts of the poisonous milk scandal on consumer awareness.
Japan: DVD release by Politician Yuri Fujikawa
The upcoming release [ja] of a DVD featuring 27-year-old Japanese politician Yuri Fujikawa [藤川 優里], member of the Hachinohe city [八戸市] assembly in Aomori Prefecture [青森県], is all the talk in the forums [ja]. Back when she first joined office in January of this year, Fujikawa was called “too beautiful”...
Japan: The Unhealthy Image of “Ladylike”
Japanese blogger Miyakichi at Miyakichi Nikki writes about why the image of ladylike beauty in the world today so unhealthy [ja], tracing the preference for pale skin, 40cm waists and high heels back to the histories of Europe, America and China and connecting them to modern styles in Japan.
Japan: Wire Free Gadgets Network Bloggers Meeting
The Agile Media Network blog has a post [ja] about a bloggers meeting in Tokyo's Shiodome area on September 29th, organized by NTT Communications, on the theme of “Wire Free Gadgets Network”. Doors open at 19.00 and the event starts at 19.30. There is no admission fee, but people interested...
China: 2008 Beijing Paralympics Ends
Allen blogs about the closing ceremony of 2008 Beijing Paralympics at the Fool's Mountain.
Japan: Virtual Boyfriends Social Network
Akky Akimoto introduces a very distinctive social network game in Japan called Web-Kare – virtual boyfriends social network.
China: Why Did I Publish The Name Sanlu?
A reporter blogger tells the readers that the poisonous milk powder issue had been reported in some local newspapers for a period of time, and he is the first reporter who decided to publish the brand name “Sanlu”. ESWN translated his post at Tianya, which gives details about local reporters’...
Japan: The End of OhmyNews Japan
At the end of August, 2008, OhmyNews, the citizen journalism site from South Korea that entered the Japanese market in 2006 with much fanfare, closed its doors. First officially announced on February 22, 2006, and launched shortly thereafter with help from the Japanese media giant Softbank and an investment contract valued at 1.3 billion yen, OhmyNews had a rough ride in Japan right from the beginning. Bloggers reflect on the rise and fall of the Japanese citizen journalism project.
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