Chris Salzberg · April, 2008

Latest posts by Chris Salzberg from April, 2008

Japan: Nagano red for Olympic torch relay

The Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay came to an end on Saturday without serious incident, but many Japanese bloggers who attended the event were left with lasting -- and often bitter -- impressions. With all the red flags, many bloggers pointed out how Nagano, for one day, seemed to transform into China.

28 April 2008

Japan: Twitter in Japanese, with ads

The new localized version of Twitter in Japanese has been launched, as reported by Joi Ito, Asiajin, and the Polar Bear Blog. The Japanese version, unlike the current English one,...

24 April 2008

Japan: About40, and what next?

Changing times in Japan are opening the door for a new style of television. "About40", aired for the first time on April 11th, has done something novel for a Japanese TV drama: aim at the age bracket of 35 to 45 year old women, and hit it big. The new drama targets the late-thirties demographic of single women who entered the work force during the 80s bubble, captured in the newly-coined term "arafo". Bloggers give their initial thoughts on the show, and provide their perspectives on being "arafo" in modern Japan.

20 April 2008

Japan: Why can't I be an anarchist?

Japanese university student Hasan at hasanhujairi[dot]com describes a class in which his professor, outlining the progression of the study of Economic History in Japanese academia, ends by telling his students:...

20 April 2008

Japan: Major Parties Cooperate to Legislate Regulation of “Harmful” Internet Content

Japanese bloggers have been making noise the past few days in reaction to two separate bills, submitted first by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) and next by the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), each aiming, in apparently similar ways, to legislate regulation over Internet content deemed to be "harmful" to minors (users under age 18). According to bloggers, the latest moves by government legislators, despite having received virtually no mainstream attention, constitute potentially the most extensive Internet regulation proposed thus far.

7 April 2008

Japan: Next generation advertising communication

Japanese blogger Tokuriki Motohiko at tokuriki.com reviews the book [ja] “Next generation advertising communication” (次世代広告コミュニケーション) by Yokoshima Ryuji [ja]. The book considers the gap between the methods of mass marketing...

7 April 2008

Japan: Blogs a dangerous business?

Japanese blogger Akihito at Shirokuma Nikki picks up a New York Times article about the stress of 24/7 blogging, reflecting on the attraction of blogs as a medium to connect...

7 April 2008

Japan: Otaku Research #1

Matt Alt at Neojaponisme translates a 1983 article by Japanese essayist Nakamori Akio, the first part of the “Otaku Research” series entitled “The City is Full of Otaku”, referring to...

3 April 2008

Japan: Was it lucky?

Akky at Asiajin reports on an interesting case of “lost in translation”. Chicago Cubs fans at a Major League opening game in Chicago, where Japanese baseball player Kosuke Fukudome made...

1 April 2008

Japan: The Rising Price of Food

It may seem like a cruel April Fool's joke, but it isn't: after dozens of years without change, the prices of many staple foods in Japan are set to rise steeply this month, following a trend that began with the price of bread. Bloggers offer their thoughts and concerns.

1 April 2008