110830

Noda seen safe choice to lead quake-hit Japan

by Reuters

Japan's next prime minister Yoshihiko Noda compares himself to a eel-like fish and admits his looks won't get him anywhere in popularity contests, but many say his calm and expertise are exactly what the nation needs at a time of crisis. Noda, until now finance minister in Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet, will take over as Japan's sixth leader in five years as the nation grapples with the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and a meltdown at a nuclear power station. The 54-year-old judo practitioner is considered a safe pair of hands and a stabilising influence after Kan's sometimes erratic and divisive rule. But doubts run deep about whether the advocate of fiscal responsibility and tax increases to contain Japan's bulging debt can overcome a divided parliament and deep rifts in his own party sufficiently to tackle a long list of economic ills. (Reuters)

110818

One dead, three missing after tour boat capsizes in central Japan

by channel6newsonline.com

A boat carrying 23 passengers capsized on Wednesday in central Japan, leaving one tourist dead and three people missing, local media said. The fire department in the city of Hamamatsu in western Shizuoka prefecture said the sightseeing boat capsized while going down the Tenryu River. The boat was carrying 23 people including the boatmen and a tour guide, according to NHK Television. 
A woman in her 70s was pronounced dead, while a 2-year-old boy, an 82-year-old man and a boatman are missing. Six other people were hospitalized, including one elderly woman who was unconscious. (channel6newsonline.com)

110814

Kyoto rejects ceremonial bonfire wood from Iwate over radiation fears

by Japan Today

Japan's former imperial capital of Kyoto apologized Saturday after rejecting wood from the tsunami-ravaged Pacific coast for a traditional bonfire festival over fears of radioactive contamination. For centuries, Kyoto has marked the end of a Buddhist holiday season, during which ancestors' souls are believed to return home, by setting giant bonfires on mountains. In modern times the event has been held every August 16, and Rikuzentakata, a city in Japan's northeast devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, last month offered Kyoto wood from pine trees uprooted by the waves. The double disaster left 2,140 people dead or missing in Rikuzentakata-about 10% of those who perished overall-and left only one of the 70,000 pine trees that once lined its scenic coastline standing. (Japan Today)

110813

Japan and South Korea's Rocky Row

by The Diplomat

Reports that Japan is considering taking the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute to the ICJ risk further inflaming tensions with South Korea. Neither side seems likely to give in. Questions over their status keep rearing their head. Known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, this nondescript, rocky group of islets seems to garner far more attention than their tiny size would seem to justify. Yet in South Korea, year after year, every perceived slight by the Japanese 'colonizers' is pored over in the media in near-microscopic detail. Such incidents are usually followed by the Japanese ambassador of the moment being summoned to the South Korean Foreign Ministry for 'clear the air' talks, with the usual rebuke securing blanket coverage in the nightly news. (The Diplomat)

110812

Hillsides of Kyoto to flame up with words

by Japan Times

The world's largest bonfires will illuminate the hillsides of Kyoto's surrounding mountains Aug. 16 bringing this year's Bon festival to a close. The Gozan no Okuribi, or ceremonial bonfires, are formed in the shapes of various Japanese characters. The most famous of these is lit on Mount Daimonji and takes the form of the kanji "dai," meaning "large." After that bonfire is set ablaze at around 8 p.m., four other gigantic fires are lit in approximately 10-minute intervals. By 8:30 p.m. all the hillsides will be alight, each lasting for about 30 minutes. (Japan Times)

110811

Japan's victims: surviving day by day

by ailovejapan.org

Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture -- It's 4:50 in the morning and golden rays of sunshine are already streaming through the glass block windows at the Shizugawa High School Judo Dojo. The sound of rustling blankets can be heard coming from one corner while sounds of snoring emanate from all around. The sliding metal door opens and closes as early risers tend to their morning business. There is no running water. Six portable toilets are lined up outside the dojo - three for women and three for men. A five-gallon plastic jug with a spout and a plastic bowl serve as a temporary sink. Soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels and a wastebasket sit next to the jug of water. Cleanliness is of the utmost importance to prevent the spread of germs and diseases. (ailovejapan.org)

110810

US grows version of pricey Japanese Kobe beef

by AP

Half a world away from the secretive farms that produce Japan's legendary Kobe beef, Jerry Wilson raises the American version of the meat that will become $50 steaks and $13 burgers. The chocolatey brown cattle at Wilson's Meadows Farm don't technically produce Kobe beef - that term is reserved for the Japanese super high-end cut famous for its succulent taste and eye-popping prices. Wilson calls his meat "American Style Kobe Beef." Other ranchers use similar names like "Kobe-style beef" or "wagyu beef," a reference to the breed of cattle. Whatever the name, domestic production of the pricey product has grown from practically nothing a dozen years ago to a flourishing boutique niche, with recent growth fueled in part by a ban on Japanese beef because of reports of foot-and-mouth disease. While American ranchers might not be able to match the mystique of Japanese Kobe and much of the domestic product is cross-bred, they say their product compares to the legendarily luscious stuff. (AP)

110809

Golf: Ryo Ishikawa went down fighting: victory goes to Adam Scott

by moderntokyotimes.com

Ryo Ishikawa came of age during the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament because for the first time he challenged all the way. The greatest players in the world were on show and the swagger of youth emerged on the American golfing scene and now the world knows that Ryo Ishikawa at such a tender age belongs to the elite of golf. Adam Scott from Australia played magnificently and nobody will begrudge him from lifting the Bridgestone Invitational trophy. Obviously, like the vast majority of individuals who reside in Japan and who follow golf, I had hoped that Ryo Ishikawa would have emerged victorious but Adam Scott played superb. Therefore, full credit to Adam Scott because the leaderboard was compact and any weakness would have told but he didn't flinch and just kept on pounding stunning shots. 

110807

Japan's meltdown is a tourist's delight?

by Global Post

Already burdened by the triple calamity of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear misadventure, Japan now faces a tourist meltdown as visitor numbers have halved since the March quake. Japan's difficulty, however, is proving to be the traveler's opportunity. Hotels have slashed their rates in a bid to draw back some of the 8.6 million people that visited in 2010. Numbers were down drastically March to June, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) but are picking up slightly. An estimated 433,100 foreign tourists visited Japan in June, down 36.0 percent from a year earlier but slower than the previous three months' year-on-year falls of more than 50 percent, says the government. (Global Post)

110806

Summer heat stifles Tokyo as Japan rebuilds economy

by VOA News

The Japanese economy was hit hard by the huge earthquake in March, with the twin disasters of the tsunami and the ensuing crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant impacting severely on economic output. Industry bosses are counting on the reconstruction effort to stimulate demand in the coming months. The summer commute in Tokyo is even more stifling this year. A power shortage means air conditioners are being switched off. As temperatures build to the mid-30s centigrade, bosses have ordered workers to abandon their normally ubiquitous jackets and ties. Companies and households are being asked to slash power consumption by 15 per cent. Latest figures show the Japanese are complying - electricity demand has so far peaked at only 88 per cent of supply. (VOA News)

110804

Lesser lights shine amid Fuji Rock rains

by Japan Times

When U.S. act Washed Out hit the Red Marquee stage on Friday night, that's when the Fuji Rock Festival 2011 really began to get going. Coming off a drab performance at May's Freaks Festival that left many disappointed, singer Ernest Greene was determined to prove that it was just a freak accident, and was boldly wearing the May festival's T-shirt like a statement of intent. Greene swaggered through the band's set with a level of confidence unbecoming of his status as chillwave's poster boy, urging the crowd to "jump, jump!" through disco'd-up versions of "You'll See It" and "Eyes Be Closed." (Japan Times)

110803

Japanese astronomy pushes on after hard year

physorg.com

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From faulty spacecraft to two damaged facilities, the past year has been a tough year for Japan's astronomical programs. Yes despite the setbacks, Japan has already begun working to fix every problem they've faced in this difficult year. The troubles started late last year as Japan's Venus exploring spacecraft, Akatsuki failed to properly enter orbit around Venus. Ultimately, the failure was blamed on a faulty valve that didn't allow the thruster to fire for the full length of the burn necessary to transfer into the correct orbit. Instead, the craft is now in a wide orbit around the Sun. The organization in charge of the probe, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced earlier this month that they will "attempt to reignite the damaged thruster nozzle" and, if the test goes well, can try again for an orbital insertion in November 2015. (physorg.com)

110802

SKorea bans Japanese lawmakers in row over islets

by AP

South Korea has banned three Japanese lawmakers from entering the country after they arrived at a Seoul airport in an attempt to travel near disputed islands. South Korea's foreign ministry said Monday that the lawmakers from Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party were stopped when they tried to leave Seoul's Gimpo airport. The lawmakers had planned to visit an island that sits close to a set of outcroppings called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese that are claimed by both countries. (AP)