Latest posts by Hanako Tokita from May, 2007
Japan: Listen to the voices of the Tokyo fire bombing victims
112 people, including the victims and their families of the 1945 Tokyo fire bombing, are suing the Japanese goverment for an official apology and 1.2 billion yen compensation. On March 24, a trial hearing was held at the Tokyo District Court and blogger tokyodo-2005 urges that more attention should be...
Japan: Mail from Henoko
dr.stonefly reprints an email sent by an activist in Henoko, urging the readers to take direct action in the protest against the marine survey. The email describes a fierce collision between the authorities and the peaceful demonstrators on boats and canoes. [Ja]
Which father is my real father?: Japan's 300-day rule
In early May, the Japanese government announced that it will take a special measure to recognise children born within 300 days of their mother's divorce, given that the mothers became pregnant after divorce. This announcement came after a group of divorced women with children raised the issue on the current...
Japan: Japanese 30-somethings not happy
shigeto2004 refers to and gives an analysis on the result of an online survey conducted by Japanese newspaper Yomiuri on workers in their 30s. This entry is followed by an active thread of responses. [Ja]
Civil movements in Japan and Korea
kenzo , an architect actively involved in an anti-gentrification movement in the Shimokitazawa area of Tokyo, talks about his recent experience of receiving a group of enthusiastic urban planning students from Korea. He describes the crosscultural conversation he had with the students on the topic of the differences between civil...
Japan: “Battle in Henoko”: Self-Defense Forces sent to Henoko to suppress protesters
GVO previously reported about a protest against the construction of a new heliport in Henoko Bay, Okinawa last week. Blogger dr-stonefly quotes news broadcast on Nippon TV that the Japanese government has decided to send the Self-Defense Forces to put down the protesters. [Ja]
Japan: On PM Abe's Yasukuni offering
Japanese blogger shigeto2004 comments on PM Abe's recent offering of “masakaki” to Yasukuni shrine during the shrine's spring festival last month. He also criticises the ambiguity of the series of statements the PM has made over the past months. [Ja]
Japan: “Parental Studies”
The Japanese government has recently come up with a proposal for introducing so-called “oyagaku”, or parental education, as part of its education al reform program. Japanese MP Hosaka Nobuto criticises this recent movement mainly supported by some conservative groups and argues that the state has no place in the nation's...
Japan: Precariat May Day march sparks debate
On April 30, among many other May Day gatherings, “MayDay for Freedom and Lives” took place in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Subtitled “Resistance of the Precariat”, over 400 people including freeters, part timers, day labourers and homeless, who live with neither security nor stability, participated in this May Day event. Over the...
Government campaign for “Beautiful Japan”
Blogger tokyodo-2005 came up with a rough estimate for the amount of money spent by the Japanese government (Ja) on an advertisement that recently appeared in major newspapers. The ad asks Japanese citizens to submit their ideas about what they think is “the essence of beautiful Japan”.
