Latest posts by Scilla Alecci from October, 2008
Japan: Insiders foretell Yamato Life's bankruptcy on 2-Channel
The effects of the American subprime loan crisis have arrived in Japan, and the first company fall victim to the outfall is Yamato Life Insurance Co. The Japanese mid-size insurer filed for bankruptcy on the 10th of October and applied to the Tokyo District Court for bankruptcy protection. Many bloggers, however, have been writing about a different angle to the story: at a thread on 2-Channel, Japan's largest bulletin board, insiders apparently reported the bankruptcy before it actually happened.
Japan: Rikimaru Toho, the first manga narrating cantastoria
His stage name is Rikimaru Tōhō, he defines himself a “manga reader”, and for five years he has been enchanting hundreds of passersby with his performances in the suburbs of western Tokyo. A legendary performer, Rikimaru Tōhō's popularity is due not to TV or radio shows, but to his ability to modify his voice and play the parts of the characters in the stories he reads. Read some responses to Rikimaru's performances, and some passages from the manga reader's own blog.
Japan: Being a Geisha in the blog age
One of the most ancient professions in Japan, geisha are masters of all kinds of skills, from music to poetry, and from traditional dance to conversation. But today's geishas do more than this. Just as geisha in ancient times noted down everyday happenings and thoughts in their diaries, modern geisha artists today write diaries as well. Nowadays, however, they are also able to share them with their clients and fans, by posting them at their blogs.
