Scilla Alecci · September, 2010

Latest posts by Scilla Alecci from September, 2010

Japan: “Our Park” a documentary about Tokyo's Nike Miyashita Park

  26 September 2010

Directors Emil Langballe and Maria Samoto le Dous produced a documentary titled Our Park [en] about Tokyo's Miyashita Park [en], which is also called Nike Park [en] after sportswear multinational Nike bought its naming rights in 2008. The film focuses on the group of artists and activists who have been...

Japan: Relics of a US Army-Air Force base

  25 September 2010

Ruins explorer and novelist Michael John Grist documented through pictures [en] what remains of Camp Drake, a joint US Army/Air Force base in Saitama (north of Tokyo) active until the 1970's.

Japan: A new cabinet, again

  19 September 2010

Tobias Harris at observingjapan comments [en] on the new cabinet that was formed after Prime Minister Kan won the DPJ party leadership election last week.

Japan: Welcoming Karen refugees

  15 September 2010

Adamu at Mutantfrog reported the news [en] that by the end of September a group of 27 Karen refugees, natives of Burma, will resettle in Japan. The blogger also investigates the issue of refugees in Japan.

Japan: Reflections on normality

  14 September 2010

Kei999 reflects [ja] upon the meaning of normality. In a post titled “Is ‘normal’ ‘right'?” the blogger takes into consideration various issues such as homosexuality and the practice called fūfu bessei (that would allow [en] couples to keep their surnames after marriage).

Japan: Drinkommunication, when drinking alcohol is a social obligation

  12 September 2010

Alcohol in Japan it is often used as a social lubricant in a society that still sees a gap between one's real feelings and intention and what one says on social occasions. And according to many, it is with a glass of beer or sake in hand that a new type of franker communication may occur, or a 'drinkommunication'.

Japan: Ancient medical woodblock prints

  6 September 2010

Pinktentacle published [en] some images of a health-themed woodblock prints collection that dates back to the 19th century. The series of 400 prints is maintained by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and “offers a unique look at Japanese medical knowledge in the late Edo and early Meiji periods.”

Japan: Run Uncle Yamashita!

  5 September 2010

A 62-year-old Japanese man, known as uncle Yamashita, rollerbladed across the United States from the east to the west coast. During his 6000 km journey he tweeted @kenyamashita62 [ja] and was in contact with his supporters through Facebook [ja, en]. A group of friends also followed his adventure at two...