Latest posts by Tomomi Sasaki from April, 2009
Japan: The Trouble with ‘Free’ Money
As part of an economic stimulus package, the Japanese government is spending two trillion JPY for cash handouts to boost consumer spending. To put it simply, all Japanese citizens and those registered as residents will receive 12,000 JPY, or 20,000 JPY for those under 18 or over 65, once they've lodged their application forms.
Japan: 50 Japanese Twitter Bots to Follow
From the weather in Tokyo to updates on what manga was published that day, Ascii.jp has posted a list of 50 Japanese Twitter bots to follow.
Japan: Petition for Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
Blogger akinori-i is asking people to sign an online petition that calls for tolerance from the media and the government for SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, following his arrest for drunken nudity.
Japan: New Publishing Models for Manga
Experimenting with new publishing models to overcome the decline of manga magazines, Shuho Sato has announced that he will be posting updates of “Say Hello to Black Jack (Sequel) – 新ブラックジャックによろしく” on his site one month after their publication in Weekly Big Comic Spirits.
Japan: Missile Launched. What to Believe?
On April 5th, North Korea launched a Taepo Dong 2 'rocket' that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government, media, and the blogosphere all had very different reactions.
Japan: Chalk Drawing of Ichiro Suzuki
WBC afterglow? A video of a portrait of Ichiro Suzuki drawn with sidewalk chalk by artist Phil Hansen has recently been making the rounds in the Japanese blogosphere.
Japan: “Missile” or “Flying Object”?
“Missile” or “flying object”? Yasuharu Dando has put together a page with screenshots of how the major Japanese newspapers have reported whatever it was that North Korea launched over Japan to accompany his blog post on the topic of wording for headlines. The page is temporary and will be taken...
Japan: Tokyo Marathon 2009
Tokyo Marathon 2009, the largest marathon event in Japan, was held on March 22nd. It felt like everyone in Tokyo knew someone who was competing or had wanted to, and with 226,378 applicants for 30,000 spots, that might not have been too far from the truth. Tokyo Marathon's official website...
