Stories about Japanese from April, 2008
Japan: Nagano red for Olympic torch relay
The Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay came to an end on Saturday without serious incident, but many Japanese bloggers who attended the event were left with lasting -- and often bitter -- impressions. With all the red flags, many bloggers pointed out how Nagano, for one day, seemed to transform into China.
Japan: Twitter in Japanese, with ads
The new localized version of Twitter in Japanese has been launched, as reported by Joi Ito, Asiajin, and the Polar Bear Blog. The Japanese version, unlike the current English one, includes advertisements, and there is a plan to eventually export these ads back to the English version.
Japan: Where has all the butter gone?
Where is the butter? — cry Japanese consumers who have been hunting everywhere for the dairy product. The drastic reduction in raw milk production, complicated by hikes in the price of grain as well as changes in the global patterns of dairy product consumption, have caused a serious butter shortage...
Japan: Love and Hate Story of the Mascot Character, “Sento-kun”
Creepy?! Ugly?! Sacrilegious?! Not many people are happy about the mascot character for the Commemorative Events of the 1300th Anniversary of the Nara-Heijyoko Capital to be held in 2010. The character was designed by a sculptor and professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, Satoshi Yabuuchi, who is one of...
Japan: About40, and what next?
Changing times in Japan are opening the door for a new style of television. "About40", aired for the first time on April 11th, has done something novel for a Japanese TV drama: aim at the age bracket of 35 to 45 year old women, and hit it big. The new drama targets the late-thirties demographic of single women who entered the work force during the 80s bubble, captured in the newly-coined term "arafo". Bloggers give their initial thoughts on the show, and provide their perspectives on being "arafo" in modern Japan.
Japan: Thoughts on the Tachikawa flier case
Japanese blogger Dr-Seton describes an urban legend [ja] about children in public housing who were kept inside, only allowed out to play in a small park. When one day the children were let free outside, rather than run around, they stuck to a very small space. He uses this story...
Japan: Architect bloggers stand against redevelopment plan
One of the most prominent modern architectural works in Japan is facing possible demolition. Japan Post, privatized last October, announced last year its plan to build a 200m building in place of the current structure, and part of the plan is scheduled to be carried out as early as May....
Japan: Major Parties Cooperate to Legislate Regulation of “Harmful” Internet Content
Japanese bloggers have been making noise the past few days in reaction to two separate bills, submitted first by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) and next by the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), each aiming, in apparently similar ways, to legislate regulation over Internet content deemed to be "harmful" to minors (users under age 18). According to bloggers, the latest moves by government legislators, despite having received virtually no mainstream attention, constitute potentially the most extensive Internet regulation proposed thus far.
Japan: Next generation advertising communication
Japanese blogger Tokuriki Motohiko at tokuriki.com reviews the book [ja] “Next generation advertising communication” (次世代広告コミュニケーション） by Yokoshima Ryuji [ja]. The book considers the gap between the methods of mass marketing and those of Internet advertising, a gap which, from his one year of experience at the Agile Media Network, Tokuriki...
Japan: Blogs a dangerous business?
Japanese blogger Akihito at Shirokuma Nikki picks up a New York Times article about the stress of 24/7 blogging, reflecting on the attraction of blogs as a medium to connect with other people, to immediately access responses to your own thoughts, and in some cases to reach a broad level...
Japan: Family registry system and same-sax couples
Blogger Maruyama Teruno discusses the gay-unfriendly nature of the Japanese family registry system, referred to as koseki, and argues that the system lacks consideration for the privacy of individuals. Even if partnership law was implemented but the current family registry system remained the same, it could potentially violate the privacy...
Japan: 7th Tokyo Pride Parade announced
7th Tokyo Pride Parade (TTP7th) has been announced and the official blog [jp]has been launched. Scheduled for August 9, the theme for this year's TPP is “matsuri”, or festival in Japanese.
Japan in full bloom
Spring has come to Japan with the first cherry blossoms of the year. People anxiously wait for the blossom forecast announced by the Meteorological Agency, while marking their calendar for the best day for blossom viewing (hanami). As the cherry blossoms front (sakurazensen) moved northwards, the cherry trees started blooming...
Japan: New Internet regulation bill sparks reactions from bloggers
A new legislative bill aiming to regulate access to “harmful” web content by minors (under age 18), presented to a government panel on March 19th by LDP member Takaichi Sanae (高市早苗), has sparked criticism from Japanese bloggers. Apparently worded by Japan's National Police Agency, the new bill proposes to make...
Japan: The Rising Price of Food
It may seem like a cruel April Fool's joke, but it isn't: after dozens of years without change, the prices of many staple foods in Japan are set to rise steeply this month, following a trend that began with the price of bread. Bloggers offer their thoughts and concerns.
