Stories about Japanese from December, 2012
Japan's Kanji of the Year 2012
The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation has announced the kanji of the year 2012 is gold (金) on December 12, 2012. How do netizens conceive this announcement and how do they look back this year?
Japan's Independent Film Theaters are Disappearing
One after the other, independent movie theaters are going out of business in Japan. The wave of closing theaters has changed Tokyo's street scenes, people who gathered and spent their time at these old theaters, have lost their place.
Police Accuses “2channel” for Assisting in Drug Trade
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sent papers on Hiroyuki Nishimura, the founder and former operator of Japan's popular online bulletin board “2channel” [ja] to prosecutors on December 20 2012, accusing him of helping in the solicitation of the narcotics trade, Jiji Press reported. @Ikalga commented [ja] on Twitter that accusing...
Film Festival on Organic Farming in Japan
The international Film Festival on Organic Farming was held in Satta Hall at Hosei University in Tokyo, December 16, 2012. One participant ama_san [ja] commented on Twitter: Yesterday I went to the International Film Festival on Organic Farming. I was surprised to learn about the power of soil. This day and age, we...
Election Laws Hinder Japan's Political Online Activity
While Japanese citizens enjoy considerable Internet freedom, in times of election, things are little different due to Public Offices Election Act that restricts publication of political messages.
Hashtag Criticising Mass Media Trending in Tokyo
Former Sankei Newspaper journalist Sumio Yamagiwa, organized an online campaign to tweet #マスコミ断罪 [ja], a hashtag criticising Japanese mass media for its biased reporting. The hashtag was a trending topic amongst Japanese twitter users, roughly around 9 PM to 11 PM on December 12, 2012
Japan's First Live Streamed Political Debate
On November 29, 2012, Nico Nico Douga hosted Japan's first live-streamed political debate. Presidents from ten different parties joined the debate, which faced its own unique challenges.
Standing Up for Stalking Victims in Japan
Forty-nine different groups that campaign to end violence against women came together and made a joint statement on November 19, 2012 calling for concrete measures to support stalking victims and prevent homicide by stalkers in Japan. The statement was made after an incident on November 6 in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, where a woman was stabbed and killed by her stalker ex-boyfriend. The victim had asked the police for help four times, but was turned down each time due to lack of legally permissible evidence.
