Stories about Japan from August, 2010
China: Beyond being second
Xie Guozhong from my1510 comments on China's rapid economic growth and stresses the need for economic adjustment for a healthy and sustainable economy in the long run.
Japan: Web Startups Present at WISH 2010
The second edition of the web industry event WISH was held on August 28th, and hundreds gathered to hear a panel discussion by industry leaders and 14 presentations by startup services.
Japan: Anime Director Satoshi Kon's Last Message
Anime director Satoshi Kon died of pancreatic cancer on August 24th, at the age of 46. Kon's final message that was posted to his website resonated with fans around the world that mourn his passing.
Japan: Execution chamber opened to the public
Adamu at Mutantfrog comments [en] on the opening of the execution chamber to the local media who were allowed to take a peek at the gallows [en] for the first time.
Japan: iPads in the Sumo stables
Steven Sande at TUAW reports [en] on the reasons that induced the Japan Sumo Association to distribute iPads to the “big-fingered sumo-wrestlers”. He says the aim is to make the internal communication process smoother after the scandals that hit the association [en] recently.
Japan: Eyebrows raised by China’s rise to number two
This month the Japanese government admitted that spending China has stolen its thunder becoming the second largest economy after the US. But this announcement hasn't surprised many Japanese people who had been expecting it to happen sooner or later, and has made many bloggers raise their eyebrows and say: so what?
Taiwan: Tell the difference between Yukata and Kimono
Famous comic blogger and Japanese culture observer JaeJae teaches us how to tell the difference[zht] between Yukata and Kimono, the two similar Japanese traditional garments.
Japan: Copyrights-free photos
In the looop recommends [ja/en] 19 websites that provide copyrights-free photos.
Japan: Photos by Astronaut Soichi Noguchi
The Slick blog is thrilled [ja] that a selection of photos by astronaut Soichi Noguchi will be published as an iPhone/iPad application. As @Astro_Soichi, Noguchi posted more than 600 photos to Twitter from space.
Japan: Hikikomori as a global issue
News that the Japanese word hikikomori was included in the newest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English prompted some bloggers to think of English equivalents of the word. Perhaps “shut-in”, one blogger offers. Hikikomori – Social withdrawal in Japan, Hiroshi Tomishige's blog about his experiences with hikikomori and thoughts...
Japan: Lost generation
Tanaka Hidetomi reflects [ja] on the meaning of lost generation (失われた世代) and the origin of such phenomenon.
Soviet History: “What Stalin Said About Hiroshima”
“What Stalin said about Hiroshima” to the U.S. Ambassador to the USSR on August 8, 1945 – at De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis (via LJ user oboguev, RUS).
Japan: Ogasawara Islands to be next UNESCO site?
With access limited to a chartered ship which sets sail once every six days or so, the Ogasawara Islands (小笠原諸島) are assuredly among the least accessible parts of Tokyo (where prefectural governing responsibility officially lies)! Home to a number of endemic species of wildlife and unique geological features, the islands...
Japan: Where taking a vacation is a no-no
Lying lazily in the shadow of an umbrella on a beach, being a tourist and wandering around the streets of an unknown city with a guide book in your hands, or just relaxing at home enjoying free time. These seem to be the trivial options for holidaymakers – that is, if they don't live in Japan.
Japan: A manga to celebrate the US-Japan alliance
Jamaipanese reports [en] that the US military in Japan have published the first chapter of a manga to celebrate 50 years of Japan-US alliance. The first chapter is titled “Our Alliance – A Lasting Partnership” and can be read online (Japanese only).
Japan: Incense
Martin J Frid from Kurashi has written several articles on the culture and tradition of incense: where to buy incense? ten virtues of incense and Japanese literature on incense.
Japan: Vintage Tokyo subway manner posters
Pinktenctacle exhibits a collection of artistic manner posters [en] that “appeared in the Tokyo subways between 1976 and 1982.”
Japan: Blogger roll-call
Yonasu shouts out [en] to a dozen of English writing bloggers, who used to be active in the Japanese blogosphere, but haven't posted anything in the last few months.
Japan: An ancient Roman at the Japanese public bath
What could two cultures as distant in time and space as ancient Rome and the modern Japan have in commom? Such a question might sound like a riddle to many but is actually what inspired manga author Mari Yamazaki to create Thermae Romae , a manga said to inaugurate a new genre - the ‘bath’ manga.
China: Visa tales
With all the economic growth in China over the past few decades and a growing number of global travelers to match, have visa requirements for Chinese citizens been adapting in step? Well-heeled journalist Chen Zikun shares his experiences, see if or how any of them compare to yours.
Japan: On A-Bomb Day, one minute of silence on twitter
Some twitter users will observe a minute of silence [ja] in remembrance of the victims of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 65 years ago [en]. No tweets will be posted on Friday 6 at 8:15 a.m. and on Monday 9 at 11:02 a.m. (local time).
