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Welcome to the very first edition of the Japan Zone, the newsletter
of the Japan Zone website. The purpose of this newsletter is to
provide interesting and useful info on recent developments in
Japan, cool Japan-related websites, updates to the Japan Zone
site and occasional giveaways. We are currently in the middle
of the Golden Week holiday here and hopefully this newsletter
will have a golden future.
Contents
1. What's going on in Japan
2. True crimes
3. Just between you and me...
4. Japanese stars in the Major Leagues
5. Websites we like
6. Are you a Naive Lady?
7. Japan Zone updates
8. I stiiiiiill haven't found what I'm looking for...
9. Unsubscribe
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1. What's going on in Japan
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The biggest news of the last few weeks has been the election of
a new Prime Minister and his selection of a new cabinet. Koizumi
Junichiro is seen as perhaps the last hope of the long-dominant
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japanese people have very
high expectations of him. A Yomiuri Shimbun poll showed an approval
rating of 87.1 percent for the new cabinet, a record high and
a stark contrast to the single-figure rating given to his predecessor
Mori Yoshiro. Koizumi also broke new ground by appointing five
women to his cabinet, including the hugely popular Tanaka Makiko
as Foreign Minister. Tanaka has inherited the fiery tongue and
charisma of her father, the late PM Tanaka Kakuei and these qualities
have made her a regular people's choice for the top spot but also
created many enemies in the geriatric crony-filled LDP. (see Time
Magazine link below)
In the latest development in a case that has received attention
worldwide over the last 20 years, the Osaka High Court found the
central and Kumamoto prefectural governments responsible for failing
to prevent the spread of the Minamata disease in the 1950s. The
disease, which resulted from the discharge of mercury- contaminated
wastewater in Minamata Bay by Chisso Corp, killed hundreds of
people and sickened over a thousand others. In 1996 the central
government urged plaintiffs to agree to an out-of- court settlemant
in return for accepting that the central government bore no responsibility.
In this latest ruling, several dozen plaintiffs who had not been
officially recognized as Minamta victims were awarded payments
of up to 8.5 million yen each. The amount is considerably less
than demanded but the true significance lies in their official
recognition; some 15,000 other people have so far been refused
this status of whom about 10,000 accepted the 1996 settlement.
The high-profile Lucie Blackman investigation looks to be coming
to a close, but with a less than satisfactory ending. 48-year
old Tokyo businessman Obara Joji was indicted on charges of raping
and fatally drugging Blackman in July of last year. Thousands
of video tapes found at Obara's beachside condo in Zushi, Kanagawa
prefecture showed him raping hundreds of other drugged women over
almost 20 years. He is also charged with fatally drugging Australian
Carita Ridgway. A major breakthrough in the investigation came
in February when Blackman's dismem- bered remains were found in
a cave close to Obara's condo. Blackman's father and sister visited
Japan at that time, and on several other occasions, and succeeded
in focussing the media spotlight on the case. But in spite of
the mountain of evidence, police sources say it's probably not
enough to indict Obara on a murder charge. They say it is difficult
to prove his intent to kill because of a lack of witnesses and
the advanced state of decomposition of the body. Obara has pleaded
not guilty to all charges, claiming the sex was consensual.
The struggling economy is still a cause for concern. Perhaps partly
reflecting downturns in the US and elsewhere, some 70 percent
of major businesses think the Japanese economy is stagnant, according
to a Yomiuri Shimbun poll. This is in contrast with a poll taken
last November, when over two thirds thought things were getting
better. Price wars continue relent- lessly, so with things like
cheaper phone calls (8.5 yen and falling for 3 minutes), gyudon
(250 yen for a steaming bowl of boiled beef on rice, with miso
soup) and clothes (the hugely successful Uniqlo chain sells good
quality t-shirts, fleece jackets etc at low prices) things look
pretty good for your average consumer, like myself. Having lived
in a country with almost 18 percent unemployment (Ireland, early
1980s) as opposed to Japan's 5 or so percent, all I can say is
"What recession?"
There seems to have been a surge in the number of knife attacks
around the country over the last week or so. Several fatalities,
in Osaka, Nagano and Tokyo, have hit the headlines. Some have
taken place during robberies but others have been random attacks.
Thankfully, shootings seem still generally restricted to the yakuza.
The city of Saitama was born on May 1, becoming the 10th largest
in the country. It was formed with the merging of Urawa, Omiya
and Yono cities and has a population of 1.03 million
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2. True crimes
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A 38-year old man was in arrested on April 28 in Wakayama prefecture
for keeping his mother confined for 7 years. He claimed it was
revenge for her having commited him to a mental hospital15 years
ago.
An 18-year-old Tokyo girl was arrested on April 29 on suspicion
of keeping the body of her newborn baby in a desk drawer for three
months. The body was discovered by her mother who went into her
daughter's bedroom to investigate a strange smell.
34 people were arrested in the first three months since an anti-
stalking law was introduced last November. About 92 percent of
the victims were women.
Car thefts totalled more than 50 billion yen last year and arrest
rates are only around 20 percent, embarrassingly low for the Japanese
police, who pride themselves on their impressive arrest record.
Tokyo police are in a flurry trying to increase the number of
detention cells for women. The number of female detainees has
increased by almost 300 perent in the last decade to 78,000 in
2000.
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3. Just between you and me...
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I'll try to scan the gossip shows on TV for any interesting stories
involving the better-known celebs and include links to profiles
on the Japan Zone or other sites. Nothing too juicy for you this
time. Hopefully I'll be able to drag up more 'dirt' next time.
Super-idol Kudoh Shizuka (31), wife of SMAP-ster and perennial
"sexiest man in Japan" Kimura Takuya (28), gave birth to their
first child on May 1. They named their new daughter Kokomi.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/tv_star.shtml#smap http://www.slip.net/~innhel/K/KudoShizuka.html
(Basic fan page)
Music producer and super-ego Komuro Tetsuya (42) married 4-month
pregnant singer Yoshida Masami (26), one of his many prodigies.
It is Komuro's second marriage.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/pop.shtml#90s
Morning Musume leader Nakazawa Yuuko (28) has quit the group to
pursue a solo career.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/musician.shtml#musume
Sayaka, the 14-year old daughter of pop super-idol Matsuda Seiko
(39), launched her career with much fanfare. She is currently
appearing in a soft drink commercial.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/musician.shtml#seiko
The manager of singer/actor Tahara Toshihiko (40) was discovered
to have claimed responsibility for the illegal parking of the
star's car on a Tokyo street. He said he wanted to keep Tahara's
name out of the papers.
http://www.hitvibe.co.jp/tahara/ (Official site - Japanese only)
Actress Hirosue Ryoko (20) is to star in the upcoming Luc Besson
movie 'Wasabi'. Set in Paris, Tokyo and Kyoto, the movie will
also star Jean Reno, hugely popular in Japan. The French actor's
warm praise reduced the starlet to tears at the official press
conference in Tokyo.
http://www.ryoko-hirosue.org/ (Official site - Japanese only)
Oricon CD Single Chart Ranking (May 1)
1. Glay -Global Communication
2. 19 - Ashiato (Footprints)
3. Chemistry - Pieces of a Dream
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4. Japanese stars in the Major Leagues
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The April achievements of Japanese baseball players in the US
have featured heavily in the sports newspapers and prime time
TV. In particular, the Seattle Mariners pair of Suzuki Ichiro
and Sasaki Kazuhiro have proven that Japan's best can compete
on the same level as their American counterparts. Ichiro (known
simply by his first name) has continued from where he left off
in Japan, where he won 7 straight batting championships, and shown
that he is one of the best natural players in the game. Sasaki
is known in Japan as the Big Genie for his ability to work his
magic and close out just about every game he enters. He set a
new Major League record of 13 saves in April. Other highlights
include a no-hitter by Boston Red Sox pitcher Nomo Hideo and the
swagger (if not the batting) of occasional New York Mets outfielder
Shinjo Tsuyoshi. (see Japan Zone updates below)
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5. Websites we like
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TIME Magazine
Always includes features on Japan in its Asian edition. Some of
the recent ones I enjoyed:
Read about the expectations for new prime minister Koizumi Junichiro
and an interview with the man himself.
http://time.com/time/asia/news/magazine/0,9754,108016,00.html
Or there's the 'Geishas & Godzillas' photo essay on how the world
sees Japan.
http://time.com/time/asia/photoessays/jv_film042601/frame1.html
Or one girl's views on the Japanese schoolgirl protitution phenomenon,
known euphemistically as 'enjo kosai' (paid dating)
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/sex/sexenjo.html
Japan Today
http://www.japantoday.com
A relative newcomer to the news scene, this site is run by the
hardened pros who have been churning out the Tokyo Classified
free magazine since the early 90s. The top page is chock full
of up to the minute news and features, which makes it a bit slow
to load. Okay, I'm just jealous!
Japan Reference
http://www.japanreference.com
An English-language directory site that lists thousands of Japan
related sites. Well organized and pretty comprehensive.
Absolute Japan
http://phototravels.net/japan/photo-gallery/
A guy called Frantisek Staud has a site to show off the photos
he's taken on his travels. This section has tons of wonderful
photos of Japan.
2002 Upfront
http://www.2002upfront.com/
As you probably know, the World Cup is coming to Japan (and Korea)
next year. This fairly new but growing site is in English and
run by members of the Tokyo-based British Football Club.
ELT News: the site for English teachers in Japan
http://www.eltnews.com/
I have to be honest and say that I'm an investor in the company
that runs this website! But that having been said, it is the best
site of its kind. If you're an English teacher in Japan or one
of the thousands thinking about becoming one, this site is an
invaluable resource.
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6. Are you a Naive Lady?
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Most people who've been to Japan have been struck by the bizarre
usage of English here, whether it's in restaurant menus, ad copy
or product names. Some weirdly-named products even manage to stick
around for years and survive all attacks of ridicule.
A snack consisting of a biscuit tube filled with chocolate that
looks like a section of your...'Collon'
Toilet paper for the not-so-worldly female...'Naive Lady'
A mouth-wateringly mysterious chocolate bar..'Vessel in the Fog'
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7. Japan Zone updates
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I only added the newsletter subscription feature in April so most
of you will have seen the site fairly recently. Recently added
content includes:
For profiles of Ichiro and some of the other baseball players
doing their thing in the US, check out the Sports Stars section:
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/sports_star.shtml
During April, I added a bunch of new photos to the various galleries.
I was also delighted to receive a few from Terry Hastings, a guy
in Australia who came across the site. https://www.japan-zone.com/gallery/index.html
I also added a guestbook and if you haven't signed it yet, why
not take a moment to do so. https://www.japan-zone.com/guestbook.html
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8. I stiiiiiill haven't found what I'm looking for...
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The site has such a wide variety of content that there's most
probably lots you haven't seen. If ever you don't find what you're
looking for, let me know. It might be on the site somewhere or
I may be able to help you track it down. I've recently been able
to help out: a lady who was trying to remember the name of a Japanese
movie star she met in Canada 30 years ago - he's now a popular
politician; a guy looking for info on cartoon anarchist Crayon
Shinchan; a student who wanted to know about the correct Japanese
etiquette for going up and down stairs when arriving at or leaving
a business meeting (sometimes I can learn a thing or two myself).
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9. Unsubscribe
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Hopefully you've been able to get something out of this, my first
effort. If not, or if you ever want to stop receiving it temporarily,
you can unsubscribe easily. Just click the link below.
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