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You'll have to excuse this issue being a bit late. I've been very
preoccupied over the last couple of weeks with the birth of my
daughter. She's our first child and the experience has been magical,
if somewhat daunting and, for my wife, exhausting. Anyway, little
Chihiro Fiona sends her regards to you all!
It's sad that our child was born into a world focussed on war.
The situation in Afghanistan, debate over Japan's level of involvement
and the future of its peace constitution still dominate the news.
Fears of mad cows, nuclear power plants and "sangokujin" have
been on the increase. On the plus side, Ichiro's hero status has
been confirmed and even in a recession theme parks pull in the
crowds. And the biggest domestic news story of the year, well
it should be born any day now. Crown Princess Masako is due to
have her first baby any day (but we got there first!).
Mark McBennett
Webmaster, Japan Zone
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Contents
1. What's going on in Japan
2. Sports news
3. Gei-noh news
4. Links we like
5. Japan Zone updates
6. Unsubscribe
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1. What's going on in Japan
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A flotilla of ships from the Maritime Self Defense Force have
been sent in two groups to the Indian Ocean to provide logistic
and noncombat support to the US-led operation in Afghanistan.
The groups comprise three destroyers, two supply ships and a minesweeper.
Divided opinions within the government on the dispatch of a fourth,
Aegis-equipped destroyer meant that it was shelved. The fear was
that the presence of the advanced air-defense and intelligence-gathering
system, fitted only on Japanese and US ships, could lead to Japan's
use of force, prohibited by the constitution. The existing four
Aegis destroyers (two more are planned) are part of the current
5-year defense build-up plan. The ships, each costing 140 billion
yen, are armed with a system capable of taking on ten airborne
targets at once.
There were two potentially disastrous accidents at a nuclear power
plant in Shizuoka Prefecture early in the month. The accidents
occured just after a regular inspection had started. The reactor
is of the older light-water type built in the 1970s. Worryingly,
though this and previous accidents are believed to have been due
to the aging of equipment, the government plans to double to operational
lifetime of nuclear plants from 30 to 60 years, due to a lack
of sites for new facilities. In a related story, the residents
of Miyamacho in Mie Prefecture voted in a referendum against allowing
a nuclear power plant in their town. There were no existing plans
for a plant but, as this result echoes those of two previous votes,
it damages the central government's pro-nuclear policy.
New rules have been introduced to ease restrictions on police
officers, who routinely carry handguns, using their weapons. For
example, a rule stating that officers should prioritize the use
of a baton for self defense has been removed. The changes were
made in response to the increase in the number of police injured
or killed on duty.
Yanagida Daigen (37), the Tokyo-based freelance journalist held
by the Taliban as a suspected spy, has returned to Japan. Yanagida
was held for almost a month but said he was well cared for and
never feared for his life. He criticized the ongoing military
operation in Afghanistan and said he would like to return to the
country.
Just when it seemed to be fading away, mad cow disease made a
dramatic comeback with the discovery of a second infected animal.
The five-year old dairy cow was from a farm in Hokkaido. The beef
industry, already reeling, was one of three major areas targeted
in an extra budget for fiscal 2001. The others were rising unemployment
and combatting terrorism.
PM Koizumi has been making more concrete statements recently about
his reform plans. The main target has been road construction,
one of the biggest examples of Japan's postwar pork barrel politics.
Four public corporations will be integrated, then split up and
privatized. They will also receive no more public funds from fiscal
2002. Existing projects will be reexamined and possibly frozen.
Other bodies whose days seem numbered include the Housing Loan,
Urban Development and National Oil Corporations. Koizumi made
history by forging a consensus among the ruling coalition on the
reform of the previously untouchable corporations.
The Tokyo District Court dismissed a claim by an American journalist
that Asahi Bank racially discriminated against him by refusing
to accept his application for a housing loan. Steven Herman (41)
a former president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan,
had filed a damages suit demanding 11 million yen in compensation.
Noting that Asahi Bank also basically refuses housing loans to
overseas Japanese, Presiding Judge Takashi Otake said, "It is
reasonable for the bank to turn down the request from a foreigner
who is not certain to stay in Japan." (Kyodo News)
There have been calls for Onoda Takashi, mayor of Tokyo's Shinjuku
district, to apologize for his use of the derogatory word "sangokujin"
to describe foreign criminals in his ward. He said that the foreigners
were responsible for 70% of the crime in the entertainment-rich
area. While the term literally means "third country people" it
is considered a slur against people from Japan's former colonies
in Korea and Taiwan. The same term was used earlier in the year
by Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro, who later gave a half-hearted
apology.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/ishihara_shintaro.shtml
The city of Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, has announced that families
of the 11 people who died in a crowd crush during a July fireworks
display will be paid considerable compensation. The city will
also negotiate on their behalf with the police and a private security
firm held liable for the incident.
Japan's prison system reached 100.6% of capacity in August, exceeding
100% for the first time in 35 years, and the situation looks likely
to continue into next year. The figures have prompted the government
to start expanding the system. There are 189 prisons and detention
centers in the country.
"I was so mad I wanted to scream but my mother was there." Quote
from Miyamoto Yoshinaga, 19-year old estranged son of PM Junichiro
Koizumi, after being turned away from his grandmother's funeral.
Japan enjoyed a rare meteor shower on November 19th. Thousands
of meteors could be seen in the area of the constellation Leo,
hence the name "Leonid shower". The showers occur only every 33
years. This one shortly followed the birth of our baby daughter...coincidence?
We shall see!
Universal Studios Japan, which opened in Osaka this March, has
already exceeded its target number of visitors for the year. Fears
over international travel have no doubt helped push the number
closer to the new target of 10 million.
For any of you considering coming to work in Japan on the JET
program, the conditions for applicants will be relaxed from next
year. The upper age limit will be increased from 34 to 39, and
the rules prohibiting those who have previously applied for the
program or lived in Japan for more than three of the last 10 years
will also be relaxed. The limit for contract extensions will also
be increased from three to five years.
In business:
- Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Air System (JAS), Japan's largest
and third-largest airlines, have agreed to integrate their businesses
in a move that would create the sixth-biggest global airline in
terms of passenger miles traveled.
- Taisei Fire and Marine, a mid-ranked insurance company, became
just the second major non-life insurer to go bust since the war.
Taisei is closely associated with the Mizuho Financial Group,
whose holding company announced plans to shed 10,000 workers by
2006.
- Mitsubishi-Tokyo Financial Group, the only one among the nation's
leading banks to have paid back public funds borrowed in the late
1990s, announced plans to release over 4,000 staff by 2005.
- Four companies in the Sumitomo Mitsui group have announced plans
to tie up. Sumitomo Mitsui Bank and three insurance companies
will together form the country's largest insurance sales network.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/company2.shtml (JAL/JAS)
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/company3.shtml (Mizuho/Mitsubishi)
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/company5.shtml (Sumitomo)
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2. Sports news
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Suzuki Ichiro capped an almost perfect first season in the MLB
when he became only the second player ever to win the American
League Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in one season. He was
the first player since 1949 to lead the league in batting average
and stolen bases. Like Sasaki Kazuhiro and Nomo Hideo before him,
he won the rookie award despite having a distinguished career
in Japan behind him. The irony is that Major League players who
come to Japan are not eligible for the same award.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/suzuki_ichiro.shtml
The second stage of the J-League season drew to a close this month,
with Kashima Antlers topping the table and earning a playoff with
first-stage winners Jubilo Iwata. Relegated to J-2 were Cerezo
Osaka and Avispa Fukuoka, who failed to avoid relegation on the
last day as they had done in 1998 and '99.
Brazilian soccer player Alessandro dos Santos (24, usually known
as Alex) is now officially Santosu Alesanduro. The young Shimizu
S-Pulse winger, named J-League MVP last season, had his application
for Japanese citizenship approved on October 12th. He is the third
Brazilian J-Leaguer to switch allegiance, following Ramos Rui
and Lopesu Waguna. He hopes to follow in their footsteps and make
the national team in time for next year's World Cup (by the way,
the draw for the tournament will be made on December 1st).
Out of form Parma midfielder Nakata Hidetoshi has been dropped
by the Italian Serie A team's new coach. Though Japan's star player,
he put in an unimpressive performance for the national team in
a recent friendly against Italy. He was even uncharacteristically
booed by home fans after punting a corner kick wildly behind the
goal. The team managed a well-earned 1-1 draw in an exciting game
against a full-strength Azzurri squad (singer Kudo Shizuka, wife
of top male TV star Kimura Takuya, was given the honor of butchering
the national anthem before the game).
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/nakata_hidetoshi.shtml
Yokozuna (Grand Champion) Musashimaru won his ninth Emperor's
Cup with a day to spare in the Autumn Basho in Fukuoka. The giant
Hawaiian, weighing in at 226kg this time, started the tournament
sluggishly but had only lost one bout by day 14. He fell again
on the final day to local Ozeki (Champion) Kaio but by then the
yusho had been sewn up. Tochiazuma, ranked Sekiwake East, finished
with a 12-3 record and looks set to be promoted to Ozeki.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/musashimaru.shtml
34-year old marathon runner Arimori Yuko is rethinking her comeback
after placing only 10th in the Tokyo International Women's Marathon
on November 18th. Arimori, who won silver at the Barcelona Olympics
and bronze in Atlanta, has decided to take a year off from running
to consider her future, and possibly motherhood. Her image as
Japan's Marathon Queen has faded since the arrival on the scene
of Sydney gold medallist Takahashi Naoko.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/takahashi_naoko.shtml
Some of the world's top golfers were in Japan this month. World
No.2 David Duval won the Dunlop Phoenix tournament on November
12th in a playoff with Teshima Taichi. Later that week, he teamed
up with No.1 Tiger Woods to defend their EMC World Cup title in
Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture but they lost out to South Africa.
The Japanese pair of Maruyama Shigeki and Izawa Toshimitsu finished
6 strokes back and well down the leader board.
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3. Gei-noh news
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The autobiography of Suzuki Sonoko, who died last year of lung
cancer at the age of 68, has finally been published. Sonoko, as
she was called, was the guru behind the Tokino cosmetic company,
renamed after her shortly before her death. Always looking like
a reanimated corpse, even before she died, her ghoulish face made
her a walking advertisement for the company's skin-whitening cosmetics
(and Japan's answer to Michael Jackson!). As if the extensive
plastic surgery and skin bleaching were not enough, she always
had a spotlight shining on her face when appearing in public.
Other than the book, Sonoko's projects on the boil when she suddenly
passed away included a new fashion brand and a 5 billion yen ($40
million) house in Tokyo's upmarket Denenchofu district, whose
construction has been stopped halfway. She left a fortune of some
8.8 billion yen, mostly to her daughter. She had expressed a wish
to be laid to rest in the grave of her son, who died at a young
age of anorexia. But company employees complained that they would
not be able to visit the grave. Her cremated remains have still
not been interred.
Every year, people wait with baited breath to see who will appear
in and host the annual Kohaku Uta Gassen show, the NHK New Year's
Eve song contest. Kohaku refers to the colors of the two teams,
red and white. This year, seemingly because of the recent terrorism
(?), both teams will be led by NHK announcers. The red team leader
is Abe Wataru (34) and the white team will be led by Udo Yumiko
(32). The main host is Miyake Tamio (49). I've never heard of
any of them! Baseball superstar Ichiro is set to appear as a special
guest.
The silly awards just keep on coming. This month, the awards for
"Best Smile of the Year" went to government minister Ishihara
Nobuteru (44) and actress Kuninaka Ryoko (22). Ishihara's smile
hasn't been seen too often lately as he battles against the bureaucrats
to carry out much needed structural reforms. PM Koizumi famously
asked him to be his "punching bag". "Nail Queen 2001" awards went
to singer Hamasaki Ayumi (23) and currently hot actress Yonekura
Ryoko. And NHK radio announcer Watanabe Hiroyuki (35) and his
actress wife Hara Hideko (42) have been chosen as 2001 "Couple
of the Year".
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/ishihara_nobuteru.shtml
More bits and bobs:
- Actress Hidari Sachiko, famous for her role in Iwamura Shohei's
1963 movie Nihon Konchuki (The Insect Woman), died earlier this
month. She was known as an "engi-ha joyuu", meaning an actress
who can actually act, a rarity indeed in Japan. She was 71.
- It seems that a song called Boom by someone called Anastasia
(who?) has been chosen as the official song for next year's soccer
World Cup. I think she's an up and coming Russian violinist.
- It's been revealed that Imaru-chan, the teenage daughter of
comedian Akashiya Sanma and his ex-wife Otake Shinobu took an
unsuccessful audition for pop group Morning Musume.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/akashiya_sanma.shtml
- SMAP memeber Inagaki Goro, who has been keeping a very low profile
since his run-in with the law earlier in the year, does not appear
in the latest SMAP photo book. This has sparked rumors of his
imminent retirement.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/smap.shtml
- Movie director Oshima Nagisa (69) recently underwent emergency
surgery for peritonitis. Oshima has been in and out of hospital
over the last few years following a stroke in 1996.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/oshima_nagisa.shtml
- Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ukon (37) has divorced his wife of two
years, a former flight attendant.
- Actress Fujiwara Norika (30) is said to be dating popular Hong
Kong actor Aaron Kwok.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/fujiwara_norika.shtml
- Enka singers Kitajima Saburo and Toba Ichiro are set to join
up for a duet, entitled "Enka Brothers" and due to be released
on New Year's Day.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/kitajima_saburo.shtml
- Utada Hikaru is to be the image character for NTT DoCoMo's new,
3rd generation FOMA phone. Her new single "traveling" is to be
used in the TV commercial.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/utada_hikaru.shtml
- Sakamoto-chan, the TV personality of indistinct age and questionable
sexual persuasion who recently made a name for himself on the
Dempa Shonen show, has made his CD debut with the song Jukkensei
Blues.
- Pop diva Hamasaki Ayumi (23) has opened her own store in the
teen mecca of Shibuya's 109 building. The store is appropriately
named Material Girl. Meanwhile, there are rumors of a NEW Year
wedding in Hawaii for Hamasaki and her boyfriend Nagase Tomoya
of the pop group Tokio.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/hamasaki_ayumi.shtml
- It seems that what was really ailing singer Saijo Hideki (46),
who it was reported had checked into hospital with dehydration,
was smoking and working too much. How unusual for a middle-aged
Japanese guy!
- Disciples of producer Komuro Tetsuya, including Amuro Namie,
Hamasaki Ayumi and Keiko of the group globe, have teamed up with
their guru to produce a charity CD. The first single is a duet
between Ayumi and Keiko.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/komuro_tetsuya.shtml
- Taira Tetsuo, former president of the Rising Production talent
agency, already under arrest for tax evasion, now faces claims
of sexual harrassment from former proteges. The claims are said
to involve members of the girl groups SPEED and MAX.
- The home office of actress and singer Imai Miki is under investigation
for tax evasion to the sum of 300 million yen.
- The debut album by popular young duo Chemistry went straight
to No.1 in the Oricon chart and sold some 2 million copies in
the first five days following its release.
- Owatari Ryo (30), guitarist with rock band Do As Infinity, married
a 29-year old OL (office lady) last month. The band have been
chosen to record the theme song for the TV drama most likely to
draw media attention in the New Year. PM Koizumi's son Kotaro
will make his debut in "Hatsu Taiken" (First Experience).
http://www.d-a-i.com/
- Actress Karasuma Setsuko (42) has divorced her husband of 19
years, movie producer Tanaka Juichi (60) and is set to make an
acting comeback next year. Tanaka was the producer of the famous
1983 Takakura Ken movie Nakyoku Monogatari (Antarctica) but has
had financial troubles over the years, including one arrest. The
couple have two children.
- Further rumors that actress Hazuki Riona (26) had separated
from her husband of less than a month were denied as he said they
had been away on honeymoon.
- Tokyo district court ordered the magazine Shuukan Gendai to
pay 5.6 million yen for the unauthorized publication of nude pictures
of actress Suzuki Honami (35). Suzuki retired from show business
last year after marrying Ishibashi Takaaki, of the comedy duo
Tunnels and Major League movie series.
- Speaking of baseball movies, Ohta Fusae (49), governor of Osaka,
is set to make her acting debut as an extra in the baseball movie
Mr. Rookie.
- Actress and model Umemiya Anna (29) has headed to Hawaii to
await the birth of her first baby. Umemiya, who married during
the summer, is eight months pregnant. You work it out!
- It seems young actress Hirosue Ryoko (20) is on to her fifth
lover. This time it's 26-year old model Okasawa Takahiro.
- International fashion model turned-actress Kawahara Ayako (30)
was recently busy promoting the new fragrance "Oh My Dog!". Yes,
its a perfume for dogs. Kawahara and her pet labrador Soleil are
models for the product.
- Hanada Masaru (30, former sumo Yokozuna Wakanohana) has released
his own brand of chanko nabe. "Onii-chan chanko nabe" is on sale
at convenience stores. The name Onii-chan refers to an older brother,
as Hanada is the elder brother of current Yokozuna Takanohana.
Chanko nabe is the protein-rich stew eaten by sumo wrestlers.
https://www.japan-zone.com/omnibus/hanada.shtml
- Veteran singer and dancer Koyanagi Rumiko (49) was recently
rushed to hospital during rehearsal for an NHK music program.
- 60s group The Four Leaves have announced that their comeback,
originally just a Tokyo concert, will be a full national tour.
The group was one of the early successes of the Johnny's Jimusho
agency. One member later wrote in his memoirs of the sexual attentions
paid by the agency founder Johnny Kitagawa to his young male stars.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/johnnys.shtml
- Aika Mire, leader of Takarazuka's Hana Gumi troupe has retired
after 17 years with the revue company. Aika played male lead parts
in the company's lavish musical stage shows. The all-female Takarazuka
is a remarkable phenomenon in Japan with legions of fanatical
female fans of all ages.
- Larger than life opera singer and TV personality Mori Kimiko
(42) married an "older company worker" earlier this month.
- Matsuda Ryuhei, eldest son of legendary actor Matsuda Yuusaku,
is set to star in a remake of one of his father's films.
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4. Links we like
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Learning the ABC'S of Japan
The ABC Teach site is a great online learning resource for kids.
They have a big section on Japan that's very useful if you're
a teacher in need of ideas.
http://www.abcteach.com/japan/japantoc.htm
Kids Web Japan
Want to know what Japan's junior high school kids are into these
days? Find out at this page.
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/kidsweb/cool.html
"Is this a real cat?"
Uh, no. It's NeCoRo, Omron's answer to Sony's hit Aibo robot dog.
But I can't see this robot cat, priced at 185,000 yen, having
the same kind of success that Aibo (now in it's 4th incarnation)
has enjoyed.
http://www.omron.com/news/n_161001.html
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5. Japan Zone updates
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I've added some more photos, kindly sent in, to the second People
gallery and added a second Urban gallery.
https://www.japan-zone.com/gallery/
New profiles:
The glamorous Kano sisters take the country by storm.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/kano_shimai.shtml
Go Hiromi, the Peter Pan of Japanese pop.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/go_hiromi.shtml
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