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The holiday season is upon us again. The illuminations around
Japan create something of a Christmas atmosphere although, as
usual, it's mainly on the surface, commercial level. TV is dominated
by year-end specials that look back over the last twelve months
- a hugely eventful time at home and abroad. Unfortunately there
was more bad news than good but people seem to be optimistic that
things can only get better next year. On the economic front however,
optimism is outweighed by fear of rising unemployment and continued
stagnation.
On a personal note, the birth of our first child has brought great
joy as well as a huge change to our lives. Rather than worry about
the future, we are lucky enough to be able to look forward to
the years ahead. And in part to celebrate the event, the latest
giveaway is a sake set for three lucky winners (so they can, as
we say in Ireland, "wet the baby's head"). There are also three
desktop 2002 calendars for the runners-up. As a subscriber, you're
already entered. I'll announce the winners in the next issue.
What with the holiday season and the fact that most people don't
bother with the Internet so much over New Year, that will be in
mid-January.
I hope you have had a good year and are looking forward to even
better in the forthcoming Year of the Horse. A Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year to you all.
Mark McBennett
Webmaster, Japan Zone
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Contents
1. That was the year that was...
2. What's going on in Japan
3. Sports news
4. Gei-noh news
5. Links we like
6. Unsubscribe
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1. That was the year that was...
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There can be no doubt that the one news story that changed the
world this last year was the terrorist attacks on the US and the
subsequent war in Afghanistan. Even the Japanese, who usually
somehow manage to stay cooly disinterested in foreign news stories,
have felt the impact of those events. But ultimately, they are
happening to people half a world away and on the home front it's
the domestic stories that resonate most. It's been a year dominated
by shocking and disheartening news, with just a few bright spots
to bring back some balance. It seems hard to believe that some
of these stories are already filed under "Oh, yeah. I remember
that now."
Which of these stories do you feel had the greatest impact on
Japan?
Shin-Okubo station deaths...Miyakejima eruption and evacuation...Ikeda
elementary school murders...Lucy Blackman murder...The Koizumi
cabinet...Akashi fireworks display deaths...Ichiro's baseball
heroics...Kabukicho fire...Mad cow disease...The first ever dispatch
of SDF forces...Giants' Nagashima retirement...The birth of Princess
Aiko.
Take a moment to think back and enter your choice in our survey:
https://www.japan-zone.com/survey/2001_survey.shtml
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2. What's going on in Japan
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A suspected North Korean spy ship was chased and eventually sunk
by several vessels of the Coast Guard of the Okinawan island of
Amami Oshima on December 22nd. Only two of 15 bodies were recovered
from the ocean. The aggression shown by the Coast Guard vessels
was the result of having been fired on and probably the current
state of alert worldwide regarding terrorism.
There have been a couple of cases recently of local officials
creaming more than a little from the community coffers. A 75-year
old former treasurer of a village in Kochi Prefecture was arrested
for swindling banks out of 1.35 billion yen in false loans. Iwasaki
Tadao used the mayor's hanko (seal) to secure the loans. Of the
total amount, he gave some 450 million to 11 "female friends".
About 666 million remains unaccounted for. In Aomori Prefecture
Chida Yuji (44), chief accountant of a housing corporation who
embezzled 1.45 billion yen, went on the run from the end of October.
With 10 million in cash, Chida moved around the country, going
on spending sprees in hostess bars until his arrest on December
17th. His Chilean wife of four years has refused to return any
of the billions she received from Chida and says she wants nothing
more to do with him (surprise, surprise). She used the money to
make quite a life for herself in Santiago, building two hospitals,
a restaurant and a lavish home with swimming pool. The couple
met when she was working in an Aomori hostess bar.
The government's ongoing deregulation efforts in a variety of
sectors are getting a bit hard to keep track of. The latest proposals,
opposition, facts and figures appear in the media almost every
day. They include changes to the Health Insurance system, the
introduction of community schools and the abolition or amalgamation
of huge numbers of public bodies. You get the impression that
big decisions are being ironed out and great changes are afoot,
if only the reformers can overcome the huge barriers put up by
the old guard. It'll most likely be years rather than months before
we eventually see a rebirth of Japan.
According to a recent survey, Japanese are more insecure about
their future than at any time since studies began in 1958. The
faltering economy, which has been on a slide for a decade, has
made more people (almost 40%) anxious about their future income.
And a move away from lifelong employment and the seniority system
have combined to erode many people's loyalty to their companies.
Half of the respondents said they work for money, as opposed to
one in four for whom work gives a purpose to life. There is a
marked change in these figures even from the last survey, carried
out in 1999. Nevertheless, people have not given up on the current
government - the latest Yomiuri Shimbun survey showed an approval
rating of 76% for the cabinet.
In an effort to compensate for the aging population and associated
increases in healthcare costs, the government will reduce the
amount paid to healthcare providers. There have also been proposals
to increase the proportion of health costs borne by patients.
But meanwhile, proposals to increase taxes on cigarettes and malt
liquor have been dropped. Hmmm.
In a move related to the worldwide cutbacks in the troubled steel
industry, Japanese industry leader Nippon Steel and No.4 Sumitomo
Metal Industries have announced plans to increase their ties.
This will create a two-group system in Japan, with NKK and Kawasaki
Steel forming the rival group after their integration next year.
A new hotel tax looks likely to be introduced in Tokyo. The tax,
100 yen on rooms in the 10-15,000 yen range and 200 yen above
that, caused yet more controversy for Governor Ishihara Shintaro.
he ahd wanted to introduce it before the World Cup next year but
it looks lkely to start after the summer.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/ishihara_shintaro.shtml
Kotobukiya, the largest supermarket operator in Kyushu, has gone
under with debts of almost 300 billion yen.
On a somewhat more upbeat note, the Universal Studios Japan themepark
in Osaka is set to contribute some 795 billion yen to the economy
in its first year of operation. It has boosted the economy in
the seven prefectures that make up the Kinki district by 0.4%.
Toyota Motor Corp president Cho Fujio was chosen by the US Automotive
Hall of Fame as their Leader of the Year for 2001. Cho is the
first Japanese to receive the award.
Japan and China seem to have averted a full-scale trade war with
an agreement to settle issues that have been causing friction
recently. In retaliation for Japanese curbs on three agricultural
products (leeks, shiitake mushrooms and rushes used for making
tatami mats), the Chinese had imposed 100% tariffs on products
including mobile phones and cars.
Yahoo!BB, a tie-up between the famous search engine company and
struggling Internet giant Softbank, has announced plans to introduce
a new service that looks set to shake up things in Japan. BB Phone,
which will offer rates of 7.5 yen for three minutes within Japan
and to the US, is scheduled to launch next spring. The basic monthly
fee is set at just 390 yen (as oposed to over 2,000 yen for NTT,
for example) and calls between subscibers will be free.
A 4-day international conference against child prostitution and
pornography was held in Yokohama between December 17-20. It was
attended by about 3,300 participants from 138 countries and 148
NGOs. Many children made presentations and indeed it was the voices
of children that often had the most impact. In 1998, some 80%
of child porn originated in Japan but recent figures show that
this has decreased significantly.
The number of crimes up to the end of November was over 2.5 million,
an increase of more than 12.5% from last year. The Japanese police
have long prided themselves on their high arrest rate but this
has fallen sharply over the last few years. It now stands at a
record low of 20.2%. The arrest rate for serious crimes, once
consistently over 80% is now down to just over half. The number
of crimes by foreigners was down by a quarter but among those
serious crimes were up by the same amount.
In the first arrest under the recently introduced Domestic Violence
Law, a 24-year old Kagawa Prefecture man was detained for failing
to observe a restraining order taken out by his wife. The man,
who had battered his wife, was arrested after breaking into her
parent's home.
In the wake of recent anthrax attacks in the US, Christmas parcels
from abroad are being checked at major post offices by Japanese
customs workers wearing masks and gloves. The number of parcels
is down only 2-3% from last year.
In a ceremony held in Kyoto, the kanji (Chinese character) "sen",
meaning "battle" was named as the word best representing 2001.
The character was said to represent not just the high-profile
war in Afghanistan but also the battle Japanese people increasingly
face in their daily lives.
https://www.japan-zone.com/new/kanji.shtml
Oh Kyoko, the wife of baseball legend and Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
manager Oh Sadaharu, died on December 11th of stomach cancer.
She was 57. She married Oh in 1966, when he was with the Yomiuri
Giants, with whom he set the Japanese career home run record (868).
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3. Sports news
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Dutchman Hans Ooft will take over as manager of struggling J-1
team Urawa Reds next season. Ooft managed the Japanese national
team in 1992-3 and later coached J-League teams Jubilo Iwata and
Kyoto Purple Sanga. The Reds are one of the most fanatically supported
of Japan's soccer teams.
Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro will attend the opening ceremony
of next year's FIFA World Cup in Seoul on May 31st. Korea had
been hoping the Emperor would attend but relations between the
two countries have been strained recently and it was decided against
sending a member of the Imperial family.
Following the resignation of manager Nomura Katsuya, the Hanshin
Tigers have signed the fiery Hoshino Senichi (54) to coach the
team next season. Hoshino quit as manager of the Chunichi Dragons
at the end of the 2001 season. He led the team to the Japan Series
twice in 11 years but never won. He has his work cut out for him
at Hanshin, who have finished bottom of the Central League for
the last four years.
NY Mets outfielder Shinjo Tsuyoshi (29) has been traded to the
San Francisco Giants. Shinjo and an infielder were traded for
a starting pitcher. Shinjo's solid fielding and colorful personality
made him a star in his rookie MLB season in New York. But the
ever-cheerful former Hanshin player remained upbeat about his
move to the West Coast. He received the MLB minimum salary of
$200,000 last season but had signed with the Mets for $1.35 million.
Meanwhile, pitcher Nomo Hideo (33) is heading back west, too.
Nomo has been traded to the first team he played with in the US,
the LA Dodgers, in a $14 million, 2-year deal.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/shinjo_tsuyoshi.shtml
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/nomo_hideo.shtml
In Hong Kong on December 16th, the last day of the international
horce racing calendar was dominated by Japan. The main event,
the Hong Kong Cup was won by Agnes Digital, ridden by Shii Hirofumi.
Japan's most famous jockey, Take Yutaka, led Stay Gold to the
Hong Kong Vase title while Fukunaga Yuichi piloted the 25-1 Eishin
Preston in the Hong Kong Mile.
Popular judoka Tamura Ryoko (26), widely known as Yawara-chan,
was awarded this year's Grand Prix award for the outstanding performance
by an amateur athlete or team. Tamura had been aiming for an amazing
12th straight win at the Fukuoka International tournament but
was sidelined with a leg injury.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/tamura_ryoko.shtml
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4. Gei-noh news
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The ongoing investgation of TV personality Tashiro Masashi (45)
has expanded following the discovery of stimulant drugs in his
car and at his home. The man who sold the drugs to Tashiro, a
TV producer, has also been arrested. Tashiro, who was making a
tentative comeback before his arrest on "peeping Tom" charges,
has been dropped like a hot potato by his talent agency, MTM productions.
There was a report that Tashiro at one point was #1 in the voting
for TIME magazine's Man of the Year award, a situation thought
to have been engineered by a Japanese prankster. His name has
since been removed from the list. Meanwhile, his secretly filmed
footage that got him into trouble last year has turned up in a
porn video.
There was an interesting side story in the case of TV personality
Nomura Sachiyo (69), arrested earlier this month for tax evasion.
A Tokyo District Court official was photographed giving a victory
sign through a car window following the arrest. The photo was
published in the Tokyo Sports newspaper the following day and
led to a reprimand for the official. Meanwhile, Nomura is being
sued for libel by her daughter-in-law. Sachino Nomura (41), wife
of Sachiyo's second son Kenny, has sued for 10 million yen over
comments in a book written by the "old witch".
Hot favorite for just about any award these days is Hamasaki Ayumi
(23), who has been cleaning up at the seemingly neverending award
shows (something like 19 awards so far!). She also became the
first Japanese artist to appear in the British chart magazine
Music Week. Her "The M ep" entered the Club chart at No.13. And
her duet "A Song is Born" with Keiko, vocalist of the Komuro Tetsuya
group globe, entered the Oricon chart at No.1. Meanwhile, she
is said to have had something of a scene with members of Morning
Musume while making a show for an NHK satellite channel.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/hamasaki_ayumi.shtml
More bits and bobs:
- Singer Utada Hikaru (18) graced the December 17th Asian issue
of TIME magazine. She was described as the Princess of the Japanese
pop world and is known in the US, where she's studying at Columbia
University, as the Britney Spears of Japan.
- SMAP member Kimura Takuya (28) is said to be building a 400
million yen home in an upscale resort area of Chiba Prefecture.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/smap.shtml
- Fujita Noriko (54), ex-wife of sumo elder Futagoyama Oyakata,
was awarded 5.5 million yen in a case she took out against the
Shuukan Gendai magazine, that published nude pictures of the actress.
She had sued for 100 million.
- Studio Gibli, producer of Japan's most popular animated movies,
announced it's next project. "Neko no Omoikaeshi", directed by
Miyazaki Hayao, is scheduled for release next summer. The mega-hit
"Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi " (Spirited Away) recently came
to the official end of it's box-office record breaking run but
is still showing due to popular demand.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/miyazaki_hayao.shtml
- Dreams Come True, one of Japan's more talented bands, saw their
new album "Monkey Girl Odyssey" become their tenth release in
a row to enter the charts at No.1.
- Actor Watanabe Ken (42), who spent most of the 1990s fighting
leukemia but recently has been appearing much more on TV, is the
latest star to become embroiled in a tax evasion case. He says
that he was deep in debt due to his medical expenses.
- The presenters of the 43rd Record Awards will be recently divorced
TV personality Sakai Masaaki (55) and currently hot actress Yonekura
Ryoko (26).
- Current couples: "Sekushii-kei" TV personality Anzai Hiroko
(22) and Kawabata Kaname (23), one half of popular duo Chemistry;
TV personality Nagasaku Hiromi (31) and Mister Children member
Suzuki Hideya (32); Nippon TV announcer Yabumoto Masako (34) has
married and retired. She married a member of the Self Defense
Forces just two months after they met; kyogen actor Izumi Motoya
(27) and former actress Hano Aki (33) are to wed on January 5th;
actress and singer Nishida Hikaru (29) is to marry a 33-year old
salaried worker next June...sigh!
- Avex-label singer Koda Kumi (19) became just the seventh Japanese
artist to make the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Trust Your Love",
her second single made it to No.39.
http://www.koda.tv/
- In a mini skirt and with her belly button showing - that's the
image chosen for Fujiwara Norika (30) in her role as "image character"
for second-hand car sales company Gulliver.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/fujiwara_norika.shtml
- The long-running TV show "Shitteru Tsumori?!", hosted by Sekiguchi
Hiroshi (57) is set to finish next March after 12 years on the
air.
- "Nama Tamago" (Raw Egg), a new movie starring several members
of Morning Musume is set to be released next February.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/morning_musume.shtml
- The TV Tokyo announcers for the upcoming Salt Lake Winter Games
have been announced as actor Bessho Tetsuya (36) and swimmer Tanaka
Masami (22). I only mention it because I used to teach Bessho's
sister when I worked for an English conversation school many moons
ago. Never mind. The official NHK song for the games is by songbird
MISIA.
- In a move designed to cheer up Japanese residents of New York
City and promote the safety of foreign travel, the comedy agency
Yoshimoto Kogyo is going to send a troupe to the city next spring.
The agency is home to such top names as Downtown and London Boots.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/downtown.shtml
Oricon Singles Chart
1. J-Friends - Always (A Song For Love)
2. Strawberry Flower - Ai no Uta (Song of Love)
3. Hamasaki Ayumi & Keiko - A Song is Born
4. Utada Hikaru - Traveling
5. Gackt - Juunigatsu no Love Song (December Love Song)
A lot of similar titles in there. Christmas is considered a time
for love and couples in Japan. J-Friends is a group made up of
Johnnys Jimusho boy band members.
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4. Links We Like
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First Choice Japan
It might be a bit late for Christmas but if you're looking for
Japanese gifts for that special someone, look no further than
this site. Nice design and a big selection of products make this
an excellent site.
http://www.1stchoicejapan.com/
Real Japan
Alisa Sanada is a young Japanese-American who spent some time
in a Japanese high school. Her opinions, observations and the
overall design make this a better than average "youngster's" site.
http://www.realjapan.net/main.htm
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea Japan
There are several websites out there focusing on next year's big
event. This one is growing and offers a wide variety of information.
http://www.soccerphile.com/
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5. Unsubscribe
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