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While the political careers of Suzuki Muneo and Kato Koichi are
still in limbo, Tsujimoto Kiyomi of Shaminto (Social Democratic
Party) became the latest politician to get caught up in a scandal.
Ironically, she herself had been the most visible scandal-hunter
in recent days. Mitsubishi Motors has become the third major car
manufacturer to put a foreigner at the helm.
The national soccer team has been busy gearing up for the World
Cup, doing better than expected against strong European teams.
The figure skating World Championships saw Japan win medals in
both the men's and the women's event for the first time.
Mark McBennett
Webmaster, Japan Zone
Contents
1. Japan Zone Updates
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. Japan Zone Updates
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New profile: He's the housewive's favorite and the consummate salesman. Mino
Monta is probably also the best-dressed man on Japanese TV and
would like to know Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/mino_monta.shtml
New profile: She's the Big Sister, in every sense, of the entertainment world.
Wada Akiko hardly matches the stereotypical image of the Japanese
woman.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/wada_akiko.shtml
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2. What's going on in Japan
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General:
A court-mediated settlement was reached in a suit taken out against
the government and drugs firms by people who contracted CJD, a
brain-wasting disease, from imported dura matter used in brain
operations. A total of 44 patients were involved in two separate
suits, of whom only nine are still alive. The government and the
companies issued an apology, with the government making promises
to improve its drug safety record.
A further group of over 300 Ground Self-Defense members arrived
in East Timor to join the advance group in peacekeeping operations
on the UN controlled territory.
Following the success of its Aibo robot dogs, Sony has unveiled
the SDR-4X. The 58cm tall humanoid robot has excellent balance
and has two cameras that help it recognize people's faces as well
as distinguish between things in 2-D and 3-D. The drawback? The
robot is expected to sell for "the price of a luxury car". The
pet robot market is expected to grow to 900 billion yen by 2005.
Theater director Ninagawa Yukio (66) was presented with a CBE
(Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his contribution
to cultural relations between Japan and the UK. Ninagawa is known
for his Japanese interpretations of Shakespeare's plays, combining
them with elements of traditional Noh drama.
It's Guinness-official: the world's oldest person and oldest man
both live in southern Japan. 114-year old Hongo Kamato has spent
all her life in Kyushu, also home to the late record holder, Izumi
Shigechiyo, who lived to 120. The male record holder, Chuganji
Yukichi, turned a sprightly 113 last week. According to government
statistics, one in 20 Japanese woman have a high probability of
living past 100. And by 2030, some 30% of the population is expected
to be over 65.
Steve Jobs presented several new products, but nothing revolutionary,
as he gave the opening address to the annual Macworld Expo in
Tokyo. The three-day event drew a crowd of about 180,000 Mac devotees.
Scandal Hunter Resigns
In mid-March, allegations were made in the Shukan Shincho weekly
magazine that Tsujimoto Kiyomi (41), a poster girl for Shaminto
and perhaps the most vocal of Suzuki Muneo's critics, had swindled
the government out of 15 million yen in the late 1990s. As Shaminto
was one of the parties calling for Suzuki to quit his Diet seat,
the timing of the scandal seemed very opportune for the government.
After a series of hastily organized press conferences and TV appearances,
Tsujimoto found that she had talked herself into a corner: at
first, she had angrily denied all the allegations; but she later
admitted that she had given misleading information. In addition
to the earlier charges, she was now accused of lying.
The TV appearances were designed to help her public image but
actually caused the media and some in her own party to turn against
her, the "correct" thing to do being to address the public through
press conferences. She eventually decided to resign from the Diet,
but not from her party. She is a very popular politician and has
been mentioned as a top candidate for Japan's first female prime
minister. So you can be sure that she will be back.
Tsujimoto's fate seems very harsh in the face of the lighter "punishments"
suffered so far by some elder politicos. Her main offence was
to use the allowance each lawmaker receives to cover the salaries
of three secretaries in order to employ seven people on a work-sharing
basis. She also made minor payments as a retainer to the secretary
of another politician for advice.
A political newcomer at the time, Tsujimoto most likely copied
the actions of others around her. Indeed, she has stated that
there are plenty of other sitting politicians who are equally
if not more guilty than her.
Government:
The LDP, the main ruling party, managed to persuade its coalition
partners to vote against a proposed resolution urging the resignation
of Suzuki and Kato (Kato had earlier formally announced that,
like Suzuki, he was resigning from the LDP). They feared that
members of the New Komeito party would support the resolution,
as one of the party's main policies is "clean politics". The government
was clearly worried about the gains that the opposition could
get from dragging out the affair. Following the Tsujimoto case,
and new revelations about financial irregularities, the spotlight
is now back on Kato and he is expected to announce his resignation
soon.
The issue of suspected abductions of at least 11 Japanese by agents
of North Korea was raised by Prime Minister Koizumi while on a
three-day visit to South Korea. The subject has been receiving
renewed attention in the news recently. Relations between Japan
and South Korea have been improving over the last few months and
Korean President Kim indicated he would cooperate with Japan on
the issue. Later, North Korea announced that it would resume talks
with the Japanese Red Cross on the fate of the missing people.
The two leaders also discussed the possibility of a bilateral
free-trade agreement.
A Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper poll of all lawmakers indicated some
interesting changes may be afoot. 88% of respondents said they
were in favor of allowing a female to ascend the Chrysanthemum
Throne to become empress. 71% support revising the constitution
for a variety of reasons, with 66% citing the need for legislation
regarding defense against military attacks.
Crime:
Nothing especially out of the ordinary recently, which is to say
there's been the usual murders, robberies, embezzlement etc. But
two recent high profile cases have reached a conclusion and the
death sentence was handed down in both cases. One involved a man
who murdered two children and injured a third after they had seen
him breaking into their home in Hokkaido last August. The other
was the arson murder of six jewelery store employees in Utsunomiya,
Tochigi Prefecture in June 2000.
The economy:
The government is considering revising the nation's taxation principles,
replacing the concept of "tax neutrality" with that of giving
a boost to businesses that can help reinvigorate the economy.
Meanwhile, in a Tokyo District Court decision, the Tokyo metropolitan
government was ordered to repay some 72.5 billion in taxes taken
by the city from the major banks. The decision is to be appealed
and the case could continue for several years, with the loser
faces huge costs. The ruling was a blow for popular Governor Ishihara
Shintaro, who forced the tax on the banks last year to prop up
the city's ailing coffers. Ishihara has also proposed a controversial
new hotel tax. The decision was also a serious blow for the city
of Osaka, which is relying on a similar tax to get it out of a
financial crisis.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/ishihara_shintaro.shtml
The Bank of Japan upgraded its assessment of the economy for the
first time in 20 months. Fears of a financial crisis have all
but evaporated, although problems underlying the state of the
major banks remain unresolved.
McDonald's is to close 130 of its stores in Japan and reduce the
number of planned new stores. The company had almost 3,600 stores
in 2000 and opens several hundred more every year.
Partly due to the country's slow adoption of IT, Japan's productivity
growth has hardly changed from 1990 levels. Other reasons include
the aging society and reduced working hours.
Fujitsu and IBM, whose combined sales make up 40% of the Japanese
corporate software market, are close to finalizing their planned
tie-up. The companies will make their products compatible, which
would ease any future plans for a merger.
Changes are afoot in the semiconductor industry. Hitachi and Mitsubishi
Electric announced that they plan to tie up the chip-making operations
early next year. The merger would create the world's third-largest
chipmaker. The two firms are among five that will pool their resources
at a government-funded research facility whose aim is to help
Japan regain its leading edge in the industry. Fujitsu is also
said to be in talks with world No.1 maker Toshiba about cooperating
on semiconductor operations.
Land prices fell in 2001 for the 11th straight year. Nationally
the average drop was 5.9% but Tokyo saw prices remain steady and
even rise in some areas. The most expensive land in the country
is the Marunouchi Building in central Tokyo with a price of 18.7
million yen (about $140,000) per square meter.
The foreign community:
Mitsubishi Motors, following the lead of Mazda and Nissan, became
the third major carmaker to put a foreigner at the helm. Mitsubishi,
which is 37% owned by DaimlerChrysler, moved German Rolf Eckrodt
from the position of COO up to CEO. France's Renault owns 44.4%
of Nissan, which is run by Brazilian-born Carlos Ghosn; Ford of
the US are one-third owners of Mazda, which is run by American
Mark Fields.
US Air Force sergeant Timothy Woodland was sentenced to 32 months
for raping a woman in Okinawa last June. The case was one of several
that have sparked outcries from local citizens about the continued
US military presence.
If you're a fan of rock group Oasis, you'll want to be on the
lookout for details of an upcoming free live event featuring the
group and other Japanese and foreign artists. Details of the event,
to be held at the end of May, are to be released later today.
World Cup
For those of you planning to attend the big event this summer,
transportation and accommodation are becoming more of an issue.
Japan Railways has announced extended shinkansen (bullet train)
and other services to allow for the fact that people will not
be able to arrange a place to stay near some venues. The stadium
in Shizuoka, for example, has a capacity of over 50,000 but the
area only has some 5,000 hotel rooms.
Also, the government has announced that it will introduce special
reduced fares on air, sea and land transport as well as special
hotel discounts for foreign visitors between May 25th and July
5th. The rates are to be announced on a new website in mid-April.
Hospitals have expressed concern about treating foreigners who
arrive in Japan with no medical insurance. Medical fees can be
very expensive but some 70-80% is usually largely covered by insurance.
With hooliganism still a concern, some hositals are even planning
to close to avoid the problem. In short, get insured if you want
to be sure that you'll be treated!
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3. Sports news
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Musashimaru (31), the only currently active Yokozuna (Grand Champion),
won his 10th Emperor's Cup in the haru basho (spring tournament).
The Samoan-born giant won on the penultimate day and finished
with a 13-2 record. Ozeki (Champion) Chiyotaikai finished with
a 7-8 losing record and will face possible demotion after the
next basho.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/musashimaru.shtml
At the World Figure Skating Championships in Nagano, Japan's Honda
Takeshi (21) and Suguri Fumie (21) won bronze medals in the men's
and women's events. It was the first time that Japan had won a
medal in both events at the same time and the first medal since
1994.
The national soccer team started its warmup for this summer's
World Cup with games against Ukraine and Poland. The Ukraine game
ended in a good 1-0 win for the home team, with Shimizu S-Pulse
midfielder Toda Kazuyuki getting his first international goal.
A 2-0 away win against Poland was an even better result. But shaky
defense in both games showed signs that Japan may be opened up
by stronger teams. The opponents were chosen for their similarity
to Russia, who are in Japan's World Cup group.
An unusual story from the sport of pro boat racing. Ando Chinatsu
(39), a successful racer with almost 250 million yen in winnings
over a 17-year career, has officially changed her name to Ando
Hiromasa and has been re-registered as a male athlete. Male and
female racers compete together so Ando is expected to continue
in the sport as before.
Top of the heap in the tough sport of ice hockey are the Kokudo
Bunnies, who beat the Seibu Railway Bears to win their 11th Japan
IHL championship.
Taguchi So (32), the former Orix Blue Wave all-star outfielder,
has been dropped to the minors by the St Louis Cardinals. He will
have to wait for his debut in the majors after a batting slump
that saw his average never rise above .146 during the open season.
Major League pitchers Nomo Hideo, Oka Tomokazu and Irabu Hideki
led a Japanese group that bought the Elvira Pioneers. The team
is in the Northern League, one of the biggest independent leagues
in the US. Meanwhile, both Nomo and new teammate Ishii Kazuhisa
have made the starting rotation for the LA Dodgers.
The new baseball season starts tomorrow, with most attention going
- suprise, surprise - to the Yomiuri Giants-Hanshin Tigers game
at Tokyo Dome. Although they were last year's champions, the Yakult
Swallows have to start their season away from home. So it's "screw
tradition, let's suck up to the Giants", as usual.
There is talk of former Hanshin Tigers manager Nomura Katsuya
(65) being named as the new manager of the Korean baseball team.
Nomura quit after his wife got herself entangled in a tax evasion
case (see below).
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4. Gei-noh news
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Hamasaki Ayumi (23) is featured on the cover of the latest Asian
edition of Time magazine. Hamasaki is described as the Empress
of Japanese pop. The magazine includes a feature, photo essay
and exclusive interview with the star. Meanwhile sales of her
new single Daybreak are said to have been hit by the recent scandal
involving her berating a fan for sitting down in the front row
of her concert. It turned out the fan was handicapped.
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/ayumi_hamasaki/
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/hamasaki_ayumi.shtml
More Bits and Bobs
Re:Japan, the group made up of 11 members of the Yoshimoto Kogyo
comedy troupe, have released their first album.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/yoshimoto.shtml
Financially troubled actor Watanabe Ken (42) has separated from
his wife. The couple have been through a lot in recent years,
not least Watanabe's fight with leukemia. He denied rumors of
a divorce, saying that the debts that his wife ran up have put
a serious strain on their family.
Wada Akiko was in good form when she laid into the subject of
Komuro Tetsuya's "speed divorce" on her regular Sunday afternoon
show. On another occasion she was heard asking
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/wada_akiko.shtml
"Pieces of a Dream" by Chemistry and "Travelling" by Utada Hikaru
were the winners in the Space Shower TV Music Video Awards.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/utada_hikaru.shtml
Matsumuro Mai (18) is to leave the pop trio Dream after their
summer concert tour.
Nishikawa Takahiro (37) has announced that he is leaving the pop
group Dreams Come True and going solo.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/dct.shtml
Not satisfied with his market reach, Tsunku, the man behind Morning
Musume and the Hello Project, is set to launch yet another new
unit, this one aimed at elementary school kids. Meanwhile, Taisei
of Tsunku's former group SharanQ is to form a new unit with former
Musume Ichii Sayaka (18).
J Friends, the recording group formed by members of Johnnys Jimusho
agency, have raised over 100 million yen for the Hanshin earthquake
relief fund for the fifth year in a row. In a sign of just how
popular the agency is, during the week of March 13-19, JJ members
appeared on 75 different TV shows!
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/johnnys.shtml
Former heartthrob Kondo Masahiko announced that his Kondo Racing
team wil be taking part in this year's Le Mans 24 hour race.
Movie director Oshima Nagisa (69) has left hospital after 5 months
treatment for peritonitis and a duodenal ulcer.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/oshima_nagisa.shtml
Rumors of a breakup between musician Sakamoto Ryuichi (50) and
his wife, singer Yano Akiko (47) have been denied by their daughter
Miu (21) who is also a singer.
Former marathon runner Matsuno Akemi announced that she is three
months pregnant. She made a similar announcement last year, only
for it to end in a miscarriage. we wish her better health this
time.
SU of the hip hop group Rip Slyme married a 24-year old OL (office
lady) on board a cruise ship on Tokyo Bay.
In the Heat of Passion
Sultry songstress Hitomi (25) and Kj (Furuya Kenji, 23) of the
rap/rock group Dragon Ash; actress/singer Nakayama Miho (32) and
writer/musician Tsuji Hitonari (42), who were seen leaving a famous
ryokan (inn) in Kyoto together; Dochin Yoshikuni (23) of the pop
duo Chemistry and model/actress and former Kirin beer poster girl
Morita Atsuko (23); TV personality Kanda Uno (27) and businessman
Yamano Mikio (33).
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/hitomi.shtml
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/nakayama_miho.shtml
On the Comeback Trail
Singer and mother Shiina Ringo is set to make her comeback with
a double CD cover album at the end of May. Another new mother
back on TV is actress Kikuchi Momoko, who will appear in a TV
commercial with her 6-month old daughter. Former superidol Nakamori
Akina (36) has released her first new album in over two years.
"Zero Album - Uta Hime 2", which marks the 20th anniversary of
her debut, sold a healthy 150,000 copies in the first two days.
Entertainers Behaving Badly
Nomura Sachiyo (69) admitted to charges of tax evasion in her
first court appearance. Nomura is charged with evading tax on
568 million yen in income. She also said that she has no plans
to resume her career as a TV personality. But associates claim
that she aims to win the Naoki Prize for literature, presumably
with an as-yet unwritten autobiography or a biography of her husband,
retired baseball manager Nomura Katsuya. The trial is set to finish
on May 1.
Shiroma Masao, former vocalist of the 70s rock band Murasaki was
imprisoned for 30 months on charges of rape and robbery. The Okinawan
band was particularly popular with US military personnel in Okinawa.
The president of the agency that manages actress Yakushimaru Hiroko
was arrested for pocketing some 13 million yen of her appearance
fees.
Rumors that popular young actor Oshio Manabu (23) can't keep his
hands off his female costars have led to his being barred from
appearing on music programs.
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5. Links We Like
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Mad In Japan
This is the title of a satirical article by AA Gill that was published
in the Sunday Times magazine. It has been construed as racist
by many people but I wonder how many of them have spent any time
in Japan. There are inflammatory parts, to be sure, and some unnecessary
use of words like "Jap" and "Tojo", but also a lot of shrewd observations.
You be the judge.
http://www.madinjapan.freeserve.co.uk/eng_index.htm
So You Want To Learn Japanese
A brave (but unsuccessful) attempt to "do a Dave Barry" on the
trials and tribulations of trying to get to grips with the language.
http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~thoureau/japanese.html
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