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Well, it's back to school. Hence the slight delay in finishing
this latest edition. Getting knocked off my bicycle by a sudden
gust during Tokyo's recent windy weather hasn't helped my typing
skills either!
Mizuho Holdings managed to turn the April 1st launch of the world's
biggest bank into a debacle whose repercussions are still being
felt. The political world is still grabbing the headlines, with
Tanaka Makiko in the spotlight once again. Narita Airport finally
got a second (stunted) runway.
The Hanshin Tigers made an unbelievable start to the season, and
"yusho" is already very much on the minds of their fanatical fans.
The J-League reflects the changing fortunes of several big, and
not so big, teams. The national team had an unexpected struggle
against unfancied opposition.
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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Comedy: Though the Japanese have a reputation for seriousness, comedy
is ever present on local TV. So if you don't know your "boke"
from your "tsukomi", you need to read our guide.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/comedy.shtml
New profiles: Okay, so now you know what makes the Japanese laugh. But who
are the current crop of men and women tickling the country's funny
bone?
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/comedian1.shtml
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2. What's going on in Japan
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General:
It seems like someone at Mizuho Bank got a bit carried away with
this year's April Fool's. The world's biggest bank, a merger of
Fuji Bank, Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank and the Industrial Bank of Japan,
was launched on April 1st. Immediately, customers of other banks
found they couldn't use Mizuho's ATMs. And within days, other
problems were popping up all over the country. Salaries were not
transferred, utility bills were not paid and credit card payments
were missed. The cause was attributed to the fact that the merged
banks had conflicts in their respective computer systems, a potential
issue which had been seriously underestimated. Claims that the
problems would be quickly solved were not met and disillusioned
customers rushed to open accounts at other major banks. The former
directors of the three founding banks, who became advisors in
the new setup, have said they will step down once the problems
have been resolved. The bank's image took another blow when they
announced a net loss for fiscal 2001 of just over a trillion yen,
the biggest ever in Japan.
http://www.mizuho-fg.co.jp/english/index.html
The second runway at Narita Airport finally opened on April 17th.
The 2,180m-long runway (the main strip is 4,000m) is about 300m
shorter than had been planned, as local farmers refused to sell
their land. The airport authorities still hope to extend it to
the original length. As it stands, it is officially a "provisional
runway" and cannot be used by jumbo jets. It will cater mostly
to domestic and short-haul flights from Asia and the Pacific.
A 58-year old woman in Saitama Prefecture admitted that she was
the mother of the six babies whose skeletons were found in her
old apartment. It is believed that the last of the babies was
born more than 10 years ago and the woman will not be charged
with the abandonment of their bodies as the statute of limitations
has run out.
The annual tussle with South Korea over the content of school
textbooks is a bit more subdued this year. On the previously contentious
issue of references to "Ri-shi Chosen", a colonial period name
for Korea, the Education Ministry has said that it should be replaced
or appended with simply "Chosen" (Korea) in books for 2003.
The Ehime prefectural government signed off on an out-of-court
settlement with the US Navy for the sinking of the Ehime Maru
training vessel off Hawaii last year. The $11.47 million agreement
is separate from negotiations by bereaved family members.
The latest group of 230 Ground SDF personnel to fly to join peace-keeping
efforts in East Timor included seven women. They are the first
female Japanese to take part in such an operation.
It was announced that by the end of March, the movie "Harry Potter
and the Philosopher's Stone" had broken the 200 billion yen barrier,
and Miyazaki Hayao's hit anime "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi"
continued to set new records, passing the 300 billion mark.
Government:
Kato Koichi, former Secretary General of the ruling LDP, followed
his earlier resignation from the party with a surprise announcement
that he was also quitting as a lawmaker. This followed his questioning
before a Diet committee over financial irregularities involving
the so-called "Prince" of Japanese politics and his former top
aide. Kato was once a strong candidate to lead the country and
had been the LDP's biggest money raiser. The faction which he
led remains united, for the time being, under Ozato Sadatoshi.
Tanaka Makiko is the latest politician to get caught up in a scandal
regarding the salaries of political secretaries. It is claimed
that she channeled the money through companies she controls in
her constituency in Niigata Prefecture. The case smells more of
megalomania than corruption, as Tanaka is already hugely wealthy.
The LDP has been hesitant to deal too harshly with Tanaka due
to her popularity and the fact that she wields great sway over
the public in her home district, as a by-election is to be held
there on April 28th.
Takebe Tsutomu, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister,
survived a vote of no confidence in the Diet. Opposition parties
hold him responsible for the bungled handling of the recent BSE
(mad cow disease) outbreak and had demanded his resignation, following
the release of a report that severely criticized the ministry's
handling of the case. New Komeito, one of the three ruling coalition
parties, abstained from the vote. Takebe has said that he wants
to remain in his post and deal with the situation himself. 16
officials under Takebe and with the Health, Labor and Welfare
Ministry were punished.
Due to be summoned to answer questions in the Diet on April 10th,
former Social Democratic Party lawmaker Tsujimoto Kiyomi was unable
to appear due to poor health. It was earlier revealed that another
unnamed person involved in the scandal was the long-time personal
secretary of SDP leader Doi Takako. Doi seems to have weathered
the storm so far.
Foreign Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko has fired or disciplined over
30 officials this month, including several ambassadors. The measures
were taken for such things as mishandling foreign policy and accidentally
posting private love letters on the ministry's network bulletin
board system.
The government has introduced three bills designed to help the
nation's defenses prepare against attack. The bills will revise
the authority of the Self Defense Forces (SDF), allow the prime
minister to direct regional governments in such an event and impose
imprisonment on those who interfere with SDF operations.
Nakada Hiroshi (37), an independent, won the Yokohama mayoral
election, beating the incumbent who was backed by the ruling government
parties. But in Kyoto, the winner was Yamada Keiji, who was backed
not only by the three governing parties but also by three of the
opposition parties.
As this year marks the 30th anniversary of normalization of relations
between Japan and China, there have diplomatic exchanges between
the two countries. Chinese lawmaker Li Peng visited Japan and,
among things, discussed the issue of the suspected spy ship sunk
by the Japanese coast guard in the East China Sea in December.
PM Koizumi made his second official trip to China, to attend the
Asian Economic Forum.
Lawmaker Kono Taro (39) successfully donated part of his liver
to his father, former foreign minister Kono Yohei (65). The elder
Kono was diagnosed with Hepatitis C but initially refused to have
a transplant. Only repeated coercion by his eldest son allowed
the operation to go ahead.
Crime:
In a case that has lasted as long as I've been in Japan (almost
13 years), prosecutors at Tokyo District Court have sought a 4-year
prison term for former Recruit chairman Ezoe Hiromasa. Like the
earlier Lockheed Scandal, the Recruit Scandal, in which the company
bribed leading politicians, was significant in that it exposed
the endemic corruption and collusion between business and politics.
It led to the downfall of the cabinet of Takeshita Noboru in 1989.
In a story that struck fear into young parents, 60-year old daycare
center director Tani Katsuyo was arrested for the abuse and murder
of children in her care. She was first arrested for the abuse
of a five-year old girl, whom she beat with a drumstick, and later
the death of a 14-month old boy. Tani filed a report saying the
boy had died of SIDS but later confessed to having slapped him
and stepped on his face because he wouldn't sleep.
Otsu City police shot in the head and killed a member of the Yamaguchi-gumi
yakuza syndicate as he drove at two police cars after a failed
attempt to question him. A female passenger in the car and a police
officer were injured after he rammed the squad cars.
One unemployed man beat another to death with a metal rod outside
a Tokyo junior high school which was scheduled to hold its opening
ceremonies that morning. Though some students were too shocked
to attend, the ceremony went ahead as planned.
The Economy:
The corporate losses announced this month, the beginning of the
fiscal year, reflect how companies underestimated the extent of
the prolonged recession. In addition to Mizuho (see above), the
big losers included NTT at 865 billion yen (revised from 331 billion)
and 145 billion for Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group (from a 20
billion profit).
In contrast to the major names, Shinsei Bank had some good news.
The former Long-Term Credit Bank, which was taken over in 2000
by a US consortium led by Ripplewood Holdings, announced an increase
in its profit forecast for 2001 to 60 billion yen.
Standard and Poor's have cut Japan's credit rating to AA-, putting
it firmly in last place among the G7 countries. The agency cited
insufficient efforts by the government to tackle the nation's
banking problems and deal with its huge debt.
Softbank, which led the charge during Japan's Internet boom but
has since seen its shares plummet and debts rise, has sold 11.5
million shares in Yahoo! The sale raised almost 16 billion yen,
which the company needs to reduce debts and finance its Japanese
ADSL venture Yahoo BB.
The number of unemployed stood at 3.56 million in February. The
rate for men was unchanged at 5.4%, while that for women was up
to 5.2%.
Millea Holdings was launched as one of Japan's biggest insurance
groups at the beginning of the month. The group includes Tokio
Marine, Japan's biggest non-life insurer, and Nichido Fire as
well as two other smaller insurance companies.
Daiwa Bank and Asahi Bank announced that they would merge next
year under the name Risona, the Japanese for "ideal". The two
major regional banks have already integrated their business operations
under the name Daiwa Bank Holdings.
The Foreign Community:
The issue at stake was minor on a national scale but a March 31st
referendum in Maiharacho, Shiga Prefecture drew media attention.
The referendum, in which residents voted to merge the town with
three neighboring municipalities, marked the first time that foreigners
with permanent-residency status were allowed to vote. There are
some 657,000 such foreigners in Japan, of whom 82% are Korean.
Though he is the only US citizen among the 37 foreign residents
in the town, the media focused on English teacher Steve Hove as
representing the foreign community. This typifies the Japanese
tendency to see white westerners as the "ideal" foreigners, while
ignoring Asian or African residents except when talking about
crime or other negative results of the growing influx from abroad.
Korean Oh Jang Eun became the youngest ever player in the J-League,
appearing for FC Tokyo in the second half of a recent game. At
16 years and 8 months, Oh beat the previous record by two months.
His team lost 5-0 to Gamba Osaka.
World Cup
Although the details are not yet 100% official, plans for increased
train services and reduced travel fares have been made public.
For those planning to stay in Tokyo and attend games at nearby
venues, there is a 6,000 yen, five-day ticket good on JR and Keisei
trains and all subways. There is also a 20,000 yen nationwide
version. There is a flat 6,300 yen airfare to anywhere in the
country. JR East has announced 781 extra trains on the local and
shinkansen routes that serve Niigata.
In addition to the obvious items banned from World Cup venues,
you can add plastic drink bottles (if they have the cap attached!),
frozen substances, sealed paper packets or "other objects which
may be considered as intended to be thrown". Despite the fact
that the event is due to coincide with the rainy season, umbrellas
are also banned, with the exception of the folding type, if judged
harmless by security personnel. Overkill?
If you tried in vain to book a hotel in Yokohama, you may want
to try again. It seems that 25,500 bookings made for FIFA have
been cancelled. Be warned - the rooms at the six hotels are all
in the expensive range, between 20-25,000 yen a night.
Post offices across the country will add the Korean Won to the
currencies that it can exchange for people travelling to or from
the country. They already provide the service for US Dollars,
Sterling and the Euro.
Some two dozen officially FIFA-licensed sake varieties are on
sale for the big event. Breweries have been in competition for
the licensing rights and hope to increase the popularity of the
Japanese rice wine among foreign visitors. A brewer in Kanagawa
Prefecture, which is host to several games including the final,
has even released a brew in a soccer ball-shaped bottle.
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3. Sports news
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Even if you're a gambling type, it's pretty unlikely that you
would have put any money on the Hanshin Tigers for this season.
Central League bottom dwellers the past four seasons, even a strong
preseason and a charismatic new manager couldn't convince most
people that things would really change much this year. But they
got off to a 7-0 start, the franchise's best in 64 years and all
away from home, and they currently lead the CL with a 11-4 record.
The fact that they won their opening series over perennial fan
favorites and deadly rivals the Yomiuri Giants just made it all
that much sweeter. What does the rest of the season hold? Well,
I may be a Yakult Swallows fan but I'm rooting for a Year of the
Tiger.
At the other end of the scale, the Chiba Lotte Marines almost
set a new record for futility in the Pacific League. They got
off to a franchise-worst 0-11 start (the record is 12 straight
losses) before bouncing back with a few wins this week. Meanwhile,
the PL's Nippon Ham Fighters, who currently share Tokyo Dome with
the CL's Yomiuri Giants, have applied to move to the Hokkaido
city of Sapporo. The move is contested by the Seibu Lions, who
have been playing an increasing number of games at the Sapporo
Dome.
In his much anticipated pro debut, rookie Daiei Hawks pitcher
Terahara Hayato (18) threw five innings against the Fighters before
struggling in the sixth. The high school speedball record holder
avoided the loss when his team rallied for the win. There are
those who think the young hurler shouldn't even be in the starting
rotation yet. Other young talents have been overworked and saw
their best years fade before reaching 30.
Of the dozen or so Japanese players in the major leagues, LA Dodgers
"rookie" pitcher Ishii Kazuhisa (28) made the most sparkling start.
Ishii overcame a shaky preseason, pitching 10 strikeouts in less
than six scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies. The Mariners
trio of Ichiro, Sasaki and Hasegawa are also off to a solid start.
Ichiro is currently batting .344. The two pitchers even worked
in reverse in one game, with Sasaki getting his first win and
Hasegawa the save. SF Giants outfielder Shinjo Tsuyoshi saw his
batting average drop as low as .050 before geting on a hitting
streak and salvaging his position in the batting order.
The national soccer team had been expected to have little trouble
with visiting Costa Rica but was held to a 1-1 draw. Manager Phillipe
Troussier was unsatisfied with the performance, in particular
the lack of effort from striker Yanagisawa Atsushi. Recently naturalized
Santos Alessandro (24) put in an impressive performance on the
left wing in only his second cap.
Little-fancied Vegalta Sendai has taken the J-League by surprise
over the first few weeks of the season. Beating two-time defending
champions Kashima Antlers along the way, Vegalta won their opening
six games before falling to the lowly Urawa Reds. The league is
currently led by Jubilo Iwata, for many the best team last season
despite losing in the play-offs to Kashima. Meanwhile, former
champions and "Japan's Team" Verdy lie firmly at the bottom of
the heap without a win from six games. Manager Omi Yukitaka paid
the inevitable price.
Yokohama F Marinos midfield star Nakamura Shunsuke (23) is reportedly
set to join Spanish league champions Real Madrid following the
World Cup. But while it's likely the deal will rest on Nakamura's
performance in the big event, his place in the Japanese team is
by no means guaranteed. Though he regularly displays his unbounded
talent for his club, he has yet to shine at the senior international
level. He was recently described as being in the second tier of
players on the national squad, who will spend most of the time
on the bench.
Golfer Izawa Toshimitsu made two consecutive holes-in-one at the
pre-Masters par 3 tournament. Unfortunately, he didn't do quite
so well in the main event. Only Maruyama Shigeki made the cut
and, thanks to best final round score of 67, finished 14th.
Judoka and Olympic gold medallist Tamura Ryoko lost in Japan for
the first time in 12 years. seeking her 12th straight national
title in the 48kg weight category, she lost to national high school
champion Fukumi Tomoko. Tamura had only just resumed training
last month after eight months off with an injured knee.
Swimmer Yamada Sachiko set a new world record in the 800m freestyle
event at the national short-course championships. She later set
a new national record in the 400m.
Masuda Keita became the first Japanese in 20 years to reach the
semi-finals of the Yonex Open badminton tournament. He lost to
the Asian champion and top seed, Xia Xuanze.
The spring high school baseball tournament was won by local team
Hotoku Gakuen of Hyogo Prefecture. The annual event is usually
referred to simply as "Koshien", after the stadium where both
it and the summer tournament are held. Koshien is also home to
the Hanshin Tigers.
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4. Gei-noh news
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Following the negative buzz that followed her admonishment of
a handicapped member of the audience at one of her shows and unexpectedly
poor sales of her subsequent CD release, Hamasaki Ayumi has been
very busy trying to repair the damage. Usually conspicuous by
her absence from the popular TV circuit, she has recently appeared
on such shows as "Tetsuko no Heya" and Sanma's "Koi ni Karasawagi".
She has also been out meeting her fans, drawing huge crowds, such
as the 30,000 who tried to attend an event in Ginza. The photo
of the pop diva as Joan of Arc on her new single "Free and Easy"
may also be intended to generate more of a saintly image. She
is also making a serious effort to push herself in Asia. On arrival
in Taiwan for her first visit, she was greeted by hysterical crowds.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/hamasaki_ayumi.shtml
There were tears and joy as the latest batch of successful applicants
to the Takarazuka Music School were announced. Of the almost 1,000
girls, only 50 were accepted for the rigorous two-year course
that will make them heroines for the legions of young women who
fanatically follow the theatrical troupe. Meanwhile, Snow Troupe
top star Umao Yuu has announced her retirement from this September.
With the May retirement of Flower Troupe lead Takumi Hibiki, there
is the very unusual situation of two top stars retiring after
just one production.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/takarazuka.shtml
Kyogen star Izumi Motoya (27) tarnished his image when he suddenly
canceled a performance in Hokkaido due to illness but appeared
as a TV presenter the same night. He was a co-anchor for the World
Figure Skating Championships. But his flamboyant and ever-present
mother/manager seems to be enjoying her time in the limelight.
The afternoon variety show "Waratte Iitomo" was aired for the
5,000th time on April 5th. Hosted from the beginning by popular
comedian Tamori, the show has aired for 20 years. Fuji TV plan
to submit the show for consideration to the Guinness Book of Records.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/tamori.shtml
Former NHK and freelance announcer and politician Takahashi Keizo
died at the age of 83. Takahashi was presenter of the annual Kohaku
song contest nine times and the Japan Record Awards show for many
years. With a ready smile, he was one of the best-loved TV faces
of the postwar period.
Yuuki (15), one half of the pop combi EE Jump and younger brother
of Morning Musume Goto Maki (16), has been fired by his agency.
The young star had only just come back after being "suspended"
for six months, following his failure last year to meet his work
commitments. The duo's debut album has been shelved and the future
of partner Sonin (19) is unclear.
"Wadamitsu no Ki", the debut single by Hajime Chitose (22), finally
reached No.1 on the Oricon chart two months after its release.
Rather than the usual route of using a song in a TV commercial
or TV show, the single became popular by word of mouth. It's the
first debut single by a female artist to reach the top spot in
four years. Hajime's unusual singing style reflects her roots
as a singer of shima-uta, the traditional style of the Okinawa
region.
The theme song for this summer's much anticipated Studio Gibli
animated movie "Neko no Omoikaeshi" is by ukulele player Tsuji
Ayano (24). The song, titled "Kaze ni Naru" will be released in
June and like the themes from "Mononoke Hime" and "Sen to Chihiro...",
it is sure to be a hit.
More Bits and Bobs
American actress Natalie Portman (20), of Leon and Star Wars fame,
has made her Japanese TV commercial debut, in an ad for coffee.
Singer Aikawa Nanase (27), who gave birth to a son last September,
is to play her first gig in two years in June.
Shojo (An Adolescent), the directorial debut by Okuda Eiji (52),
won the Grand Prix and best actress award at the Paris Film Festival.
Okuda is a 25-year veteran actor. The acting award went to the
young Ozawa Mayu (age always given as "unknown"!).
TV personality Yonekura Ryoko (26) has confirmed herself as the
current CM queen, appearing in her 15th TV commercial. The latest
is for the Suzuki MR Wagon.
On the day of a concert, Lucifer vocalist Makoto was suddenly
hospitalized with an acute ulcer. The same ailment had the same
result for singer Onizuka Chiro (21), though she bounced back
several days later.
Members of rock bands Thee Michelle Elephant Gun, Blankey Jet
City and Asphalt have formed a new three-piece unit, Rosso. Their
debut album, Bird will be released on the 24th.
Lenny Kravitz cited poor health as the reason for postponing his
Japan tour. The concerts have been rescheduled for September and
October in Osaka and Tokyo.
Pop diva Matsuda Seiko (40) and her daughter Sayaka (15) are to
appear in a TV commercial together for the first time. The curry
CM will air next month.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/matsuda_seiko.shtml
Wada Akiko (51), presenter of the new Fuji TV show "Angry Seven"
said she would like to give PM Koizumi a piece of her mind. The
theme of the show is anger, and Wada said that what's really pissing
the public off these days is politics.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/wada_akiko.shtml
"Talento" Kato Noriko (29) has returned from two years studying
in France to resume her TV career.
Former Hikaru Genji member Yamamoto Junichi (30) and actress Toyama
Kyoko (26) are to divorce after just 14 months. They have a seven-month
old son.
Rock group Lindberg is to break up after their August concert.
The four members of the band, which was formed in 1988, will pursue
solo careers.
R&B singer Hirai Ken (30) released a dream when he performed with
producer and singer Babyface on the Fuji TV show Music Fair. The
segment, which was filmed in LA, will air next month.
Personality Mukai Aki (37) is to go to the US, where she arranged
last month for a surrogate mother to have her child. Mukai was
diagnosed with cancer of the womb in 2000.
Former boy idol singer and sometimes racing driver Kondo Masahiko
(37) is to release his first single in four years under the new
performing name of "Matchy".
In the Heat of Passion
Kane Kosugi, son of Hollywood ninja Sho Kosugi, and pro golfer
Higashio Riko, daughter of the former Seibu Lions manager; Amano
Hiroyuki (32) of the comedy duo Kyaeen and announcer Otsubo Chinatsu
(35); TV personality Watanabe Marina (31) and an employee of a
foreign bank who is six years her junior.
Wedding Bells
It was announced that popular singer Suga Shikao (35) married
former TV announcer Yagi Ayako (28) last September; Popular actors
Otsuka Nene (33) and Tanabe Seiichi (33). It is Otsuka's second
marriage, and she has a son; Actress Nakae Yuri (28) and a TV
company worker; Fuji TV announcer Ariga Satsuki (36) and political
reporter Wada Kei (49); Marc Panther (31) of the Komuro Tetsuya-led
pop group globe and his four-month pregnant OL fiancee are to
marry soon.
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5. Links We Like
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David Plotz
For a look a a foreigner's experience in Japan, read David Plotz's
diary on the Slate website.
http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?device=&displaymode=&workarea=&id=2064092
Wendy's Japan Page
Wendy Dinsmore gives her perspective on life in Japan. Titles
like Rage Page and Gaijin Angst give you an idea but it's not
all negative.
http://www.chronicsite.com/nihon/index.html
Wikipedia
Not directly Japan-related, this is a free, "open-source" online
encyclopedia. You can search, actually edit pages or even create
new ones. The kind of thing that inspired the early Internet.
http://www.wikipedia.com/
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