Fundraising loopholes, a political norm

Abstract: The Liberal Democratic Party lost a large number of seats to Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s upstart Tomin First Party in the Tokyo assembly election. Media surveys reveal that the public is dismayed by recent scandals involving the LDP, in particular the one surrounding educational company Kake Gakuen, which may have received special attention from LDP bigwigs in approving the company’s new veterinary department. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is reportedly a close friend of Kake’s chairman. Abe and the LDP continue to deny the allegations, and by doing so they can pin the poor election showing on the media, which is pursuing them. The LDP could make the case that the loss was caused by a malevolent, conniving press and thus disregard the accepted truth that the citizens of Tokyo, for better or worse, are impressed with Koike’s performance so far as governor. They supported the people she supports, some of whom bolted the LDP for Tomin First to take advantage of her popularity. Hakubun Shimomura, deputy secretary general of the LDP and the head of its Tokyo chapter, characterized the anti-media version of events even before the election was held. In its July 6 issue, the weekly Shukan Bunshun reported that while he was education minister, Shimomura received ¥2 million in political donations from Kake Gakuen that were not properly reported. Shukan Bunshun produced digital copies of internal documents to prove it. At a news conference on June 29 , Shimomura refuted the article, which was published on the same day. The money, he said, was donated by 11 individuals, and since each donation was less than ¥200,000 his office wasn’t required by law to report the donors’ names. Though Kake Gakuen appeared on the internal list of donors produced by Shukan Bunshun, Shimomura insisted that it was there only because a Kake employee had collected the money from the 11 unidentified people. The explanation sounded plausible on the surface, but anyone with knowledge of how political fundraising works would have been immediately skeptical. No one can make political contributions directly to politicians. They can only donate money to representative organizations or the political party to which the politician belongs. Also, political parties and groups cannot receive money from companies that have contracts with or receive subsidies from the government. Legally, Kake Gakuen cannot make political donations because, as a private educational organization, it has been the beneficiary of government largesse. Entities that want to grease the palms of relevant politicians have to find ways around these laws, and there are plenty of them. If Kake Gakuen wants to contribute money to Shimomura’s group, Hakuyukai, all it has to do is distribute money to enough individuals who, in turn, donate the money while remaining anonymous. Of course, Hakuyukai knows where the money is really coming from, as implied by the internal document leaked to Shukan Bunshun, but no one else has to know since they aren’t required to report it. If the list is genuine, a political funds expert told Shukan Bunshun, then it’s a violation of the law. It’s doubtful that anything will come of it. The political fundraising structure is riddled with loopholes that have been obvious for years. The ¥2 million at issue was raised through fundraising reception parties. Political groups throw parties at swanky hotels and donors buy tickets, usually for ¥20,000 to ¥30,000 a pop. Often they buy blocks of tickets and don’t even show up, because actual wining and dining isn’t the point. All they want to do is spread their money among lots of individuals, usually employees, without getting their name exposed publicly. Shukan Bunshun found other problematic organizations on the internal list of donors, like the nationwide prep school Toshin High School (¥500,000 worth of tickets for a Sept. 25 affair). There was no mention of Toshin in the reports filed with election authorities. Shukan Bunshun estimates that, over a three-year period, Hakuyukai received about ¥10 million in suspicious donations through party fundraisers. Businesses aren’t the only beneficiaries of the fundraising party loophole. Politicians also attend wingdings thrown by other politicians and donate money to them. This situation was explored last fall when three LDP executives — Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Defense Minister Tomomi Inada and Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi — were grilled by the Japan Communist Party’s Akira Koike over receipts they had been given for purchasing party tickets. Apparently, the receipts were distributed “white,” meaning without payment amounts written down. The trio’s excuse was that it was too much trouble for the staff to provide yen amounts so they just give blank receipts for their offices to fill in later. Koike asked how they could call it a receipt if payers could write down any amount they wanted? It’s a matter of trust, they replied. Blank receipts can be used for padding expenses, and politicians receive funds from the government for political activities, so it’s another way to raise money, but this time the taxpayer is the donor, albeit an unwitting one. These practices are hardly exclusive to the LDP. All political parties except the JCP, which doesn’t accept government funding, do it and the media knows it. But no matter how often they expose the loopholes, nothing happens because politicians simply deny wrongdoing. The only ones who are prosecuted, such as former LDP honcho Ichiro Ozawa , are people who tend to bother the government. Ultimately, Shimomura partially blames fake news for the LDP’s loss in the Tokyo election. Interestingly, a former aide, Keisho Taira , who was fired from Shimomura’s organization for embezzlement and is believed to be the source of the documents leaked to Shukan Bunshun, went over to Tomin First and won a seat in Shimomura’s constituency. Now he’ll be throwing his own parties, as will Koike , who was once a pillar of the LDP and may, in fact, return to their not-so-loving arms. Nothing has changed, and it’s seems likely nothing ever will.

liberal democratic party
yuriko koike
tomin first party
kake gakuen
hakubun shimomura
shukan bunshun


Doubt cast over Tomin First's national appeal

Abstract: “Politics will eventually be replaced by imagery. The politician will be only too happy to abdicate in favor of his image, because the image will be much more powerful than he could ever be.” — Marshall McLuhan, in a 1972 interview The resounding victory in the July 2 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election by Gov. Yuriko Koike’s Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First) group was seen in and out of Japan as not only a crushing defeat for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party but also a “game-changer.” Some Japanese media pundits suggest a national “First” movement is at hand, while overenthusiastic foreign observers of Japanese politics hail the international media-savvy Koike and Tomin First as a “breath of fresh air,” or a sign that, finally, a “progressive,” “modern” political alternative to decades of LDP rule is at hand. But in Osaka? Yawn. Thanks to Osaka Ishin no Kai, we’ve seen this movie before. Skepticism that Tomin First is about to become a powerful national movement is still the prevailing reaction among Osaka pundits and local politicians. And, by the way, in case anybody bothers to look, Koike was quick to step down after the election. Her successor has certain conservative and right-wing views so extreme even Osaka Ishin co-founder Toru Hashimoto, a sometime critic of Koike’s governing style, is worried. In 2012, Kazusa Noda, who now heads Tomin First, suggested the current Constitution should be invalidated and that Japan should return to the pre-World War II Constitution. On a Monday television appearance earlier this month, Hashimoto, expressing the concerns of many in Osaka Ishin (and the ruling parties), said that kind of comment is grounds for being deposed. Koike’s record shows a history of involvement with right-wing and conservative groups, individuals and ideas. So nobody should be shocked that she has associated herself with Noda. But personal politics aside, Kansai political commentators, business leaders and politicians, based on the experience of Osaka Ishin, offer the following reasons why proclamations, especially abroad, of the Tomin First movement having national possibilities need to be taken with more than a few grains of salt: First, the “Our concerns are not Tokyo’s concerns” theory. Tokyo has 13.7 million people. That’s equal to the populations of Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Kobe combined. Political priorities in smaller cities start with battling depopulation and regional revitalization — not concerns a Tokyo-centered political party would seem to know, or care much, about. Second, the “Tokyo’s concerns are not our concerns” theory. The more politically incorrect Osaka-based pundits wonder if Tomin First’s attempts to go national succeed, it could mean local assemblies where their allies have control might be forced to bow to the Tokyo-based central headquarters’ Tokyo-based political needs first, and their own local needs second. At that point, what’s the difference between Tomin First and most of the established national parties? Third, the “lack of bureaucratic connections” theory. There is a difference between politics and governing. Tomin First might be good at the former if it goes national. But from Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui on down, there remains caution in Osaka about whether it would be effective in dealing with the central government bureaucracy. Can Tomin First-affiliated Diet members get things done for far off constituencies in the manner of long-established political parties that know all the written and unwritten rules and have deep connections to the bureaucrats who enforce them? Voters may be wary. The above reasons are merely some basic ones why many in Kansai believe Tomin First may well end up like Osaka Ishin, a local movement with limited appeal outside its geographical base, a national party that ends up as a de facto Tokyo faction of the ruling LDP coalition, still influential but not exactly revolutionary, despite its current image in certain quarters.


Japanese blogger challenges photo key to new Earhart theory

Abstract: NEW YORK - A Japanese military history buff has apparently undermined a new theory that Amelia Earhart survived a crash-landing in the Pacific Ocean during her historic attempted round-the-world flight in 1937. The history blogger has posted the same photograph that formed the backbone of a History channel documentary that aired on Sunday and argued Earhart was alive in July 1937 — but the book the photo appeared in was apparently published two years before the famed aviator disappeared. The undated black-and-white photo is of a group of people standing on a dock on Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands. One of the people seems to be a slim woman with her back to the camera. The documentary argued that it proved Earhart, along with her navigator, Fred Noonan, landed in 1937 in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands, where they were picked up by the Japanese military and held prisoner. The History channel said Tuesday its investigators are “exploring the latest developments about Amelia Earhart and we will be transparent in our findings.” In the documentary, the photo is subjected to facial-recognition and other forensic testing, such as torso measurements. Experts on the show claim the subjects are likely Earhart and Noonan. A retired federal agent said he discovered the image in 2012 in the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. “According to the original caption in Japanese, the photo was taken at the port of Jabor town in Jaluit Atoll,” said the blogger, Kota Yamano, who found the image digitized at the National Diet Library. Yamano, who goes by “Yamaneko Danshaku” (“Wildcat Baron”) on his blog, said he began to research the photo after hearing about the documentary through social media. Yamano declined to disclose his occupation. Yamano claims the photograph was first published in Palau — while it was under Japanese rule — in 1935 on page 44 of a book of photographs edited by Motoaki Nishino called “Umi no Seimeisen: Waga Nanyou no Sugata,” which can be translated as “A Lifeline in the Sea: The Aspects of my Southern Seas.” Nishino was based in Palau and the publisher was Futabaya Gofukuten, also in Palau, according to the blog. “So the photograph was taken at least two years before” Amelia Earhart disappeared in 1937 and the person in the photo “was not her,” Yamano wrote on the blog. The disappearance of Earhart and Noonan on July 2, 1937, in the Western Pacific Ocean has been the subject of continuing searches, research and debate. A long-standing theory is that the famed pilot ran out of gas and crashed into deep ocean waters northwest of Howland Island, a tiny speck in the South Pacific that she and Noonan missed.

amelia earhart
history channel
marshall islands
fred noonan
wwii
japan


Renho to disclose family registry in bid to quell furor over dual nationality

Abstract: Renho, the leader of the Japan’s main opposition party — who was born to a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother — said Thursday she will disclose a portion of her family registry and other documents to prove she no longer holds foreign citizenship, amid criticism that doing so may encourage discrimination against those with dual nationalities. Renho’s decision appears to reflect an intention to put an end to a months-long dual nationality saga that has arguably marred her credibility as head of the biggest opposition party as well as a potential prime minister. Under Japan’s current nationality law, those with dual citizenship are required to choose one by age 22. “I’m ready to disclose a portion of my koseki (family registry) that shows I no longer possess Taiwanese nationality,” Renho, who only goes by her first name, told a packed news conference Thursday. She was elected the first female president of the Democratic Party last year. Since reports surfaced Tuesday that she intended to reveal a copy of her registry, critics have raised concerns that the move could be seen as succumbing to xenophobic pressure from conservatives to prove she is 100 percent Japanese, possibly setting a precedent that those with dual citizenship should accept unreasonable calls for disclosure. “The koseki is one of the most private pieces of information, and I’m aware I should never disclose it in response to pressure from those with racist and xenophobic ideologies, or that I shouldn’t set some sort of precedent,” she said. “This is not denial of the value of diversity. In fact, I believe I still remain a symbol of diversity. There is no doubt that the DP is committed to creating a diverse society. But at the same time, if this commitment is somehow being undermined by my fumbling over (the nationality issue), I’d like to clear up any suspicion.” Renho refused to elaborate on what documents she intends to reveal, saying she will hold a news conference on Tuesday next week to fully explain herself. While running for the DP’s top position last fall, Renho drew fire for an ever-evolving story about whether and when she had relinquished her Taiwanese citizenship in accordance with the nationality law. At the onset of heated media coverage last year over her possible dual citizenship, Renho originally insisted that she was Japanese since birth, only to later say she legally became Japanese upon giving up her Taiwanese citizenship at the age of 17 in 1985. But in September, Renho said she discovered that, despite the earlier claims, she had yet to relinquish her Taiwanese citizenship after all and pledged to swiftly take care of the necessary paperwork. She later claimed she had successfully made a declaration to choose Japanese nationality, but has since rebuffed calls from conservative forces, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, that she reveal her koseki as proof. Some within the DP blame Renho’s mishandling of the flap for the party’s continued lack of support from the public and its dismal showing in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election earlier this month. On Sunday, DP lawmaker Masato Imai took to social media to criticize Renho. “One of the things we should do in light of our huge loss in the Tokyo poll is resolve Renho’s dual nationality problem,” Imai said on Twitter. He added that the party’s failure to clear up the issue is the reason it has failed to gain support from voters. “For a start, she should disclose her koseki and explain herself,” he said. The DP’s Kazuhiro Haraguchi joined Imai in calling for a full explanation, adamant that his views are by no means xenophobic but based on the belief that Renho should improve her accountability as head of the party. “Sometimes there are things you need to explain about as a public figure — more so if you’re aiming to become prime minister in the future,” he said. “This has nothing to do with discrimination.” But Yoshifu Arita, a liberal DP lawmaker, had a different take. “Demanding Renho disclose her koseki is wrong and essentially amounts to social bullying,” he wrote on Twitter. “It’s an attack on moves calling for a pro-diversity society, and means she has succumbed to xenophobia under the Abe administration.”


Liberal Party founder Itagaki favored Louis Vuitton goods, 1883 purchase record shows

Abstract: KOCHI - Louis Vuitton bags and purses are among the most luxurious brands beloved in Japan. But a recent purchase record shows that Itagaki Taisuke, a historic politician who pushed for democracy in the late 19th century, was also a Louis Vuitton fan. A record unearthed by Louis Vuitton in France showed that Itagaki (1837-1919) bought a suitcase over 130 years ago, apparently in January 1883, while traveling through Europe for about six months to see how prevalent democracy was in the West. The actual suitcase has been donated by his descendants to Kochi Liberty and People’s Rights Museum in the city of Kochi. Go Kumon, an executive of a nonprofit group that aims to spread Itagaki’s ideals, had been urging Louis Vuitton to check for records of his purchases. The unearthed records, made public earlier this month, contained Itagaki’s name and his initials I.T., as well as 7720, the same serial number as the one on the suitcase. It also had Jan. 9 written in French — the day he apparently bought it. According to Kumon, there was also a record of Sameshima Naonobu, Japanese ambassador to France, purchasing a suitcase five years before Itagaki did. A similar record was found for Goto Shojiro, a native of the Satsuma domain, but attempts to find both suitcases have failed. The museum is planning to put Itagaki’s suitcase on display in October. Itagaki, a native of the Tosa domain, or what is now Kochi, founded the first political party in modern Japan, the Liberal Party, in 1881. In 1882, Itagaki was almost assassinated by a right-winger to whom he allegedly said, “Itagaki may die, but liberty never will!”


Nurse who allegedly drugged colleagues arrested on attempted murder charge

Abstract: CHIBA - A 71-year-old nurse has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder after allegedly drugging the drinks of two people and causing them to have a car accident, the Chiba Prefectural Police said. Police arrested Aiko Hatano on Tuesday for allegedly letting a 69-year-old woman who works at the same nursing care facility and her 71-year-old husband drink tea laced with a sleep-inducing drug on May 15, knowing they would later drive home. The two crashed into a van driven by a 56-year-old man in Sakura, Chiba. The woman broke her rib in the accident, and the two men suffered slight injuries. Hatano, from the city of Inzai, was first arrested on June 21 on suspicion of giving a colleague a beverage mixed with a sedative, according to the police. Since April, a number of workers reported feeling dizzy, sleepy and unsteady on their feet, according to the facility. Police said Hatano has admitted that she mixed the drugs into her colleagues’ drinks but was vague about whether she intended to kill them. An investigative source said Wednesday that another 60-year-old female worker at the facility was killed in a car accident on Feb. 5, and that police are investigating possible connections to other cases. Hatano has been working at the facility since October 2015 and had been in charge of managing health conditions of residents. The incident came to light in mid-June after a worker witnessed her pouring a liquid into a beverage served to another female worker in her 30s, which led to her initial arrest. Hatano took the same sleep-inducing medicine regularly and kept it at her desk in the facility, the police said. A 44-year-old man who heads the facility said the incident came as a “great surprise,” adding that there were no signs of discord among workers.


Try checking into a love hotel for a good night's sleep

Abstract: Around the end of each year’s rainy season in July, it’s common for the media to run articles on the subject of sleep. Hot weather is not the only factor that makes Japan less conducive to sleeping in summer. Since daylight savings is not practiced, the sun rises before 5 a.m., affecting many people’s sleep patterns. If more sleep were desirable than less, it would seem that Japan does not fare very well in international comparisons. In a survey undertaken in 2009 by OECD, out of 18 member countries, Japanese, with an average of 470 minutes (7.8 hours) per night, ranked 17th, ahead of South Koreans by one minute. The top five countries were France (530 minutes.), the U.S. (518), Spain (514), New Zealand (513) and Turkey (512). “The short sleeping time of Japanese,” Weekly Diamond (July 1) writes, “cannot be said to be unrelated to long working hours.” The issue devoted 36 pages to sleep, starting with the socio-economic implications. Makoto Uchiyama, chairman of the Nihon University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, estimates that various types of sleep disorders cost the Japanese economy close to ¥3.5 trillion a year, broken down as follows: ¥3.06 trillion in terms of reduced work efficiency; ¥73.1 billion in worker absenteeism; ¥81 billion in tardy arrivals; ¥7.5 billion in early departures and ¥241.3 billion in traffic accidents. Among age groups, males from age 40 to 49, and females from 50 to 59 are the most dysfunctional, with around half averaging less than six hours sleep a night. Not surprisingly, a government survey conducted in 2011 found that residents of prefectures on the periphery of either Tokyo or Osaka average the least sleep, almost certainly due to longer commuting times. Japan’s worst five are Kanagawa, Nara, Hyogo, Chiba and Saitama. On the other hand, Japan’s longest sleepers — who enjoy approximately 30 more minutes than their peers aforementioned, live in Akita, Aomori, Kochi, Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures. Other factors besides steamy nights can interfere one’s sleep. Sunday Mainichi (July 16) advises against bringing a smart phone or book into bed, because the brain fails to recognize that the bed’s purpose is for sleeping, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Physiologically speaking, to descend smoothly into a deep sleep involves a rapid drop in the temperature of the internal organs, so taking a hot bath just before hitting the sack is inadvisable, as are activities that stimulate the brain such as listening to music or watching TV. It’s important, advises Sunday Mainichi, to obtain a grasp of the factors affecting one’s own sleeping rhythm. A number of methods and devices for this purpose are offered on the market. One, a notebook called “ neru note,” allows a person to keep a log of periods of sleep and wakefulness, with a space to write in any changes brought on by activities, thus enabling the user to pinpoint factors that may aid or hinder sleep. Specialists are also available for consultation at reasonable costs, since such treatment is covered by health insurance. J-Cast News (July 14) reports that the nation’s love hotels are changing their business model to fit new types of consumer demand. These are establishments that permit check-in without registration and rent rooms by the hour. Kotoko Hyuga, a love hotel “critic,” waxes enthusiastic about the appeal of solitary overnight stays in such accommodations, where guests can avail themselves of rooms with wide-screen TVs, karaoke and massage chairs, not to mention Jacuzzi baths and spacious beds — which has earned them the nickname “urban resorts.” While many establishments adhere to a couples-only rule, Hyuga claims as many as 3,000 such hotels now offer single stay plans. “First of all, they’re great value for money,” she said. “Part of their appeal is the service: For an inexpensive outlay you can get a big bathtub and plenty of luxurious amenities. They are also located in or near entertainment areas, which makes them convenient for travelers.” More love hotels, Hyuga added, are taking on the other features and functions of ordinary hostelry; for example, the willingness to store a traveler’s luggage prior to check-in. As one example of a singles-friendly hotel, the article cites the Hotel Hyper ( bit.ly/hotelhyper ), located within walking distance of Osaka’s Namba Station. Three years ago it initiated a plan targeting business travelers. Its prime appeal is price: for as little as ¥5,000 per night, it is even cheaper than regular hotels in the area. “It would be best if all our rooms were occupied by couples,” said a member of Hotel Hyper’s staff. “But business conditions haven’t been that good. We make things easier for travelers by issuing receipts bearing the name of the holding company instead of the hotel itself.” From April of this year, Hotel Hyper began making more efforts to attract foreign tourists, and presently distributes explanatory pamphlets in English and Chinese to guests. Travelers who stay at the Hotel Lotus Oriental in Kyoto, meanwhile, can avail themselves of a computer and Wi-Fi, as well as a free newspaper delivered to the room. The least expensive rate is ¥7,500 per night, and the hotel subsidizes taxi fares for arriving guests up to ¥1,000. Hyuga claims that love hotels have also caught on among entertainers and artists who make the rounds of regional cities, often traveling overnight by bus and who check into love hotels to nap for a few hours before they perform. They are also used by people who engage in what she calls “nomad work,” i.e., those not confined to an office but who move around. “The rooms give them a place where they can concentrate, and being able to soak in a large tub and lie on a big bed puts them in a better mood,” Hyuga remarked. “I myself also work as a comic illustrator, and I check into one when I’m trying to come up with a good name or title. It really helps.”

love hotels
sleep
summer
oecd
makoto uchiyama
mainichi
j-cast news
kotoko hyuga
weekly diawmond


Public questions Japan's duck and cover drills

Abstract: On July 7, during a public assembly in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, Shunichi Tanaka , head of Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority, was asked how his organization would respond to a North Korean missile attack. Tanaka replied that it would make more sense for North Korea to hit Tokyo with a missile than “drop it on a small (nuclear) reactor.” Though meant as a joke, the comment was condemned by many, including the environmental minister, who is basically Tanaka’s boss. Tanaka apologized. In its July 11 edition, Tokyo Shimbun did not mention the remark, but it did reference the late journalist Yuyu Kiryu’s similarly dismissive attitude toward civil defense schemes in 1933, in an article about a safety drill that took place in Saijo, Ehime Prefecture on July 10. The reporters related how sirens blared and students at an elementary school, who were outside at the time, immediately ran into the gymnasium, crouched on the floor and put their arms over their heads. At a community center, seniors were weeding the grounds. They, too, ran indoors. The whole thing lasted 10 minutes. Tokyo Shimbun talked to participants and found that many, while understanding the purpose of the drills, didn’t seem to think they would be effective in the event of a real North Korean missile attack. “There would be no perfectly safe place,” one community organizer admitted. “And asking us to evacuate just causes confusion.” A good portion of the residents did not participate at all, apparently, either because they were busy with other things or just didn’t see the point. “I might have taken part if there were a bomb shelter,” a 69-year-old woman said, “But hiding in a school or community center makes no sense. Shouldn’t we first make an effort to avoid a war?” Saijo volunteered to host a drill when the Cabinet Office solicited local governments to hold them. In June another small city, Tsubame, Niigata Prefecture, carried one out. A city assembly member told Tokyo Shimbun, “Why do we have to do this? I don’t think North Korea is interested in our town.” Tokyo Shimbun speculates that the government wants to create a mood of crisis in order to justify its increase in defense spending. Another reason might be to distract the public from the scandals dogging the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Jiro Ishimaru of Asia Press told the newspaper that the administration exploits North Korean threats to shore up the Cabinet’s support rate, though he believes the drills may have backfired since a good portion of the public doesn’t see their value unless they are done in big cities like Tokyo or near U.S. military installations, which he says are more likely targets. But the government is thinking about those people, too. Most Japanese have learned about safety measures through conventional media — broadcasting, print and the internet. In late June, 43 commercial TV stations started airing a public service announcement with instructions in the event of an attack. The government also bought advertisements in 70 newspapers and boosted the status for its related website in browser searches. In all, the Cabinet Office spent ¥360 million on missile preparedness PR. All of this was before North Korea launched what many believe was its first inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4, a move experts say is a game-changer and thus could be seen as justifying the government’s move to educate the public. But as professor Shunji Hiraiwa of Nanzan University told Tokyo Shimbun, while the North’s technology has obviously improved, missiles that can strike Japan were developed there a long time ago. The emergence of an North Korean ICBM doesn’t change Japan’s security status, which isn’t assured because its anti-missile defense structure isn’t reliable. Japan’s only plausible solution to the problem, he thinks, is diplomacy. This opinion was echoed by Ukeru Magosaki, a former ambassador to Iran, during a recent discussion on the website of the Independent Web Journal . He said that even if North Korea launched missiles with conventional warheads, the government’s instructions would be useless. Iran bombarded Iraq with North Korea-made missiles during the Iran-Iraq War, and Magosaki understands firsthand there’s no way to prepare for such an attack. Being inside a building is no guarantee unless the building has no windows. It’s the flying glass that kills. Magosaki says the government obviously has “limited understanding” of the consequences of a missile attack. But maybe the Cabinet Office’s reasons for the PR are different from what people think they are. In an article posted July 5, the web magazine News Post 7 ventured that the PR strategy has more to do with courting the media than with informing — or even alarming — the public. Since becoming prime minister for the second time in 2012, Abe has regularly wined and dined top executives of the major dailies and TV networks, including those of his bete noir, Asahi Shimbun. More significantly, he has overseen huge budgets for government ad campaigns. The missile counter-measure program is only one of them. In 2012, the Democratic Party of Japan, the ruling party at the time, spent ¥4.1 billion on PR. In Abe’s second year after his return, he spent ¥6.5 billion, mainly to push the new consumption tax. In 2015 it was ¥8.3 billion, and this year it should top ¥9 billion. The only press criticism of the missile preparedness PR program comes from Tokyo Shimbun and other nonmainstream media, because the government doesn’t buy ads from them. Journalists who discussed the News Post 7 article on the web news program DemocraTV insisted the campaign is incoherent, but with ad revenue shrinking, major media are happy to take the government’s money, they said, and a happy media is what the government wants, especially when the Abe administration eventually starts publicizing the referendum for changing the Constitution. News Post 7 estimates that campaign will be worth billions of yen in ad revenue. The media, apparently, is already counting on it.

takahama
shunichi tanaka
tokyo shimbun
shinzo abe
jiro ishimaru
asia press
shunji hiraiwa
ukeru magosaki
north korea . missile


Taiwan looks back on 130-year railway legacy initiated by colonial ruler Japan

Abstract: TAIPEI - This year marks the 130th anniversary of the start of construction of Taiwan’s first railway, back when the island was part of China’s Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Among the commemorative events, Taiwanese officials earlier this year celebrated two Japanese colonial-era train stations: the main station in the central industrial city of Taichung and a smaller terminal constructed north of Taipei in 1916 for visitors to Beitou’s famous hot springs. Japan has long been credited with Taiwan’s rapid modernization during its 50-year rule of the island, when colonial planners embarked on a range of large-scale infrastructure projects including ports, irrigation and sewage systems, and communications networks. But none contributed more to Taiwan’s prosperity than the railway system, one of the region’s most extensive when the Japanese left in 1945. To this day, Japan-initiated rail lines, some of which have operated for over 100 years, provide essential services to Taiwanese communities. And while trains no longer dominate island transportation as they once did, the Taiwan government has acknowledged the historical importance of no less than 32 colonial-era stations and committed to an ambitious plan to upgrade and restore them. The Japanese were not the first to build railroads in Taiwan. Chinese used trolleys drawn by water buffaloes to move raw materials like sugarcane and coal. In 1893, a line opened connecting Keelung on the north coast through Taipei to Hsinchu in northern Taiwan. But when the island was ceded to Japan in 1895, work began almost immediately on the construction of a modern railroad system. In time, Japanese administrators bought out privately owned railroads and integrated them with the public system, thereby improving efficiency. They also increased passenger services, first by mixing coaches with freight cars, then running trains exclusively for travelers and commuters. The Japanese saw railways as the “pioneers of civilization” and the foundation of their colonial economy, said Tsai Lung-bao, a history professor at National Taipei University. “They connect the island from north to south, west to east, improving lives and bringing development to the island.” Railroads benefited Taiwan in several ways, the most obvious being economic. Steam and then diesel trains transported bulk materials like coal, sugar, timber and gravel, much of which was destined for Japan. Where trains went, people and business followed, providing conditions necessary for early industrialization in factory towns like Yingge near Taipei, which became a center for ceramics production. The ability to move products quickly over long distances also transformed agriculture and improved Taiwanese diets, especially during the winter when perishable southern crops could be shipped north. Rail transport also changed Taiwan socially, first by encouraging urbanization and then by increasing mobility needed for cities to develop centralized business districts staffed by commuters from residential areas on the periphery. But perhaps the most consequential effect of the railways was the effect on how Taiwanese perceived time, as trains required synchronization and punctuality, said Lee Shiao-feng, a professor of Taiwanese culture at National Taipei University of Education. If time organized around the shifting phases of the moon served the needs of farmers and fishermen, railway time marked by the regularity of the clock inculcated habits essential for business and manufacturing. “To avoid missing your train and losing your job, working people became punctual, a virtue lacking before the Japanese came,” Lee said. The 1940s saw the first signs of decline in Taiwanese rail transport. This was due partly to the effects of World War II, which not only destroyed equipment but forced the suspension of services in many areas. But it was also a result of economic change. As lumber and mining declined in importance, lines serving those operations were shut down. After the war, the newly established Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) faced competition from new transportation interests: first bus and trucking firms, then cars. Metropolitan areas like Taipei and Kaohsiung also built their own transit systems, and soon a high-speed rail line joined major urban centers north and south. Instead of competing with new forms of transportation, the TRA decided to work with them, said TRA Deputy Director-General Hsu Jen-tsai, providing connecting links, for example, to high-speed rail stations located in suburbs. In time the TRA replaced diesel locomotives with electric while also improving its own intercity commuter services. It completed the last sections of the island-wide rail system in eastern and southern Taiwan, lines that rarely pay for themselves but fulfill the company mandate to provide services even in remote areas of the island. Despite rapid modernization, train travel in Taiwan has retained key fixtures of its history, its stations in particular. The recently refurbished Taichung Station celebrated its centennial earlier this year, six months after the TRA opened a mammoth new glass and steel terminal right beside it. An impressive structure long identified with the city, the old station was constructed in the free-classic style of Japanese architect Kingo Tatsuno, whose other works includes Tokyo Station and the Bank of Japan, according to Liou Shuenn-ren, a professor of architecture at National Cheng Kung University. Over the past century, Taichung Station greeted millions of visitors from all over the world, including then-Crown Prince Hirohito in 1923, who was in Taiwan to inspect the fast-growing colony. Stations in Hsinchu, Tainan and Kaohsiung provide equally striking examples of period architecture while continuing to serve thousands of travelers daily. Two stations were built in Taiwan’s capital during the Japanese period, the first in 1901, the second in 1941. Both were replaced as the city outgrew them. In 1989, Taipei unveiled its third station, which currently serves as a hub for TRA trains, high-speed rail and the underground mass transit system (MRT). But if Taipei Main Station appears more Chinese than Japanese, a few kilometers to the north the Xinbeitou train station looks like a page out of colonial history. Dismantled in 1988 to make way for an MRT station, the wooden Japanese-era building was reconstructed with new materials and reopened this spring close to its original location after decades of campaigning by local groups to have it restored.


Japan's anime pilgrimages give untrod real-world locales economic boost

Abstract: The popularity of the blockbuster anime film “Your Name.” went beyond movie screens, with fans flocking to the real-world locales depicted in the romantic fantasy. Gifu Prefecture has seen more tourists since its sites appeared in the movie. The city of Hida attracted more than 1 million visitors in 2016 for the first time at least in three years. Such sightseeing — walking in the footsteps of fictional characters — is not new. It’s called seichi junrei (sacred pilgrimage). But given the immense popularity of Japanese anime overseas, Japan wants to further promote this type of tourism to international visitors. The following are some questions and answers about anime tourism: When did the trend first start? Avid anime fans had been retracing the steps of their favorite characters since the 1990s, according to Takeshi Okamoto, an associate professor at Nara Prefectural University who researches anime tourism. Fans of the “Sailor Moon” series, which first aired on TV in 1992, would visit a shrine in Tokyo featured prominently in the program. The activity was still low-key back then, he said, only to heat up with the widespread use of the internet in the mid-2000s. “Before that, all fans did was visit and take pictures. But the internet allowed them to share their experience and give other fans information about where to find these locations,” said Okamoto. Now a simple online search yields details on the real-life places behind the anime. Why does anime depict actual locations? Since the late 1990s, producers have increasingly been creating stories with real-life settings to depict the lives of ordinary people, said Okamoto The 1970s and 1980s saw a rise in the popularity of science fiction titles, especially stories that take place in space, such as “Space Battle Ship Yamato” and “Mobile Suit Gundam.” Many recent anime programs still incorporate sci-fi elements but tend to take place in worlds that closely resemble our own. “Current anime needs intricately detailed backgrounds” that looks realistic, said Okamoto, noting that animators who specialize in background images told him it is quite difficult to design such scenes from scratch. Thus it is easier to use the real locales as models. The production process has also moved away from traditional animation methods and background images are now typically traced from digital photos in an effort to lower production costs, said Okamoto. Therefore, many anime scenes parallel real-world sites. How will Japan promote anime tourism to international visitors? “Anime tourism has become more common within Japan, so we think our mission is to expand it to overseas,” said Fumiyuki Kakizawa, who is in charge of public relations at the Anime Tourism Association. The association was established last September by various firms, including anime distributor Kadokawa Corp., travel agency JTB Corp. and Japan Airlines. The group designated more than 80 cities, towns and wards as destinations in what is being dubbed the “Anime Tourism 88-Stop Pilgrimage” in August. The venues were chosen based on votes from about 50,000 anime fans. The association offers the list of spots in various foreign languages and plans to post a map on its website. Okamoto said some anime-linked locales are in rural areas and are hard for inbound tourists to find, so “I think it is a good thing that the association is making it easier to access them.” The Anime Tourism Association also collaborates with municipalities whose sites appear in programs. How much of an impact could anime tourism have on towns and cities? Anime tourism could provide a huge windfall for areas that would otherwise see few visitors. The city of Kuki in Saitama Prefecture is often touted as a success story, well known within anime circles because of “Lucky Star,” a series that aired in 2007. Featuring the everyday life of local high school girls, the show highlights an area in Kuki formerly known as the town of Washimiya. While several locations appear in the anime, the local Washinomiya Shrine became especially popular. Before “Lucky Star” premiered, the shrine saw about 90,000 visitors for the New Year season, compared with around 300,000 in 2008. Shinji Matsumoto, an official at the Kuki chamber of commerce, said it was shortly after the first broadcast of the anime program that local residents began to notice out-of-town visitors roaming about the sleepy community. “It was really surprising to see young people strolling around on weekdays,” said Matsumoto. In 2007, anime tourism was still a little known phenomenon in the country, but local residents soon wanted to provide something for “Lucky Star” fans other than just sightseeing, especially as many probably come from far away, he said. It takes more than an hour to get to Kuki from central Tokyo. So the chamber of commerce contacted Kadokawa, which was the publisher of “Lucky Star,” to see if it could hold events and sell original goods at local stores. Matsumoto said Kadokawa was happy to cooperate. The town created 1,000 “Lucky Star” themed straps for cellphones in December 2007 that sold out in just 30 minutes. “Also on that day, we had an event featuring a voice actor from the anime, and people had already started lining up the night before … we never had that kind of experience, so it was really mind-blowing,” he said. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the series’ premiere broadcast. Matsumoto said the number of visitors on regular days has declined, but many fans still attend seasonal events, such as the birthdays of the characters. Since the country plans to promote anime tourism, more towns are expected to partner with anime programs. Matsumoto said his city was lucky to have been featured in a popular show, but he was in no position to give advice to other towns. He said, however, that the key is to respect the fans. “I believe it’s not about pushing what the local areas want. We should always consider the fans’ perspectives,” Matsumoto said.


The naivete of youth can be a costly problem

Abstract: From Aug. 15, the Yukan Fuji ran a three-part series by investigative reporter Fumiaki Tada about the “dangerous summer” that confronts Japan’s young people, including the possibility of falling victim to fraud or robbery. In Tokyo and other cities, aggressive street touts called sukauto (scouts) approach teens on the sidewalk, asking them to take part in a survey about skin care. Then using high-pressure “catch sales” tactics, the victims are conned into signing up for an expensive series of beauty treatments. According to the Consumer Protection Center operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, a common ruse is for a woman claiming to be a magazine editor to ask a teen, “Have you ever thought about going into modeling?” Then, via telephone, they are invited to an office to register as a model. The next day, they are told work is available as a hairdressing model. But to improve their appearance they will need to undergo beauty treatments, like laser depilatory — normally costing ¥1 million, but as a special offer, only one half that amount. “Afterward I never got any modeling offers,” a girl in her early 20s relates. “I want to get out of the contract.” “These ‘model registrations’ are merely a pretext for tricking people into undergoing the expensive treatment,” explained a counselor at the Consumer Protection Center. “When multiple people come on with a hard sell offering some kind of work, which leads to something completely different, we describe it as ‘dramatic soliciting.'” That’s not to say that the aspiring young candidates have no chance at all to break into the business, but it’s more likely that they’ll get stuck with high fees they can’t afford and, unable to get out of the contract, may even be coerced into working off the exorbitant charges by appearing in adult videos. Quite a few young women idolize groups of young female performers and aspire to emulate them, but, Yukan Fuji warns, they need to be aware of these contemptible “scouts,” who lurk in front of stations and on sidewalks awaiting their next victim. In mid August, it’s common for younger kids in the cities to accompany their parents for obligatory visits to rural homes of their paternal or maternal grandparents. This, however, is no assurance of happy harmony. Shukan Post (Sept. 1) ran a story titled “Ahh, ‘grandchild fatigue’: Obon re-encounters with grandchildren can be ‘hellish.'” Take the 68-year-old grandpappy in Yamaguchi Prefecture, who has been feeling indisposed since the four-night, five-day visit by his grandchildren. “My grandsons are ages 5 and 7,” he said. “On the surface they look like sweet kids, but they’re really mischievous, and playing with them wore me down to a frazzle. Even though the temperature was over 35 degrees Celsius I had to take them to a nearby beach and an amusement park. When they left, they said, ‘We really wanna see grandpa again soon,’ but I was plumb knackered. Still am. “I was feeling nauseated and had no appetite so I went to the hospital. The doctor told me I had a ‘slight touch of heatstroke.'” Similar stories of what Shukan Post calls “grandchild fatigue” have been flowing in. “Since we don’t see them often, we wanted to make a home cooked meal for our grandchildren,” a 66-year-old housewife in Gifu Prefecture woefully relates. “Spent the whole day in the unairconditioned kitchen, doing our best to turn out something tasty. Slaving to prepare foods over the deep fryer was enough to give me vertigo.” Although grandparents are seldom obliged to fight snarled traffic on expressways or jam themselves into long-distance trains, traditional family get-togethers can still hit their pocketbooks hard. Last month, the Aozora Bank conducted a survey of 2,000 men and women between the ages of 55 to 74 regarding “seniors’ reality.” Just over 63 percent replied that they play host to their children and grandchildren and of these, roughly half said they pay part or all of their offspring’s travel expenses — an average of ¥31,900. On top of that, they said they paid an average of ¥41,600 for other expenditures during their relatives’ stay. What sort of outlays are we talking about? Well, it seems there’s a strong trend among families for grandparents to lay out funds to purchase randoseru , the leather knapsacks elementary school children use for carrying books and school supplies. Peer pressure demands a good one be purchased and they don’t come cheap: the average knapsack price, according to another survey by the Aozora Bank, is ¥50,400. A 67-year-old man in Shizuoka Prefecture tells Shukan Post he got stuck for ¥70,000. “These days, it’s a given that the knapsacks are made to order, with orders placed from July or August,” he sighed. “The popular brands sell for ¥70,000 or ¥80,000. I thought it made sense to go with something cheaper, but my daughter-in-law had told the kid that her father would buy it for her, and that put me on the spot.” As it turned out, the paternal granddad wound up paying for the knapsack, and the maternal granddad sprang for a study desk. “The present generation of children feel that, ‘As our grandparents’ generation experienced the period of high economic growth, they are affluent and can be relied upon materially,'” says Makiko Miyamoto, a specialist in family problems and author of a book aimed at educating the postwar baby boom generation who have become grandparents. “On the other hand, the older generation feels that they ‘knew Japan when it was poor,’ but are unable to impart such an awareness to their own children or grandchildren. That has resulted in the creation of a new generation whose members take things for granted and don’t feel gratitude for what they receive.”

yukan fuji
fumiaki tada
summer
scouts
shukan post
randoseru
school
makiko miyamoto
education
teenager


Japan Times 1992: 'Students get a taste of five-day school weeks'

Abstract: 100 YEARS AGO Friday, Sept. 28 1917 Saitama father makes a tragic jest about horse A tragic accident occurred on Sept. 20 in the village of Mizufuka, Saitama Prefecture. A man named Shigeji Hara, a country farmer, taking his child 3 years old in his arms to the stable belonging to him, made a feint, offering the child to the mouth of the horse and telling his boy that if he should cry without any cause, his father was willing to give him up to be eaten by the animal. At that instant the horse snapped at the child, which give it such a shock that it soon died. 75 YEARS AGO Thursday, Sept. 17, 1942 Japanese seaplane bombs U.S. mainland The shocking news of the first air raid on the American mainland plunged the people of the United States into tremendous excitement and confusion aggravated by wild rumors. Since the outbreak of the War of Greater East Asia, America has been exposed to the menace of the Japanese and Axis forces in the Pacific and the Atlantic, respectively. German submarines went deep into American waters and raided shipping in the Caribbean Sea, while Japanese submarines appeared off the western coast of America at will to destroy America’s marine transportation routes. Now, the Japanese Imperial Navy has taken the initiative to the air, raiding the American mainland and adding to the menace to America from both the sea and air. Japanese submarines severely bombed Santa Barbara, California, of Feb. 23; Vancouver Island, Canada, on June 20 and the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon, on June 21 and 22, throwing the enemy into utter consternation. Since the Japanese bombardment of the American mainland in February, the American people have been under the fear of an air raid by Japan, and air raid alarms have been frequently issued along the western coast. Now that fear has come true. Their consternation can be imagined. According to a communique issued by the U.S. Western Defense Command, a watchman named Howard Gardner sighted a seaplane of unknown nationality flying toward the mainland from the direction of the sea at 6 a.m. on Sept. 9, and subsequently witnessed black smoke rising in the locality over which the Japanese machine passed. “The United States Western Defense Command after careful examination of the fragments of an incendiary bomb, discovered by a member of the Oregon State Forest Service Bureau, have come to the conclusion that it was a Japanese bomb.” 50 YEARS AGO Sunday, Sept. 24, 1967 TV firm seeks talented foreign performers Fuji Telecasting Co. in Tokyo is looking for foreign performers with special talents to appear in its 30-minute TV program to begin in November. The program, to be telecast between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. every Thursday, is billed as the company’s cooperative participation in the World Exposition to be held in Osaka in western Japan in 1970. It hopes to drum up interest in the exposition by calling on special talents all over the world to appear in its TV show. Called for are anybody from acrobats and magicians to occultists. It is searching for fire eaters, glass eaters and others with special appetites, those with superhuman strength, practitioners of mystic arts, those with keenly developed senses of perception — including persons with exceptionally high IQ. Anybody with unusual talent for feats or daring or supernatural powers of mysticism may apply. However, a performers may not necessarily possess a unique talent — he may, for instance, get a chance to appear on TV if he has an exceptionally long beard. 25 YEARS AGO Sunday, Sept. 13, 1992 Students get a taste of five-day school weeks Schoolchildren had no classes on Saturday for the first time in 120 years as a limited five-day week system started at public schools nationwide. Forty-seven thousand elementary, junior high and high schools closed as 18 million pupils and students joined alternative events organized at 5,000 locations, the Education Ministry said. Schools will have a five-day week once a month, with no classes on the second Saturday. The ministry plans to implement five-day weeks twice a month as early as 1994. Japan has had six-day school weeks since 1872, when a modern educational system was introduced by the government of Emperor Meiji. Various events were held to mark the start of five-day school week, including volunteer activities such as helping the elderly and neighborhood cleanup projects. Many schools opened their gyms, playgrounds and libraries for pupils, while others organized hikes, athletic meetings and even karaoke events for kids and their parents. A cram school in Osaka held a special class for sixth-graders to prepare for entrance examinations at private junior high schools scheduled for next spring.

horses
oregon
education
world war ii
osaka expo


Japan household assets rise to fresh record in June

Abstract: Financial assets held by households rose 4.4 percent from a year earlier to a record ¥1.832 quadrillion ($16 trillion) at the end of June, up for the fourth straight quarter, Bank of Japan data showed Wednesday. The growth was boosted by the increasing value of stocks and other assets amid a moderate global economic expansion. By asset type, equities rose 22.5 percent to ¥191 trillion and investment trusts increased 15.6 percent to ¥100 trillion. Cash and deposits, which accounted for 51.6 percent of household assets, rose 2.6 percent to a record ¥945 trillion. The data also showed that the BOJ’s holdings of Japanese government bonds rose above 40 percent of the total for the first time, climbing 9.9 percent from a year earlier to ¥437 trillion. The central bank buys vast amounts of the debt as part of its aggressive monetary easing measures aimed at lifting the economy and spurring inflation toward 2 percent. Meanwhile, the outstanding balance of government bonds fell 2.1 percent to ¥1.085 quadrillion, down for the first time in roughly eight years as debt yields rose from their lows a year earlier. Yields move inversely to debt prices. Government bonds held by foreign investors gained 4.9 percent to ¥117 trillion, comprising 10.8 percent of the total.


Japanese citizen group stages rally to battle hate speech on Twitter

Abstract: A citizen group is standing up to discriminatory speech on Twitter, demanding that the social networking service take urgent measures to block hate speech and other abusive communication. Experts believe specific guidelines are needed to curb discriminatory tweets. Human rights advocates are concerned that unfettered abuse could lead to major nationalist rallies in Japan similar to those recently seen in the United States. Earlier this month, protesters gathered in front of the Japanese unit of Twitter Inc. in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, demanding that the company step up efforts to immediately remove from the platform hate speech, such as the many examples of offensive posts targeted against people of Korean descent. The group, Tokyo No Hate, catalogued over 1,000 discriminatory comments that its supporters found on Twitter and deemed as hate speech. The protesters took to the streets and placed some 400 printouts of the comments on the pavement in front of the Twitter office so people could step on them. “If we leave these kinds of posts (on Twitter) and the society continues to allow such hate speech to be published, an incident similar to that in Charlottesville would likely take place in Japan,” Masayuki Ishino, one of the main members of Tokyo No Hate, said during the two-hour protest held in the evening of Sept. 8, referring to the white supremacist rally last month in Virginia that turned violent, leaving one counterprotester killed from a car-ramming attack and two state troopers dead in a helicopter accident. Twitter guidelines prohibit tweets that threaten a person’s life or could foment violence against any targeted ethnic group or minority. A user account deemed in violation of this rule could be suspended temporarily or permanently. Users can report abuses, but Twitter can be slow to respond, Ishino said. “It takes about a month after a report is sent to Twitter before the firm responds. The response is slow, and in some cases, there is no response,” Ishino said. “When we send reports, we want (Twitter) to deal with the situation thoroughly. Rather than just suspending accounts based on the words used, (the company) should actually interpret their context, so it can judge properly whether the post is abusive or a violation of human rights,” he said. In response to questions by The Japan Times, a spokeswoman at the Japanese unit said in an email that the company is dealing with a large volume of tweets every day and receives many kinds of feedback on hate speech. “We’re making our best effort to improve (screening), and began revising Twitter policy from various perspectives,” she said. According to Reuters news agency, in Europe, companies including Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and Twitter have agreed to an EU code of conduct in 2016 to remove hate speech within 24 hours, while the German parliament passed a bill in June that would fine social media companies up to €50 million ($53.62 million) if they fail to remove discriminatory postings on their platforms in a timely manner. Japan’s first law aimed at curbing racial discrimination, known as the hate speech law, took effect in June 2016. However, experts on freedom of expression said social media companies such as Twitter should establish their own standards and guidelines aside from the law. The self-imposed rules should be specific on what content is inappropriate, and at the same time the social media companies should educate users. “It’s necessary for (social networking service) operators, including Twitter, to establish and share common guidelines. It’s desirable that each company establish its own guideline and share it with the rest,” said Shojiro Sakaguchi, a professor at Hitotsubashi University’s graduate school of law. However, he said that it is hard to draw a clear line between hate speech and political statement. Some political commentary could be construed as hate speech due to inflammatory content, he said, adding that eliminating such political tweets is undesirable. Kenta Yamada, a professor of media law at Senshu University, said Twitter’s Japanese unit should cooperate with other website operators in the country and act as one to combat hate speech. It will be a tough decision for Twitter however, Yamada said. “They should be responsible for what’s posted on their platform. But on the other hand, they must guarantee freedom of expression as much as they can. That is also their social role,” Yamada said.

hate speech
twitter
discrimination
social media


Japan's free ambulance services stretched by aging population, nonemergency overuse

Abstract: The sirens are going off about the state of ambulance services. Demand for ambulances, which respond to calls made to the emergency hotline, 119, has grown rapidly along with the population’s pace of aging. As ambulances have been mobilized with greater frequency, emergency services are taking longer on average to arrive at the scene. These delays could prove fatal, especially during critical situations in which seconds can mean the difference between life and death. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has been working on the issue for years, trying to find a way of relieving the overburdened free service, operated by municipal fire stations and funded entirely by taxes. Experts have recommended that the government begin charging users as a way to discourage abuse and overuse. Here are some questions and answers on ambulance services: How busy are the services? In 2016, ambulances were requested a record 6.21 million times, up 2.6 percent from 2015, according to FDMA statistics. People transported by ambulances numbered 5.62 million, also a record high. The number of people taken to hospitals by ambulance typically surges during the summer, when heat exhaustion cases spike. The number also goes up in winter, at the height of flu season. During the New Year’s holidays, cases of people choking on mochi (sticky rice cakes) are fairly common. Every year in Tokyo alone, about 100 people are rushed to hospitals for mochi-related choking incidents, according to the Tokyo Fire Department. In 2015, the average time it took for an ambulance to arrive on the scene was 8 minutes and 36 seconds, compared with 8 minutes and 6 seconds in 2010 and 6 minutes and 30 seconds in 2005, according to the FDMA. Why is demand increasing? Authorities say that the dramatic increase in the size of Japan’s elderly population is the main reason ambulance services have been overburdened. Of the 6.21 million cases in 2016, sudden sickness accounted for 64 percent, followed by injuries at 14.9 percent. Inter-hospital patient transfers made up 8.4 percent of the total, while 7.9 percent were traffic-related injuries. A 2015 public opinion survey of 1,500 adults conducted by the Tokyo Fire Department showed some ambulance transports were not medically necessary. Asked why they called an ambulance, 28.8 percent of the respondents said they could not tell whether their condition was serious or not, and 19.6 percent noted they called for help late at night or on weekends when their neighborhood clinics were closed. What’s more troubling is that 3.5 percent said they thought the ambulance ride would mean prompter treatment, and 3.2 percent said they had no other means of transportation, suggesting that the ambulance is seen as a free taxi to a hospital. What is being done to relieve the burden? Some municipalities ask people to call #7119 when they are unsure whether to call an ambulance. The number connects the caller to an operator who asks questions to determine whether an ambulance is necessary. The service is currently available in four prefectures (Tokyo, Nara, Osaka and Fukuoka) and three cities (Sapporo, Yokohama and Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture). Miyagi Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture and Kobe are planning to join later this year. “We are trying to expand it further, dispatching officials from municipalities where #7119 have been introduced to other municipalities as advisers,” said FDMA official Kenichi Ogue. In March, the FDMA also launched a smartphone app (in Japanese only) that provides the same kind of guidance. Called Q-suke ( jtim.es/djPi30faItB ), it assesses the level of emergency according to symptoms and makes recommendations on whether to call 119 or other agencies, such as medical institutions that are open at night. Despite the rollout of services meant to alleviate the overburdened emergency hotline, only 13 percent of 1,790 people in a poll were aware of #7119, while 1.7 percent knew about Q-suke, according to the findings of a Cabinet Office survey released Sept. 9. What else can be done to stop the non-emergency use of ambulances? Debate has raged over whether a user fee should be introduced. In 2015, a Finance Ministry panel recommended a charge for some ambulance services, citing the roughly ¥2 trillion the nation spends annually on fire and disaster management. “If we keep the situation as is, we will see delays in responses to the sick and injured who face real emergencies, and could have problems saving their lives,” the panel said in its report on fiscal health. “We should consider making the service a paid one for patients with light symptoms, taking the practices of other countries into consideration.” Some cities, including New York, Munich and Paris, charge ambulance users directly or through insurance providers. Singapore charges fees for nonpressing cases. But the FDMA panel concluded in March 2016 that more discussions are needed before a decision can be made on whether to charge fees even for nonemergency cases. Many officials at fire stations oppose the idea, saying a fee would end up denying ambulance access to the poor. “If we are to make certain services chargeable, we need to have a national consensus on many factors, such as who we should charge, whether a doctor’s opinion is necessary for that determination, how much we charge and how we collect the fees,” the panel concluded. Some emergency-room doctors see things differently. According to a November 2016 article by the Nikkei Medical magazine, which polled 3,879 doctors, 46.7 percent of the respondents said all users should be charged for ambulance services and 39 percent said users should be charged if their cases are determined to be less serious upon arrival at the hospital. Only 13.4 percent replied that ambulances should remain free. An orthopedist commented to the magazine that some patients frequently call ambulances to take care of something as common as a cold. Another hospital doctor questioned why ambulance transport should remain free when ER services are not. Can 119 operators handle calls in languages other than Japanese? No. For now, both 119 and #7119 handle inquiries in Japanese only. But the FDMA has prepared a manual in English for when and how to use ambulance services: jtim.es/iBpX30faIva .


Chinese university mocked over 'toilet building'

Abstract: SHANGHAI - China has another entry when it comes to buildings that look suspiciously like something else: a 12-story university block strongly resembling a giant toilet. Architects have had a field day in China in recent years with a number of outlandish designs springing up across the country. The latest is a building on the campus of the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power at Zhengzhou in the central province of Henan. The provincial government spent 86 million yuan ($13 million) on the building, which is for university graduates looking to start their own enterprises, the Henan Daily said. Despite the nature of the university, the building was not designed to resemble a toilet. But internet users have mocked the “toilet building,” which was completed last year and has an oval annex that could be the toilet bowl attached to a larger rectangular block that critics say looks like the cistern. “Before it was finished we joked that it was a toilet. And now it is a real toilet building, our university’s good name will be spread far and wide,” one of its students joked on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter. Another Weibo user asked lightheartedly, “Does it make the people inside the building poop?” The ruling Communist Party last year said it had had enough of “weird” buildings, such as the Beijing headquarters of China Central Television (CCTV), fondly nicknamed “The Big Underpants.” There was also the Beijing HQ of the People’s Daily newspaper, which during construction bore an unfortunate resemblance to a giant penis.


Role-playing video game helps fight against depression for counselor-shy Japanese

Abstract: It’s a role-playing video game that, like many of its kind, allows users to choose and customize their own avatars, including a hairstyle and clothing. Set in a medieval fantasy world, users build up power as their characters travel across “provinces,” overcoming obstacles and challenges along the way. What’s unique about SPARX — which stands for smart, positive, active, realistic, X-factor thoughts — is that it’s designed specifically for people with mild to moderate depression. SPARX was developed in the late 2000s by researchers and clinicians at the University of Auckland in New Zealand who became alarmed by the high suicide rate among teenagers in the country. They decided to develop a way to reach out to young people who shy away from seeking face-to-face counseling. The game’s original English version is currently available only in New Zealand. But Ayako Shimizu, a 30-year-old entrepreneur and head of online counseling firm Hikari Lab, introduced a Japanese version as a smartphone app in May 2016, the game’s first availability outside of New Zealand. Shimizu, who spent a year in Australia as a high school student and another in the United States as a university student, says her time abroad made her aware of a vast cultural gap in approaches toward mental health, a gap she wants to help fill through the game. “When I was in high school in Japan, I had many people around me — like friends and relatives — who suffered from depression and anxiety disorders,” said Shimizu, who grew up in Kobe and Tokyo. “Many of them were sort of aware that they had mental health issues but were afraid to seek help from others. They were worried that, if they went public with their problems, not only they but their friends and families would be severely affected, and that their social life would fall apart. There was a great amount of stigma about the illnesses.” In contrast, she found people in the West were much more open to talking about mental health issues, with scenes depicting visits to psychiatrists appearing on TV shows and with counselors common and accessible at schools. “I felt that, if people in Japan can find help early on, it would help prevent their conditions from getting worse,” she said. In 2014, while in a graduate clinical psychology program at the University of Tokyo, Shimizu heard about SPARX from a fellow student. Right away, she was interested in bringing it to Japan. After contacting the creators at the University of Auckland, she finalized a licensing agreement in 2015. SPARX, comprised of seven modules, is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a well-proven talk therapy that helps people manage their stress by changing the way they think and behave. The therapy’s use has been approved for depression treatment in many countries, including Japan. As users play, they can naturally pick up various stress-coping skills, including controlling anger as well as recognizing gloomy, negative thoughts and swapping them with positive ones. “I was studying CBT at university and knew it was a highly reliable approach,” Shimizu said. “But in Japan, many people with depression had heard of CBT but didn’t know where to go to receive a session. I thought the game was a perfect way to introduce CBT to people who were interested but were still scared of undergoing it face-to-face.” In bringing SPARX to Japan, Shimizu tweaked the appearance of some characters — such as by making their eyes bigger — to make them attractive to anime-savvy Japanese users. She also asked game engineers to change the color of the sky from the original purple to light blue, and had it programed so the color of the sky would get brighter as the game progressed to visualize positive mood changes. Shimizu, who was not much of a video game player herself, says she was amazed by the power of characters. “When a counselor tells you in person, ‘Let’s be hopeful,’ it doesn’t quite sink in for many people. But if a character in a fantasy world that you trust says this, it can convince you,” Shimizu said. In the first module of the game, users are asked to take deep breaths. That deep breaths are good for health is well known, but many people simply don’t practice taking them. But in the game, the action is incorporated as a task so players have no choice but to practice, Shimizu said. Each of the seven game modules takes about 30 minutes to complete. Users are asked to play one session every week and practice what they learn in real life between sessions. The Japanese version, priced at ¥2,160, has been downloaded about 3,000 times so far. Shimizu said 80 percent of the users in Japan are men in their 30s and 40s. “While more women suffer from depression in Japan, men outnumber women in suicides by 2 to 1. Men tend to keep their problems to themselves,” she said. “SPARX might be helping men who hesitate to visit psychiatrists or counselors.” SPARX is part of a genre called “serious games,” designed to serve an educational purpose as opposed to providing pure entertainment. Such games are popular in the U.S. and Northern Europe, helping children overcome the fear of getting injections and going through cancer treatment, for example. But Shimizu says that, in the future, she wants to introduce games that focus more on entertainment. “SPARX still feels like a medical intervention,” she said. “Games won’t appeal to many people unless they are genuinely entertaining. I want to create games that make people feel better without them even noticing that they are receiving care.”


Snapping-turtle expert in Chiba leads battle against invasive species

Abstract: Takeshi Imazu’s daily tasks are far from what a typical prefectural official handles. For more than half of the week, he goes out to the Inbanuma marsh of Chiba Prefecture either to capture or study snapping turtles, a freshwater species that threatens local biodiversity. Snapping turtles, considered one of the 100 most destructive invasive alien species by The Ecological Society of Japan, pose a major threat to the ecosystem and can cause serious injuries with their strong bite. Imazu, 34, works at the Chiba Prefecture-run Chiba Biodiversity Center, and has dedicated his life to researching turtle ecology. He was hired by the prefecture in February as possibly the first-ever public servant in Japan tasked with developing new methods to capture and culling snapping turtles. Although it’s been only about six months since he started working at the center, his contribution could go a long way, potentially leading to the extermination of the species in the country. “I’ve always been researching turtles. I have experience in capturing snapping turtles, so I applied for the position to take advantage of that,” Imazu said during a recent interview with The Japan Times. Hiring Imazu was the biggest step the prefecture has ever taken to exterminate snapping turtles, according to the Chiba Biodiversity Center. In Chiba, snapping turtles were first seen in the wild in 1978. Since then, their population has exploded with few natural predators to keep its growth in check. With an estimated 16,000 snapping turtles now inhabiting the prefecture, the species threatens to destroy great swaths of local biodiversity — consuming native plants, fish and crustaceans. The prefecture aims to cull over 2,500 snapping turtles annually. It started its extermination program in 2007, but the population kept growing. Finally, Imazu was hired to put an end to the problem. Imazu said he is now trying out new capturing methods. A new organization was recently contracted to be involved in the extermination program, and Imazu has spent a great portion of his time teaching its ranks how to use a conventional trap. Imazu said he also wanted to test other tools, including fixed fishnets, but admitted that time is running out for this year. Starting in mid-October, as water temperatures drop, snapping turtles will gradually go into hibernation, he said. Meanwhile, he will continue using his own hands to dig mud to capture turtles, and release some of the animals with attached GPS tags to track their movements until spring, he said. Before joining the institute, Imazu studied at the biology department of Toho University, and later earned his master’s degree from the Meiji University’s graduate school of agriculture. While at Toho University, his graduation thesis focused on population characteristics and the ecology of Chinese pond turtles. He had specialized on the same type of turtle species in his research during graduate school. The results of his research were published in the Bulletin of the Herpetological Society of Japan, and he has been involved in studies run by other groups such as the Japan Wildlife Research Center. However, carving out a career as a turtle researcher comes with many challenges, Imazu said. “I’ve worked as an environmental consultant at several organizations, not as an official employee but as a part-timer or a temporary staffer,” he said. Imazu’s previous job title: a pet shop clerk keeping tropical fish. “I’ve always wanted to get a job where I could take advantage of my experience, but there were no such positions. Even a majority of the seniors at my university who studied turtles couldn’t find research positions. But this time, I was the perfect candidate for this job offer,” he said. Imazu’s team at the biodiversity center has captured over 600 turtles since April. Imazu, who also keeps 50 turtles at his home, said the extermination of invasive species of turtles is sad but unavoidable, noting that full blame for the problem can be laid at the feet of irresponsible pet owners who released the turtles into the wild. Snapping turtles, which originally inhabited the Americas, were believed to have been introduced to Japan as pets in the 1960s. The species can grow as heavy as 35 kg, with its shell measuring about 50 cm in length. As snapping turtles live for 40 years on average, with some living for up to 80 years, the animals can easily outlive the people who adopt them. After the novelty wore off and these exotic turtles grew unmanageable as house pets, some owners just threw them out into the wild to fend for themselves. “In most cases, snapping turtles were released when their owners got tired of keeping them. It’s hard to believe that the situation has become this bad,” Imazu said. Imazu’s contract term is three years. After that, he said he wants to continue pursuing a career that allows him to keep researching turtles and nothing else. To date, snapping turtles have been found throughout Japan, with many even thought to be living in Ueno Park’s Shinobazu Pond and Nerima’s Hikarigaoka Park in Tokyo. Spotted in at least 20 prefectures, the turtles are overpowering domestic species of turtles and other vulnerable organisms, according to the National Institute for Environmental Studies database. Chiba has high expectations for Imazu. “It’s only been a half of the year, and I admit I have had my share of missteps. So I haven’t thought too deeply about my future career just yet,” Imazu said. “But within the next three years, I’ll establish a new capturing method. After that, I will look for another job in which I can draw upon my experience.”

turtles
chiba
takeshi imazu
snapping turtles


Yoshimoto Kogyo comedians team up with Fukushima to restore disaster-hit scenic rail line

Abstract: FUKUSHIMA - Fukushima Prefecture has teamed up with major entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. as the prefecture reopens a scenic local railway line that had been partially closed due to damage from torrential rain six years ago. Special tours were launched recently that took visitors on the Tadami Line with comedians from Yoshimoto along for the ride. The prefecture hopes the initiative will attract visitors by publicizing the attractions of the line, which offers spectacular mountain and valley views. “Thank you very much for traveling on the Tadami Line today,” Reiji, a member of comedy duo Nakagawake and a railway enthusiast, said in his welcome announcement as he played the role of a conductor on a Tadami Line train on Sept. 14, the first day of an overnight tour arranged by Yoshimoto. Reiji, clad in a conductor’s uniform, and 26 tour participants from the Tokyo metropolitan area rode on a scenic section of the line, which is operated by East Japan Railway Co. “There are only a few railway lines full of such superb views,” Reiji said. “The Tadami Line gives us a taste of all four seasons.” JR East plans to restore services on all sections of the Tadami Line by fiscal 2021. Part of the 135.2-km line, which links Aizu-Wakamatsu Station in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, and Koide Station in Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture, remains suspended following the July 2011 rain disaster, which led to the collapse of bridges over the Tadami River. The Tadami Line is famous for traversing secluded areas where access is very difficult. Before the disaster, the average number of passengers daily on the suspended section between Aizu-Kawaguchi Station and Tadami Station, both in Fukushima, was only 49. JR East will shoulder one-third of the total estimated reconstruction costs of ¥8.1 billion for the section, while the rest will be covered by the Fukushima government and 17 municipalities in the prefecture. The railway plans to start reconstruction work next spring. The prefectural and municipal governments will be responsible for ¥210 million of maintenance costs a year after the full restoration of the Tadami Line. On the recent tour, participants had the opportunity to paint their own akabeko , traditional cow figurines. The visitors also enjoyed sights in Aizuwakamatsu, a major tourist destination in Fukushima. “The abundant nature around the Tadami Line healed my heart,” Shoko Takano, an 18-year-old on the tour, said. “Comedy performances in the evening party were also interesting,” she said. The Fukushima Prefectural Government and Yoshimoto Kogyo have designed a total of 12 tour programs featuring train rides on the Tadami Line “We hope a lot of people will use the Tadami Line,” Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori, who joined the latest tour, said. “We aim to make it the country’s No. 1 local railway line.”


Osaka, Okawa at the forefront of demographic changes altering power structures

Abstract: OSAKA - On the surface, former Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and Kazuhito Wada, the head of Okawa village, Kochi Prefecture, have little in common. Hashimoto is brash, confrontational and more interested these days in getting rich as a private citizen than in being a politician. Wada is quieter, a team player who comes across as a nice guy who cares deeply about the small village he serves. Yet both men have been influential in pushing to the fore a topic that political parties and bureaucrats don’t seem ready to grapple with: The impact of an aging and declining population on the structure of local democracy. Okawa made headlines earlier this year because its severe depopulation left the village government scrambling to find candidates for the next election. Maybe, Wada suggested, it was time to consider scrapping the assembly and replacing it with a village assembly meeting, similar in spirit to America’s town hall meetings in states such as Vermont. No elected officials. No political parties. Just direct democracy. One could almost hear gasps of outrage echoing through the corridors of power in Tokyo. But Wada’s suggestion struck a chord because he dared to utter out loud a frustration shared by thousands of smaller governments throughout Japan — many of which have elected bodies that are concerned about young voters running off to big cities and leaving behind only those who grow ever older. This week, Wada told the Okawa assembly he was suspending discussion on whether to abolish the town council and introduce a form of direct democracy after he received assurances from the prefectural government that it would help out. However, Wada’s action forced the central government to now formally study the issue. The story in Osaka is somewhat different. The local party Hashimoto founded continues his fight to integrate Osaka city and prefecture. He suggested getting rid of the city’s current form of local assembly, but did not advocate outright abolition of all elected local assemblies. Hashimoto said Osaka city and prefecture had to face facts and adjust to meet the needs of the smaller and older metropolis it will soon become: less government for fewer people. Whether to introduce direct democracy for small villages and consolidate the number of assemblies in urban areas expected to lose tens of thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of residents in the coming decades is one of the most contentious questions Japan faces for a simple reason. It asks citizens what kind of local democracy they want in the 21st century. Can fewer assembly members or no assemblies at all really protect democratic, constitutional rights for everyone? Can these choices deliver effective, affordable government services and generate sufficient tax revenue to ensure economic prosperity? Should we merge with our neighboring villages? Or should we just let the unelected bureaucrats in Tokyo or the prefectural office take over? Such questions may still be academic to those in heavily populated urban areas. But as Okawa demonstrates, smaller towns and villages can’t wait much longer. A 2016 survey of 928 local councils nationwide by the National Association Chairmen of Town and Village Assemblies showed about three-quarters of elected representatives were over the age of 60. Around 20 percent were 70 years or older. Ehime Prefecture, Kochi’s neighbor, had the highest average age for assembly members among the 47 prefectures — 65.4 years old for men and 64.4 years old for women. As Japan ages and the population declines, politicians, whether in cities such as Osaka, with a population of 2.7 million, or villages like Okawa, with just 396 people, face well-documented and unprecedented economic and social welfare challenges. However, there’s been less attention on what such changes mean for the democratic process. Thus two very different men in western Japan have, through their different actions, sounded the alarm on a problem once thought remote but which is now quite close.

osaka
kawaguchi
osaka foreign settlement


Britain warns Boeing it might miss out on defense contracts over Bombardier row

Abstract: BELFAST - Britain told U.S. plane-maker Boeing on Wednesday that it could lose out on future British defense contracts because of its dispute with Canadian rival Bombardier which has put 4,200 jobs at risk in Northern Ireland. The U.S. Department of Commerce on Tuesday imposed a 220-percent duty on Bombardier’s CSeries jets, whose wings are made at a plant in Belfast, following a complaint by Boeing that accuses Canada of unfairly subsidizing Bombardier. The ruling is a political headache for Britain’s minority Conservative government, which relies on support from a Northern Irish party to stay in power. It also undermines the government’s assurances to Britons that free trade and London’s close ties with Washington will be pillars of Britain’s prosperity and global influence after it leaves the European Union in 2019. “This is not the behavior we expect from Boeing and it could indeed jeopardize our future relationship with them,” British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters in Belfast. “Boeing wants and we want a long-term partnership but that has to be two-way.” Fallon later ruled out canceling existing orders with Boeing for nine P-8 spy planes and 50 Apache helicopters, but added the U.S. firm was seeking other U.K. contracts. “We know they will be back at the door,” he told Reuters. Bombardier is the largest manufacturing employer in Northern Ireland, which is the poorest of the United Kingdom’s four parts and is mired in political difficulties after emerging from decades of armed sectarian conflict. “Bitterly disappointed by initial Bombardier ruling,” said British Prime Minister Theresa May, who had personally asked U.S. President Donald Trump to help resolve the dispute. “The government will continue to work with the company to protect vital jobs for Northern Ireland,” she said on Twitter. Boeing said in a statement it was committed to the U.K., but gave no indication that it might change tack in the dispute. “We have heard and understand the concerns from the Prime Minister and the Government about Bombardier workers in Northern Ireland,” the statement said. Boeing said that since 2011 it had tripled its spending in the United Kingdom to £2.1 billion ($2.8 billion) in 2016, while the firm and its suppliers accounted for more than 18,700 U.K. jobs. The row has come at a bad time for May, who was severely weakened by her party’s poor showing in an election in June and who has been struggling to contain infighting within her top team over Brexit. Manufacturing Northern Ireland, an industry group, said the row was an ominous sign of the difficulties Britain could face after leaving the EU. “What we could be witnessing is the fundamental difference between being a fully-fledged member of an internal market and a junior partner in a free trade agreement,” it said. “This does not bode well for the U.K.’s plan to be a leader in global free trade nor indeed ambitions of a free trade agreement with the EU which cannot match the benefit we currently enjoy as part of the EU’s Single Market.” At the Bombardier plant in Belfast, workers were nervous about what impact the dispute could have on their livelihoods. “Nobody knows how it will end up,” said aircraft fitter George Burnside, 56, who has worked for Bombardier for 27 years. “I am concerned. I was shocked at the size of the tariff.” The U.S. penalty will only take effect if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) rules in Boeing’s favor. A final decision is expected early in 2018. British Business Secretary Greg Clark said he was confident the initial Department of Commerce ruling would be overturned. But Boeing conceded no ground, accusing Bombardier of illegally dumping its products in the U.S. single-aisle airplane market out of desperation. “Any claimed economic threat to Bombardier is due to the weakness of its product in the marketplace,” said Boeing. Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, the Northern Irish party that is propping up May’s minority government, signaled she would put pressure on May to act. “Everyone realizes how important Bombardier is to Northern Ireland and we will use our influence with our government to make sure that continues,” she told Sky News. However, London’s options in fighting Bombardier’s corner may be limited because of the importance of Boeing to its defense industry. Boeing says the United Kingdom is its third-largest supply base after the United States and Japan. It has recently begun constructing its first European parts manufacturing site in Sheffield, northern England. Britain’s armed forces have deployed Chinook helicopters, the C-17 transport plane and the E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and command post. A U.K. defense official told Reuters one of the potential future contracts Boeing would be bidding for was a relatively small data services deal. British defense analyst Howard Wheeldon said it was unlikely that Britain would pursue any reprisals against Boeing. “I think there is a lot of sabre-rattling, but in practical terms it is not on,” he said when asked whether Britain could cancel or reduce Boeing defense orders. “They can play politics, but can’t actually walk away from what they need and have committed to buying from Boeing.”

britain
boeing
bombardier
belfast
tariff
defense industry
u.s .


Koala survives trip in wheel well

Abstract: ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - For a stowaway who made a 10-mile (16-kilometer) journey squeezed in the wheel well, a koala was lucky to escape with just scratches. The driver of the four-wheel vehicle was unaware of the extra passenger until they arrived at their destination in the outskirts of Adelaide, Australia, and he heard some unusual cries. After seeing the koala in the wheel arch, he immediately called animal rescuers, who removed the wheel and eventually extricated the frightened but very lucky animal. “You think you’ve seen it all. No, I’ve never seen anything like that and it’s absolutely incredible,” said Fauna Rescue worker, Jane Brister. The koala suffered superficial injuries and was covered in grease from under the car. “She was crying a little bit, she was a little bit shaken, she was certainly in shock but I rushed her straight to the vet,” Brister said. The koala was dubbed Kelli, after one of the firefighters who rescued her. “Kelli’s one of our fine station officers and she led the rescue crew that day and she was quite excited to have such a good outcome,” said Dave Juniper of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service. After being cleaned up and monitored for a week, it was released back into the bush on Saturday. “After everything she’s been through, she’s had so much stress and trauma, to see her just toddle off and up the tree, and currently she’s found the biggest fork in the tree, she’s snuggled up, she’s fast asleep,” Brister said. Rescue workers say it is not unusual for koalas to seek shelter in unusual places.