'Westworld' slays fans with re-creation of Edo in Shogun World

Abstract: Warning: This discussion contains spoilers about the second season of HBO’s “Westworld” With its story of life-like robots in a Wild West-themed amusement park becoming sentient, and the complications that arise as a result, the television show “Westworld” has attracted a dedicated following over the past couple of years. Yet on the latest episode of the HBO drama, the setting shifted from the American frontier to a very different place — Edo Period Japan. The second season’s fifth episode earned positive reviews from English-language viewers in large part because of its shift from a park populated by robot cowboys to one occupied by robot ninja and geisha. A large part of that praise stemmed from how the folks behind the show aimed on getting the culture and time period right, and in the process showed how other entertainment ventures made by Western creators dealing with Japan (or any non-Western country) can avoid online backlash. Titled “Akane No Mai,” this installment of the show introduced viewers to Shogun World, a not-subtly-titled park adjacent to the main Western area. The set created for this episode appeared to be full of rich Edo-inspired ideas, based on a behind-the-scenes clip uploaded by HBO, with attention to detail on street signs written in Japanese and the main teahouse setting. Large chunks of what happens in Shogun World directly mirror events earlier in the season, but done with a period-appropriate twist. The music, meanwhile, saw arrangements of The Rolling Stones’ “ Paint It Black ” and the Wu-Tang Clan’s “ C.R.E.A.M .” produced with traditional Japanese instruments, which charmed a great many ( except a writer at Rolling Stone ). Fittingly, the episode featured several prominent Japanese actors. Rinko Kikuchi — best known to non-Japanese audiences for her roles in “Babel” and “Pacific Rim” — played the lead geisha role, while industry stalwart Hiroyuki Sanada of “The Last Samurai” fame portrayed a ronin robot. It also showcased emerging talent Kiki Sukezane, who also appears in this year’s Netflix series “Lost In Space.” Just as importantly, articles released shortly after “Akane no Mai” aired showed that both Kikuchi and Sanada practically acted as Japanese culture advisers to make sure many important details were correct. Other actors even learned period-appropriate language . And let me tell ya, “Westworld” packs in some small but historically accurate points over the course of its time in Shogun World. This part of the show’s plot was hinted at in season one and in a season two trailer , and when the latter dropped there was some gnashing of teeth that they could screw it up by falling into some of the same traps as “ Isle Of Dogs ” and “ The Outsider ” earlier this year. Yet early reviews of “Akane no Mai” from the likes of Indie Wire and Esquire highlight how authentic it all feels to how we imagine Edo Japan. The episode inspired explainers about the period and a piece from Popular Mechanics geeking out about the inclusion of a sodegarami (sleeve entangler). And, again, HBO’s behind-the-scenes video for this episode leans in heavy on making it feel just right. There’s no doubt that ensuring a lot of small details are done properly, ideally with the heavy involvement of people from the country you are trying to recreate, goes a long way to avoiding controversy. (It helps to have a public relations team that can get out that message concurrently with the show, too.) However, it’s also interesting to note that Kikuchi and Sanada often acknowledge in interviews that everything’s still not quite right. Shogun World is a theme park constructed in what we take to be the United States and, as reviewers have pointed out, it’s kind of natural that something is off because the park wasn’t designed by Japanese people. As a result, nagging nerd inquiries — Did ninja really exist in the Edo Period? Wouldn’t it have been more accurate to set Akane’s dance to DJ Krush instead of Wu-Tang? — can be simply brushed away, maybe with a subtle nod to the Akira Kurosawa filmography that cast members have universally said inspired all of this. Whatever the reason, nobody online appears to angry about “Westworld.” Instead, fans are doing what they always do with this show — devote podcasts and reaction videos to fan theories about the plot. Maybe the secret to avoiding discussions of potential problematic areas is to shroud everything with intrigue about what comes next. What did people in Japan think of this Edo replication? Well, nothing really, since the second season of “Westworld” didn’t premiere here on pay channel Star until May 24. So far, most chatter about the show has acknowledged the appearance of Japanese actors, which is a convenient promotional tool. We’ll have to wait and see if viewers here are as taken in by the Edo setting as Western viewers — or if they’re likely to be more fascinated by the storyline back in the Wild West.

westworld
shogun world
hbo
rinko kikuchi
hiroyuki sanada
kiki sukezane


Commenting on the debate over hate speech on government websites

Abstract: On May 2, the Cabinet Office removed the posts on its Government Monitor System (GMS) website , a place where citizens offered comments on government policy. The system was established in 1962 to solicit opinions from the public about government policy, but until 2012 it was a snail mail operation. Thereafter, business was carried out over the internet, that is until April of last year, when the site stopped accepting new comments but kept the older ones up. Then, a few weeks ago, a blog called Logi Report claimed that many of the posts qualified as hate speech, and the internet lit up, attracting the attention of the mainstream media, which didn’t seem to know about the GMS prior to Logi Report’s article. Consequently, many outlets, including The Japan Times , ran stories about some of the commentary on the GMS site and asked the Cabinet Office about it. As Buzzfeed Japan reported on May 7, the gist of the government’s response was cautious and unsatisfying. An anonymous source told Buzzfeed Japan that there was no clear definition of discrimination and thus the government was reluctant to “censor” any of the comments. Then, suddenly, the comments vanished, with the official reason being that the site was no longer needed because it had accomplished its purpose. What concerned Logi Report, Buzzfeed Japan and other media organizations were comments directed at non-Japanese, some of which called for the deportation of foreign residents, even though the GMS guidelines prohibit postings that could be considered “slanderous” or “discriminatory.” Given that an anti-hate speech law was implemented in 2016, media outlets wondered if the government took the law seriously. Moreover, the GMS guidelines restrict comments to policy matters, forbidding any that are political in nature and, as a number of media have pointed out, some comments clearly espouse right-wing positions. In its coverage, Buzzfeed Japan went the extra mile and interviewed an anonymous contributor to the site who described the way it was run. The Cabinet Office would solicit potential contributors and then select about 600 to provide comments for one year. The comments were categorized and sent to relevant government offices, which were supposed to respond. Both comments and responses were then posted publicly on the site. Buzzfeed Japan’s source, described as a salaryman in his 30s, said he was a “monitor” for fiscal year 2016. He said that each monitor was allowed to submit up to three comments a month, with each comment limited to 400 characters. Usually, it took a week for the comment to appear online. In principle, they were to be posted without changes, but he said he often noticed that specific references had been edited. Buzzfeed Japan asked him why he wanted to be a monitor, and he answered, “I wanted to see my feelings about society reaching government ears.” People who applied to be monitors had to write a short essay about “the opinions they wanted to express.” There were no interviews. The monitor also said he realized early on that some of the comments on the site seemed to violate the guidelines since they expressed strong “ideological bias.” The Buzzfeed Japan reporter also noticed that some right-wing blogs started urging their readers “around 2015” to apply to the GMS to become monitors and express their opposition to Japan-South Korea relations and the “privileged” positions of Korean residents in Japan. This aspect of the GMS was discussed in more detail on May 9 by activist Yasumichi Noma and journalist Koichi Yasuda on their web channel No Hate TV . Noma and Yasuda are self-styled “hate speech experts” and while their avowedly liberal opinions sometimes shade over into conspiracy theory, they pride themselves on taking a common-sense approach to the culture wars. In fact, they get along with their counterparts on the right surprisingly well. What they can’t abide is neto uyo , the reactionary rabble whose knee-jerk xenophobia seems to come straight out of a hate speech manual. To Noma, the objectionable comments on the GMS have neto uyo fingerprints all over them. Noma retrieved some of the deleted comments from internet archives and went through the ones that contained hate speech. Most harped on the same subjects — the “comfort women” controversy, alleged rapes by Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War, the contested ownership of Takeshima — as a means of showing the supposedly reprobate nature of Koreans. Another common complaint was anti-U.S. base protests in Okinawa, which were invariably the work of Chinese and Korean sleeper cells. Other villains included the teachers’ union Nikkyoso and “left-wing” groups, targets Yasuda wryly dubbed “the hate all-stars.” However, what really made Noma believe the comments were coming from organized neto uyo was not so much the content but the lack of logic. The commenters didn’t analyze anything. They just spouted cliches. That should have been enough to warrant their exclusion from the GMS, but there was also blatant misinformation. Some monitors wondered why the government didn’t crack down on “political activities” of non-Japanese, saying it was illegal. Foreign residents can’t vote in Japan, but their right to political action is guaranteed by the Constitution, and the Cabinet Office posted these comments without revision or rebuttal. Both Noma and Yasuda mentioned that local governments also maintain public opinion sites, and showed comments from one in Nagano Prefecture that included examples of hate speech. When the Tokyo Shimbun called the prefectural office, the representative said that it was difficult to decide what’s appropriate in terms of freedom of speech. Logi Report mentioned websites that solicit people to write right-wing opinions and post them . Some offer payment for articles uploaded or comments tweeted. That’s why so many reactionary statements on public websites are uniform and fixed. Noma and Yasuda wondered if, in fact, the commenters actually believed what they were writing. Some people will say anything for money.


China launches satellite as part of program to explore dark side of moon later this year

Abstract: BEIJING - China launched a relay satellite on Monday as part of a groundbreaking program to land a probe on the far side of the moon later this year. The satellite lofted into space aboard a Long March-4C rocket will facilitate communication between controllers on Earth and the Chang’e 4 mission, the China National Space Administration said on its website. China hopes to become the first country to soft-land a probe on the moon’s far side, also known as the dark side because it faces away from Earth and is comparatively unknown. The satellite, named Queqiao, or “Magpie Bridge,” after an ancient Chinese folk tale, was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan province, space administration officials said. The launch is a “key step,” but the satellite’s mission must still overcome challenges including making multiple adjustments to its orbit, “braking” near the moon and using lunar gravity to its advantage, project manager Zhang Lihua was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency. China previously landed its Jade Rabbit rover on the moon and plans to land its Chang’e 5 probe there next year and have it return to Earth with samples — the first time that has been done since 1976. China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, making it only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to do so and has put a pair of space stations into orbit. Upcoming missions include the launch of the 20-ton core module for the still orbiting Tiangong 2 station, along with specialized components for a 60-ton station that is due to come online in 2022 and a Mars rover planned for the mid 2020s. However, the failure of China’s Long March 5 rocket last year was seen as dealing a rare setback to the highly successful space program, delaying some missions and offering rival India a chance to move ahead in the space rankings


Japan's social benefit costs to balloon 50% by fiscal 2040

Abstract: Social benefit costs in Japan will grow more than 50 percent over the next two decades as the population rapidly grays, the government said Monday. The costs, which include pensions and health care coverage and are to be primarily funded by the government and insurance fees, are expected to balloon from an annual ¥121.3 trillion ($1.11 trillion) in fiscal 2018 to around ¥190 trillion in fiscal 2040. The amount would be the equivalent to 24 percent of Japan’s gross domestic product, up from 21.5 percent, according to the government’s “baseline” scenario for economic growth. The outlook for social security costs — released following a meeting of an economic policy panel consisting of members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet, Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, academics and private-sector business leaders — will become the basis for the drawing up of the government’s long-term plans to deal with the demographic shift. Of the total costs, pensions are projected to rise to ¥73.2 trillion from ¥56.7 trillion, while medical benefits could rise to as high as ¥68.5 trillion from ¥39.2 trillion. Nursing care benefits are meanwhile expected to more than double to ¥25.8 trillion from ¥10.7 trillion, while benefits for child-rearing will grow to ¥13.1 trillion, from ¥7.9 trillion. As for how the costs will be funded, the government said the ¥46.9 trillion currently shouldered by taxpayers is forecast to climb as high as ¥80.4 trillion, while insurance premiums will rise from ¥70.2 trillion to as much as ¥107.3 trillion. In addition to the rising costs of social benefits, the surge in the elderly population will require more workers in the medical and nursing care sectors. The labor ministry said the number of such workers is expected to increase to 10.65 million by fiscal 2040, or 18.8 percent of the country’s entire workforce, compared with the current 12.5 percent.


Many Japanese care homes turning away seniors over lack of guarantor

Abstract: Elderly who are single or without relatives often struggle to secure spots at nursing care homes because they lack a guarantor, despite government warnings against such tactics, a survey showed Monday. According to the state-commissioned survey, about 30 percent of respondents said they will not accept people without a personal reference or guarantor. The study was conducted in December by Mizuho Information & Research Institute Inc., and 4,900 care facilities were approached nationwide. The ratio remains almost unchanged from a 2013 survey conducted by another private organization, despite the government notifying the facilities in 2016 that such refusals are unjustified. The reluctance apparently stems from concerns about who will pay any outstanding bills left when a resident dies, and who will deal with the funeral arrangements and picks up the deceased resident’s belongings. Since a similar trend is also being reported among medical institutions, the health ministry plans to conduct its first survey on the matter, which will take in some 6,000 hospitals and clinics, and disclose the results next month. Of the 2,387 care facilities that gave valid answers in the latest survey, 95.9 percent said they ask for a third person, such as a guarantor or reference provider, to sign a contract when someone is admitted to a care home, and 30.7 percent do not accept a person without such a signature. Some 33.7 percent said they will accept a person without a third-person signature under certain conditions, such the presence of a guardian, while 13.4 percent said they can accept people without such a contract. Asked what roles the guarantors should play, many facilities said they should serve as emergency contacts, be responsible for claiming the body and belongings, take care of paperwork for entering the facility and guarantee payments to the facility. They also called for municipalities and guardians to assume the role of a guarantor. As guarantors cannot handle funerals and other actions following a person’s death, the health ministry is considering expanding their legal powers.


Need for nursing care to surge 22% to 7.7 million by 2025: projection

Abstract: The number of people 65 or older expected to require nursing care is projected to grow by more than a fifth by fiscal 2025 to about 7.7 million, a tally based on prefectural data shows. In fiscal 2025, social security costs are expected to grow sharply as the postwar baby boomers — the nation’s biggest age demographic — form a stratum of people 75 or older. Those needing care as certified by their municipal governments stood at about 6.29 million in December. The tally compiled and released by Kyodo News on Sunday thus says those needing nursing care will rise by 22 percent. To curb the projected surge in nursing care costs, the government is studying a plan to raise the ratio for out-of-pocket expenditures. On average, the national ratio of those who need nursing care to the entire population of senior citizens is expected to rise to 21.3 percent in fiscal 2025 from 18.1 percent last December. By prefecture, that ratio is expected to hit 25.9 percent in Osaka (meaning 1 out of 4 will need care), 23.9 percent in Kyoto, 23.5 percent in Ehime, 17.2 percent in Yamanashi, 17.9 percent in Ibaraki and 18.3 percent in Shizuoka. Chiba is expected to post a 1.37-fold increase in those needing nursing care, the fastest, followed by a 1.35-fold rise in Kanagawa and a 1.34-fold climb in Saitama. The slowest increase, about 1.05-fold, is projected for both Wakayama and Shimane, with Yamagata projected to climb by 1.07-fold. A health ministry survey three years ago estimated that the number of elderly requiring nursing care would reach 8.26 million in fiscal 2025. The 560,000 difference with Kyodo’s tally might be linked to higher numbers of health-conscious seniors and greater efforts to raise awareness. When the public nursing care insurance scheme kicked off in fiscal 2000, it required seniors to pay only 10 percent of their bills. But in 2015 that was hiked to 20 percent for those with an annual income of ¥1.6 million or more. For singles subsisting only on pension payments, the threshold was set at ¥2.8 million. Starting from August, those making ¥3.4 million or more annually will have to pay 30 percent of their costs out of pocket. The Finance Ministry has proposed requiring that everyone pay 20 percent of their costs out of pocket in principle, but the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is reluctant to endorse the plan. The government is also planning to let unqualified caregivers attend to those requiring low levels of care to reduce personnel costs. However, the ruling parties remain wary of plans to increase the financial burden of the elderly and slash their insurance payments.


Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga hails return of Okinawa land plots from U.S. military

Abstract: NAHA, OKINAWA PREF. - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga praised the return of land plots formerly used by the U.S. military in Okinawa Prefecture. “This marks a big step toward the reduction of Okinawa’s base-hosting burden,” Suga said Sunday at a ceremony to celebrate the ownership transfers conducted at the U.S. Marine Corps’ Makiminato Service Area in Urasoe and the former West Futenma Housing Area in Ginowan. “We’ll do our best to achieve the full return of the Makiminato Service Area and Futenma air station as soon as possible and revitalize local communities,” Suga said. The contentious Futenma base, situated in a congested part of Ginowan, is set to be relocated to Henoko, a coastal area in Nago further north in Okinawa, under a Japan-U.S. agreement. But fierce local opposition has delayed the transfer for decades. Before the ceremony, Suga toured the returned sites. In 2013, the Japanese and U.S. governments agreed on the return of U.S. military facilities and sites south of Kadena Air Base. The partial return took place in late March. On Saturday, Suga visited Nago to hold talks with Nago Mayor Taketoyo Toguchi and the leaders of 12 municipalities in northern Okinawa. The leaders asked the central government to support the revitalization of northern Okinawa and to make it easier to host U.S. military installations, which are often considered a source of noise pollution, accidents and crime. “Many U.S. military bases are located in northern Okinawa and a number of drills are conducted there,” Suga said. “We’ll work with the U.S. military to ensure that effects on local communities are kept to the minimum.” Earlier Saturday in Naha, Suga met with senior officials of the Okinawa chapter of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and exchanged views about the gubernatorial election slated this autumn. Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, a staunch opponent of the outsized U.S. military presence there, has not clarified whether he will seek a second term in the coming election. He underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer last month.

yoshihide suga
return
okinawa
land
u.s. military


9% rise in overstayers detained over six months puts spotlight on 'provisional release' program

Abstract: The number of visa overstayers detained by the Immigration Bureau for more than six months rose in 2017, the Justice Ministry announced Monday. Of the 1,386 people being kept at the bureau’s 17 detention centers around the country, 510, or about 37 percent, had been held for more than six months as December 2017. This amounts to a 9 percent rise from 2016. The surge appears linked to the ministry’s crackdown on “provisional releases,” which are given to people with conditional deportation orders. The releases allow overstayers to reside outside detention centers temporarily. Those granted provisional release are prohibited from working and can only stay within areas designated by the ministry. In 2015, the Justice Ministry ordered all of its immigration centers to revoke the provisional release status of anyone found working illegally. Following that mandate, the number of people with deportation orders under the provincial release program fell to 3,106 in 2017, down 500 from 2015. Immigration Bureau official Ryusuke Kawaguchi said that while there is no single reason that explains the recent spike in detentions, there has been an increase in people who were given deportation orders but refused to go home. “We also revoke provisional releases if someone breaks the rules, such as by illegally working, and a number of such cases have been seen recently,” Kawaguchi said. Some experts say the newly tightened refugee application system introduced in January will further prolong detention periods. Under the previous system, the ministry was inundated with over 19,000 applications, the majority from laborers whose goal was deemed to be the work permits typically handed out six months after applying for refugee status. To close that loophole, the ministry decided to detain all applicants who cited reasons that clearly did not meet U.N. Refugee Convention guidelines. They are to be deported once their refugee applications are officially declined, which takes more than 10 months on average, an immigration official said. The ministry also detains asylum-seekers who have received rejections as well as deportation orders, regardless of whether they are reapplying for refugee status. Human rights groups have decried Japan’s detention centers, with lawyers often denouncing the “jail-like” conditions described by detainees. A total of 13 detainees have died in detention while awaiting deportation since 2007, and five have committed suicide, including an Indian man in his thirties who killed himself last month after his application for provisional release was rejected. Gul, a Kurdish asylum-seeker in his 30s who declined to release his full name for safety reasons, said he lost 8 kg during his five months in detention and was eventually released due to high blood pressure and a severe hernia he developed during his stay. “The doctor performed the medical check without touching my body and just gave me painkillers,” Gul said. “I could barely walk and yet they did not let me use crutches. After two months inside the center, they finally gave me crutches,” said Gul. “If I was deported, I might be put in jail in my country, but being in a detention center while (re)applying for refugee status is no different from being in jail.”

immigration
justice ministry
detention centers
refugees
asylum seekers


Gifu factory devoted to producing allergen-free chocolate bars

Abstract: A former president of a sweets manufacturer in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, has established a small factory exclusively for producing chocolates that do not contain any of 27 allergens, including dairy products and soybeans. While major companies are reluctant to produce allergen-free sweets because it involves a lot of time and effort, Koji Kani, 65, now chairman of Nikkoh Co., set up the chocolate factory Allergen-free Foods last August in the hope that all children — even those with food allergies — would be able to enjoy chocolates. Housed in a one-story building with double doors located in a residential area, the factory is filled with sweet aroma as workers rhythmically eject chocolate bars from plastic molds. The building, which used to be a packing factory for a Nikkoh client, was turned into a facility that produces 2.1 tons of chocolate bars a month. Six workers, aged between 68 and 75, operate the facility. Commonly marketed chocolates contain milk and food emulsifiers made from soybeans, and people allergic to such ingredients can’t eat them. Since it is difficult to remove these substances completely from machines by cleaning, the only way to produce allergen-free chocolates is to set up an independent facility. Kani, who was involved in product planning at Nikkoh, had been hoping to contribute to society after leaving the front lines of business. After he stepped down as president in March last year, he set out to develop allergen-free chocolates. He made trial products for three months after establishing the factory, and began full-scale production in November. Kani said he focused in particular when developing the product on how to make it taste sweet, because chocolates that don’t contain dairy products taste very bitter. Thinking that it is meaningless to make allergen-free chocolates if children can’t enjoy them, he managed, through trial and error, to reduce the bitterness by extending the aging time for the cacao butter after kneading by 1.5 times. The allergen-free chocolates are now on sale at a major online shopping site, priced at ¥1,000 per five bars, as well as at supermarkets in metropolitan areas. In the Tokai region, the chocolates will become available at some of Sugi Holdings Co.’s drugstores. Employees at the factory work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., three days a week. “I am really grateful that I can work at this age to offer delicious chocolates to people with allergies,” said Akemi Suzuki, 75, the oldest worker at the factory. The factory’s profits, excluding material and labor costs, are donated to child welfare facilities. “I hope we can increase production to meet the demands of people with allergies,” Kani said.


Conservatives steal liberal term as Illinois counties declare 'sanctuary' status for gun owners

Abstract: Several rural Illinois counties have taken a stand for gun rights by co-opting a word that conservatives associate with a liberal policy to skirt the law: sanctuary. At least five counties recently passed resolutions declaring themselves sanctuary counties for gun owners — a reference to so-called sanctuary cities such as Chicago that don’t cooperate with aspects of federal immigration enforcement. The resolutions are meant to put the Democratic-controlled Legislature on notice that if it passes a host of gun bills, including new age restrictions for certain weapons, a bump stock ban and size limit for gun magazines, the counties might bar their employees from enforcing the new laws. “It’s a buzzword, a word that really gets attention. With all these sanctuary cities, we just decided to turn it around to protect our Second Amendment rights,” said David Campbell, vice chairman of the Effingham County Board. He said at least 20 Illinois counties and local officials in Oregon and Washington have asked for copies of Effingham County’s resolution. County officials fear their state legislators won’t be able to stop the passage of the gun restrictions because they are outnumbered by lawmakers from in and around Chicago, where the vast majority of the more than 650 homicides last year involved guns. Co-opting the sanctuary title is also a way of drawing attention to the rural-urban political divide that was so stark in the last general election, when “downstate” areas of Illinois backed Donald Trump, who remains popular with those voters, while the Chicago backed Hillary Clinton, who grew up in the suburbs. “We’re just stealing the language that sanctuary cities use,” explained the Effingham County’s top prosecutor, Bryan Kibler, who came up with the idea. Not lost on them is that lawmakers from Chicago were instrumental in turning Illinois into what they derisively call a “sanctuary state” by passing recent legislation that prohibits local law enforcement from arresting or detaining people based solely on their immigration status. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed it into law. “They are trying to make a point that they really resent how the city of Chicago treats the rest of the state and how they’re treated as gun owners,” said Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. The resolutions are largely symbolic — a way for communities where guns are cherished and where hunting is a way of life to make the point that they view most restrictions on guns to be unconstitutional. “We wanted to … get across that our Second Amendment rights are slowly being stripped away,” Kibler said. Dave Workman, of the Bellevue, Wash.-based Second Amendment Foundation, sees something more. “It’s like a warning shot across somebody’s bow,” said Workman, who knows of one other place, Oregon’s Deschutes County, that is looking at doing something similar to the Illinois counties. “If you’ve got four or five counties telling Chicago something, that’s significant.” Such talk worries Kathleen Willis, a Democratic state representative from suburban Chicago who sponsored some of the gun legislation. “I don’t think you can say, ‘I don’t agree with the law so I won’t enforce it,'” she said. “I think it sends the wrong message.” Kibler, though, said he thinks the resolutions send the same message that cities like Chicago send by refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. He said he won’t speculate about how he’d deal with new gun restrictions that haven’t been signed into law, but that legislators need to understand, “If you pass it we might not pay attention to it.” Kibler pointed out that prosecutors already have a lot of discretion and cited an example in which he gave a gun owner a break. He dismissed charges against a man after police found a gun in the car he’d driven from Mississippi, where it is legal to carry guns openly, to Illinois, where it’s not. “The guy had no (criminal) history and he had it on the side of the front seat of his car in a sack, so I dismissed it,” he said.

conservatives
liberals
illinois
sanctuary
donald trump
nra
gun control


Tokyo-based bus firm brings fresh local produce, as well as passengers, from rural Gifu

Abstract: Highway express buses between the city of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture and Tokyo are being used to transport fresh fruit and vegetables to supermarkets in the metropolis. As the distribution industry is facing a severe manpower shortage, companies are coming up with new ideas that clear hurdles between passengers and cargo, and enable the delivery of people and goods at the same time. This benefits farmers because they can promote their products in the metropolis, as well as bus operators because it provides them with a new source of income. At Kitchen Court Eifukucho, a supermarket within the building of Eifukucho Station on the Keio Inokashira Line, rows of spinach, white leeks, taranome (young buds of angelica trees) and other vegetables fill the fresh produce section with a banner promoting the Hida Takayama region. The vegetables were grown by farmers in Takayama and were transported using highway express buses operated by Tokyo-based Keio Group. Since September, roughly 100 kilograms of vegetables have been delivered by bus to the supermarket twice a week. “I bought their leeks and carrots before and they were very delicious,” explained a 77-year-old housewife as she picked out some shiitake. The Takayama Municipal Government and Keio began considering the use of highway express buses to transport vegetables after working together on a project to attract foreign tourists. Highway express buses are allowed to transport cargo of less than 350 kg, so the company does not even have to take advantage of recent deregulation allowing mixed passenger/cargo buses. They prepared double-layered containers that can block the heat, to keep the vegetables fresh. The containers are kept in the storage compartment generally used by the bus crew, which is under the passengers’ seats. According to Keio, it is rare to use long-distance highway express buses to transport products. The vegetables are collected in Tokusenkan Ajika, a farmers’ store in Takayama, and loaded onto a Keio highway bus at around 9:30 a.m. at the Takayama office of Nohi Bus, a local bus operator. After the passengers get off shortly after 4:00 p.m. at Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal, the biggest bus terminal in Tokyo, the bus then goes to a highway bus office close to the supermarket to unload the vegetables. The next morning, they are placed on display at the store ready to be sold. According to the supermarket staff, the vegetables are very popular and almost always sell out. “Hearing that vegetables from Hida are popular in Tokyo motivates me to produce better vegetables,” said Kenji Okada, 70, a farmer who grows leeks, with a smile. Keio is thinking of increasing the number of supermarkets that will offer vegetables from Takayama and expanding the system to other regions. Efforts to increase the efficiency of distribution by delivering passengers and cargo together are gaining attention as the industry is suffering from a shortage of bus and truck drivers. The transport ministry announced a deregulation measure in September, allowing bus operators and taxi companies that acquire a cargo business license to deliver cargo under certain conditions. Cargo operators are also allowed to carry passengers if they obtain a permit. The ministry hopes the move will help maintain the transportation and distribution networks in underpopulated areas. In the Tokai region, Yamato Transport Co., the largest home delivery service provider in Japan, has paired with Gifu-based Nagaragawa Railway Co. to transport products by rail. In the city of Toyota in Aichi Prefecture, Yamato’s packages are carried by the local Toyota Oiden Bus. Last year, the Chubu District Transport Bureau conducted a field test using an express bus to carry tourist luggage from a hotel in Takayama to a hotel in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. “With the growth of e-commerce, the amount of cargo transport is expected to continue increasing in the future, so there is a need to boost efficiency in distribution and transportation while gaining the understanding of passengers,” said Hirohito Kuse, professor of Ryutsu Keizai University specializing in distribution system. “Carrying passengers and cargo together is proving effective also for long-distance transportation such as highway express buses,” he said.

gifu takayama transportation vegetables distribution


Caution urged as Okinawa measles outbreak spreads

Abstract: Measles cases are spreading in Okinawa, with the reported number of patients exceeding 90 in just over a month, prompting the prefecture last month to warn that visiting the resort islands may be not advisable for infants and pregnant women. The measles outbreak is believed to have started when a Taiwanese man was diagnosed with the viral disease on March 20 while visiting the prefecture. It had quickly grown from that single measles case to 91 cases as of Thursday, according to the Okinawa Prefectural Government. One case has been reported on a U.S. military base in the prefecture. The outbreak has now reached Aichi Prefecture, after a local teenager was diagnosed with measles following a trip to Okinawa last month. A total of 17 measles cases were reported by Saturday, including 12 people who happened to be at a hospital when the teenager visited, according to the Aichi Prefectural Government. Here are some questions and answers about the viral disease and the recent outbreak. What are measles and what are the symptoms? Measles is a highly infectious disease that spreads through airborne transmission, cough droplets or physical contact from person to person. According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), more than 90 percent of people exposed to the measles virus will get infected if they have not been vaccinated or did not have the disease in the past. Initial symptoms — fever, cough and a runny nose — usually appear around 10 days after a person is infected. These symptoms, similar to those of a cold, continue for two to three days before a patient develops a high fever and a skin rash of tiny red spots. Although most people recover seven to 10 days after the initial symptoms appear, measles can lead to serious complications — including pneumonia and encephalitis. According to the health ministry, 1 patient in every 1,000 measles cases dies from such complications, even in developed countries. As the measles virus is much more powerful than other infectious diseases, the latest NIID guideline for schools, revised in February, says that if anyone gets infected in a school, the principal can ask not only the patient but all the students without immunity to stay home until the contagion risk is gone. Why did the outbreak occur in Okinawa? The measles virus is believed to have been carried by a Taiwanese man in his 30s who visited Okinawa in March. Dozens of local people who had contact with the man or visited the same facilities contracted the disease. The virus is believed to have spread to others via those patients. Prefectural data shows that most patients are under the age of 50, and many cannot recall if they’ve had a single vaccination, or whether they’ve ever had one. Given the outbreak, more than 3,500 people — including 421 Taiwanese, 194 Hong Kong citizens and six Chinese — had canceled their trip to Okinawa by Wednesday, according to the prefecture. What measures can be taken to avoid contracting the virus? The only effective measure is to get vaccinated, according to the NIID. Transmission of the virus cannot be prevented by wearing a face mask or washing hands, experts say. People develop immunity around two weeks after the vaccination. Measles symptoms could also be eased by getting a vaccination within 72 hours of contracting the disease. Medical experts and the government recommend that people receive two vaccination shots, because some don’t develop immunity with a single vaccination. The NIID says about 99 percent of those who have two shots acquire immunity. In 1978, the government launched a measles vaccination program for preschoolers offering free vaccinations. But as a single vaccination was found to be insufficient for some to acquire immunity, the government changed the program in 2006 so that children receive two shots. The NIID advises those who only had one shot to get another, to make sure they are fully immune. Vaccinations can cost around ¥10,000, but some municipalities offer a subsidy to cover some of the fees. For those unable to get vaccinated, including pregnant women, experts urge them to refrain from traveling to areas where a measles outbreak has been reported. Wasn’t Japan declared free of measles by the World Health Organization? Yes, in 2015. The declaration was based on a three-year span during which no infections originating from within the nation were reported. But Japan has continued to see measles cases coming from overseas. In recent years, for example, measles made headlines in 2016, when 33 people working at Kansai International Airport were found to have contracted the disease. The outbreak is believed to have started from a Japanese national who arrived at the airport after a trip to China, according to the NIID. Last year, the infection of one man during a stay in Indonesia also resulted in more than 50 cases of measles. But overall, the number of measles cases in Japan has dropped sharply from roughly 11,000 in 2008 to 189 in 2017. What’s the situation in other countries? The number of reported measles cases has been low in recent years in the United States and some Middle East countries that have vaccination programs, according to the health ministry. The highly contagious disease, however, is still common in Asia and Africa, especially in India, China, Pakistan and Nigeria, according to the WHO. Between March 2017 and February, 51,626 people in India became infected with the disease, followed by 10,391 in Nigeria, 7,790 in Indonesia and 7,758 in Ukraine, WHO data show. European countries also saw measles outbreaks last year, with Italy, Ukraine and Romania topping the list with several thousand cases reported in each.


Japan launches entrepreneurial matching platform to boost space startups

Abstract: In a bid to boost investment in domestic space startups, the government launched on Thursday an online platform to help connect investors with entrepreneurs seeking funds to put unique ideas into action. The platform, named S-Matching, invites entrepreneurs in the space sector to post their ideas on its website . If investors are interested, they can contact the entrepreneurs directly and start negotiations. Entrepreneurs can also use the platform to find and contact investors who are likely to be interested in their ideas. The website started accepting user registrations on Thursday, and the function to exchange messages will be available in about two weeks. Despite the enormous potential in the field, many early-stage space startups have experienced difficulties raising funds as investors often view investments in space businesses as riskier than putting money into IT ventures, said Masanori Tsuruda, director of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Space Industry Office. “I believe (the space industry) has enormous possibilities that are far beyond our imagination,” he said. As of Thursday, the platform had already attracted 52 investors, including well-known firms such as SoftBank Corp., trading house Itochu Corp., Japan Airlines and Mizuho Bank, as well as individual investors. Space development for commercial purposes is attracting growing attention globally, with business ideas ranging from the removal of space debris to using data from satellites to assess crop conditions on farms. The government estimates there are more than 1,000 space startups worldwide. In February, U.S.-based SpaceX, founded by Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, launched a rocket carrying a red Tesla Roadster intended to orbit the sun. In May, OneSpace, a Beijing-based startup, became the first private Chinese company to successfully launch its own rocket into space. The government announced last year that it aims to double the size of the nation’s domestic space business market to around ¥2.4 trillion by the early 2030s. To achieve that goal, the government aims to expand the role played in the space industry by private-sector enterprise, which it claims will create new growth opportunities and become a significant driver of improved productivity across many sectors. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also pledged in March that the government would invest a total of about ¥100 billion in the nation’s space sector over the next five years, to encourage more homegrown startups to get into the space business. The S-Matching platform is run by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, a state-backed research body.


China issues rules to get tough on academic integrity

Abstract: SHANGHAI - China has issued new guidelines to enforce academic integrity in science that include plans to “record and assess” the conduct of scientists and institutions and punish anyone guilty of misconduct, state news agency Xinhua reported. The guidelines, released on Wednesday by the ruling Communist Party and the State Council, or cabinet, prohibit plagiarism, fabrication of data and research conclusions, ghost-writing and peer review manipulation, according to Xinhua. Scandals in recent years involving things like faked research, plagiarism and problematic peer review standards have dented China’s reputation as a growing force in the world of scientific research. Xinhua said China would build a “scientific integrity mechanism” to drive innovation while maintaining zero tolerance for severe academic dishonesty. “Anyone who violates the integrity rules will be held accountable by law,” it said, citing a document issued by the party and government. “Those who are found to have committed academic misconduct will be banned from teaching or doing any kind of research work in government-run schools and scientific institutions. Their research grants will be canceled and honors revoked, according to the guidelines,” it said. The Ministry of Science and Technology would take responsibility for coordinating and managing the effort in scientific fields, while the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences would do so in social sciences. Xinhua said the science ministry planned to build “a journal warning mechanism to put any domestic or international academic journals that ignores academic quality while seeking high payments onto a blacklist.” Papers published in such journals would not be recognised in any kind of assessment, it said. The guidelines also aimed to change the standards by which scientists are evaluated so that integrity becomes a key factor, rather than just the production of papers, patents, titles, projects and the collection of honors, it said.


High-profile Japanese businesswoman Kazuyo Katsuma announces she is in same-sex relationship

Abstract: One of the nation’s most influential businesswoman on Monday surprised many of the country’s working women by disclosing she is in same-sex relationship, possibly a game-changing milestone in the nation’s slow but growing acceptance of sexual minorities. Kazuyo Katsuma, a 49-year-old mother of three, was on the Wall Street Journal’s list of “The 50 Women to Watch” in 2005 for gaining “legions of fans among Japanese working mothers” through the management of an online forum for working mothers. Her fans are known as “Katsumer,” which was nominated as the 2009 buzzword of the year. Katsuma had previously been married twice. In an interview with the website BuzzFeed Japan , Katsuma said she has been living with Hiroko Masuhara, a 40-year-old activist for the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people. おばさんずラブ #おばさんずラブ #おっさんずラブ @ataeru_onna pic.twitter.com/VCefRj24MK — 勝間和代 (@kazuyo_k) May 28, 2018 “I kept the lid on my feelings of attraction to members of the same sex,” said Katsuma, who has authored a number of best-selling books. According to her website, more than 5 million copies of her books on work-life balance, self-management and other topics have been published. “After I met Hiroko, the ice in my heart melted, although it took a few years,” she said. “I hope this interview article will cheer up someone and trigger a change.” After working for several international companies including McKinsey and JPMorgan, Katsuma has been working as an economic commentator. Acceptance of same-sex unions has begun to spread slowly in Japan, although legal marriage still remains limited to the union of a man and a woman. In April, the Fukuoka Municipal Government began recognizing the partnerships of LGBT couples, adding to efforts to eliminate discrimination against sexual minorities. The city became the seventh municipality in the country to begin recognizing such unions, thereby conferring various rights and privileges to them. Shibuya Ward in Tokyo became the first local administration to do so in 2015. Katsuma’s partner, Masuhara, received the first such certificate from Shibuya Ward when she registered her partnership with another woman. The couple later ended their relationship. According to a survey conducted in 2015 by advertising giant Dentsu Inc., one in 13 people is estimated to be a member of the country’s LGBT community.


Six foreign trainees worked at Fukushima nuclear plant despite ban

Abstract: Six people enrolled in a foreign trainee program participated in construction work at the disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, despite the plant operator’s ban on program participants working at the complex, officials said Tuesday. The case is the latest in a string of inappropriate practices involving foreign trainees under the government’s Technical Intern Training Program, often criticized as a cover to import cheap labor. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. had said in February last year that it would not permit foreign trainees to work at the plant, which was crippled by the 2011 quake and tsunami disaster, even though workers in some parts of the plant are not required to wear protective gear or dosimeters. The six people were hired by one of Tepco’s subcontractors. “We deviated from our independent rules on employment. We will make our subcontractors thoroughly check the terms of their contracts,” a Tepco official said. According to the utility, the foreign trainees took part in groundwork at the plant starting in November last year outside the areas where protective measures against radiation are needed. The trainees had not received any training on how to protect themselves from radiation. The foreign trainee program was introduced in 1993 with the aim of transferring skills to developing countries. But the scheme — which is applicable to agriculture and manufacturing, among other sectors — has drawn criticism as a number of harsh and exploitative cases have been reported. As of the end of 2017, Japan had received a total of about 270,000 foreigners under the training program. By nationality, Vietnamese accounted for the largest proportion of the total, followed by Chinese and Filipinos. Earlier in the year, several Vietnamese trainees hired by construction companies in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, and Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, were found to have engaged in radioactive contamination cleanup work in Fukushima. The Justice Ministry was conducting a probe into the companies hiring trainees, saying that decontamination work does not fit the purpose of the trainee program.

foreign trainee
nuclear
plant
tokyo electric power
fukushima daiichi


French chateau being raffled for €11

Abstract: BORDEAUX, FRANCE - A French chateau worth around €1.7 million is up for grabs in an online raffle — and tickets cost just €11. British philanthropist Ruth Philips is donating all the profits from the sale of her nine-bedroom Chateau de Cautine — set in 34 acres (13.7 hectares) and complete with swimming pool — to good causes. Entrants must be resident in England, Scotland or Wales and pick the correct translations of two French expressions: “les carottes sont cuites” and “ca ne casse pas trois pattes a un canard,” which Google Translate gives literally as “The carrots are cooked” and “It does not break three legs to a duck.” Tickets cost £10, and a total of 500,000 are being sold at www.winafrenchchateau.co.uk . Philips aims to use the profits to build affordable housing that does not damage the environment. Five percent of the proceeds of the ticket sales will be donated to the St. Petroc’s Society, a charity for homeless people in Cornwall, in the southwest of England. All other profits will fund a community interest company run by Philips herself, The Eco Village Development Company, which builds houses that can run off-grid for very low running costs. She told the Daily Mail newspaper, “Affordable housing is one of my main interests, as I feel it is everyone’s right to have a home. “It is impossible nowadays for people to afford a home because of the extremely high prices. “This will provide a solution. The kit houses can be put together in a week and aim to cost less than 10 percent of the price of an average house in the U.K.” The fully restored chateau lies in the Eastern Dordogne, according to the competition website, and is full of original antiques, cozy furnishings and open fireplaces.


Leagues lose as U.S. Supreme Court paves way for states to legalize sports betting

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for states to legalize sports betting in a defeat for the major American sports leagues, endorsing New Jersey’s bid to allow such wagering and striking down a 1992 federal law that prohibited it in most places. The court upheld the legality of a 2014 state law permitting sports betting at New Jersey casinos and horse racetracks and voided the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Some states see sports betting, like lotteries, as a potentially important source of tax revenue. The ruling, which sent shares in gaming companies and casinos higher in brisk trading, takes the United States a step closer to legal sports betting in numerous states, perhaps nationwide, rather than just in select places such as Nevada, home to the gambling capital Las Vegas. The current illegal sports betting market is worth billions of dollars annually. “New Jersey has long been the lead advocate in fighting this inherently unequal law, and today’s ruling will finally allow for authorized facilities in New Jersey to take the same bets that are legal in other states in our country,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement. The federal law at issue had effectively prohibited sports gambling in all states except Nevada and, to a limited extent, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. In addition to New Jersey, five other states — Connecticut, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia — already have sports betting laws in place that would allow them to move quickly, according to a Fitch Ratings report. Industry analysts have said that dozens of states might legalize sports betting if legally permitted. The justices struck down the entire federal law on a 6-3 vote, with the court’s five conservatives joined by liberal Elena Kagan. “The legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not ours to make. Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote on behalf of the court. Penn National Gaming Inc shares were up 4.3 percent at $33.62 while Boyd Gaming Corp shares were up 3.3 percent at $36.13 and Scientific Games Corp shares were up 9 percent at $58.30. Casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp shares were up 6 percent at $12.60, while rival MGM Resorts International shares were up 2 percent at $32.45. ‘OPEN, TRANSPARENT AND RESPONSIBLE’ Geoff Freeman, president of the American Gaming Association industry group, welcomed the decision, saying it favors “an open, transparent and responsible market for sports betting.” Freeman said his group would work with states, sports leagues and law enforcement “to create a new regulatory environment that capitalizes on this opportunity to engage fans and boost local economies.” Daily fantasy sports company DraftKings Inc said in a statement that it is weighing entering the sports betting business as a result of the decision. “This ruling gives us the ability to further diversify our product offerings and build on our unique capacity to drive fan engagement,” company CEO Jason Robins said. New Jersey’s sports gambling law, championed by Republican former Governor Chris Christie, was challenged in court by the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the major governing body for intercollegiate sports. They called New Jersey’s law a threat to the integrity of competition, fearing game-fixing and other types of cheating. New Jersey argued that the 1992 federal law infringed upon state sovereignty as laid out in the U.S. Constitution by compelling states not to license or regulate sports betting. “A great day for the rights of states and their people to make their own decisions,” Christie wrote on Twitter. “New Jersey citizens wanted sports gambling and the federal Gov’t had no right to tell them no. The Supreme Court agrees with us today.” Christie appealed lower court rulings striking down the state law. Christie left office in January and was succeeded by Democrat Phil Murphy. Christie served as an advisor to President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential race but was ousted as the head of Trump’s transition team after the election. Trump’s administration was on the opposite side of the case, opposing the New Jersey law championed by Christie. The state law at issue would allow people age 21 and above to bet on sports at New Jersey casinos and racetracks, but would ban wagers on college teams based in or playing in the state. Professional sports leagues in recent years have begun to shift their views regarding sports betting. Las Vegas now has an NHL team and will soon have an NFL team, and the NBA’s commissioner called for legalizing sports betting so it can be properly regulated. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung, Hilary Russ and Sinead Carew; Editing by Will Dunham)

sports
betting
new jersey
casinos
nevada
gambling
u.s. supreme court
state revenues


Me Too becomes We Too in victim-blaming Japan

Abstract: Monica Fukuhara was a college student working at a restaurant when it happened to her. As she was saying goodbye to a customer, he grabbed her chest, she said. The man was a valued regular. She was a part-time waitress. The manager shrugged. “I didn’t tell people close to me what happened, certainly not my family,” recalled Fukuhara, now 26. She remembers being left with a feeling of helplessness and anger, which soon turned into shame. The experience fueled her decision to help organize #WeToo Japan, a movement following the #MeToo phenomenon in the United States, but with some key differences. In Japan, societal norms make it difficult for sexual harassment victims to talk about their experiences because of shame and worries about victim-blaming, she said. So in a society often used to looking the other way on issues of sexual harassment and abuse, the #WeToo hashtag is meant to be used in social media not only by victims but by those endorsing an end to harassment. A group of activists, including Fukuhara and Shiori Ito, launched #WeToo Japan in February after deciding on the need for widespread support, saying it goes beyond the self-identification of victims in the Me Too movement started in the U.S. last year. “By using ‘We Too’ instead, we show greater solidarity. We are letting victims know they’re not alone and that we listen and support, making it easier to speak up,” Fukuhara said. “Since Japanese society has some sort of prejudice against victims, it’s difficult for women to raise their hands and say ‘Me Too.’ ” Their cause has struck a chord. According to organizers’ estimates, a crowd of about 2,000 people gathered in Tokyo last month for a protest over sexual violence with the slogan “I Will Not Remain Silent.” The protest, which attracted people from their 20s to 70s, was organized by women over various social media platforms. A week before, more than a dozen female and male opposition party lawmakers held up posters bearing the #MeToo slogan in the Diet. Members had gathered for a hearing on the sexual harassment scandal involving the Finance Ministry’s former top bureaucrat, Junichi Fukuda. More than two-thirds of rape and sexual assault victims in Japan say they have never told anyone what happened to them and only 4 percent have reported such crimes to police, according to a 2015 government survey. By comparison, the U.S. Justice Department in that year said almost 33 percent of rape and sexual assault crimes in the U.S. were reported. Things have been slow to change in Japan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing his “womenomics” measures in recent years, yet progress on female empowerment has been limited. Japan ranked 114th in the World Economic Forum’s gender gap report for 2017, slipping from 111th a year earlier. In 2016, the percentage of women on boards of the largest publicly listed companies in Japan rose to 3.4 percent from 1.7 percent in 2013, according to data by the OECD, putting it near the bottom of member countries. Japan also ranks low in female political representation, at 158th among 193 countries as of April, below Syria and Congo, according to Inter-Parliamentary Union data. In patriarchal Japan, some women who have gone public with their Me Too stories have been met with personal attacks and ridicule, rather than sympathy. Rika Shiiki, a 20-year-old college student entrepreneur, faced harsh online criticism when she said she had lost business contracts after refusing to have sex with clients. Shiiki was accused of lying and received online comments such as, “Show us evidence” and “Just go to the police.” Shiori Ito, a journalist who has been credited with being the first to use the #MeToo hashtag in Japan, said she also faced bashing and blame after going public with her story. “I was vilified on social media and received hate messages and emails and calls from unknown numbers. I was called a ‘slut’ and ‘prostitute’ and told I should ‘be dead.’ There were arguments over my nationality, because a true Japanese woman wouldn’t speak about such ‘shameful’ things,” Ito wrote on Politico.eu in January. Ito is suing fellow journalist Noriyuki Yamaguchi over allegations he raped her after discussing job opportunities over dinner and drinks in 2015. Yamaguchi, a former Washington bureau chief for TBS TV and an Abe biographer, denied any nonconsensual interaction with Ito and prosecutors dropped the case in 2016. Although Japan has been slow to the movement compared with other countries, the protests and growing support for victims show attitudes may slowly be starting to change. A new survey conducted by the Nikkei financial news service revealed that about 24 percent of women who experienced sexual harassment at work either reported it or told someone. The online poll of 1,000 working women was conducted from April 24 to 26. Still, 60 percent of women who said they had experienced sexual harassment said they “put up with it,” many because they thought speaking up would affect their status in the workplace. Most recently, two high-profile men have seen their careers fall apart over sexual harassment allegations. A member of the Tokio pop group was fired by his agency earlier this month over allegations he forcibly kissed a high school student. Johnny & Associates terminated its contact with 46-year-old bass guitarist Tatsuya Yamaguchi after his tearful public apology April 25. Fukuda, the vice finance minister, resigned April 18 after a female journalist with TV Asahi went to a tabloid magazine with recordings of lewd comments allegedly made by him. Although Fukuda has denied committing harassment, the ministry later announced his retirement allowance would be slashed because of the encounter. Keiko Kojima, a former TV celebrity, knows all too well that the Japanese media industry is a man’s world. She explains that if you want to survive as a woman in the industry, you’re expected to get used to sexual harassment. “For that TV Asahi journalist, I know just how difficult it must have been and how much courage she needed and how much she risked to speak up against Fukuda,” Kojima said. “This is why we can’t let her fight alone. Telling her story with Me Too, then supporting her with We Too gives us this chance to create change.”


Classical painting hashtag highlights Japanese mothers' daily frustrations

Abstract: As we celebrate Mother’s Day on May 13, a hashtag highlighting the daily struggles of mothers in Japan is going viral on Twitter. The hashtag — #名画で学ぶ主婦業 (“ meiga de manabu shufugyō ” or “learn about homemakers through classical paintings”) — uses classical paintings to reflect the frustrations that our mothers face. VIA TWITTER One woman uses an artwork by M.C. Escher titled “Ascending and Descending” to portray the never-ending list of chores in a day. “Cleaning, doing laundry, making meals, washing dishes, cleaning, doing laundry, making meals, washing dishes, cleaning. Wait — when does it end!?!” she writes. Another pairs Francis Bacon’s “Screaming Pope ” with the caption, “Stepping on a Lego block.” By transforming highbrow art into snapshots of the mundane, the moms of Twitter are giving everyone a taste of what it’s like to have a 24-hour job. The Meiga de Manabu hashtag has been followed closely over the past week, spurring offshoots such as #名画で学ぶ飲食業 (“meiga de manabu inshokugyō ” or “learn about the food industry through classical paintings”), #名画で学ぶJリーグ (“ meiga de manabu J riigu ” or “learn about the J. League through classical paintings”) and even #名画で学ぶ安倍政権 (“meiga de manabu Abe seiken ” or “learn about the Abe administration through classical paintings”) gaining traction. However, the most popular ultimately proved to be the hashtag focusing on homemakers, with a steady stream of tweets being published every hour. Someone even created a Twitter bot in order to archive the best tweets. “Out of the ‘Meiga de Manabu’ series, #MeigadeManabuShufugyo touches me the most. Thank you for all your hard work,” Twitter user @HSMTkrs writes. Instead of tweeting their own jokes, many mothers are letting off steam simply by following the struggles of other Twitter moms. “I’ve been in a bad mood after my husband hurt my feelings on what was supposed to be a fun Golden Week trip. I just happened upon this hashtag,” writes @ukkari_mamma . “I laughed so hard I forgot all about it! Thank you so much Twitter!” The majority of tweets focus on the exhausting work of looking after children. “Left: What I thought having kids would be like. Right: What it’s actually like,” writes @wagahai2016 , comparing Raphael’s “Madonna of the Meadow” with Lucas Cranach the Elder’s “Melancholia.” VIA TWITTER “Finding a bento box in my son’s room from who knows when,” writes @haruki_o18 , pointing to British painter John William Waterhouse’s “Psyche Opening the Golden Box.” Other tweets express their frustration with husbands who do minimal work around the house. VIA TWITTER “Me when my husband says somen noodles are ‘fine,’” writes @sevenssjpjp , using a painting of a Buddhist hell with demons throwing sinners into an iron mill to illustrate her fury. VIA TWITTER “My husband looking at me when he’s changing the baby’s diaper and realizing it’s poop,” writes @yukikisnowflake , pointing to a self-portrait by Gustave Courbet titled “The Desperate Man.” When it comes to letting off steam through comedy, it seems that Japanese mothers have an endless source of inspiration. After all, Japanese women perform over three-quarters of unpaid labor around the home , despite the fact that more women are joining the workforce than ever before . With traditional gender roles still widely promoted, many women give up their professional careers in favor of taking on domestic duties. It doesn’t help that Japanese men often work long hours and rarely take paternity leave. Only 3 percent of fathers take paternity leave , even though Japan has one of the most liberal paternity leave laws in the world. What’s more, the shortage of day care centers in urban areas has become a major issue facing Japan and its plan to usher in more women into the workforce. The lack of child care services compounds the stress that double-income families already face, and the government’s inactivity to solve the problem has sparked online outrage in the past . VIA TWITTER “Me when I’m finally about to put the baby to sleep after 30 minutes of trying, but I hear an election campaign car loudly announce, “We support families with young children!” and the baby wakes up,” writes @pocky_pocky , accompanying the tweet with Andrea Mantegna’s “Madonna and Child.” Twitter is an effective platform for debating political and social issues, and coming up with a catchy hashtag can be the best way to get the message out quick. While most topics touching on social issues will bring out trolls from the dark corners of the internet, reactions to the meiga de manabu shufugyō hashtag has been surprisingly troll-free and overwhelmingly positive. Then again, perhaps it’s not surprising at all — after all our mothers have done for us, it’s hard not to appreciate them. As Twitter user @ayuco_nakanici puts it: “I’m just realizing how hard it is to be a homemaker! To my mom who worked hard to raise me, all I have is gratitude.”


Lawmaker Hiroyuki Konishi's encounter with an irate SDF officer stirs debate on military

Abstract: On April 16, opposition lawmaker Hiroyuki Konishi was walking by the Upper House members’ office building in Tokyo when he encountered a man jogging . The man recognized Konishi and started talking to him. His manner soon turned belligerent. An officer in the Self-Defense Forces, he objected to what he felt was the politician’s negative opinion of the SDF, saying that Konishi’s work as a lawmaker was “disgusting” and that he was an “enemy of the people.” The tirade reportedly went on for as long as 30 minutes. As a result of Konshi’s allegations, several media outlets said the officer’s use of this phrase was reminiscent of the strident nationalism that informed the May 15 Incident of 1932, when naval officers were involved in an attempted a coup d’etat and killed the prime minister — a key development in the rise of Japanese militarism prior to World War II. The main difference now, these media point out, is that Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, which they are careful not to label as being a “military,” are under civilian control in accordance with the Constitution. Konishi is an elected representative, but as media critic Chiki Ogiue pointed out on his radio show , the officer’s outburst would seem to imply that it was he who presumed to be speaking for the Japanese people, thus rendering civilian control meaningless. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera was quick to apologize in the Diet for the officer’s behavior, and while the officer himself reportedly initially denied that he had called Konishi an “enemy of the people,” he eventually apologized as well. The matter should have ended there, but given the current mood in the government with regard to the SDF because of the controversy over the SDF’s Iraq and South Sudan missions, as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s stated goal of legitimizing the SDF by including it in proposed revisions to the Constitution, the ramifications of the Konishi incident linger. For one thing, condemnation of the officer’s statements has been qualified. Though Onodera insisted the officer was wrong he also pointed out that as a citizen he has a right to his opinion, as well as a right to express it. Lawmaker Masashi Nakano of the Party for Japanese Kokoro tweeted that Konishi must contemplate why the officer said such things to him. Another person who apologized directly to Konishi was Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of the SDF’s Joint Staff, who assured reporters that civilian control of the SDF was not at risk: The incident should not in any way be likened to the situation before World War II. When asked what motivated the officer to attack Konishi, Kawano said the matter was still under investigation (Sankei Shimbun later reported that the investigation had not confirmed the “enemy of the people” outburst ), but added that while present SDF members “disagreed” with the officer’s actions they “understood his feelings.” Konishi, media have pointed out, has been a thorn in the government’s side for a while when it comes to the SDF. He is vehemently against Japan’s participation in overseas collective self-defense activities and has spearheaded the opposition’s scrutiny of the cover-up of Ground Self-Defense Force logs kept during their missions in Iraq and South Sudan. A May 1 feature in the Asahi Shimbun written by SDF reporter Kuniichi Tanida drew attention to Konishi’s “performances” in the Diet when discussing security issues, once referring to Foreign Ministry bureaucrats as being mentally challenged and tweeting in 2015 that the mothers of SDF members were worried that their sons are going be sent abroad to “kill children.” These matters have made Konishi a bete noire among some SDF personnel, Tanida says. The officer’s actions are significant in light of Abe’s current push to normalize the SDF as a Japanese institution, but the public already takes the SDF for granted, claims Tanida, citing a 2015 Cabinet Office survey that found 90 percent of respondents were “interested” in the state of the SDF, with only 5 percent admitting to having a “bad impression” of it. Nevertheless, the officer is obviously frustrated with politics and fears that the SDF’s status is not firmly established, which is why Abe wants it mentioned in the Constitution by name. Tabloid Nikkan Gendai, playing out its self-appointed role as provocateur, ran a story on April 19 that suggested if the Constitution were amended the way Abe wants, then SDF members who share the young officer’s views might become more vocal. As it turns out he grew up in Yamaguchi Prefecture, not far from Abe’s constituency. In middle school and high school he was an athlete and later won awards for brush calligraphy as an SDF member. Even after joining the SDF, he kept winning athletics prizes. In 2005, he graduated from the National Defense Academy and quickly rose within the ranks. He became a major working for the Joint Staff, a very prominent position for a man in his 30s. He is described as being tall, fit and good-looking. Gendai asks why such an intelligent, ambitious, disciplined young man did something as “stupid” as throw a tantrum in public. Takao Izutsu, a former Ground SDF ranger, told Gendai that the officer symbolizes the politicization of the SDF since Abe returned to the premiership in 2012. Kawano is known to be an Abe favorite. His tenure as chief of the Joint Staff has been extended twice since 2015 despite his reaching mandatory retirement age . Izutsu thinks Kawano promotes personnel whose opinions mirror that of the current administration. Consequently, the young officer may have felt it was not only his right, but also his duty to put Konishi in his place. Does his thinking represent that of the SDF membership? They may find Konishi’s tactics overbearing, but that doesn’t mean they oppose what he’s trying to do, which is prevent them from being placed unnecessarily in harm’s way.


What are plant-based or vat-grown 'meats'? Industry debates

Abstract: NEW YORK - Can a hamburger or steak be labeled “meat” if it is plant-based? That question has sparked a debate about U.S. food labels as key cattle industry players have sought to crack down on the marketing of proteins made from soy and other plant-based substances. Jessica Almy, policy director of the nonprofit Good Food Institute, which promotes alternatives to meat, said labels must state clearly if a product is made from soy or another plant, but they usually make sense in context. “Regardless of whether it is made of beef, soy or wheat, a ‘burger’ tells you it can be cooked on a grill, placed on a bun and served with mustard and ketchup,” she said. Almy also sees no alternative to labeling as “meat” new products made from animal cells grown in a lab. Such protein offerings are expected to hit U.S. supermarkets and specialty shops within the next few years. “These are muscles and fat. It would be extremely misleading to call it other than meat,” said Almy said. That stance has enraged some in the traditional meat industry, spurring the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association to file a petition to the Agriculture Department to reserving the terms “meat” and “beef” to protein derived from slaughtered animals. “Labels indicating that a product is ‘beef’ should be limited to product from cattle that have been born, raised and harvested in the traditional manner,” the petition said. The cattle association, which represents ranchers and cattle breeders, said it wants to avoid a similar outcome to the dairy industry, which has seen alternative products made of soy, almond and other nondairy sources take 10 percent of the “milk” market. “We started seeing these products put into the meat shelves in the grocery stores with packaging, label and design misleading the consumers into believing that perhaps it is a healthier version of the traditional meat, or perhaps this is real beef,” said USCA spokeswoman Lia Biondo. “We are trying to pre-empt the issue, to prevent what the dairy industry is going through.” For now, alternative meat products represent a tiny portion of U.S. protein sales. But the items are becoming more widely used, and not just by vegetarians. Startups in alternative food today offer products that do a much-improved job of simulating the taste, texture and smell of traditional meat. Industry players say it is only a matter of time before these options are made with animal cells, further complicating the picture. While the USCA petition has won some support, not all in the food industry have signed on. The Farm Bureau generally supports the idea behind the petition but does not want oversight of alternative proteins to shift outside of the Agriculture Department. “If it is not called meat, what is it, then? We want to retain the jurisdiction under the Secretary of Agriculture,” said Dale Moore, who is in charge of public affairs for the Farm Bureau. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which counts among its members meat distributors and processors, has not signed the petition either. Chris Kerr, investment manager at New Crop Capital, a venture capital firm investing in alternative food companies, said efforts like the USCA petition illustrate a head-in-the-sand approach to shifting tastes. “We are looking at a major behavioral shift by a whole segment of the consumer population, driven a lot by the millennials. They are very open to plant-based food, to being flexitarian,” he said. “The industry can fight this, but they are arguably fighting against themselves because ultimately most meat producers will have some stake in this, and it will be a successful outcome,” he added.


Time travelers invited to Stephen Hawking send-off

Abstract: LONDON - Stephen Hawking’s family have invited time travelers to his memorial service, seeking to tackle one of the curiosities that eluded the British physicist during his extraordinary life. The world’s most recognizable scientist died in March at age 76 after a lifetime spent probing the origins of the universe, the mysteries of black holes and the nature of time itself. Members of the public have been invited to apply for tickets to attend a celebration of Hawking’s life at a memorial service in Westminster Abbey on June 15, when his ashes will be interred alongside the graves of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. Those wishing to apply have to fill in a form and state their date of birth, which can be any day up to the end of 2038. The option to have a date of birth in the future was spotted by the London blogger ianvisits who wrote on his site: “Professor Hawking once threw a party for time travelers, to see if any would turn up if he posted the invite after the party. None did, but it seems perfect that the memorial website allows people born in the future to attend the service. Look out for time travelers at the Abbey.” Sarah Bridle, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Manchester, told BBC Radio that Hawking, who was confined to a wheelchair for most of his life, had remained curious about the potential for time travel, even after his party in 2009. “He was curious and he had a great sense of humor,” she said. “He said he combined his two favorite things, experiments and champagne, to put on this party.”

stephen hawking
celebrities
u.k .
astronomy
physics


Japan's employers improving support for workers with early-onset dementia

Abstract: Katsushi Oshiro, 43, a former salesman diagnosed with early-onset dementia, takes a bus to the car dealership where he works four days a week, being careful to view his commuting route using photos and a map to avoid getting lost. Oshiro found out about his illness three years ago, but instead of being forced to quietly retire — as is often the case with people who develop the illness — his Toyota outlet in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, transferred him to a car-washing position. Oshiro cleans about 40 cars in an eight-hour workday, using an automated washing machine and a handy vacuum, before wiping the cars down. “He works carefully and efficiently,” said Yukiharu Uehara, manager of the outlet. The washed vehicles are moved by his co-workers because Oshiro had to surrender his driver’s license as a result of the diagnosis. Workers in maintenance and sales all help him when he needs it. “Supporting each other is the natural thing to do,” Uehara said. People with dementia, the most common cause of which is Alzheimer’s disease, suffer from a progressive decline in mental acuity reflected by loss of memory, intellect and social skills. For those under 65, it is called early-onset dementia. The health ministry estimates there are approximately 38,000 people with early-onset dementia in Japan. Though still searching for ways to utilize their abilities, companies in Japan are gradually becoming more supportive of those with dementia. This includes consulting with health and labor experts and advising workers on how best to deal with colleagues with dementia, such as by giving them easier tasks and longer breaks. In Oshiro’s case, he was moved from sales when he started to exhibit such symptoms as being unable to recognize his customers. He would sometimes get lost on the way to work and hide in the back of a storehouse to take breaks due to fatigue. Oshiro said he was frustrated at first and wanted to return to his sales job. He also thought he might be dismissed from work altogether and was overcome with fear that he might be unable to support his wife and three daughters. But he was ultimately able to keep his job, and his boss now allows him to take breaks when he needs to. “I get nervous since I’m forgetful. But I really appreciate the support from everybody,” Oshiro said. Saori Nakano, 50, a local coordinator who helps support workers with early-onset dementia, played a key role in Oshiro’s case. She consulted with prefectural job-placement staff and personnel officials at the dealership to arrange adequate working conditions for him. She also sent a “job coach” to give him direct advice, while holding “supporter training seminars” to improve his co-workers’ understanding of dementia. Nakano credits the entire company for Oshiro’s success thus far. A 44-year-old care worker in Miyagi Prefecture who has early-onset dementia gets similar support from his employer. The man, who has 10 years’ experience and declined to give his name, has been able to continue working at a group care facility for seniors in Natori since being diagnosed. Due to his illness, he made a series of mistakes while working at a different facility and was forced to resign. But afterward, The other facility hired him under the “disabled worker employment quota system,” which is designed to encourage businesses to hire more people with disabilities. Since he has difficulty remembering procedures at work, he does not work night shifts or help the elderly take baths. His inability to do the job completely has left him frustrated. But his co-workers trust him to help with meals and keep watch over the residents. “To begin with, he is an excellent nurse,” said the facility manager, Keiko Sasaki, who entrusts him with jobs he is good at. “His calm way of caring is the work of a professional. There is a lot others can learn from him,” she said. In 2016, Japan enacted a law banning discrimination against the disabled. It includes a requirement that obliges public office workers to provide such help as reading aloud for the visually impaired or writing to communicate with people with impaired hearing. Japan is aiming to boost the employment of people with physical and mental disabilities. The labor ministry has raised the target to 585,000 by the end of the year starting April 2022, from 496,000 as of June 2017. In April, the law regulating the disabled worker employment quota system was revised to expand its scope. Private-sector businesses are now required to ensure that people with disabilities make up 2.2 percent of their employees, up from 2 percent. People with early-onset dementia have been added to the calculation as well. Along with the rise in the quota, the scope has also been expanded to cover companies with 45.5 or more employees (with part-time staff counted fractionally) compared with the previous figure of 50 or more. Takashi Mihara, who researches social security policy at NLI Research Institute, said arranging appropriate conditions for workers with dementia is similar to making “reasonable considerations” for people with disabilities under the 2016 law. “Disabilities and illnesses can happen to anybody,” Mihara said. When it becomes more common to work toward arranging the appropriate working conditions for people with dementia, “It will help create a society that accommodates many people.”


New memorial to victims of Japanese merchant ship sunk in WWI to be unveiled in Wales

Abstract: LONDON - A new memorial commemorating those who died in the German sinking of a Japanese merchant ship in the final days of World War I will be unveiled later this year in Wales. More than 200 sailors and passengers died when the Hirano Maru was torpedoed by a German U-boat in the Irish Sea in October 1918, just over a month before the war ended. As one of the Allies contributing to the war effort alongside Britain and France, merchant vessels from Japan were seen as legitimate targets by Germany. After the ship was sunk, residents of Pembrokeshire, Wales, found at least 20 bodies along different stretches of the coastline, though the BBC says the majority were found on Irish beaches. Only 30 of the 240 people aboard survived the attack. The bodies were buried in a local churchyard, but a wooden memorial erected at the time has since rotted away. According to its owner, Nippon Yusen K.K., the ship had just embarked on a journey from Liverpool to Yokohama when it was torpedoed. About two-thirds of those aboard were crew members. In the local church of Angle, a small village in Wales, burial records list nine anonymous victims, naming only one man, Shiro Okoshi, who is listed in the shipper’s records as having been a waiter on the vessel. It is unknown whether the rest were Japanese, as some of the passengers and crew were foreign, including the British captain. The church also possesses old photos in the churchyard of a wooden grave marker, which according to its inscription was erected 11 days after the ship was sunk. David James, honorary secretary of the West Wales Heritage Maritime Society, has been raising funds to create a new memorial with support from Nippon Yusen. As a former serviceman, James served in the British Army in Germany and Libya, where he noticed the graves of British soldiers had markers, inspiring him to commemorate the victims of war in his hometown. “We must remember them,” he said. The unveiling ceremony for the memorial to the 10 victims will take place on Oct. 4, exactly 100 years after the sinking took place, and will be attended by residents and representatives from Nippon Yusen and the Japanese Embassy. “The men in the graves there had families, somebody grieved when they died,” James said. He hopes the memorial will “show there is feeling here, and compassion.” He also said he wants the memorial to keep the story alive for younger generations and help them understand the realities of war. A spokesperson for Nippon Yusen said it was always difficult to retrieve keepsakes to send back to the families of victims who die when a ship is lost at sea. The company believes the sinking of the Hirano Maru could be the greatest loss experienced in Japanese commercial shipping during World War I.


Xerox announces termination of merger deal with Fujifilm

Abstract: LOS ANGELES - Xerox says it is terminating a proposed merger with Fujifilm and appointing a new chief executive, after entering into a settlement with activist shareholders who had contested the takeover. In a statement on its website Sunday, Xerox cited “material deviations” in the audited financial records of an existing joint venture known as Fuji Xerox Co. that is controlled by Fujifilm. The move follows a lawsuit by powerful Xerox shareholders Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason, who have vigorously opposed the firm’s takeover by Fujifilm that was announced in January. Icahn and Deason won a temporary injunction against the merging of the firms after a New York judge agreed in late April the deal prioritized the interests of Xerox CEO Jeff Jacobson over that of the company’s shareholders. “Over the past several weeks, the Xerox board has repeatedly requested that Fujifilm immediately enter into negotiations on improved terms for a proposed transaction,” the statement said. “Despite our insistence, Fujifilm provided no assurance that it will do so within an acceptable time frame. The Xerox board believes that the transaction cannot reasonably be expected to be completed under these circumstances, particularly given the court’s injunction of the transaction and the lack of shareholder support for the transaction on current terms, as well as the unresolved accounting issues at Fuji Xerox.” Xerox added that Jeff Jacobson had since resigned from his role as its’ CEO, along with five board members who were replaced by five new members. The new board will be chaired by Keith Cozza, the current CEO of Icahn Enterprises, while the firm’s new CEO will be John Visentin. The board will immediately convene and “evaluate all strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value,” the statement said. The conflict is the latest involving a big company and a high-profile shareholder activist — in this case Icahn, a battle-tested billionaire who has aggressively challenged companies since the 1980s. Xerox had already announced at one point in early May that Jacobson would step down, before temporarily reversing that decision just two days later. Reacting to the statement Sunday, Icahn said: “We are extremely pleased that Xerox finally terminated the ill-advised scheme to cede control of the company to Fujifilm. “With that behind us and new shareholder-focused leadership in place, today marks a new beginning for Xerox.” New CEO Visentin has previously worked as a “consultant” to Icahn Capital in connection with Xerox. Under the terms of the now defunct merger, Fujifilm would have held 50.1 percent of Fuji Xerox while current shareholders would have received a special cash dividend of $2.5 billion. Deason and Icahn were also unhappy that a secret 2001 deal between Xerox and Fujifilm contained a clause preventing the Xerox board from seeking another buyer, effectively shortchanging the company’s shareholders. After announcing the Xerox takeover in January, Fujifilm released a cost-cutting plan that involved thousands of job cuts at Fuji Xerox. Fuji Xerox was also weakened last year by the discovery of accounting irregularities dating back to 2010. The deal announced Sunday is a victory for so-called activist shareholders, among whom Icahn is considered a father figure. The development comes after activist fund Elliott won a weekslong power struggle with Vivendi over Telecom Italia by wresting control of the company’s board in early May.

xerox
mergers
fujifilm
fuji xerox
carl icahn


Mount Shinmoe belches smoke over Kyushu in latest eruption

Abstract: FUKUOKA - Mount Shinmoe erupted again Monday, prompting ash and falling-rock warnings in nearby areas. The 1,421-meter volcano straddling Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures in Kyushu erupted at around 2:45 p.m., sending smoke 3,300 meters into the atmosphere, the Meteorological Agency said. The volcano last erupted on April 6. The agency kept its alert level at 3 on the scale to 5, warning people not to approach the volcano. It also warned of large falling rocks in areas 3 km from the crater.


Planned cut in doctors' overtime hours worries Japan's rural hospitals

Abstract: As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration pushes to pass labor reform bills in the current Diet session, many major hospitals in the Chubu region are concerned that the bills, which include a cap on the working hours of doctors, could lead to a deterioration in medical services in rural regions. While experts are looking to improve working conditions for doctors to rectify problems with overwork, most hospitals say it will become difficult to maintain the quality of services with such a serious shortage of doctors, especially outside urban areas. The bills, if passed, will limit doctors’ overtime to 45 hours per month in principle. Under the current law, doctors can work virtually without limit if their employer and the labor union sign an Article 36 agreement, which allows workers to work overtime or on holidays. Some hospitals set the limit of monthly overtime in the agreement to over 100 hours, and there are cases where even that limit is ignored. In November the Labor Standards Inspection Office asked Nagoya City East Medical Center to rectify the working conditions of its doctors, as four doctors at the hospital had been working more than the maximum overtime of 150 hours per month set in the labor-management agreement. One of them was found to have worked 178 hours of overtime in a month. The long working hours of doctors is said to be largely attributable to the Medical Practitioners’ Law, which sets a legal obligation for doctors to provide medical treatment. That provision means doctors are basically unable to refuse to treat patients when requested, while their professional ethics also discourages many doctors from thinking they can leave patients unattended. The health ministry began discussing reevaluation of the legal obligation in light of planned reforms to the working style of doctors. According to a survey conducted by Chunichi Shimbun on emergency hospitals in six prefectures in the Chubu region, 22 of the 39 hospitals that responded said they are concerned they might not be able to maintain the quality of their services if they were to operate under the new rules. None of the hospitals expressed support for the cap on doctors’ working hours, the survey showed. Some hospitals are reviewing their work systems to reduce doctors’ working hours. Japanese Red Cross Society Suwa Hospital in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, introduced a rule in December requiring doctors to only explain conditions and treatments to patients between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, except for emergencies. The hospital also posted signs advising patients about the rule. At the hospital, priority used to be given to patients’ convenience and doctors sometimes had to come to the hospital on days off for patient consultations. “In order to maintain regional medical service, we decided to set a certain standard and ask for understanding by patients and their families,” said a hospital official. Fujita Health University Hospital in Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture, is counting on nurse practitioners who are authorized to engage in certain medical practices without being instructed by doctors. Currently 17 nurse practitioners work at the hospital, conducting such medical activities as arterial blood collection and ultrasound examinations, and operating artificial respirators. “They are contributing to reducing doctors’ burdens, as doctors don’t have to go to patient wards as much as they used to,” said Zenichi Morise, 55, deputy head of the hospital. The hospital hopes to increase the number of nurse practitioners, but some nurses might be discouraged from completing the two-year graduate school program required to obtain the certification by having to forgo pay during their studies. Most hospitals, meanwhile, have not yet been able to come up with concrete measures to cope with the expected reduction in doctors’ work hours. “It is difficult to resolve the problem of doctors’ overwork when they are required to deal with patients night and day,” said an official of a hospital in Gifu Prefecture, referring to doctors’ legal obligations. Another official at a hospital in a mountainous area said: “Doctors are concentrated in urban areas and we don’t have enough doctors to fill shifts.” “All the hospitals are struggling to conduct reforms forced on them by the central government,” a senior official of a hospital in Aichi Prefecture said. “If the situation remains as is, rural medicine could collapse.” Tadashi Matsumaru, a lawyer well-versed in doctors’ working conditions, said forcing doctors to work beyond the so-called karōshi (death by overwork) line — 80 hours of overtime per month — is a serious problem in terms of maintaining their physical and mental health. “Hospitals should be aware that doctors are workers like in any other sector,” Matsumaru said. “The government should urgently take measures to boost the number of doctors in regions where they are needed, because that is essential to reduce doctors’ work hours and maintain quality of service at the same time.”