Sony triggers clause to allow it to sell half of music venture stake to Jackson estate, or buy other half

Abstract: LOS ANGELES - Sony Corp. triggered a contract clause that would allow the Japanese electronics maker to to sell its half of the Sony/ATV Music Publishing venture it co-owns with Michael Jackson’s estate, according to people familiar with the situation. The move means Sony can either sell its half of the music-publishing business or buy the other half, said the people, who asked not to be named because the agreement is private. Documents leaked by hackers who broke into Sony Entertainment’s computers last year revealed that executives at the company had discussed such a sale. A sale would bring Sony cash and reap a payday for a business it merged with Jackson’s in 1995 to establish Sony/ATV. Jackson, who had earlier purchased rights to The Beatles song library, died in 2009. In 2012, Sony, the executors of Jackson’s estate and other investors purchased the larger EMI song catalog, to form the world’s biggest music-publishing business. Music publishers collect songwriting royalties from album sales, use on TV and other performances. Sony/ATV also has rights to songs from several Motown artists, and administers the catalog for EMI. Sony/ATV has a value of around $2 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported on Wednesday that Sony had triggered the clause. It wasn’t clear whether Sony would include its share of EMI in a sale, the newspaper said. Sony Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Michael Lynton told Bloomberg News in January that the company had no plans to sell the music publishing business. Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier said the same in a memo to staff.

sony
music publishing
michael jackson
beatles


Ex-professor indicted on charge of leaking bar exam questions

Abstract: Prosecutors indicted a former Meiji University law school professor Wednesday on a charge of leaking questions in this year’s national bar examinations to a woman who was one of his former students. It is the first time that prosecutors have charged a person over leaking bar exam questions. Koichi Aoyagi, 67, had earlier admitted to the allegation and was indicted without detention on a charge of violating the confidentiality provision of the national civil service law. The prosecutors, however, decided not to indict the woman, in her 20s, whom Aoyagi had been tutoring, as they could not find any evidence that she had urged the former professor to leak the questions, according to prosecutorial sources. Aoyagi has said that he had leaked questions without being asked to do so because he was “fond of” the woman. According to the indictment and other sources, Aoyagi was in charge of creating questions for the bar exam held in May and allegedly gave the woman an essay question on the Constitution that later appeared in the exam. In the exam, the woman’s answer was better than those of other examinees and was also similar to a sample answer Aoyagi had made and circulated to other members tasked with formulating questions or grading answers in the bar exam. The members are appointed by the justice minister based on the recommendations of the ministry’s National Bar Examination Commission and have a legal obligation to keep secrets as a part-time national public servant. The commission filed a criminal complaint against Aoyagi on Sept. 8 for allegedly breaching confidentiality. Meiji University dismissed Aoyagi, effective Sept. 12. The prosecutors also indicted Aoyagi on a charge of leaking multiple-choice questions on the Constitution portion of the bar exam, in which the woman had perfect scores.


Venom experts say global snake bite death tolls are grossly underestimated

Abstract: LONDON - Venom specialists said Wednesday that disease and disability caused by snake bites is far higher than official global health estimates suggest, and that anti-venom stocks are running dangerously low. In a joint statement after a five-day conference in Britain, the international experts said snake bites kill more people than all other so-called neglected tropical diseases combined, yet get little attention or funding from the World Health Organization (WHO) or from governments. Citing new evidence from a study in India and Bangladesh, the experts said around 46,000 people died annually of snake bites in India, plus another 6,000 in Bangladesh. The WHO estimates the annual death toll in India from snake bites is 10,000. “Snake bite … is almost completely ignored and grossly underestimated,” said Alan Harvey, head of the International Society of Toxinology, who led the meeting. “WHO and governments need to … rank snake bite where it belongs — as a very real public health and medical concern which needs funding, training and focus.” Bites from snakes such as cobras, mambas and vipers mainly affect people living in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia that have scant health facilities nearby. Anti-venom treatment can cost between $250 and $500, the experts said, meaning many victims either seek no treatment at all or go to local witch doctors or herbalists. Despite high death rates, the WHO in 2013 downgraded snake bite to a “neglected condition” with no formal programme on how to address it as a health threat, the experts said. They also warned that anti-venom stocks are running “dangerously low” in many risk areas and that there is a “real crisis in the quantity and quality of anti-venoms in rural areas, where they are needed most.” Even where anti-venom stocks are of high quality, there is often a shortage of medical staff trained in how to administer them safely and effectively.


Defense Ministry launches new equipment management agency

Abstract: The Defense Ministry launched a new agency Thursday to centralize its logistical needs and deal with the development, procurement and export of defense equipment. By establishing the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, the government said it aimed to cut costs by consolidating defense equipment-related functions within a single entity, instead of going through individual divisions and agencies. A core function of the new agency is to manage the development and sale of defense equipment between Japanese contractors and their overseas partners under eased arms export rules adopted in April last year. It was the first major overhaul in nearly half a century of Japan’s arms embargo policy. The new agency, headed by Commissioner Hideaki Watanabe and with about 1,800 employees, has integrated the ministry’s equipment-related divisions, as well as similar Self-Defense Forces sections and related research functions.


Tokyo's Imperial Palace grounds are peaceful oasis amid concrete jungle

Abstract: Adjacent to modern high-rises in the Otemachi business district, just a 10-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station, visitors can step into nature, peace and beauty in the grounds of the historic Imperial Palace. The area is a fine place to stretch out on the grass and enjoy a picnic or simply breathe in the autumn air. Formerly the site of Edo Castle, built by the Tokugawa shogunate, the Imperial Palace is where the royal family has resided, worked and conducted rituals ever since Emperor Meiji moved from the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1868. Some parts are closed to the public, but large areas of the 115-hectare grounds, roughly a third the size of New York’s Central Park, are open and are popular with tourists. Notable sights include a forest of 2,000 Japanese black pine trees and the well-tailored lawn of Kokyo Gaien National Garden. Strollers will also come across what is commonly known as Nijubashi Bridge — a popular spot for photos. A path around the perimeter of the Imperial Palace grounds attracts more than 4,000 runners daily, while inside the season’s flora is out in force — red spider lilies at this time of year — with ducks and swans swimming about. Open every day except for Mondays and Fridays, the East Garden is recommended for tourists who want a taste of Japanese culture and history. Visitors topped 1 million last year. This is were they can enjoy a Japanese-style garden and inspect the remains of Edo Castle. To cater to the growing number of foreign tourists, the park’s operator started offering free tours in English this year in addition to Japanese. Meanwhile, evening strollers can look forward to a new attraction: Plans are underway to light up buildings and bridges in Kokyo Gaien National Garden at night. At present, only the nearby Wadakura Fountain Park is set aglow.


Water, water everywhere in Japan, but fewer people to pay for it

Abstract: One of the most common received truths about Japan is that it lacks natural resources, which is why it relies so much on imports. Lack of resources was one of the reasons Japan invaded Asia in the last century. But there is one resource that is plentiful, and which is becoming scarce in other regions: water. In fact, there has been talk that Japan could export fresh water as a form of “security.” Japan currently buys a lot of coal from Australia, which is delivered by ship. Those vessels return to Australia empty, and usually have to fill up with sea water for ballast, a risky solution since the water could contain living things that might upset marine ecology systems back in Australia. But the ships could also fill up with fresh water — not necessarily drinking water, but water that could be used in the mining of the coal being sent to Japan. Coal mining requires a lot of water, and Australia doesn’t always have enough. It’s estimated that 900 million people in the world do not have ready access to safe drinking water, so Japan should count itself lucky. However, in recent years water supply agencies nationwide have been raising fees or proposing to raise fees on tap water. The reason has to do with Japan’s population decline. The infrastructure that processes water and delivers it to homes is superannuated in many places in Japan, but since revenues are dropping due to loss of users, local water supply agents don’t have enough money to repair and maintain these facilities. An article in the Asahi Shimbun on Sept. 7 looked at the town of Bibai in Hokkaido, which has announced that it is raising water-use fees by 30 percent this month, the first time it has done so in 33 years. If a household uses 10 cu. meters of water a month, it now pays ¥2,547. That fee will increase by ¥567. Before the war, the town was very prosperous because of a coal mine, and population peaked in 1956 at 92,000. Now it is down to 24,000, and the pipe network that moves water through the town is desperately in need of repair. Residential users may not feel as much pain, but business users are quite worried about the increase. One restaurant owner in Bibai told the paper that he now spends almost ¥600,000 a year for water, and with the fee increase he expects his bill to go up by more than ¥100,000. Bibai’s situation is typical of many towns and smaller cities throughout Japan. Because water supply agents cover specific areas, their revenue is limited by the number of users in that area. If there are many users, then costs for repair and maintenance can be spread more diffusely, but if the number of users is small, each one will have to bear more of the cost. A recent feature in the weekly magazine Shukan Josei reports that reservoir repair and maintenance costs for Tokyo’s water supply are the highest in Japan, but fees are among the lowest because of the number of users — about 10,000 per kilometer of pipe. Residents of Sendai and Sapporo, on the other hand, pay significantly higher fees for water because of the much smaller population density — in some neighborhoods as low as 100 users per kilometer of pipe. Bibai is now trying to consolidate its water supply agents with those in nearby towns, so that a larger pool of users can be tapped for revenues, thus reducing the per-user cost of repairs and maintenance. Another reason for the difference in fees is geology. The most expensive water, according to the Japan arm of accounting firm Ernst & Young Global Ltd., is in the town of Fukaura in Aomori Prefecture, where the average household is expected to pay more than ¥17,000 a month by 2040. Population decline is one reason, but the town is also very hilly, so the waterworks system needs lots of pumps to deliver water to a relatively small number of households. Of course, water abundance is also a factor. Kagawa, on the island of Shikoku, is one of the few prefectures that regularly suffers water shortages. Farmers on Shikoku traditionally grew wheat rather than rice, since rice requires so much water. The prefecture is now working on unifying the water supply agents of at least six cities so that they can reduce personnel and facilities expenses and thus not have to raise fees as much. The central government is also getting involved by identifying some 8,000 “simple water supply” ( kan’i suidō ) agents. Simple water supply agents are those who serve a user base that is not larger than 5,000 households. By identifying such agents, the government hopes to move them toward consolidating with neighboring agents, since the central government is required to subsidize waterworks in order to guarantee delivery of water. This happened in Shimane Prefecture, where smaller municipalities needed ¥2.1 billion a year for waterworks maintenance. Fees, however, only covered 30 percent of the maintenance expenses, so the government had to come up with the rest. Now, seven of these municipalities will merge their water networks with that of the capital, Matsue, with the help of the central government. Nevertheless, some municipalities are shrinking so fast that soon they will not be able to afford waterworks at all. Some agents may not be able to stay in business, regardless of how much they raise fees. That means the few households in their jurisdictions will have to actually transport water themselves, by vehicle. Another solution to the fee problem is conservation. Though Japan has abundant fresh water, the Japan Water Works Association is encouraging users to save water as much as possible. This will not only reduce their water bills, but ease the stress on the system, since there is less need for purifying chemicals and other treatments. The average person in Japan uses 250 liters a day. One of the reasons people here use such a large amount is that they tend to take daily baths, sometimes more than once. Switching to showers and changing toilet valves would help save water. To understand how lucky Japan is, all you have to do is look at a place like California, which, due to geology and climate-related developments, may never again have enough water for all its residents, no matter how wealthy they are. If higher fees are necessary to keep Japan’s water supply clean and plentiful, then that’s just the way it is.


Travels of 'serial killer' trucker accused in four Ohio slayings probed for links to more deaths

Abstract: CLEVELAND - Investigators are looking into the routes driven by a trucker who traveled through Ohio and Pennsylvania and is now charged in four Cleveland slayings that came 18 years apart. Authorities want to know more about where and when Robert Rembert worked as a regional driver, calling him a “serial killer” who already served time in prison for a fatal shooting in the late 1990s. “The feeling is given his violent history it only makes sense to dig down into what was going on in the interim,” said Joe Frolik, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office Rembert is expected to be arraigned Friday after being indicted this week on multiple counts of aggravated murder in the slayings of one person in 1997 and three people this year. He was arrested last month after coming out of a shower at a truck stop outside Cleveland and was being held on a $1 million bond, prosecutors said. “Robert Rembert is a serial killer,” Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said. “So far, we know he’s purposefully executed five people.” Rembert, 45, couldn’t be contacted for comment, and court records did not show whether he has an attorney representing him. Investigators know that Rembert traveled all over Ohio and into Pennsylvania and want to find out if his work took him into other states in the Great Lakes area, Frolik said. Prosecutors have said that DNA evidence matched Rembert to the rape and strangulation deaths of Rena Mae Payne in May 1997 and Kimberly Hall this June. Rembert was a Regional Transit Authority bus driver in 1997 and knew the entry code for the restroom where Payne’s body was discovered at an RTA bus turnaround, prosecutors said. Rembert also is charged in the fatal shooting of Morgan Nietzel and his cousin, Jerry Rembert, at a Cleveland home on Sept. 20, the day before he was arrested. Prosecutors say Robert Rembert lived in the home and shot both Nietzel and his cousin in the head. Rembert had argued with the pair before the killings, Frolik said. Nietzel’s car was found in the parking lot of the truck stop in Medina County where Rembert was arrested. The fifth slaying was the fatal shooting of Dadren Lewis in December 1997. Rembert pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced in 1998 to six years in prison.

serial killer
ohio
cleveland
pennsylvania
dna
police


Santa Claus elected to North Pole City Council

Abstract: JUNEAU, ALASKA - A man with a soft white beard who prides himself on being an advocate for young children has been elected as a city councilman in North Pole, Alaska. The rosy-cheeked 68-year-old candidate, who happens to be named Santa Claus, won a three-year term in the community of about 2,200 residents southeast of Fairbanks, according to election results released Tuesday. Claus, who legally changed his name from Thomas Patrick O’Connor about a decade ago while living in Nevada, said he has been an advocate for legislation and services that benefit at-risk children. He could be seen in recent days wearing his trademark red velvet outfit and holding a campaign sign in North Pole, the namesake of the home of the legendary Christmas gift-giver. Claus was one of two write-in candidates for two vacant seats in the Oct. 6 election. He will take office on Oct. 26, North Pole City Clerk Kathy Weber said. In an interview, Claus said that calling state lawmakers and saying: “This is Santa Claus from North Pole,” either got their attention or a quick, though temporary, rejection. “It’s been a valuable tool for developing legislation to protect children,” he said.


Safety of Fukushima-produced foods emphasized at Milan expo

Abstract: MILAN - A campaign began at the Japan Pavilion of the food-themed world expo in Italy on Sunday to demonstrate to visitors that food from Fukushima Prefecture is safe despite a nuclear disaster there in 2011. During the four-day campaign which ends Wednesday, samples of local foods, such as fruits and Japanese sake, are being offered to highlight the quality control efforts producers have been making since the disaster. At the pavilion, Norio Hashimoto, an official of the Fukushima Prefectural Government, said the quality of fruits shipped from the prefecture is “fully vouched for.” He added, “Fukushima is one of the major producers of fruits in the country.” His colleague, Takeshi Fujita, said the purpose of the campaign is to convey “correct information” about Fukushima foods, but stressed that he does not intend to force it on anyone. The campaign is also aimed at conveying how far rebuilding has proceeded since the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant suffered meltdowns in tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake on March 11, 2011. A 59-year-old visitor said he enjoyed the dried peaches and sake that were served at the event, expressing hope that safety is pursued “sincerely” on matters of food. Some visitors had the chance to experience Fukushima folklore in which dumplings are skewered on tree branches to wish for a good harvest.

fukushima
food
milan
expo
fukushima no . 1
radiation


893-kg pumpkin weighs in as plumpest entry at annual California event

Abstract: HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA - A rippled white whopper weighing in at 1,969 pounds (893 kg) took the title Monday for plumpest pumpkin at an annual San Francisco Bay Area contest. Growers gathered with their gargantuan offerings to try to break the world record of 2,323 pounds (1,054 kg), which was set by a Swiss grower during a competition in Germany last year. It didn’t happen. But the winning entry at the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, was no small feat. Steve Daletas of Pleasant Hill, Oregon, won $12,000 for his lumpy, 1,969-pound (893-kg) pumpkin. “It’s been a good year,” he said after the contest. “I’ve never grown an official 1,900-pound pumpkin before.” Forklifts and special harnesses carefully placed the massive pumpkins on an industrial-strength digital scale with a capacity of 5 tons as officials from the county agricultural commissioner’s Office of Weights, Sealers, and Measures kept close watch. Second place went to Ron and Karen Root of Citrus Heights, California, for their 1,806-pound (819-kg) entry. A $500 prize also was awarded to the “most beautiful” pumpkin based on color, shape and size. With California in its fourth year of drought, some said the dry soil deflated their pumpkin-growing dreams. “No doubt about it,” Gary Miller of Napa, the 2013 winner, told Bay Area news station KNTV. He entered a 1,303-pound (591-kg) pumpkin. Last year, grower John Hawkley set a North American record with a 2,058-pound (933.5-kg) entry. He returned to defend his title, but his pumpkin registered 1,447 pounds (656 kg). Organizer Tim Beeman said the contest kicks off the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival this weekend.


Japan may empower courts to handle more cross-border divorce suits

Abstract: After 18 months of deliberations, the Legislative Council of the Justice Ministry has drawn up an outline for legal revisions aimed at resolving a problem many failed marriages face: whether the Japan-based spouse can file for divorce here rather than overseas. The council on Friday submitted a proposal to Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki that lists several scenarios in which Japanese family courts should be authorized to handle divorce involving couples of whom only one partner is still living in Japan. If enacted, it would will mark the first time the government has clarified international jurisdiction rules for divorce. Following are questions and answers on the issue: What is the current situation? Japan has no law that spells out the circumstances under which family courts can handle cross-border divorce disputes between a spouse who sues, the plaintiff, and his or her ex-partner, the defendant. In the absence of a legal framework, family courts have traditionally decided on a case-by-case basis whether they have jurisdiction in divorce cases, relying only on past Supreme Court rulings. The rulings acknowledged jurisdiction of the Japanese courts when the defendant was resident in Japan, because the inconvenience of being forced into a legal battle, it was deemed, merited greater consideration than the inconvenience faced by a plaintiff. If the defendant was overseas, that was where the case should be heard. The-case-by-case approach means there has been no consistency in court judgments, while plaintiffs and their lawyers have had to convince the courts that they meet the special circumstances required to sue for divorce in Japan. The lack of clear rules has placed prospective plaintiffs under emotional stress as they await a court’s decision on where their suits should take place, said Tokyo-based lawyer Tomohiro Hayase. Under what circumstances have spouses been able to file for divorce in Japan? A plaintiff in Japan who fled an allegedly abusive marriage abroad may qualify to have a family court hear the case because unconditionally prioritizing the whereabouts of the defendant can incur problems, Hayase said. “For example, in cases where a Japanese wife has fled her abusive foreign husband and moved back to Japan, it would be unfair if she has to return to the husband’s country to start divorce (proceedings) against him,” the lawyer said. Under such circumstances, domestic family courts have customarily decided they will handle the plaintiffs’ cases in Japan — even if the defendants are abroad — in accordance with what the top court called “the idea of fairness between the parties and just and speedy hearing of the case.” What new rules are being considered? The Legislative Council, an advisory panel to the justice minister, has come up with seven scenarios under which domestic family courts would preside over cross-border divorces in Japan, including those in which both parties are Japanese nationals. Other cases include those in which a couple lived in Japan until just before they were separated internationally — a rule Hayase said will make it easier for Japanese to initiate a divorce action against a spouse who left Japan. While this will be a common scenario, the nationality is in fact irrelevant: It could involve two Americans, one of whom continues to reside in Japan and initiates the action. Until now it has been hard for a Japanese husband, for example, to file for divorce if his foreign wife deserts him, leaves the country and does not inform him where she is. This is because regardless of any culpability the residence of the wife — the defendant in this case — took priority. The husband would traditionally have to go through reams of paperwork to persuade a family court that he is not to blame for a failed marriage to win jurisdiction over his case. But the new rule, if realized, will grant him the right to initiate proceedings in Japan merely on the grounds that he shared a Japanese address with her before they separated. “Although beneficial to Japanese, the rule is likely to prove more of an inconvenience to foreigners who left Japan for whatever reason, because unlike before, under the new rule it would be possible to drag them into a court battle in Japan from abroad — even though they are the defendants,” Hayase said. What will change if the rules are enacted? The council said the rules will “improve the foreseeability of litigants” and “contribute to swiftly resolving conflicts.” Hayase agrees. “Whenever clients who sought an international divorce came to us for consultation, we weren’t able to tell them for sure beforehand whether they could proceed with a lawsuit in Japan. All we could do was study past court rulings and do some guesswork,” he said, noting most of his Japanese clients preferred to file for divorce in Japan to avoid the hassle of dealing with a foreign language and having to fly overseas. “If more precise determinations are possible, that would be a huge load off their shoulders.” What else does the outline cover? Subject to the council’s discussion was not only jurisdiction over divorces but also child custody rulings. Family courts have customarily claimed jurisdiction over cross-border custody battles if the child is in Japan. The proposed rule by the council endorses this tradition, declaring that Japanese courts are authorized to handle such cases when “the child has an address in or is staying in Japan.” However, should the child be repatriated abroad in the midst of a custody battle, such as one under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Japanese courts are likely to have to terminate the debate and relinquish jurisdiction to their overseas counterparts, said Muneki Uchino, councilor of the Civil Affairs Bureau at the Justice Ministry. Uchino said the Justice Ministry will compile an amendment based on the outline and submit it to the Diet “as soon as possible,” at the latest by early next year. How many international marriages take place in Japan? There were 21,130 new international marriages registered in Japan in 2014, according to data released by the welfare ministry in September. Of the total, 14,998 couples were those between Japanese husbands and foreign wives, mostly Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos. The remaining 6,132 were of Japanese wives, with the foreign husbands predominantly Americans and Koreans. There were 14,135 international divorces in 2014.


U.S. government sued over skull-crushing fall of massive pine cone

Abstract: DENVER - A military veteran who said his skull was crushed by a 16-pound (7-kg) pine cone as he rested in the shade of a conifer grove at a San Francisco park has sued the U.S. government, saying employee negligence led to his injuries. Sean Mace was reading and napping beneath the bunya pines, also known as false monkey puzzle trees, during a visit to San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park in October 2014, according to the lawsuit, filed in federal court. The cones dropped by the Australian trees can grow in excess of 14 inches (35 cm) in diameter and weigh more than 40 pounds (18 kg). Park staffers who planted the trees decades ago knew there was a high risk of injury to anyone below them, the complaint said. Mace, a U.S. Navy veteran, was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, where he had two rounds of surgery for traumatic brain injury. The lawsuit said he had been left with “severe and likely irreversible cognitive defects.” It seeks monetary damages for personal injury and losses caused by “the negligent or wrongful act of omission of any employee,” and names the park, the U.S. government, the National Park Service and the Department of Interior as defendants. It alleged that inaction by workers “created a hidden hazard or peril” for visitors to the park, and that a safety barrier was erected around the bunya pine grove in the northeastern part of the park only after Mace suffered his injuries. The lawsuit was filed last month but was first reported on Monday by the San Francisco Chronicle. The newspaper said Mace, who is in his 50s, had chosen the waterfront park to try to find a quiet spot to watch the Blue Angels air show during last year’s Bay Area Fleet Week. The National Park Service said it did not comment on ongoing litigation.


Ginza Cozy Corner takes dessert into hyperdrive with 'Star Wars' cakes

Abstract: One Japanese confectionary vendor is about to find the Force deep within a sweet tie-up. Ahead of the December release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Ginza Cozy Corner, which has outlets nationwide, has made a line of “Star Wars” sweets that are truly out of this world. The treats themselves are all based on people from the the films, and regardless if the characters were good or evil, the desserts will end up being sweet. The cake set includes Darth Vader, Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, an Ewok, a Stormtrooper, C-3PO and R2-D2, each having its own unique taste. The yellow C-3PO cake is lemon-flavored; the white R2-D2 one is cheese mousse; and so on. If that wasn’t enough to satisfy sci-fi fans, Ginza Cozy Corner is also releasing a “Star Wars” tin and pouch filled with the store’s original creations. They will also be selling an R2-D2 sponge cake that is covered in white frosting and colored biscuits. The “Star Wars” collection will be sold at select stores beginning Nov. 1, and the nine-piece cake set will sell for ¥2,000. For more information, visit the Ginza Cozy Corner website .

ginza cozy corner
desserts
star wars
japan pulse


Man sentenced to 19 years for abandoning 5-year-old son who died of starvation

Abstract: YOKOHAMA - The Yokohama District Court on Thursday sentenced a 37-year-old man to 19 years in prison for abandoning a 5-year-old son who died of starvation while he continued to receive child allowance payments for years afterward. Yukihiro Saito denied his son Riku sufficient food and water from around the fall of 2006, and left him to die of malnutrition at their apartment in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, in January 2007, according to the ruling handed down in a lay judge trial. Saito left his son’s body at the apartment, where more than seven years later police found the boy’s skeletal remains in May 2014. “The boy was left to die in an uncomfortable environment filled with garbage without being given food by his father who was the only person he could rely on,” presiding judge Koji Inaba said. “The cruelty is beyond all imagination.” Saito told police his wife left him in 2004 and he locked the boy up in the apartment when he went out. He denied intending to kill the boy. The ruling also said Saito did not tell his employer about his son’s death and swindled ¥410,000 ($3,400) in child allowance payments. Prosecutors charged him with murder and fraud and sought 20 years in prison. The incident called into question local authorities’ failure to keep track of the boy for such a long time, exposing shortcomings in the system and how a child could disappear unnoticed.

abandonment
son
starvation
yukihiro saito


Bigfoot believers exchange stories at New York retreat

Abstract: CHAUTAUQUA, NEW YORK - Believers in the legendary Bigfoot creature gathered Saturday in western New York state, convinced the giant ape also known as Sasquatch has left its footprints all over the region. Yeti, sasquatch, ape-man, Bigfoot. No matter the name, sightings have been reported in virtually every U.S. state, with more than 100 listed in New York and more than 250 in neighboring Ohio. Washington state leads, with more than 600 reports, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Association. At the fourth annual Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo, organizer Peter Wiemer knows the creature may not be the first topic that comes to mind in the rural county, best known for the Chautauqua Institution, a summer retreat devoted to scholarly and artistic pursuits. “You say ‘Bigfoot’ in a room full of people and watch everyone stop and look to see who’s talking,” he said with a laugh. And while he may have started the event as a way to draw people to the tourist-dependent region and his family’s rental cottages, he said he has since met dozens of people who are certain they’ve seen one of the ape-like creatures in the area. Wiemer is now enough of a devotee that he has tried to get New York state to put Sasquatch on its list of endangered species, alongside the mud turtle, the golden eagle and the cougar. The Department of Environmental Conservation isn’t convinced. Its 2012 response in part: “This mythical animal does not exist in nature or otherwise. . . . No program or action in relation to mythical animals is warranted.” Don’t tell that to Julia Karanasky, who was afraid she had a spy when she became aware of a large figure clearing his throat outside her bedroom window on her second night in her Niagara Falls home in 2009. Then she heard the stories of regular Bigfoot sightings on the nearby Tuscarora Indian Reservation. “I keep telling people, ‘I think he came to my house that night,’ ” said Karanasky, who sat in the front row for the expo’s lectures. Speakers included Steve Kulls, an Adirondacks-based Sasquatch detective who debunks Bigfoot hoaxes while seeking out credible reports, and Ken Gerhard, a cryptozoologist in pursuit of evidence of mystery creatures including the Loch Ness Monster, the chupacabra and werewolves. Dave Wargo said that years ago he smelled the pungent beast before he saw it standing on railroad tracks near the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. “People make fun of you,” said Wargo, who has appeared on Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot” series. “But I know what I saw.”


Osaka elections pull LDP closer to old foes

Abstract: OSAKA - In an unprecedented move that has left many senior Liberal Democratic Party members concerned, the Osaka chapter of the Japanese Communist Party has called on its members to back the LDP’s candidates in the Nov. 22 mayoral and gubernatorial elections. The mayoral election pits former Ishin no To Diet member Hirofumi Yoshimura, a close confidant of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto backed by the group Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka), against the LDP’s pick, Osaka Municipal Assemblyman Akira Yanagimoto. The gubernatorial election sees the incumbent Ichiro Matsui, a close Hashimoto ally, pitted against former LDP Assemblywoman Takako Kurihara. But the mayoral election is considered the real battle. The decision by the JCP, which often enjoys a closer behind-the-scenes relationship with the LDP at the local level than is generally understood, to not field its own candidate in favor of Yanagimoto and Kurihara comes as the communists seek an “All Osaka” coalition of parties to defeat Yoshimura. Before a May referendum on whether to merge the wards of the city of Osaka, Yanagimoto was the public face of the anti-merger movement, often appearing alongside JCP assembly members on televised debates with Hashimoto, who has made the merger one of his key political goals. The referendum was defeated by just over 10,000 votes out of more than 1.4 million cast, thanks to the combined efforts of the anti-Osaka Ishin parties. Osaka Ishin is Hashimoto’s local political group. When Yanagimoto then decided to run against Yoshimura after Hashimoto announced he would not stand for re-election, the JCP decided that, rather than run the risk of splitting the opposition with its own candidate, it would back Yanagimoto. Katsutoshi Yamaguchi, chair of the JCP’s Osaka prefectural branch, said the party supports Yanagimoto because of his trenchant opposition to Hashimoto and his group’s merger plan. “Osaka Ishin has said it will once again attempt to push the merger if Yoshimura is re-elected. Yanagimoto has strongly criticized this stance and said he wants to return to a less confrontational city administration. “He has also made it clear that he wants to reach out to other political parties. So, JCP members are being encouraged to individually support him in order to put an end to Osaka Ishin’s politics,” Yamaguchi said. Nine of the 85 members of the Osaka Municipal Assembly, and three of the 88 prefectural assembly members, belong to the JCP, which claims to have about 440,000 supporters within the prefecture. For his part, Yanagimoto has been trying to distance himself somewhat from the JCP’s endorsement, partially because local LDP voters are split over whether to support or oppose an anti-merger stance. After the May 17 referendum, exit polls by the Asahi Shimbun showed that 42 percent of LDP-affiliated voters cast ballots for the merger, defying the party. “It’s a strange situation in Osaka. Many LDP members are uneasy over the JCP endorsement, and there are also those who support Hashimoto’s goal of integrating Osaka. They may not vote for Yanagimoto,” said an Osaka LDP official, speaking anonymously. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has already been to Osaka to endorse Yanagimoto and Kurihara. But how enthusiastic both Abe and LDP headquarters are about that support, given that a Yanagimoto victory will bring the LDP’s Osaka chapter even closer to the opposition, is unclear. In addition, Abe has forged closer relations with Hashimoto and Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui, who is standing for re-election against local LDP-backed candidate Takako Kurihara, whom the JCP is also calling on members to support. The Osaka Ishin group holds a plurality in the city assembly but must work with entities like Komeito, the third-largest party, to pass legislation. Komeito has supported Hashimoto in past elections but has not officially endorsed either candidate yet. Given the bad blood between Hashimoto, who also favors merging the city with the prefecture, and Komeito, which along with the LDP and JCP opposes it, one of the keys to the election will be how many Komeito voters, especially those who belong to the lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, its main backer, cast ballots for Yanagimoto. Some might choose to back Yoshimura in the hope that he’ll be more flexibe with Komeito’s concerns about the merger plan than Hashimoto ever was. Whether Osaka Ishin should continue pushing to merge Osaka is one of the main issues in the double election. In May, 13 of Osaka’s 24 districts voted against it. Virtually all the wards opposing the merger are in the city’s less glamorous and prosperous southern area, home to traditional merchant neighborhoods and small businesses. The more prosperous wards of northern Osaka, almost all of which voted for the merger, include areas that are home to major corporations and luxury hotels and shopping areas that attract residents from all over Kansai and beyond. The southern wards worry that a merger will cost them vital tax revenue they receive under the current 24-ward system, which would leave them at an even greater economic disadvantage if they are forced to compete with their richer northern counterparts for new revenue under Hashimoto’s proposal. The other issue that has emerged in recent days, however, is an LDP proposal backed by its senior Diet members, to turn the area into a mega-region that would ensure the line for a magnetically levitated train system now under construction, is extended to Osaka. Osaka Ishin has criticized the plan for being little more than an ill-considered political ploy. “Does the LDP really think that the maglev train will be built based on the vague contents of the proposal they put out?” asked Yoshimura. For his part, Yanagimoto and the LDP are emphasizing that they are willing to work to improve municipal services in Osaka and avoid redundancies without resorting to a merger. They want discussions with not only the city, but also the prefecture and the city of Sakai on how to do it; Osaka Ishin insists on a merger. “The purpose of these meetings is to find areas where the three bureaucracies can eliminate redundant services through mutual agreement. But Osaka Ishin members are only thinking about a merger, and are determined to hold another merger referendum despite their loss in May,” he told supporters earlier this month.

osaka
elections
japanese communist party
hirofumi yoshimura
akira yanagimoto


Kyoto advances nuclear-free agenda with Alaska LNG pact

Abstract: KYOTO - The Kyoto Prefectural Government signed an agreement with Alaska last month to explore the possibility of importing liquid natural gas from the state to Maizuru, a port city on the Sea of Japan. While daunting financial and bureaucratic challenges mean it will still be a while before Alaskan LNG flows to Kyoto, the agreement represents a step forward for Kyoto to achieve a larger goal: ending prefectural dependence on nuclear power by 2040. The strategy, as outlined by Kyoto Gov. Keiji Yamada, calls for building up LNG facilities at Maizuru and installing new LNG pipelines in the Kansai region. The prefecture envisions Maizuru supplying not only Kyoto, but other prefectures in the region with gas to replace Fukui Prefecture’s nuclear power plants as a major source of electricity. Kyoto is not alone in seeking to replace atomic power with a combination of LNG imports and renewable energy. As of the end of 2014, more than 600 local governments nationwide had declared their intent to be nuclear-free, although not all of have set specific dates like Kyoto, and many lack a strategic plan for achieving that goal. Yamada listed several reasons why the prefecture needs to end its usage of nuclear power, which comes mostly from 11 Kansai Electric Power Co. reactors in neighboring Fukui. “We’re grateful to Fukui for hosting nuclear power plants. But given issues like what to do with spent nuclear fuel and the need to decommission older reactors, we in Kyoto have to think about our energy future,” Yamada said in 2013, when he first announced the plan. Just prior to the memorandum of understanding with Alaska, the governor also said that, in addition to helping the prefecture get out of nuclear power, increasing natural gas usage via the port of Maizuru would have regional benefits. “In the event of a national disaster off the Pacific coast of Kansai, it’s possible that LNG facilities in the Osaka Bay area will be destroyed. Maizuru could then serve as a major natural gas hub,” he said. At present, Niigata is the only prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast that has the facilities needed to serve as an LNG base. In Kansai, the ports of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, and Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, have LNG facilities. Kyoto and Hyogo, along with Osaka Gas, Kepco, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, agreed in early September to formally research the cost of building an LNG pipeline from Maizuru to Sanda, Hyogo Prefecture, that could then supply other parts of Kansai and likely lead to other localities needing less nuclear power.

kyoto
alaska
lng
maizuru
nuclear power
energy


Could Hamp's detention reinforce prejudice?

Abstract: The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Julie Hamp, Toyota Motor Corp.’s first female managing officer, on June 18 on suspicion of importing oxycodone, an opioid used to relieve pain. The drug is tightly controlled in Japan but can be imported into the country with a prescription if certain procedures are followed. Hamp has since tendered her resignation via a lawyer, according to a statement posted on Toyota’s website on Wednesday. She hasn’t been able to speak with the company directly because she has been in detention since her arrest. According to weekly magazine Shukan Shincho, Hamp is being held in a detention cell at a police station not far from the United Nations University in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. She hasn’t been formally charged yet and the odds are very high that she will be held for the entire 23 days allowed under Japanese law. Hamp told prosecutors she had the powerful painkiller shipped from the U.S. to ease problems with her knees, The Japan Times reported Wednesday, noting that her father is believed to have mailed the package to her. Hamp claims she was unaware she was breaking the law. It doesn’t matter — once prosecutors have filed formal charges, a guilty verdict is almost certain. The country has a conviction rate that exceeds 99 percent, which has been attributed to prosecutors presenting judges with only the most obviously guilty cases. Those in detention are routinely treated as if they are guilty and if suspects don’t know how the system works on their first day inside, they soon learn quickly from other inmates. Suspects who protest their innocence are treated badly. Suspects who don’t confess to committing a crime are unlikely to be granted bail at all. If prosecutors decide to file formal charges, a suspect could be held in detention until their trial — which could be months away. What is life like in the police detention cells? Suspects are put in a cell with several other inmates. They’re not allowed to call each other by name, only by a number. Inmates wake up at 6 a.m.; they go to bed at 9 p.m. The food is always served cold, except on rare occasions. Suspects aren’t allowed access to a phone, iPod or computer. They generally aren’t allowed reading materials unless they are in Japanese. Suspects are allowed one 20-minute visit per day, excluding their lawyer. They have the right to remain silent but don’t have the right to have an attorney present. The lights in the cells are kept on all night. Inmates are not allowed to cover their heads. The police can interrogate suspects for as long as they like, although they generally restrict this to no more than eight hours a day. The monotony, poor treatment, isolation and despair that suspects experience in detention are enough to make many jump at any chance to be released before their trial. It has resulted in “confessions” that have later proven false. Hamp is likely to still be in detention at the time this article is published. At first, Toyota was very supportive of her. President Akio Toyoda apologized for the incident at a news conference, saying he believed Hamp had no intention of breaking the law. “To me, executives and staff are like my children,” he said. “It’s the responsibility of a parent to protect their children.” His unabashed support for his ‘child’ did not sit well with the police, who probably felt as if they had lost face. They raided Toyota’s offices on June 23. The police have judiciously leaked information to bolster their case since the arrest and the country’s newspapers have had no hesitation in reporting it under headlines such as “Medical exam shows no need for painkiller,” “Police fearlessly take on Goliath company” and the vaguely xenophobic “Diversification a problem for Japan.” In the end, Toyota accepted her resignation on July 1, because of “the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders.” Does anyone really believe that a high-paid executive of Toyota was smuggling oxycodone into Japan in an attempt to get high or, worse, sell it to a third party? However, the police and the prosecutors aren’t bad people — they’re just doing their job. In 2002, Briton Nicholas Baker was accused of smuggling drugs but he claimed he was set up by another man, James Prunier. The police in Belgium, who were pursuing Prunier, wanted to provide evidence to courts in Japan that might have exonerated Baker. However, the prosecutors refused to accept the evidence. After persistent nagging, a representative from the Chiba Prosecutor’s Office met with me. I asked him why the prosecution refused to talk to the Belgian police. He looked at me, dumbfounded. “We have everything we need to win this case,” he said. “Why would we want evidence that weakens it?” Prosecutors don’t seem to care so much about justice — it all comes down to winning the case. Hamp may simply be on the losing side; her guilt or innocence is irrelevant. That said, the arrest took place after a meeting of Toyota stockholders, suggesting that the police showed some concern for the corporation. National Police Agency sources say Eriko Yamatani, chairman of the Public Safety Commission, which oversees the country’s police force, was consulted as well before the arrest. This in of itself isn’t odd — Toyota is a major pillar of the domestic economy. It’s worth noting, however, that weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun has previously accused Yamatani of being associated with Zaitokukai, an ultranationalist group that has been condemned by the United Nations, the United States and the National Police Agency. In the end, Hamp will probably confess — almost everyone does. Unfortunately, however, her “confession” may only serve to reinforce Zaitokukai’s view that non-Japanese are nothing but trouble. There’s another word for a presumption of guilt or preconceived opinion that is not reasonable: prejudice.


Emperor photographed; gendarmes arrested; teen held after Tokyo shooting spree; work becoming easier

Abstract: 100 YEARS AGO Thursday, July 1, 1915 His Imperial Majesty officially photographed H.I.M. the Emperor was photographed in full Military and Naval uniforms Tuesday morning in a studio specially built for the occasion, close to the riding ground in the Fukiage Gardens of the Imperial Palace. This was for presenting his likeness to the Emperors, Presidents and Kings of our treaty powers, and also for giving them to the schools of all grades in the Empire. Imperial artists Kuroda, Maruki and Ogawa had the honor of photographing his Majesty, and tens of thousands of copies will be prepared before October next. 75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, July 10, 1940 U.S. Marines arrest Japanese gendarmes U.S. marines in Shanghai committed outrageous acts against plain clothes Japanese gendarmes escorting General Toshizo Nishio, commander-in-chief of the Japanese expeditionary forces in China, on Sunday while the General was inspecting the Shanghai International Settlement and French Concessions on the occasion of the third anniversary of the China Affair, report special dispatches to the Asahi and Yomiuri. Japanese gendarmes in plain clothes, numbering 16 were outrageously attacked by American marines with bayoneted guns, and despite nonresistance by the Japanese officers of the law they were unduly taken over to the headquarters of the American marines to be kept in detention, it is reported. Some of the Japanese were reported wounded in the attacks. The area Nishio was visiting is included in an American policing area and the gendarmes were reportedly detained because they were armed with revolvers. Japanese military authorities immediately lodged a written protest with Captain Peck of the American marines. According to the American attitude dealing with this affair, the Japanese military authorities are determined to take decisive steps. The Japanese were detained until 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, when they were only released after strong protests by Japanese military officers. The U.S. Marines were eventually withdrawn from Shanghai, in November 1941, days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 50 YEARS AGO Friday, July 30, 1965 Teen detained after 8-hour shooting spree An 18-year-old ex-seaman staged a Wild West-style gun battle in the heart of Tokyo Thursday in a desperate effort to avoid arrest for the killing of a police officer earlier in the day. He kept more than 100 armed policemen at bay for an hour and a half, shooting at random from inside a gun shop near Shibuya Station, at the end of an eight-hour shooting spree that began in Yamato, west of Yokohama, shortly before noon. Using tear gas, police finally apprehended the youth at the Royal Gun Shop, located between the station and the National Olympic Swimming Stadium at 7:20 p.m. Twelve persons were wounded by the youth before he was taken into custody. The youth, identified by police only by age and occupation, held three persons hostage in the shop. He used rifles taken from the shop to fire at the police. Four police officers and six spectators were wounded by stray bullets during the battle. Finally, at 6:50 p.m., police started firing tear gas into the gun shop. They eventually overpowered him at 7:20 p.m. Eight hours earlier, the youth had shot and killed a police officer, Yasuo Tadokoro, 20, with a rifle near a housing complex in Yamato. Tadokoro had been sent to the area after an emergency call to his police box that a young man carrying a rifle was loitering in the area. After his arrest, the youth told police he had been shooting birds in a wooded area when the police officer came up and began questioning him. When the officer appeared to reach for his pistol, the boy shot him. The youth then changed into the police officer’s uniform and took his pistol. He then stopped a passing motorist and had the driver take him to a nearby town. The youth reportedly changed cars twice before being spotted at Koganei Park, west of Tokyo, where he managed to evade capture by some 300 police officers. He then appeared in Shibuya at around 5:40 p.m., where after running out of ammunition, he entered the gun shop. The tall and stoutly built youth is the son of a carpenter. He lives a few kilometers from Shibuya. 25 YEARS AGO Monday, July 2, 1990 Jobs becoming easier, less interesting Technological developments have improved labor conditions but Japanese workers find their jobs less interesting, according to a survey released Sunday by the Prime Minister’s Office. The Survey Regarding Scientific Technology and Society, which polled 3,000 Japanese men and women over the age of 18, also shows that many Japanese believe the nation lacks the training environment needed to produce scientists with “individualistic and creative” character. The surveyors asked respondents how their jobs have changed, either through the use of robots or other labor-saving technology. When asked if working conditions have improved, 47.6 percent responded positively, up 7.7 percent from the same survey in 1987, while 13.6 percent said conditions have worsened. The percentage of workers who find their work interesting decreased by 4.7 percentage points to 41.9 percent. Also, 58.1 percent said that the training environment for Japanese scientists is unable to produce individualistic and creative scientists, while 53.9 percent said it is difficult for Japan to acquire its own awareness of scientific technology.


The new face of Japanese beauty products

Abstract: A wise woman once said that beauty is pain, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be boring. With designer face masks, even the simple act of skin moisturizing can become fun. Face masks rose to popularity after the 2011 Korean BB Cream craze . Over the past four years, the “lazy girl” alternative to traditional, time-consuming facials has been gaining prominence worldwide. Coated in serums containing everything from collagen and hyaluronic acid to more adventurous ingredients such as snail extract, these face masks claim to moisturize and brighten one’s skin. To stand out, face mask makers gradually started to experiment with different designs, such as cute pandas or classic kabuki makeup. Inspired by Japanese cosplay (“costume play”), they serve not only as a beauty essential, but also as fun way to remake yourself, if only for 15 to 20 minutes. These face masks seemed to hit their stride this year. According to a PR representative from beauty company Pure Smile, design face masks first came to being when faced with the question of how to make regular, white face masks more attractive. Fashion icon Kansai Yamamoto was recruited to design a line of colorful kabuki- themed face masks in March, and beauty company Pure Smile recently teamed up with special makeup artist JIRO to concoct three ghoulish designs for their “Art Mask” line. Prisoner No. 0, Test Subject No. 13 and Type A Zombie were released in early June. Artist JIRO is already well known for his makeup skills that have transformed models from animals to aliens. In the latest installation to the Pure Smile “Art Mask,” line JIRO lives up to his name by making face masks that nobody would be afraid to answer the door with. Even Japan’s favorite pear fairy Funassyi has made his mark on the designer face-mask trend, with a limited-edition Funassyi face mask included in one of Pure Smile’s face mask packs. Of course, there is a built-in marketing value here. Once a private matter, the design mask begs for a selfie to be shared. Pure Smile is even holding an Art Mask Photo Contest . Art mask enthusiasts can post their pictures to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #アートマスクコンテスト, and Pure Smile will select the winners. A photo posted by manami horie (@mana6314) on Jun 26, 2015 at 4:23pm PDT A photo posted by Yui Sato (@ugauga_sato) on Jun 6, 2015 at 7:16am PDT A photo posted by ラリソン彩華 (@ayakalarrison) on Mar 25, 2015 at 5:48am PDT What is the grand prize? Nothing other than a year’s supply of Pure Smile art masks!

face mask
kansai yamamoto
jiro
trends
japan pulse


Surfing the waves between two worlds

Abstract: In a Tokyo lab, a remarkable experiment is exploring the meeting of worlds. This is not a boring old metaphor for a meeting between East and West, it’s a description of the interface between the world we live in and the frankly insane world of quantum objects. Quantum physics is famously difficult. Renowned Danish physicist Niels Bohr described it ominously: “Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum mechanics cannot possibly have understood it.” I’ll try not to let that put me off. Today, I’m going to explore a small part of the quantum world, courtesy of the laboratory of Yasuhiro Ohshima in the Department of Chemistry at Tokyo Institute of Technology. To say quantum physics is difficult to understand is an understatement. However, it underpins our world and even a hint at its incredible power makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “The heart of quantum physics is that particles also behave like waves,” Ohshima says. “Our work clearly demonstrated this experimentally.” Before I go over the work Ohshima has done, let’s look at the fact that matter and light can behave both as a particle and as a wave. More than 100 years ago, German physicist Max Planck discovered that energy is not continuous but is, instead, divided into packages, or quanta. Einstein then showed that light, at its most basic level, also comes in packages, or photons. It’s often observed that works of genius are achieved at a precocious age. Einstein, for example, won his Nobel prize for work carried out in his 20s. And so it is with quantum physics. One of its architects was a young German called Werner Heisenberg. Heisenberg realized that fundamental particles such as electrons don’t always exist. Sounds crazy, right? It’s no wonder that scientists still struggle with the implications of quantum physics a century later. What’s really crazy, however, is that Heisenberg was right. As Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli writes in his new book, “Seven Brief Lessons on Physics,” “it’s as if God had not designed reality with a line that was heavily scored, but just dotted it with a faint outline.” We’re not even saying everything we know is built on quicksand. Our foundations are even more precarious — even more uncertain. How can the basis of reality not be solid? I don’t understand the equations that describe this result, but I grasp the meaning and it leaves me both dizzy and exhilarated. Fortunately for us and all objects bigger than subatomic particles, reality is quite secure — we are not likely to wink out of existence suddenly. It’s now time to examine the work of Ohshima and his colleague, Kenta Mizuse, at the Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences. They have managed to capture an image of a spinning molecule of nitrogen — no easy feat, since the molecule was rotating at 100 billion times per second. Nitrogen gas is obviously going to behave like a particle, as it is made of two rather large atoms stuck together. However, it is still governed by the rules of the quantum world. “It is usually more difficult to see the quantum behavior of atoms than that of electrons, because of the atoms’ much heavier masses,” Ohshima says. By using a laser to capture an image of the spinning molecule, Ohshima and Mizuse saw the molecule showing wave-like behavior, the first time this has been achieved experimentally. The work is published in the journal Science Advances. Ohshima and Mizuse say the result will help develop more sophisticated molecular manipulations, such as an ultrafast molecular “stopwatch.” However, what I like about it is that they saw the fuzzy, shifting interface between our familiar world and the bizarre world of quantum physics. In the world of quantum physics, it’s not possible to say where anything is. We are unable to determine where an object is, exactly, unless we observe it. It turns out it’s only possible to say that something will probably be at a certain place. It might not seem like much, but the shock is still sinking in 100 years later. Physicists used to have a world that was complicated, but at least it fitted together predictably, like a huge clockwork mechanism. Now the world is built on a ghostly, mysterious foundation. We don’t have to fully understand it — thank goodness — but quantum mechanics is here to stay. Because of it, I can write this on my laptop. Transistors, microprocessors, LEDs, lasers, magnetic imaging in hospitals, electron microscopes — they are all applications of quantum physics at work. Novelist Natsume Soseki — he who adorns the ¥1,000 bill — gave a lecture at Tokyo Higher Technical School in 1914 ( bit.ly/1CvicIo ). The school would go on to become Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Soseki’s words are still remembered to this day, despite the fact that he opened by saying, “I cannot speak of anything interesting … and my talk has no title.” “You aim to reduce distances between destinations, save time, make lives easier,” Soseki told the students. “That is what you do. Literature, art, music and theater, on the other hand, exhaust human energy. That is what I do. I do not measure anything in terms of time or distance.” Soseki went on to illustrate how the two apparently different breeds — artists and scientists — could learn from each other. It is often said that a wall exists between art and science but, 100 years later, Soseki’s words at the institute remind us that the barriers are not insurmountable.

quantum physics
physics
yasuhiro ohshima
albert einstein


NHTSA fines Fiat Chrysler record $105 mlllion over safety recall lapses

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. auto safety watchdog, toughening its stance against manufacturer defects, announced on Sunday a record $105 million in fines against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV over lapses in safety recalls involving millions of vehicles. The Italian-U.S. automaker’s consent agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contains an unprecedented buyback option covering hundreds of thousands of vehicles, including more than 1 million Jeep sport utility vehicles, whose owners can receive a trade-in or a financial incentive to get their vehicles repaired. Fiat Chrysler also agreed to submit to an independent monitor’s audit of its recall performance over a three-year period. The $105 million in fines sets a new standard for NHTSA’s dealings with car manufacturers, eclipsing the previous record fine of $70 million imposed against Honda Motor Co. in January for failing to report death, injury and other claims. Last year, General Motors Co. was ordered to pay $35 million for a decade-long delay in reporting faulty ignition switches tied to more than 120 deaths. NHTSA has taken a more aggressive enforcement posture under its new administrator, Mark Rosekind, after coming under fire from leaders of both parties in Congress for lapses in its handling of deadly defects, including Takata Corp. air bag inflators and GM ignition switches. “Fiat Chrysler’s pattern of poor performance put millions of its customers and the driving public at risk,” Rosekind said in a statement. “This action will provide relief to owners of defective vehicles, will help improve recall performance throughout the auto industry, and gives Fiat Chrysler the opportunity to embrace a proactive safety culture.” The recalled vehicles covered by the agreement include Dodge Ram, Dakota and Chrysler Aspen trucks from model years as early as 2008. More than half a million of the vehicles subject to buybacks have faulty suspension parts that can cause a loss of control. Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. unit, FCA US LLC, formerly Chrysler Group LLC, said it accepted the consequences of the agreement with “renewed resolve to improve our handling of recalls and re-establish the trust our customers place in us.” The fines include a $70 million cash payment, an agreement that Fiat Chrysler will spend $20 million improving its recall process and an additional $15 million payable if the automaker is found to have committed any further violations. The two sides have been engaged in discussions since NHTSA held a July 2 public hearing on Fiat Chrysler’s recall performance. At the proceedings, NHTSA staff cataloged alleged failures in 23 separate recalls, including what they termed misleading behavior, while an FCA executive pledged to work with the agency to improve the automaker’s recall programs. Fiat Chrysler has had a contentious relationship with NHTSA for years, pushing back on the agency’s efforts to secure recalls and threatening lawsuits to avoid mandatory action, according to former auto regulators. Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne told reporters this month that the company needs to change the way it deals with regulators going forward. “We are intent on rebuilding our relationship with NHTSA,” the automaker said on Sunday.

nhtsa
fine
fiat chrysler
safety recalls
defects


Fertile eggs produced through donation from anonymous women

Abstract: Two women with ovarian problems have produced fertile eggs through in vitro fertilization using sperm from their husbands and eggs donated from anonymous females, a nonprofit organization supporting fertility treatment said Monday. While there have been 24 cases in Japan in which women have given birth by using sperm from their husbands and eggs from their sisters or friends, it is the first time that complete strangers had donated the eggs. The development could bring attention to a host of issues Japan needs to deal with over egg donation, including ensuring the rights of children to know about their origins and compensation for health problems that donors could face when offering eggs. The fertile eggs will undergo screening for hepatitis and other diseases before being implanted in the two female patients — both in their 30s and suffering from premature menopause — possibly by the end of this year. The donors are also in their 30s and have children. The children to be born will be notified before they enter elementary school that people other than their mothers have donated eggs, according to Kobe-based NPO OD-Net, or Oocyte Donation Network. If the children wish to do so, they can also learn about the donors when the reach the age of 15. The organization quoted one of the donors as saying she offered her eggs in the hope she can “help couples having a hard time in fertility treatment.” One of the patients said in a statement: “I am overwhelmed with gratitude toward the donor. Now it is my turn to try hard.” OD-Net in January 2013 started soliciting volunteers under age 35 to donate eggs on an anonymous basis to women who can’t produce eggs due to illnesses but are capable of giving birth. Because two cases satisfied medical conditions, OD-Net said in April this year that an ethics panel of an institution consisting of fertility treatment clinics gave the green light to their treatment. On in vitro fertilization involving people other than a couple, a health ministry panel said in a 2003 report that eggs should be donated only from an anonymous third person because receiving eggs from a close person could complicate family relationships. But it has been nearly impossible for individuals to find an anonymous egg donor. With no laws or regulations on egg donations, patients’ sisters or friends have usually become donors. Sachiko Kishimoto, the head of OD-Net, said: “There are mixed reactions to in vitro fertilization involving people other than a married couple, but I want people to know there are many couples wishing (to undergo the treatment). “We want (the government) to swiftly prepare laws, thinking about people who are donating eggs without being paid and without compensation,” she said.

eggs
donation
in vitro fertilization
pregnancy


Consumers slow to embrace generic drugs

Abstract: In May, the health ministry announced that it would set a new target for the use of generic pharmaceuticals. In 2013, 46.9 percent of the prescription drugs dispensed in Japan were generics, and at first the ministry said it wanted to raise this portion to 60 percent by 2017, but the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, which advises the ministry on fiscal matters, insisted it speed up the process in order to curb runaway medical costs, and now the ministry says it will shoot for a target of 80 percent in line with the dispensing rate in Europe and the United States. Generics — cheaper versions of drugs whose patent protection has expired — tend to be more expensive in Japan than they are in other countries when compared to patent drugs with the same active ingredients. Because of the national health insurance system, drug prices in Japan are determined by the government, and prices for generics tend to be about 60 percent of the price for patent drugs, whereas in the U.S. generic prices are about 20 percent that for patent drugs. Insured Japanese consumers only pay 30 percent of the drug price out of pocket — 10 percent if they’re elderly — so the difference isn’t acutely felt and the urge to request generics not as strong. By pushing generics, the government hopes to save as much as ¥1.3 trillion a year, which is important since medical costs are continually rising, mainly due to drug costs. Overall medical expenses rose by 7 percent from 2009 to 2013. During that same period the money spent on drugs increased by more than 20 percent. As pointed out by journalist Mika Tsutsumi, who covers the U.S. health care situation, the Japanese government reviews drug prices every two years and the trend has been to reduce them, but Japanese physicians are prescribing more drugs. In addition, American companies have recently been successful in marketing drugs in Japan that have yet to be approved by the government and thus are very expensive. Patients can ask pharmacists for generics unless the doctor’s prescription expressly says that only a patent drug can be dispensed. The reason many don’t is that they have been conditioned to think that “brand name” drugs are safer and more effective than generic drugs, even though the health ministry says there is no appreciable difference. Tsutsumi reports that U.S. drug and insurance companies want to exploit this preference and are working to undermine Japan’s national health insurance system. That’s why they are pushing for the Trans-Pacific Partnership to be ratified, since it would activate the ability to sue governments for erecting trade barriers, and they consider national health insurance a trade barrier. Japanese doctors have also appeared in the media reinforcing this preference by claiming that generics are inferior to patents for various reasons, which may cause some people to think these doctors have a vested interest in the patent drugs they prescribe. The government addressed similar such concerns in the ’50s when it implemented the iyaku bungyo law in an attempt to “separate” pharmacies from medical institutions and by doing so stop doctors from buying prescription drugs in bulk at low prices and then selling them through their own clinics and hospitals. Since drug prices are set, it was thought these doctors were prescribing drugs unnecessarily and in large amounts in order to reap huge windfalls. The new law introduced incentives for pharmacists who set up businesses outside medical facilities. These monzen yakkyoku (literally, “outside-the-gate drug stores”) could charge more for dispensing drugs than in-house pharmacies could, and the scheme worked to a certain extent. By 2013, 67 percent of all the pharmacies in Japan were independent operations. However, the added cost is considerable. The independent pharmacy receives ¥410 as a special “preparation fee” from the government for each prescription filled, and another ¥410 for “record keeping.” Sankei Shimbun estimates that these additional fees cost the government ¥80 billion a year just for one popular hay fever medication. According to the law, the pharmacist advises the patient in the proper dosage and, more significantly, keeps records of the efficacy of the drug and any side effects. These tasks justify the added value, but they don’t have any practical meaning. Very few pharmacists have the inclination or the opportunity to follow up a patient with regard to how the drug works, but they are nevertheless required to keep a record of every person to whom they dispense drugs. The suspicion that few really do was borne out earlier this year when two drug store chains, Kusuri no Fukutaro and CFS Corp., were cited by police for not having kept any records at all. This isn’t to suggest that keeping records is a bad idea. It could prevent patients from mixing drugs that shouldn’t be mixed and avoiding overdoses, but there is no central system where this sort of data is made available to pharmacists and physicians. The record-keeping obligation is limited to each pharmacy, which is not compelled to share that information. Ideally, pharmacists are supposed to be in close contact with prescribing physicians, but that doesn’t happen either. As it stands, Japanese doctors typically do not release medical records to patients, because they don’t want them to be shared with other doctors. A Cabinet survey of consumers found that almost no one thinks the separation system has any merit. Some find it inconvenient since it means going out of one’s way to pick up drugs, which could be difficult for the elderly and people with disabilities. But as already pointed out, even if consumers think Japanese drug prices are abnormally high—which they are compared to prices in other countries—they seem reluctant to risk their health on generics. According to Tokyo Shimbun, one member of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy has a solution: If patients insist on using patent drugs when equivalent generics are available and their physicians don’t expressly prescribe patents, then those patients should pay 100 percent of the cost. The major pharmaceutical companies would protest vehemently if such a condition were codified, but it sure would make generics popular.


It ain't Malibu, but surf's up in North Korea

Abstract: PYONGYANG - Here’s a new take on gnarly. A pro surfer who coaches the Chinese National Surf Team and a tourism agency based in New Jersey plan a surfing expedition and training camp in North Korea, which has pristine beaches, virgin waves and, they say, the potential to become an international wave-riding destination. Nik Zanella, a native of Italy who along with coaching Chinese surfers is a representative of the International Surfing Association, said the decision to hold the surfing camp for a small group of North Koreans and foreign tourists along North Korea’s east coast follows a year of studying the area to assess wave and weather conditions. “The DPRK will not become the next Malibu, but it receives enough swells to sustain a vast surf community,” he said Tuesday, referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “Our goal is to evaluate the resources and make them available to local surfers in a sustainable and safe way. We are not there to simply go surf, brag about it and then bail.” The expedition, scheduled for September, has been approved by the North Korean government, which is eager to boost its small but developing tourism sector. Andrea Lee, CEO of Uri Tours, which is organizing the excursion, said it will be used to map out the coastline for prime surfing locations, take risk assessments and develop evacuation and safety plans. Though most North Koreans do not have the means or leisure time to devote themselves to recreational hobbies, she said the government is keen on getting the mapping data and on drawing tourists. “We want to open the DPRK as a surfing destination on a larger scale,” she said. “The hope is to create a foundation and to pave the way for future surfers.”


Pokemon ages ungracefully with middle-aged 'Ojisan Monsters'

Abstract: Someday Pikachu and friends will have to stop following Ash Ketchum around the world, retire from battling and get a real job. That’s part of idea behind “Ojimon,” a new mobile game that is a portmanteau of ojisan (middle-aged man) and Pokemon. Using “ojiballs,” players can catch aging pocket monsters, who have disturbing Kobito Dukan -like faces, and make them do their bidding. Players can put their new Ojimon to work in gold mines and construction sites, but they’ll need pay attention: These Poke-oldies have a tendency to doze off on the job but can be woken with a quick jab on the touch screen. If enough gold is harvested, players can build roads to the next town and find new Ojimon to catch. The game includes the original 150 Pokemon, with graying versions of Charizard, Haunter and Gyarados. Even though it’s not as exciting as battling wild monsters, your Ojimon can still gain experience points through their menial labor and evolve into more powerful forms, albeit with the same sad, unshaven faces. For an extra laugh (or to avoid copyright infringement), all of the monsters have been given punny names. For example, Fushigidane (Bulbasaur) has been renamed Oyajidane. “Ojimon” is available for free on Android and iOS .

pokemon
video games
japan pulse
mobile apps


Fiat Chrysler buy-back of unrepaired trucks may cost billions but it has resale option

Abstract: DETROIT - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles could pay billions of dollars to buy back defective trucks as part of a settlement with U.S. safety regulators, but has the option to recover costs by reselling vehicles once they are repaired. The auto safety watchdog on Sunday slapped the Italian-American automaker with a $105 million fine — the largest ever levied by U.S. regulators against a carmaker — over lapses in safety recalls involving millions of vehicles. FCA said on Monday that about 193,000 Ram trucks previously recalled for suspension and steering problems had not been repaired and were therefore eligible for the buyback deal negotiated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That could put FCA on the hook for nearly $3 billion, if the average buyback price is $15,000 per vehicle. But the net cost could be much lower. A company representative noted on Monday that the NHTSA agreement gives FCA the option of repairing and reselling any vehicles it repurchases from owners. The automaker said in a statement on Monday that the net cost of the buyback program would not be “material to its financial position, liquidity or results of operations.” FCA shares were down 4.8 percent at $14.43 on Monday afternoon in New York trading. The fine and other provisions of the consent order are aimed at improving “the entire industry’s performance” on safety, said Mark Rosekind, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a conference call with reporters on Monday. Rosekind was joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who flagged his own efforts to make NHTSA a “much more muscular agency” in dealing with the auto industry’s spotty record on recall repairs. In addition to the $105 million fine and vehicle buyback provision, FCA agreed to provide financial incentives to more than a million Jeep owners to bring their recalled vehicles in for repairs. The penalties address lapses spanning nearly two dozen recalls affecting more than 11 million vehicles, including older Jeeps with rear gasoline tanks linked to numerous fatal fires. In the consent order, NHTSA said FCA had failed to repair recalled vehicles within a reasonable time, and had failed to notify owners and the agency in a timely manner. The automaker also agreed to NHTSA’s appointment of an independent monitor to provide additional oversight of FCA’s recall activities. In the past week, the automaker has recalled more than 3 million U.S. vehicles, including 1.4 million to install software to prevent hackers from gaining remote control of the vehicles. NHTSA said on Friday it would investigate whether FCA’s solution to upgrade software was enough to protect consumers from hackers, although FCA said in its recall announcement that it was unaware of any injuries. Over the weekend, NHTSA also released details of two new FCA recalls, totaling more than 1.7 million vehicles, involving Ram pickups from model years 2012-2014 for inadvertent deployment of air bags.

fiat chrysler
repairs
defects
fine
recalls
buybacks
nhtsa


The cafes play jazz deep in the heart of Kyoto

Abstract: Last month, it was announced the number of visitors to Kyoto in 2014 (including day trippers) topped 55 million people, a 7.8 percent increase over 2013. The total number of foreign visitors who spent at least one night was 1.83 million, a whopping 62 percent increase over 2013. In addition, Travel + Leisure magazine named Kyoto the world’s best city for the second year in a row. The magazine readers calls Kyoto the “quintessential Japanese experience,” noting there are more than 2,000 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, the Golden Pavilion and the Nishijin neighborhood for “ kawaii (cute) artisan shops.” As someone who lived in Kyoto for nine years and returns quite often, I view the recent, rapid influx of tourists with mixed emotions. There is no doubt that, for mid-range tourists, the quality of shops, cafes, hotels and restaurants in the city is far better today than it was two decades ago. Higher-end tourists, as Travel + Leisure notes, now have the choice of staying in a traditional ryokan (as celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio do when they pass through) or a modern, four- or five-star hotel. A trip to Kyoto to see Japan’s “quintessential culture” — the tea ceremony, ikebana, a performance of noh or kabuki, and, of course, meditation at a Zen temple — entices those also seeking calm, quiet and time to contemplate and appreciate the finer things in life, be they religious, philosophical, artistic or culinary. In other words: You don’t come to Kyoto to experience Tokyo. Yet the recent tourist boom is transforming parts of Kyoto into some version of Tokyo’s Ginza or Aoyama neighborhoods, placing a strain on a city far smaller than the capital and not designed to handle large numbers of tourists. Want to enjoy the serenity of a Zen garden these days? So do the other 100 people in the scrum who are pushing you from behind, talking in loud voices and snapping selfies. Need to get across town quickly? Your choices are an expensive taxi fare or a bus. Either way, it can take up to 15 minutes to go a mere kilometer if the traffic is bad. Looking for a reasonably priced hotel during the cherry blossom season or the autumn months? Yeah, aren’t we all. Try Osaka or Shiga Prefecture — Kyoto’s booked. And want to take memorable photos of the main sites, just like the (people-free) ones you see in guidebooks? Double check first. Japanese shutterbugs report there’s been an increase in the number of Kyoto temples and shrines that now forbid photos, due to problems with groups of tourists. Yet the heart of Kyoto is not to be found in famed locations with large groups. It’s an individual discovery that happens by chance. It’s a stroll through a small temple smelling of incense or a cozy jazz bar beside it that owns hundreds of rare LPs with an owner who plays the shakuhachi and once met Miles Davis. It’s a cafe in a renovated machiya, where waitresses wear Indian sarongs, the background music is Flemish Renaissance or Tibetan spiritual, and the menu includes fair-trade coffee and Japanese sweets. It’s a modern restaurant where you fall into lively conversation with strangers over good wine or Kyoto-produced craft beer and sake. And it’s a musty old family-owned shop, selling something so uniquely “Kyoto” that you enter wondering how they stay in business and exit happy that they do. That’s the real Kyoto experience. It’s still out there, amid the famous landmarks, throngs of tourists, chain restaurants, souvenir shops and magazine editors. As with all good adventures, seek it out, and don’t be surprised when you find it in the most unlikely of places.


Tokyo hospitals to add five foreign doctors for expats

Abstract: The government will allow five non-Japanese doctors to practice at four hospitals in Tokyo from around December. Their patients will be limited to non-Japanese who agree to pay full costs themselves. The move, proposed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and approved by the central government on June 29, is part of a “special zone” deregulation initiative spearheaded by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Currently, doctors from the U.S., the U.K., France and Singapore can practice in Japan without a Japanese medical license under bilateral agreements with those nations, but they can only see patients of their own nationality. “As we have an Olympics coming up in Tokyo, we decided it is necessary to create an environment where foreign nationals can live in Tokyo without anxiety,” said Takafumi Kobayashi, head of the national strategic special zone coordination division at the metropolitan government. The plan will see foreign practitioners placed at institutions across the capital. St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, as well as its branch clinic St. Luke’s MediLocus in Chiyoda Ward, will each hire an American doctor. Juntendo University Hospital in Bunkyo Ward will get two doctors, one American and one French, while Keio University Hospital in Shinjuku Ward will acquire one British doctor. The doctors, whose names and areas of expertise have yet to be announced, will be allowed to see patients of any nationality except Japanese. Foreign nationals covered by Japan’s public health insurance scheme can seek their services but will not be able to use the insurance, Kobayashi said. St. Luke’s projects that the hospital group’s two American doctors will see a total of 8,640 people in 2016. Kobayashi said the metropolitan government will consider expanding the list of such doctors if hospitals so request. Tatsuo Hatta, a member of an advisory panel headed by the prime minister that took up the metropolitan government’s special zone request, said that, though small, it is a major step toward breaking down the regulatory barriers in the heavily protected health care sector — and infusing it with diversity and fresh ideas. “Until now, non-Japanese doctors who were here under the bilateral agreements were of little use because they were only allowed to see patients from the same country they came from,” said Hatta, economist and president of the Fukuoka Prefecture-based think tank Asian Growth Research Institute.

tokyo
doctors
special zone
tokyo 2020
st. luke 's international hospital


Hashimoto's proposed Kansai-centric party no easy sell in region, where rivalries limit appeal

Abstract: OSAKA - No stranger to making headlines and raising eyebrows in politics, the fiery Toru Hashimoto did it again on July 4. The Osaka mayor, leader of the Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) local lawmaker group and founder of the whole Ishin movement told nearly 100 members of Osaka Ishin at a closed meeting: “I’m always ready to create a national party in Kansai.” That was followed by reports that the new “Kansai Ishin” party will be launched sometime in September — just a couple of weeks before the end of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Speculation has grown as to whether Abe will win another term, and thus remain prime minister, or whether he will be replaced. Ten days later, on July 14, a meeting took place in Osaka with 80 Ishin-affiliated local politicians from around the Kansai region. While the agenda was officially about ways in which the various Ishin local groups can cooperate to revitalize the Osaka Bay area, which extends into Hyogo Prefecture, a closed meeting was held afterward in which attendees were sounded out about the performance of Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party). Concerns about the party’s Diet members becoming too “Tokyo-centric” and ignoring or playing down the concerns of Kansai’s Ishin members about regionalization and decentralization were aired by the attendees, many of whom expressed tentative support for a new Kansai-based national political party where local concerns did not get “lost in Nagatacho” — a reference to the Tokyo district that serves as the national political hub. “The attractive aspect of Ishin is that there is no strict hierarchy between national and local representatives,” said Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member Yugo Nakano after that meeting. The next formal step toward a Kansai Ishin party might be taken on Aug. 8, when Hashimoto will speak at a gathering of Ishin representatives in Kansai. Of Kansai’s six main prefectures (Kyoto, Shiga, Nara, Wakayama, Osaka and Hyogo), at the local assembly level there are nine Ishin members in Kyoto, two in Shiga, 10 in Nara, three in Wakayama, 143 in Osaka and 35 in Hyogo. There are 15 Ishin no To Diet members, including 12 from Osaka and three from Hyogo. And this, perhaps, is the greatest barrier to forming an “All Kansai” national party. The Ishin movement has always been centered on Osaka. There are no Ishin no To Diet members from Kyoto, Shiga, Nara or Wakayama prefectures, while Shiga has only two local Ishin members and Wakayama three. The reasons for Ishin’s lack of ability to gain a lot of support throughout Kansai are political, social and historical. First, both Osaka Ishin and the Ishin no To have stated that integration of Osaka City and Osaka Prefecture is a core issue. While that appeals to voters in Osaka, and to a certain extent in the urbanized parts of Hyogo Prefecture that are essentially suburbs of Osaka, the message resonates much less in rural Nara, Wakayama and Shiga. In addition, Hashimoto’s clearly urban, corporate-friendly neo-liberal economic philosophy, while lauded by voters, economists and media in urban centers like Osaka, is seen as a threat in areas of Kansai where topmost worries include caring for the elderly via adequate social services while improving the economy. The social differences between Osaka and the rest of the Kansai region also play a role. Hashimoto’s combative rhetoric, in the manner of a good prosecutor, and his personal attacks and emphasis on “logic” to solve political problems, makes him a fierce debater and fun to watch on TV for a lot of Osakans (and the Osaka television media that, until recently, relied on Hashimoto’s appearances to boost their ratings). But that kind of in-your-face political style, while par for the course in many countries, is welcomed less among many others in Kansai and the rest of Japan, who see not an amusing populist politician but an uncouth bully who is an embarrassment. This is especially true in Kyoto, where Hashimoto is largely seen as an Osaka politician with an Osaka attitude, outlook and philosophy. And that, as anyone in Kyoto and Osaka will tell you, is not a compliment. Among Kyoto’s traditional elites, the Osaka mayor is considered something of a philistine, leading a group of politicians who seem to have all the answers, but really don’t, and who are loyal to nobody but themselves. The final reason it may be more difficult than expected to build a strong, all-Kansai Ishin national party is simply due to long-standing historical rivalries in the region. Despite constant attempts by organizations like the Kansai Economic Federation, Kansai Electric Power Co. and other (usually Osaka-based) organizations with “Kansai” in their name to convince outsiders that regional unity exists, it remains a fluid concept and, depending on the specific issue, a very contentious proposition. The most intense historical rivalry is between the cultural capital of Kyoto and industrial Osaka. “Osaka drinks our toilet water” is an old Kyoto saying, expressing the fact water from Lake Biwa flows through Kyoto down into Osaka Bay. In more recent years, Osaka and Hyogo have often found themselves competing for new economic investment with programs that duplicate each other. And even local Kansai politicians who favor an all-Kansai national political party worry that it will be too Osaka-based, and that, rather than representing the concerns of voters in less-populated areas, it will become, basically, the “Osaka-Kobe Ishin no To.” For now, however, discussions about a new national party are continuing behind the scenes, even as Ishin no To wonders what its fate will be if a new Kansai party arises — especially at next summer’s Upper House election. So Hashimoto may claim to be leaving politics after the November mayoral election. But the recent talk of a new Kansai-based national party indicates that neither Japan, nor the rest of the world, has seen the last of him.

osaka
toru hashimoto
ishin
japan innovation party


Ebisu or Yebisu: Either way, it's the beer that beckons in Tokyo neighborhood

Abstract: With the long rainy season almost over, real summer is just around the corner. And after a hot sunny day, it’s time for a cold beer. Whether at a festival, to celebrate an important event, or just to close the day, a glass of Yebisu beer might perfect for the occasion. Although times have changed, Ebisu, the Tokyo district named after the brewery it was home to over a century ago, arguably remains Japan’s brew mecca. The landmark Yebisu Garden Place, built on the site of the former Yebisu brewery, offers a glimpse into the drink’s history and craftsmanship. Yebisu Beer was established in 1890. As shipments increased, the brewery got its own railway freight station in 1901. The current JR Ebisu Station, situated closer to Shibuya Station, opened in 1906 for passenger service. The station’s name derived from the beer and later was adopted for the district. In 1964, Yebisu Beer changed its name to Sapporo Breweries Ltd. Yebisu Garden Place was launched in 1994 on brewery’s former premises. The beer’s TV commercials featured the renowned zither theme tune from the film “The Third Man,” and in 2005 the music was adopted as the departure melody for trains at JR Ebisu Station. The Museum of Yebisu Beer, with a floor space of 1,700 sq. meters, opened at Yebisu Garden Place in 2010, to commemorate the beer’s 120th anniversary. Admission is free, but the museum offers a 40-minute tour for ¥500 for adults, in which a guide explains the beer’s history and suggests ways to drink it. Tastings are offered of two varieties of Yebisu beer. The fee is ¥300 for youngsters, between junior high school age and 19 years old, and includes soft drinks. There is no admission for younger children. For those who want to settle in for a full drinking session, a “tasting salon” offers all kinds of Yebisu beer with snacks, for additional fees. In the tour, guide Natsuko Usune, a “brand communicator,” shows visitors how to pour beer to bring out its taste: 1. Quickly fill the glass half full and wait. 2. Slowly pour to the 90 percent mark and wait again. 3. Add the finishing touch, so that the ratio of froth to beer is 3 to 7. If Ebisu is the neighborhood of beer, nearby Daikanyama is catching up fast with its new landmark, Spring Valley Brewery Tokyo, a beer theme park and restaurant complex established jointly by Kirin Brewery Co. and Spring Valley Brewery Co. It opened on April 17. Visitors can try six varieties of its craft beer while watching various brewing processes. With its newly developed “beer infuser,” various fruit and hop flavors can be added so visitors can blend their own original craft beer.