With TICAD, Japan pursues African growth and export markets

Abstract: Global powers China, the United States and the European Union are fiercely competing to expand their market share in Africa — the world’s last major economic frontier. Japan has long been a big supporter of African nations and in 1993 launched the Tokyo International Conference on African Development. More than 20 years after its inception, this year’s TICAD, the sixth, will be held in Africa for the first time, on Aug. 27 and 28. We look at what TICAD this year means for Japan and nations in Africa: Why did Japan start TICAD? During the Cold War, Africa was strategically important for global powers. But the collapse of the Soviet Union marked a strategic shift to Eastern Europe, which became geopolitically crucial in terms of global security. At the same time, the United States and Europe became more reluctant to give financial assistance to African nations due to their economic malaise. That is where Japan came in. The government set up TICAD in 1993 in an effort to bring the global focus back to Africa and help Africans fight challenges, including poverty, disease and conflict, and provide economic planning in cooperation with international organizations, particularly the United Nations. The forum was started with a spirit of African ownership and partnership, meaning African states should decide what they need and pursue their goals through partnership with the international community. Why is this year’s meeting significant? TICAD was initially intended to be held every five years, allowing stakeholders to assess goals set at the previous meeting. The past five conferences were held in Tokyo and Yokohama. At the last conference, held in Yokohama in 2013, African participants said the five-year interval was too long, given the continent’s accelerated development and economic growth. Instead, they proposed that it be held every three years. They also said it was time to host the conference in Africa, with meetings held alternately in Japan and on the continent. African delegates picked Nairobi for this year’s TICAD. This African initiative and leadership signified a turning point. The nations now hope to get more private-sector investment than just government-led official development assistance, given that the collective African economy, with its abundant natural resources, has been booming. Africa’s young and surging population, which is projected to double to 2 billion by 2050, also means the continent represents a big global market. What does TICAD mean for the Japanese side? Holding TICAD in Nairobi is a win-win for Japan and African nations. More than 100 Japanese businesses and their CEOs are scheduled to attend the Nairobi event, which will give them a firsthand look at the potential of African businesses and help countries there seek investment. At the same time, the conference will provide leverage for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will attend TICAD, in seeking support from African nations for Tokyo’s bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. What will be the focus of this year’s TICAD? TICAD will look to adopt the Nairobi Declaration, laying out goals to be achieved by the next TICAD in 2019. Given TICAD’s shift to more private-sector investment, one goal will be the industrialization of economies in Africa by expanding the role of the private sector. Creating sustainable economic structures that do not solely depend on natural resources or official development assistance (ODA) is crucial for Africa, where nations have suffered after recent falls in commodity prices. Other pressing issues include health and prevention against pandemics such as Ebola and Zika. Japan has offered $184 million in assistance to fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The fight against terrorism has also become increasingly important for nations in West Africa, where Boko Haram, the regional affiliate of Islamic State, and al-Qaida ally al-Shabaab in Somalia has accelerated attacks. The declaration is likely to include measures to educate and empower poverty-stricken youths to prevent them from being lured to extremist groups and terrorism. Will there be any new pledges by Tokyo? Most likely. At the last TICAD, the Japanese government offered up to ¥3.2 trillion in assistance over five years with an emphasis on infrastructure and human resources. Some 70 percent has already been provided. Tokyo will probably deliver a new pledge depending on progress. It will also agree a program for the next three years. Is Japan the only country with a program like TICAD? No. China, the United States, Turkey, India and South Korea, as well as the European Union, have held similar international conferences in recent years. China’s increasing influence in Africa is significant. Since the 1990s, China has been pursuing the continent’s natural resources. But Beijing’s ODA approach has faced international criticism as being unethical. The aid meant Chinese workers were brought in to work on ODA projects instead of providing employment for Africans. And in cases where local workers were hired, they faced harsh labor conditions and low wages. Local industries also suffered as cheap Chinese goods flooded the region and forced them out of business. Partly to fend off such criticism, China launched the triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000, which also focuses on assistance including pandemic prevention and student exchange programs. Another focus of FOCAC is debt forgiveness. Does Japan have an advantage in the hunt for economic windfalls in Africa? Japan became Africa’s largest ODA provider in 1989 and maintained its No. 1 position until 2000, every year except for 1990. While Japanese ODA receded after the burst of the bubble economy and during the following two stagnant decades, China rolled out a massive ODA campaign in which Africa has been a beneficiary. Last year Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $60 billion in assistance for the continent. China’s infrastructure projects are often criticized for being low-quality. That is why Japan emphasizes its ability to provide high-quality infrastructure. Japan also says it will train people and offer quality maintenance for infrastructure projects such as roads. Additionally, it excels in pandemic prevention. Tokyo officials, though, say Japanese companies need to speed up their decision-making to win business opportunities against other global players.

ticad
africa
nairobi
official development assistance


Typhoon Lionrock leaves 11 dead, three missing in flooded North Japan

Abstract: MORIOKA, IWATE PREF. - Eleven people were dead and three were missing Wednesday after Typhoon Lionrock blitzed northern Japan, causing blackouts, property damage and fatal widespread flooding that caught some municipalities by surprise. The typhoon, the 10th of the season and the first to hit Tohoku’s Pacific coastline, made landfall Tuesday in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture. By the time it reached Aomori at 8 p.m., it was racing northward at 60 kph with a barometric pressure of 972 hectopascals, maximum sustained winds of 108 kph and 162-kph gusts. Flooding appeared to be the main cause of the fatalities. According to the police, nine bodies were found near a one-story nursing home facility in the town of Iwaizumi, Iwate Prefecture, with the body of a man recovered near the rain-swollen Omoto River, which overflowed its banks. Despite the torrential rain, it has been learned that the Iwaizumi Municipal Government failed to issue a flood warning for the Omoto River, which rose from 3.2 meters at 6 p.m. to overflow its 4.9-meter banks by 7 p.m., and eventually reached 6.6 meters. Broadcaster NHK showed a rescue helicopter landing on the nursing facility’s roof as tree trunks and mud lay piled up around the building. The bodies found close to the nursing home are believed to be its residents, who were all over 70 years old. Authorities, however, had better luck at another care facility adjacent to the stricken one after airlifting some 70 to 80 people to safety, a local social welfare council said. Three more residents in Iwaizumi were rescued by the Self-Defense Forces after getting stranded in the central part of town, though a body was found lying among storm debris in the nearby city of Kuji, local police said. Lionrock’s strong winds and heavy rains prompted evacuation advisories for around 410,000 people due to fears of landslides and high waves. In Hokkaido, three people remain missing after falling into rivers in the towns of Taiki, Shimizu and Shintoku. One, office worker Yohei Suzuki, 28, disappeared after his car fell into a river in Taiki. Two passengers managed to escape and reach safety, local police said. In Minamifurano, Hokkaido, around 350 people were left stranded in downtown after the area was inundated following the collapse of a levee on the Sorachi River. A levee on the Satsunai River in Obihiro also collapsed. As of Tuesday, a total of 10 people in the four prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Akita were reported injured. According to the Meteorological Agency, rainfall in Iwate and Hokkaido reached record levels because of the storm, with Iwaizumi logging 203.5 mm — the usual amount for the month of August — in just one day. More than 100 domestic flights and over 50 shinkansen services were canceled Tuesday before the typhoon blew its way into the Sea of Japan the same evening. The typhoon forced many manufacturers, including Toyota Motor Corp., to suspend operations at factories in the region, which is still recovering from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster, to protect their workers.


LDP weighs leader's term limits as Abe angles to stay in power

Abstract: The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to kick off discussions as soon as next month over whether to revise internal rules to allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to run for a third term in the next LDP presidential race to be held by September 2018. Given the LDP’s solid majority in the Diet, the winner of the race is all but certain to be elected by the legislature as the prime minister as well. But why have party executives started pushing the idea of extending Abe’s term? What are the procedures for revising the rules and are they likely to be amended? Following are questions and answers on revising the LDP rules to extend Abe’s term: Why has revising the rules become a hot topic? On Aug. 3, Abe appointed veteran lawmaker Toshihiro Nikai as LDP secretary-general, the party’s No. 2 position. The move prompted speculation that Abe is seeking a third term as Nikai has openly argued that party rules should be revised to allow Abe to continue on as president. Currently, LDP rules ban a party president from running for a third two-year term. This means Abe, who is now serving his second term as LDP president, cannot run in the next LDP presidential race, which must be held no later than September 2018. During a news conference on Aug. 3, Nikai said the party should soon start discussions on whether Abe can seek a third term after revising party rules. Nikai said the LDP will make a decision on this by the end of the year. Abe has two more years before his term ends. Why hold discussions now? Observers believe the hawkish nationalist wants to serve a third term so he can accomplish his long-held goal of revising the postwar Constitution. As a result of the Upper House election in July, parties willing to revise the Constitution occupy more than two-thirds of both the lower and upper chambers of the Diet for the first time ever. Backing by two-thirds of the lawmakers in both houses is a prerequisite for the Diet to initiate a national referendum on a constitutional revision. But those parties, including the LDP and its ruling coalition partner, Komeito, are split over which articles of the Constitution should be revised first. Political insiders say it would probably take more than two years for the Diet to form any consensus and then arrange a referendum to revise any article of the Constitution. Komeito has opposed revising the war-renouncing Article 9, while it is willing to add an article to guarantee the people’s right to a better living environment. Meanwhile, polls have shown a majority of voters have consistently opposed any revision to Article 9, the most contentious provision in the Constitution. Publicly, Abe has said he is not considering running for a third term. But close aides have long privately believed that the rules should be revised. Many conservatives believe the chance of a constitutional revision would become slim if Abe is no longer LDP president. What are the procedures for revising the party rules? The party rules can be revised at a party convention attended by LDP Diet members and four representatives from each of the 47 LDP prefectural chapters. Each member has one ballot, and support of half of those in attendance is required to revise a party rule. Party conventions are usually held in the spring, but can be convened any time if such a demand is issued at a general meeting of LDP lawmakers, or more than a third of the prefectural branches. The general meeting of the LDP Diet members, meanwhile, can also replace a party convention in dealing with “particularly urgent” issues, according to party rules. How likely will the party rules be revised? No one is sure, but Abe has few political rivals powerful enough to challenge him after the LDP won a landslide victory in the July Upper House election, boosting his chances of remaining at the LDP helm. However, veteran LDP members, including Shigeru Ishiba, who are considered potential rivals to Abe, have recently urged caution about revising the party rules to allow Abe to stay in power. Whether they can garner support from other LDP members will likely be a key factor in the party power game. On a radio program Sunday, Ishiba, a former minister in charge of the revitalization of rural areas, said he “doesn’t understand why it’s a top priority issue” for the LDP to revise the party rules in what was seen as a dig at Abe’s bid for a third term as LDP president. Ishiba, who heads a small intraparty faction, refused to join Abe’s new Cabinet formed on Aug. 3 and is now seen as a potential rival. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who is regarded as another potential successor to Abe, has also said it is “still too early” to discuss revising the rules, since Abe was only re-elected LDP president last September. Has any LDP president succeeded in extending their run as president by revising party rules? Yes. In 1986, a meeting of LDP lawmakers was convened to revise the rules to extend the presidential term of then LDP President and Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. The revision followed the LDP’s landslide victory in dual national elections earlier the same year under Nakasone as the LDP president and prime minister. Then a provision was added to the rules so that an LDP president could extend a term by one year if more than two-thirds of the party’s Diet members supported it. This article was dropped in 2002.

shinzo abe
ldp president
party rules
q & a


Cambodia PM says potbelly is hurting his golf swing

Abstract: PHNOM PENH - Prime Minister Hun Sen says his growing potbelly is getting in the way of his golf swing. Hun Sen, who is known for his casual comments, went off track while addressing a Facebook comment on his health. He said someone had reposted on Facebook a two-year-old video clip, purporting to show he had suffered a stroke. “If you need to broadcast the news of the prime minister’s health, you better say that the prime minister is worrying about his belly that is now getting big,” Hun Sen said Monday in the southern Kandal province. “Don’t say that the prime minister suffered a stroke. Better say that the prime minister is worrying his weight is increasing and at the same time the belly also getting big, which makes it difficult for my swing while playing golf.” Hun Sen, 64, went on to say that he has put on 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) in recent days, attributing it to a lot of time spent sleeping in the car while touring the country as part of his program to tour all 25 provinces in the country to meet people. Addressing the unidentified man who posted about Hun Sen’s alleged stroke, the prime minister said: “I wish to advice you that you better take care of your health, take care of your parents’ and grandparents’ health. You need not take care of Hun Sen’s health.” Hun Sen is a self-styled strongman and one of the world’s longest-serving prime ministers, with more than 30 years as Cambodian leader. He often likes to talk about himself and his achievements.


Chronology of events in Emperor Akihito's life

Abstract: Dec. 23, 1933 — Born as the eldest son of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako, posthumously called Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun. September 1939 — World War II begins. Aug. 15, 1945 — Emperor Hirohito tells the nation over the radio that Japan has surrendered. Nov. 10, 1952 — Becomes crown prince. April 10, 1959 — Marries Michiko Shoda to become the first crown prince, and later the first emperor, to marry a commoner. Feb. 23, 1960 — His first son, later to become Crown Prince Naruhito, is born. Nov. 30, 1965 — His second son, later to be known as Prince Akishino, is born. April 18, 1969 — His only daughter, later to be known as Princess Sayako, is born. Jan. 7, 1989 — He ascends the throne following the death of his father. Oct. 23-28, 1992 — He visits China for the first time as emperor. April 23-26, 1993 — He visits Okinawa for the first time as emperor. July-August 1995 — He visits memorial sites in Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Okinawa and Tokyo on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Jan. 18, 2003 — He undergoes surgery to remove cancerous prostate gland. June 27-28, 2005 — He visits Saipan to honor the souls of war victims on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Nov. 24, 2005 — A government panel of experts on Imperial succession crafts a final report that proposes allowing females and their descendants to ascend the throne. Feb. 18, 2012 — He undergoes heart bypass surgery. April 8-9, 2015 — He visits Palau to pay tribute to the war dead on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Jan. 26-30, 2016 — He visits the Philippines to promote friendship and pay respects to the war dead. Aug. 8, 2016 — He releases a video message on his role.


Text of Emperor Akihito's unprecedented video message

Abstract: This is the official translation of Emperor Akihito’s video message broadcast Monday. A major milestone year marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II has passed, and in two years we will be welcoming the 30th year of Heisei. As I am now more than 80 years old and there are times when I feel various constraints such as in my physical fitness, in the last few years I have started to reflect on my years as the Emperor, and contemplate on my role and my duties as the Emperor in the days to come. As we are in the midst of a rapidly aging society, I would like to talk to you today about what would be a desirable role of the Emperor in a time when the Emperor, too, becomes advanced in age. While, being in the position of the Emperor, I must refrain from making any specific comments on the existing Imperial system, I would like to tell you what I, as an individual, have been thinking about. Ever since my accession to the throne, I have carried out the acts of the Emperor in matters of state, and at the same time I have spent my days searching for and contemplating on what is the desirable role of the Emperor, who is designated to be the symbol of the State by the Constitution of Japan. As one who has inherited a long tradition, I have always felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect this tradition. At the same time, in a nation and in a world which are constantly changing, I have continued to think to this day about how the Japanese Imperial Family can put its traditions to good use in the present age and be an active and inherent part of society, responding to the expectations of the people. It was some years ago, after my two surgeries that I began to feel a decline in my fitness level because of my advancing age, and I started to think about the pending future, how I should conduct myself should it become difficult for me to carry out my heavy duties in the way I have been doing, and what would be best for the country, for the people, and also for the Imperial Family members who will follow after me. I am already 80 years old, and fortunately I am now in good health. However, when I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the State with my whole being as I have done until now. I ascended to the throne approximately 28 years ago, and during these years, I have spent my days together with the people of Japan, sharing much of the joys as well as the sorrows that have happened in our country. I have considered that the first and foremost duty of the Emperor is to pray for peace and happiness of all the people. At the same time, I also believe that in some cases it is essential to stand by the people, listen to their voices, and be close to them in their thoughts. In order to carry out the duties of the Emperor as the symbol of the State and as a symbol of the unity of the people, the Emperor needs to seek from the people their understanding on the role of the symbol of the State. I think that likewise, there is need for the Emperor to have a deep awareness of his own role as the Emperor, deep understanding of the people, and willingness to nurture within himself the awareness of being with the people. In this regard, I have felt that my travels to various places throughout Japan, in particular, to remote places and islands, are important acts of the Emperor as the symbol of the State and I have carried them out in that spirit. In my travels throughout the country, which I have made together with the Empress, including the time when I was Crown Prince, I was made aware that wherever I went there were thousands of citizens who love their local community and with quiet dedication continue to support their community. With this awareness I was able to carry out the most important duties of the Emperor, to always think of the people and pray for the people, with deep respect and love for the people. That, I feel, has been a great blessing. In coping with the aging of the Emperor, I think it is not possible to continue reducing perpetually the Emperor’s acts in matters of state and his duties as the symbol of the State. A Regency may be established to act in the place of the Emperor when the Emperor cannot fulfill his duties for reasons such as he is not yet of age or he is seriously ill. Even in such cases, however, it does not change the fact that the Emperor continues to be the Emperor till the end of his life, even though he is unable to fully carry out his duties as the Emperor. When the Emperor has ill health and his condition becomes serious, I am concerned that, as we have seen in the past, society comes to a standstill and people’s lives are impacted in various ways. The practice in the Imperial Family has been that the death of the Emperor called for events of heavy mourning, continuing every day for two months, followed by funeral events which continue for one year. These various events occur simultaneously with events related to the new era, placing a very heavy strain on those involved in the events, in particular, the family left behind. It occurs to me from time to time to wonder whether it is possible to prevent such a situation. As I said in the beginning, under the Constitution, the Emperor does not have powers related to government. Even under such circumstances, it is my hope that by thoroughly reflecting on our country’s long history of emperors, the Imperial Family can continue to be with the people at all times and can work together with the people to build the future of our country, and that the duties of the Emperor as the symbol of the State can continue steadily without a break. With this earnest wish, I have decided to make my thoughts known. I sincerely hope for your understanding.


Emperor Akihito: A life in the service of healing and peace

Abstract: The 82-year-old Emperor Akihito has worked tirelessly to encourage the nation through multiple disasters and made numerous trips to former battlegrounds at home and abroad to mourn the war dead, despite the health issues that have come with advanced age. Upon the death of his 87-year-old father, Emperor Hirohito, who is posthumously known as Emperor Showa, on Jan. 7, 1989, he ascended the throne at the age of 55. He was the first to do so as the “symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,” a new status given to the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy in the post-World War II Constitution, which came into effect in 1947. Throughout his reign, which has spanned nearly three decades, and despite his age, the Emperor has continued to carry out his official duties, traveling throughout the country and overseas , with his wife, Empress Michiko, 81. The Emperor had surgery in 2003 to remove prostate cancer and underwent coronary-artery bypass surgery in 2012. He has performed exercises on a regular basis to fight osteoporosis, which is attributed to his cancer treatment. Since 2009, the Imperial Household Agency has announced measures aimed at reducing the Emperor’s workload in view of his age, saying in May it would decrease his meetings with heads of administrative agencies at the Imperial Palace. He performed around such 270 official duties last year, according to officials. The Emperor himself said in a news conference before his birthday in 2010 that he was “not planning on making any more major reductions” to his workload. He has made official visits to 27 countries, 50 overall including his travels when he was the crown prince. He has visited all 47 prefectures as Emperor to attend events such as the National Sports Festival as well as to offer encouragement to victims in disaster-struck areas, including the Tohoku region in the wake of the massive earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. When abroad, the Emperor has placed particular importance on paying tribute to those who were killed in World War II, which Japan fought in the name of his father. His most recent trip abroad was in late January to the Philippines, where around 1.1 million Filipinos and about 518,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians died during the war. Over their five-day stay, the Imperial Couple visited memorial sites in and outside Manila to pay respects to those who died in the country during the war that ended with Japan’s surrender in 1945. In April last year, the Emperor and Empress visited the Pacific island nation of Palau to pay tribute to people who perished in World War II. Around 16,000 Japanese soldiers died in Palau fighting U.S. forces during the last year of the war, along with nearly 2,000 U.S. troops. The trip, which came in the year of the 70th anniversary of the war’s end and a decade after the Imperial Couple traveled to the Pacific island of Saipan, another former battleground, was reflective of the Emperor’s strong desire for peace. During the 2005 trip to Saipan in the Mariana Islands for the 60th anniversary of the end of the war, the Imperial Couple paid their respects to those who died in the intense Battle of Saipan that took place from June to July 1944. The Emperor has made explicit the need for Japan to reflect on its aggression in other parts of Asia before and during World War II. “I think it is most important for us to take this opportunity to study and learn from the history of this war, starting with the Manchurian Incident of 1931, as we consider the future direction of our country,” he said to the public at the beginning of 2015. From time to time, the Emperor has publicly expressed regret over Japan’s military aggression and colonization of neighboring countries before and during World War II, and communicated his hope for peace through numerous visits to areas torn by war and disaster both at home and overseas. When he made an official visit to China in 1992, three years after his enthronement, along with the Empress, he said at an evening banquet, “In a certain period of time, our country imposed a great deal of hardship on Chinese citizens and I feel deep sorrow.” In 1995, a year that marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, the Imperial Couple visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were devastated by atomic bombs dropped by the United States in 1945, as well as Okinawa Prefecture, where some of the most intense fighting of the war occurred during the Battle of Okinawa. The Emperor was born on Dec. 23, 1933, the eldest son of Emperor Showa and Empress Nagako, who is posthumously called Empress Kojun. As a boy, he took refuge outside Tokyo during World War II, including in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, and was 11 years old when the war ended. He later recalled feeling shocked at the sight of the capital, which was rendered barren by U.S. air raids. At Gakushuin University, he majored in political science and economics. He later switched his student status to that of an auditor after traveling to Europe and the United States for an extended period of time. In addition to a formal education, the Emperor learned diplomatic values as well as the role of a symbolic emperor in tutoring sessions with former Keio University President Shinzo Koizumi and English-language tutor Elizabeth Vining. As crown prince, he visited European countries and the United States in 1953, and attended the coronation of British Queen Elizabeth II in place of his father. In April 1959, he married Michiko Shoda, the eldest daughter of former Nisshin Seifun President Hidesaburo Shoda, two years after she graduated from the University of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo. In marrying the daughter of a businessman, the first commoner ever to marry an heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the Emperor nurtured the image of a new Imperial family to which the public, still recovering from the war, could better relate. The Imperial Couple have three children — Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Akishino and Princess Sayako, who became Sayako Kuroda when she married a commoner in 2005 and left the Imperial family. Their four grandchildren are Princess Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, and the three children of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko — Princess Mako, Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito. The Emperor is also an ichthyologist, specializing in the taxonomy of gobioid fish.

emperor akihito
imperial family
abdication


'Pokemon Go' a hit 20 years after franchise debuts

Abstract: “Pokemon Go,” the GPS-crossover game for smartphones, has been an instant hit all over the world, particularly in Japan. The explosive popularity also means there are numerous Pokemon beginners. But what exactly is Pokemon? Why has the game proven so popular? And how does the revolutionary system work? Following are basic questions and answers about “Pokemon Go” and the world of Pokemon: What is Pokemon? Pokemon is an abbreviated form of the original Japanese game title “Pocket Monsters.” It started in 1996 as a video game for Nintendo Co.’s hand-held machine Game Boy, featuring 151 virtual monsters that a player can catch, train and exchange with other players. The most popular and well-known Pokemon is probably Pikachu, a yellow rodent monster with two bright red circles on its cheeks. The Pokemon series later expanded into numerous products and businesses, ranging from TV animation series, movies, trading card games and countless character goods. According to Pokemon Co., a Tokyo-based Nintendo affiliate better known as the Pokemon Co., more than 280 million video game software units have been sold worldwide and animated TV shows had been aired in 95 countries and regions as of the end of May. More than ¥4.8 trillion worth of Pokemon products have been sold over the last 20 years, according to the Pokemon Co. Why was the original Pokemon series such a worldwide hit? What was particularly new about the original game was that it allowed a player to exchange monsters with other players via a cable connecting two Game Boy machines. It worked as a communication tool for children, helping the game to become an explosive hit first in Japan and later in the United States and elsewhere. Players can also train and “evolve” their pet monsters into rare and more powerful ones, adding complexity and fun to the monster-training game. The cutesy designs of the virtual monsters, a key characteristic of Japanese pop culture, are another reason for Pokemon’s popularity. Satoshi Tajiri, the main creator of the original Pokemon game, said in a July 2000 interview that he was surprised to see the alternative monster designs that American staff had proposed for the U.S. market. For example, the proposed U.S.-version of Pikachu looked like a tiger cat with big breasts, Tajiri recalled. “I was told (the original designs) were ‘too cute’ ” for American people, Tajiri said in the interview published on a Nintendo website. “That may have been interesting to enjoy a cultural difference, but I didn’t want to try my luck on it. . . . If the design of Pikachu had been changed at that time, the whole situation wouldn’t be like the one today,” Tajiri said. Why has “Pokemon Go” become such a big hit 20 years after Pokemon’s debut? Experts say it is because the concept of the latest game is very new and absorbing. “Pokemon Go” uses augmented reality (AR) technology, which links a fictional game world to 3-D street maps based on Google’s detailed worldwide map data. Players are encouraged to walk outside in the real world to find cute monsters and “Pokestops” — locations where players can pick up useful tools for the game — on the 3-D street map. When a player tries to catch a monster, the smartphone screen switches to show the target character with a real-time video image of the actual world in the background. Players can feel as if the game and the real world are integrated. This is a new, refreshing diversion from conventional video games, which were usually played only indoors. The “Pokestops” also feature actual photos of numerous places, such as landmark structures, public art installations, historical markers and monuments. This enables players to learn about their community, which is another attraction of “Pokemon Go.” “Pokemon Go” is now available in 39 countries, including the U.S., most of Europe and Japan. Is this helping Nintendo’s profits? The success of “Pokemon Go” is expected to be a boon for Nintendo, although at present the company is not raking in huge profits. The revolutionary game system was developed and is being operated by Niantic Inc., which was originally an in-house startup for the Google group. The San Francisco-based firm was spun off from Google in 2015. According to Nintendo, the Pokemon Co. “is going to receive a licensing fee as well as compensation for collaboration in the development and operation of the application.” Meanwhile, Nintendo owns 32 percent of the Pokemon Co. Given the limited ratio of its ownership, the impact on financial results for the Nintendo group will be accordingly “limited,” the statement on July 22 said. Nintendo at the same time said it will not revise its financial forecasts for fiscal 2016, which ends next March. This immediately triggered a fall in its share price on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Nintendo has suffered from lackluster sales of its flagship video game console Wii U and reported last Wednesday a net loss of ¥24.5 billion for the April-June quarter. Nintendo now plans to launch its next-generation game machine, code-named NX, in March. Speculation is rife that the game console will feature a detachable part that can be separately used as a mobile game player. However, whether it will be linked to “Pokemon Go” remains unknown. There are many “Pokestops,” including little-known landmarks, in “Pokemon Go.” How did Niantic manage to prepare data on so many locations? “Pokemon Go” is based on a game system originally developed for Ingress, another popular AR game for smartphones that uses Google’s 3-D street map. Ingress, officially launched by Niantic in 2013, is now played in 200 countries and the app has been downloaded more than 13 million times. Numerous Ingress players have voluntarily taken photos and offered explanations of local landmarks and submitted them to Niantic to register as “Portals.” Those locations, if approved by Niantic, are used by players to create a “Control Field” to earn points in the game. Most of those photos and texts of local landmarks are also used in “Pokemon Go,” thus vast amounts of data were available for “Pokestops” at the time of the game’s launch.

pokemon go
pikachu
nintendo co .
niantic inc .


Victims of Sagamihara massacre at disabled facility are forever nameless

Abstract: The murder of 19 residents of a facility for people with disabilities in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, last month instantly became headline news all over the world. The main reasons for the attention were the number of dead and the country where it took place — Japan is famous for its relatively low level of violent crime. One aspect of the reaction contrasted greatly with that in Japan: Some people overseas described the murders as a “ hate crime ,” a term used only by a few local media and not by any Japanese public official. The suspect, Satoshi Uematsu, has said his purpose was to eliminate disabled people from the world, and while he characterized his actions as a form of “mercy killing,” we tend to think of a hate crime as being carried out against someone because of who that person is, rather than what that person has done. More to the point, the residents were not randomly chosen, as were previous victims of mass murders in Japan. They were targeted because they had disabilities. So even if the suspect didn’t “hate” the people he targeted in the way we normally use the word, his animus toward people with disabilities was real and deadly, and it’s only natural to try and figure out how he developed that feeling. It seems obvious the suspect suffers from some sort of pathology — he was institutionalized for a short period earlier this year — and several media have played up his use of drugs. He also worked at the facility he attacked, and, according to friends and associates, not to mention his private writings, advocated for eugenics, the practice of selective breeding in order to filter out “undesirable” genetic traits. One purpose of eugenics is to erase people with disabilities from society. Thus there has been some controversy over the Kanagawa Prefectural Police’s decision to not disclose the names of the victims. Usually, the police always name murder victims, but, according to the Mainichi Shimbun , this time they decided not to since “the families feel that they don’t want the names released.” There is only one way to interpret this one-off policy: Families of the victims don’t want the public to know that their loved ones have disabilities. On the surface, the move comes across as a means of protecting privacy, though it can also be seen as a way of keeping people with disabilities out of the public eye. The Sankei Shimbun reported that at least 10 disabled support groups signed a letter addressed to the Kanagawa police, objecting to its decision. One person with disabilities told the newspaper that she believed a friend of hers might have been a victim but couldn’t find out since names were not provided. Shingo Mori was one of the 26 who survived the attack, and was close to death for several days with injuries to his chest and neck. Mori’s parents have allowed several media to publish photos of Shingo and their names in an attempt to make the public see that the victims had lives and were loved. Shingo’s mother, Etsuko, told the Asahi Shimbun that her son had been living in the Sagamihara facility for 20 years — he is now 51 — and during that time she and her husband “never told anyone about him,” even relatives. The tragedy “changed our minds.” Several other families revealed their names and those of their children on a recent NHK Special , but they seem to be exceptions to the rule. An official of a “group home” for people with disabilities told the Asahi that most families want to hide their disabled children, even if those children — many of whom are adults — agree to having their names printed in newsletters and such. “Sometimes parents (of people with disabilities) are discriminated against,” the official said. “So I want to respect their privacy.” This situation clearly reinforces the unspoken assumption that people with disabilities are marginal or, to people like Uematsu, useless members of society. Hiroko Miyake, who lives in a facility in Yokohama for people with developmental disabilities, told the Asahi that the victims were “people like me — they had goals and knew pleasure. I want the public to know about those aspects of their lives.” Anti-poverty activist Karin Amamiya made this point in an essay for Tokyo Shimbun , calling out the “double standard” the media uses when reporting this sort of crime. She was bothered by the phrase “precious lives lost,” which all outlets included in their reports, because under normal circumstances the lives of people with disabilities are treated as being less than precious. She recalls her cousin, who had a learning disability, falling ill with an infection, but after her aunt summoned an ambulance the paramedics couldn’t find a hospital that would accept her because they thought they would be “unable to explain her condition to her.” Eventually, a hospital did accept her but it was too late. She died. The belief that people with disabilities are not fully human is reinforced by people such as former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, who in 1999, after visiting a facility for people with developmental disabilities, wondered out loud if such people possessed “personalities,” presaging Uematsu’s thesis; or Finance Minister Taro Aso, who has suggested that unproductive citizens may be better off dead . “In our society,” wrote Amamiya, “these ‘precious lives’ are measured against their ‘cost'” and found to be wanting in the balance. Courts, when ruling on an injury or death lawsuit, determine damages in terms of “work lost.” Takaaki Hattori, a professor of media studies, told the Sankei that the decision to disclose names is the job of the press, not the authorities. By not revealing the victims’ identities, the police are effectively denying that they ever existed. Yoshiro Ishihara, a Japanese prisoner of war in Siberia after World War II, once wrote that the most terrifying thing about genocide is the facelessness of the individual victims. Uematsu, who admired Hitler, took this premise for granted when he wrote about his abominable project. If a person’s death has no special meaning, then their life didn’t either.


Sitting on reform of the criminal justice system only exacerbates the problem

Abstract: One of my favorite Japanese sayings is “ Zen wa isoge ,” or “Make haste to do what is right.” Such a philosophy is particularly true insofar as crime prevention is concerned — if you move too slowly, or not at all, terrible things can happen. This was certainly the case in the deadly knife attack at a care facility for people with disabilities in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on July 26. The attack on the Tsukui Yamayuri En care home left 19 dead and 26 injured. Satoshi Uematsu, a 26-year-old former employee of the facility, allegedly sliced the residents’ necks as they slept, stabbing some in the chest or slashing their throats, according to investigative sources. A slew of warning signs has led some to question whether authorities should have done more to prevent the attack. On Feb. 14, Uematsu tried to hand-deliver a three-page letter to Lower House Speaker Tadamori Oshima at his official residence in Tokyo. “I am able to kill 470 disabled people,” he stated in his letter, which went on to detail how he would do it, saying he would attack at night when fewer workers were on duty, bind them with zip ties, slaughter residents and then turn himself in. A few days later, Uematsu made similar remarks to his co-workers at Tsukui Yamayuri En. He quit the next day. The police, meanwhile, reported the case to the Sagamihara Municipal Government, which decided to commit Uematsu to a psychiatric hospital out of concern he could harm others. At the hospital, Uematsu tested positive for marijuana and was diagnosed with marijuana-induced psychosis and paranoid disorder. However, he was not diagnosed as an addict and was released on March 2. On July 26, Uematsu did, more or less, what he had threatened to do earlier in the year. It’s tempting to play the blame game and yet the authorities may have done all that they possibly could have under existing legislation. Uematsu had committed no crime. Two days after his release, police found that Uematsu was staying with his parents and requested that they be kept informed about his behavior. The care facility, meanwhile, followed police advice and installed 16 security cameras. On the night of the attack, police officers arrived on the scene promptly after the first 110 phone call. Could more have been done? Quite possibly, but in order to prevent a foreseeable crime from being carried out, it’s essential to have the correct legal framework in place before a crime can be committed. And even if this is the case, the law needs to be enforced. The country’s stalking legislation is a striking example of how slow law enforcement can be when authorities haven’t been given a mandate to act before a crime is committed. On May 21, the police in Tokyo arrested Tomohiro Iwasaki on charges of assault and attempted murder after the 27-year-old attacked idol pop singer Mayu Tomita at a live house where she was performing. Tomita was stabbed 20 times by her stalker, despite her frequent consultations with the authorities prior to the assault. The manager of the club where she performed wrote a blistering account of the police’s failure to address the problem in the June issue of Shukan Gendai. The manager noted that Tomita had even asked the police to guard the venue on the day of the attack, but had been rebuffed. In addition, it was later discovered that the assailant had made similar threats to a woman three years ago, but the Manseibashi Police Station had failed to follow up on the case or record his name in its database. When Tomita consulted the police, she was brushed aside because Iwasaki had been repeatedly hostile to her on Twitter, a social network site that is not covered by existing anti-stalking legislation. Komeito and the Liberal Democratic Party set up a working team to suggest revisions to the law that would be submitted to the Diet this autumn. “Even if it’s just one day early, we want to make the expanded laws a reality as soon as possible,” Komeito Secretary-General Yoshihisa Inoue said May 27. The proposed new anti-stalking laws would make repeated unwanted contact via Twitter and other social network services a criterion for stalking and would simplify the procedures so that a stalker could be handed a cease and desist order quickly. Violating such an order could result in an arrest. More severe punishments are being considered as well. In my humble opinion, this is how it should have been handled from the beginning. However, the country’s lawmakers and law enforcers appear to have a terrible habit of twiddling their thumbs instead of making essential legal reforms. Sadly, the consequences of such delay are sometimes deadly. Let’s hope both politicians and law enforcement agencies know their Japanese proverbs and make haste to do what is right.

sagamihara
tsukui yamayuri en
satoshi uematsu


'Rikisha' disappearing; 'Storm day' forecast to be calm; ¥100 bills to be replaced by coins; 1991 white paper predicts sustainable growth

Abstract: 100 YEARS AGO Friday, Aug. 11, 1916 ‘Rikisha’ disappearing from Tokyo’s streets With the introduction of electric railways and automobiles, the number of rikisha in Tokyo has greatly decreased, and with the decrease of its number the romantic feature of rikisha has entirely disappeared. The rikisha of today is nothing but a matter-of-fact means of conveyance, and it does not figure in the romance of the city. Where are those fast-fotted young runners? It was a joy to see them race through the streets, trying to beat the other runners. The recognized fast runners were respected and admired by all rikisha men, and the wealthy families boasted of the fastness of their rikisha men. But those fast runners, tall and strong, are never more to be seen. The two-passenger rikisha has entirely disappeared from the city. They used to figure in all elopements and double-suicides. Among a certain class of people, the two-passenger rikisha was the means of the happy pleasure. It was somewhat awkward in appearance, but two passengers were able to enjoy conversations while on the rikisha. The veteran rikisha men who knew every corner and nook of the city, who could talk on the traditions and haunted houses, are no more to be found. Those who love the romantic tales of traditions and gossips, no longer enjoyed conversing with such veteran rikisha men, who were full of information of interest. Passing by a shrine or temple, they could give the whole history and tell many interesting stories about them. They used to know the houses of prominent persons in Tokyo, and knowing every short cut and byway of the city, they took passengers through streets they never had seen before. But such rikisha men have entirely disappeared. 75 YEARS AGO Saturday, Aug. 30, 1941 ‘Storm day’ likely to be calm, weatherman says The 210th day of the year (Sept. 1) traditionally known as the “storm day” among farmers will turn out to be a calm day, the Tokyo Metrological Observatory assured the press Friday. “The typhoon, which was a frequent visitor this season, seems to be regaining its breath, resting after so many excursions overland,” said a spokesman of the Observatory. “And the prevailing cool breezes, which at first might be taken to mean the advent of autumn, is a freakish prank of the weather.” In other words, the spokesman explained, autumn has not yet arrived. “The high pressure area lingering over the Okhotsk Sea,” continued the spokesman, “is the cause of the recent cool breeze. Dark skies will continue for four or five days. But it is assuring to know that the peculiar atmospheric conditions that we have been experiencing are now things of the past. So the 210th day of the year, as all evidence shows, is certain to be a calm day.” 50 YEARS AGO Saturday, Aug. 27, 1966 ¥100 bills slated to be replaced by coins Paper money representing ¥100 will be replaced by coins as of next January, Finance Minister Takeo Fukuda announced at a Cabinet meeting on Friday. The Finance Ministry has been steadily replacing paper money of small denominations with coins since 1957 and planned to eventually make the ratio of coins to paper money 7-3. The program has not been moving according to schedule, however, and today coins account for less than 30 per cent of the total amount of ¥100 and money of lesser denominations in circulation. To make matters worse, coins are heavily concentrated in Tokyo and Osaka. In the meantime, the widespread adoption of automatic vending machines and shortage of labor in the smaller enterprises raised strong demands for total replacement of paper money of small denominations with coins. At the time of the turnover, the present silver ¥100 silver coins and nickel ¥50 coins will be replaced by coins made of alloys of nickel and copper. 25 YEARS AGO Saturday, Aug. 10, 1991 White paper predicts sustainable growth No immediate constraints seem likely on the economy’s long-lasting expansion and there are good prospects of the nation making greater contributions to the world economy, the Economic Planning Agency said Friday. Sounding an optimistic note about the outlook for the domestic economy, the agency’s annual white paper on the economy stressed the importance of Japan playing a positive role in supporting and promoting the free trade system. “Japan should take leadership in the maintenance and development of international common property, namely various kinds of institutions of frameworks (such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and the International Monetary Fund,” the fiscal 1991 paper says. Titled “Conditions for Long-Run Expansion and Japan’s International Role,” the document says the economy is shifting into a sustainable phase of moderate expansion. The recent economic slowdown will not immediately lead to a recession, it stresses. Turning to the stock market, the paper says fluctuations in stock prices, which may have been caused by the so-called “bubble economy” phenomenon of asset inflation, seemed to have some effect on consumer spending and corporate capital outlays. Because wild fluctuations in land prices provide in the end to have little influence on the economy, and as the leveling off of land prices seems to have positive effects on the economy as a whole, the paper says comprehensive measures should be taken to correct the level of land prices, which have been far above the theoretical “real” value. The asset price bubble in Japan burst in 1991, leading to a period of economic malaise until 2001 economists call the “lost decade.”


'Land of Rape and Honey' no more as Canadian town drops slogan

Abstract: TORONTO - The western Canadian town of Tisdale is no longer the “Land of Rape and Honey,” it said Monday, as it dropped a slogan that has been a source of complaints. The slogan referred to rapeseed, also known as canola, a major product of Tisdale and the surrounding region along with honey. But over the years many who misinterpreted the meaning have complained, said Sean Wallace, the town’s economic development director. Tisdale, a town of 3,500 in the province of Saskatchewan, had used the old slogan since 1958. It said in a news release its new one will be “Opportunity Grows Here.” Mayor Al Jellicoe said the town grows a large variety of crops, is a hub for rail and highways and has low land prices and a modern infrastructure. Tisdale also said it was rolling out a new website for the town. As of Monday afternoon, the old website with the “Land of Rape and Honey” slogan was still posted online, however.


U.S. Sea Shepherd settles case but Australian branch defiant

Abstract: U.S.-based activist group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has reached a court-mediated settlement in which it is permanently prevented from “physically attacking” Japanese whaling vessels and crew, Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research said Tuesday. Despite the settlement, Sea Shepherd Australia said later Tuesday that the development will not affect its activities in the Southern Ocean as it was reached over a case fought in a U.S. court. “Sea Shepherd Australia remains committed to upholding the Australia Federal Court ruling banning the slaughter of whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary,” said Jeff Hansen, managing director of Sea Shepherd Australia, in a statement. “We are not concerned about the U.S. court settlement as it does not have any effect on Australian law,” the statement said. Under the U.S. settlement, Sea Shepherd and those acting in concert with it are “permanently enjoined from physically attacking the research vessels and crew and from navigating in a manner that is likely to endanger their safe navigation,” the government-affiliated whaling organization said. Sea Shepherd, Paul Watson — the Canadian environmental activist and founder of the group — and their parties will also be banned from approaching Japanese whaling research vessels at distances “any closer than 500 yards (about 450 meters) on the open sea,” according to the statement. The settlement concludes a case brought to a U.S. federal court by the Japanese organization in 2011 seeking an injunction against Sea Shepherd’s efforts to obstruct what Japan calls research whaling. In December 2012, an appeals court also issued an injunction, but Sea Shepherd continued to obstruct Japan’s whaling fleets. The group agreed last year to pay $2.55 million in damages to the Institute of Cetacean Research and Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd., the provider of vessels and crew for the whaling activities, over its continued obstruction of Japanese whaling vessels. Under the latest agreement, the Japanese organizations will pay back part of the damages to Sea Shepherd as settlement money, but the U.S. group is prohibited from using the money to fund acts of sabotage. Sea Shepherd was established in 1977, funded by donations from celebrities and other individuals. The group, based in Washington state, is known for its radical methods of protecting whales and other marine life, such as attacking whaling vessels and pointing laser beams at their crews. Japan has placed Watson, who stepped down as head of Sea Shepherd in 2013, on an international wanted list through Interpol. While Japan halted commercial whaling in line with an international moratorium, it has hunted whales since 1987 for what it calls scientific research purposes. Environmentalists have condemned the activity as a cover for commercial whaling. Last December, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and European countries jointly protested Japan’s decision to resume its research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean this season.


If Japan slow to ban ivory trade, online shops even slower

Abstract: Elephant ivory has long been used worldwide to make a host of items from jewelry, piano keys and billiard balls to art and personal seals. Japan, which used ivory to make hanko (personal seals), was one of the biggest importers in the 1970s and 1980s, bringing in about 950 tons annually in 1983 and 1984. But as the African elephant population plunged, international trade was banned in 1990, leaving room only for domestic trade. Despite the international trade ban, however, illegal trade continues and poaching is rampant, leaving African elephants on the red list of vulnerable species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to a report by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), roughly 100,000 elephants were killed in the three years from 2010, prompting the United States and China to close down their domestic ivory markets. As the next CITES conference in September nears, pressure is mounting for Japan to close down its market as well. When did ivory start coming to Japan? Lawyer Masayuki Sakamoto, an executive director at the Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund, said it is believed ivory started being brought to Japan in the Genroku Era (1688-1704) during the Tokugawa shogunate. “Japan was in isolation, so imports were few. Ivory was a luxury item used only by people in the upper class, including the wives of feudal lords, and geisha, who had ivory combs and ornamental hairpins,” said Sakamoto. Japan’s ivory trade rapidly grew during the Meiji Era (1868-1912) as the nation ended its isolation and started interacting actively with other countries, he said. “World fairs and expos were held in major cities such as Paris, and Japanese ivory crafts caught the attention of visitors,” said Sakamoto. By then, ivory had become a major material for sculpting, replacing wood. “The sculpture industry had suddenly turned white,” renowned sculptor Kotaro Takamura, who avoids using ivory, said. Japan soon became an exporter of ivory works, and artisans grew rapidly nationwide, mostly in Tokyo and Osaka. The industry saw its heyday in the rapid economic growth of the 1970s, when ivory seals became extremely popular. While wood, stone, buffalo horns, cattle horns and crystal had been used for seals, ivory became more popular because it was cheaper and not subject to a commodity tax, Sakamoto said. As time went on, ivory seals also became known as good luck items, increasing their popularity. But after the international ban kicked in, the domestic ivory market shrank from about ¥20 billion in 1989 to ¥2 billion in 2014, according to an April report compiled by Traffic, a research arm of the World Wide Fund for Nature. How can one purchase ivory products in Japan now? Online sites such as Yahoo Auction and Rakuten are the biggest platforms. A large segment of the ivory trade is on Yahoo Auction. Thirty-two environmental groups, including the Washington-based Environmental Investigation Agency, have demanded that Yahoo Japan and SoftBank, which both run auction websites, ban sales of ivory products, claiming that some goods are unregistered and that their trade is illegal. As of Friday, more than 1.4 million people had signed an online petition titled “Yahoo — stop your deadly ivory trade!” via the Avaaz website. “The ivory trade is pushing elephants to the edge of extinction, and Yahoo is making a killing from trinket sales in Japan. Several big brands like Google and Amazon are refusing to sell ivory,” it explained. How can illegal trade be prevented, and are there loopholes that need closing? Applicants who register to sell products only need to provide a photograph of the items, an explanation of how they were obtained, and verification from a third party, such as a family member. The Traffic report, however, is demanding stricter government regulations, including the tagging of all legal ivory products, both whole tusks and pieces, so they can be identified and traced. At present, tagging isn’t required when ivory is cut into pieces. The report also calls for ivory sellers to be government-licensed and their names publicized, instead of the current registration system. Sakamoto agrees, saying the government should oblige retailers to submit official documents for registration, including customs certificates. “An ivory trader told me there are cases in which fake ivory is registered. This is inevitable since even experts can’t tell what’s real just by looking at a picture,” he said. What measures are other countries taking to save the elephants? Last September, U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to close down their respective domestic legal ivory markets. In the U.S., ivory trade has been banned almost entirely since July 6. Federal law prohibits the import or export, or trade from one state to another, of any ivory aside from that used in authentic antique goods or instruments. Many states are also considering instituting their own bans. “The U.S. decided that maintaining a legal market for ivory would become a cloak of invisibility for illegal trade. CITES member countries including Japan tried to ban illegal ivory by strictly controlling the market, but the result was a total failure,” Sakamoto said. China, too, is expected to announce the schedule for closing its ivory market in late 2016 or early 2017. In Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Environment Ministry are debating how to respond to the international trend ahead of the CITES forum from Sept. 24 to Oct. 5 in Johannesburg. The ministries declined comment. Yahoo Japan, Rakuten and DeNA Co. as well as the national association of seal makers are also involved in the discussion and expected to reach a conclusion in late August. Tokyo has been reluctant to ban domestic trade, saying it can’t ban the sale of products legally obtained before the 1990 international ban. “With approximately 30,000 elephants killed annually, most of the African countries are hoping for a total ban on ivory trade. Under such circumstances, it’s becoming an international trend to ban ivory trade, with the U.S., China and Hong Kong making decisions to close their markets,” Sakamoto said. “As one of the largest ivory markets in the world, Japan should go along with the other countries,” he said.


Morioka embraces new young talent to keep geisha tradition alive

Abstract: MORIOKA, IWATE PREF. - Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, is striving to preserve and revitalize the time-honored tradition of geisha entertainers for which the city was once famous. From the late 19th century through much of the 20th century, Morioka was a hub for outstanding geigi — synonymous with geisha — drawing political and business heavyweights to the area’s high-end traditional Japanese restaurants, known as ryotei , where the geigi performed. At the peak of their popularity, there were more than 90 geigi at dozens of ryotei in the region, but as the tradition faded and expense accounts were trimmed, the number of geigi declined and many ryotei were pushed out of business. In 2010, there were only five professional geigi left in Morioka, all aged 60 or older, to entertain guests and host performances of song and dance. Alarmed by prospects of the geigi tradition dying out, the city and businesses started working on measures to keep the geigi culture alive. They set up a support group at a local chamber of commerce and industry to nurture talent in classical Japanese song and dance as well as lute playing. As a result of a recruitment drive by the group last summer and the offer of financial and other support, two new faces — Manatsu Shiratsuki, 24, and Kanako Sugishita, 20 — joined Morioka’s handful of geigi as apprentices and were unveiled at a stage performance in the city in early June. “Geigi is the culture of the entire town,” said Kenichiro Murai, an 86-year-old adviser of the Morioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the sponsor of the performance event for the two debutants. “I hope they will maintain and pass on the tradition.” The two new apprentices followed in the footsteps of two other women who made professional debuts as Tomiyu and Tomochiyo in the fall of 2012, the first additions to the ranks of Morioka geigi in 19 years. Neither Shiratsuki nor Sugishita had previous experience in traditional choreographed dance and when their practice sessions started last September, the pair were frequently scolded and their dance steps corrected. They also had to learn how to serve guests by waiting on tables at Komaryu, a 60-year-old ryotei in Morioka. Sugishita, who had just turned 20, the legal drinking age in Japan, had never served liquor before. When spoken to by a much older client, she said she did not know what to talk about. “You can’t concentrate on conversing with guests unless poise and manners become a part of you,” said Masaaki Iwadate, who runs Komaryu. “First you have to learn conventions and customs.” Before stepping into the geigi world, Shiratsuki was a student at a national university. Like other students, she was struggling to find a job after graduation. One day she saw an ad at a department store for apprentice geigi that reminded her of her childhood dream of becoming a geisha. After thinking it over, she decided to apply. Sugishita, meanwhile, said she had always wanted to become a singer but had not had any success after graduating from high school. When she saw an ad for geigi while working part time, she decided to apply immediately. While both were lucky enough to be selected as apprentices, they will likely face challenges. Unlike in Kyoto, the capital of the geisha world, where jobs at upscale restaurants are often assigned by agencies, geigi in Morioka are essentially self-employed. Even after they finish their apprenticeship, geigi are on their own when it comes to developing and maintaining clientele. Senior geigi in Morioka welcome the newcomers and are ready to help. “We are really thankful to have young people take on the tradition,” said the pair’s dance teacher who goes by the stage name Yoko. What counts as a geigi is “an aspiration to be a great dancer and keenness to offer hospitality,” she said. Tomiyu, who is much closer in age to the debutants than some of her older colleagues, said: “It’s the responsibility of younger generations to inherit traditional entertainment in Morioka, although it might be tough sometimes. I’d like to work together with the two apprentices.” Shiratsuki and Sugishita assumed the stage names of Kikumaru and Marika after their debut performance. Marika said, “I hope to be better equipped than anyone else to communicate what Morioka has to offer.” Concurring with her, Kikumaru said, “There are things we can only do in this world. I will aim to be a geigi worthy of the name.”


In safety push, Nissan turns camera on hot car interiors

Abstract: In a parked, unmanned car, the cap on a plastic soda bottle pops off and the cola fizzes out. A plastic toy puppy sags and topples over. A chocolate bar and gummy candies melt into slime. These eerie images of what happens in a parked car under the scorching sun, shot by Nissan Motor Co., is part of the automaker’s “No more #CarHeatStroke” campaign, started Aug. 4. The 70-second clip, uploaded on Nissan’s official YouTube channel , has gone viral, viewed more than 330,000 times so far. “If the weather outside is 35 degrees Celsius, it means the temperature inside a parked car is over 70 degrees,” the automaker states on the video. “Leaving kids or dogs in this condition, even for a short period, means their lives are in danger.” Nissan’s message cannot be overemphasized. The mercury has risen to dangerous levels in many parts of the country in recent weeks, with often fatal consequences. In July, 18,671 people were taken to hospitals by ambulance for heat-related illnesses and 29 died. From Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, the ambulance tally rose to 6,588 people, the highest weekly total so far this year, the internal affairs ministry said. A total of 141 were in such a serious state they were advised to spend at least three weeks in the hospital, it said. Despite repeated warnings about the hazards of heat, some parents still leave their children unattended in cars, leading to easily preventable deaths. On July 29, a 2-year-old died in Tochigi Prefecture after his father left him in a car in a parking lot. The father, in his 30s, was reportedly supposed to drop his son off at day care on his way to work, but forgot about him and drove instead to his office, where he left the baby in the company parking lot for hours strapped in a child seat. A 2013 report by the Japan Automobile Federation said in-car temperatures can pose health risks as soon as 15 minutes after the air conditioning is turned off. And placing sun shades under the windshields or leaving the windows partially open don’t help much because interior temperatures often top 40 to 50 degrees, JAF’s experiments showed. Nissan’s video, shot by a remote-controlled camera, shows various objects melting or deforming over the course of 1½ hours as the temperature rose from 27 to nearly 60. “The paranormal-like happenings inside the car are all real,” the automaker said. “No CG was applied during editing.” Nissan is seeking to prevent further tragedies not just via the video, but also through alert messages on its car navigation systems. The message is shown when external temperatures reach 30 degrees or higher.


Cuban rolls record 90-meter cigar ahead of Castro's 90th birthday

Abstract: HAVANA - A Cuban cigar-maker broke his own record on Friday by rolling the world’s longest cigar, dedicating the 90-meter (295-foot) smoke to Fidel Castro ahead of the retired leader’s 90th birthday. Castro, who took power in Cuba’s 1959 revolution and ruled for nearly half a century, was often seen puffing on a long, thin lancero model until he quit in 1985. “I want to dedicate this to a beloved Comandante Fidel Castro,” said Jose Castelar Cairo, better known as “Cueto,” who has won the world record five times before. Cuba was awash with tributes to Castro ahead of his birthday on Saturday. Earlier on Friday, 90 people donated blood at a small school in Artemisa province in his honor. Cueto eclipsed his previous record of around 82 meters (270 feet) with his new masterpiece, which took 10 days to roll with the help of several assistants in an old Spanish colonial fort overlooking Havana Bay. Cigars have been Cuba’s signature product ever since Christopher Columbus saw natives smoking rolled-up tobacco leaves when he first sailed to the island in 1492. For Cueto, a 72-year-old who learned cigar rolling when he was 5 years old, it is a matter of national pride for Cuba to keep the record. “The best tobacco in the world is Cuban, so I think Cuba should keep the record for the biggest cigar,” he said, noting it was a challenging task. The length of the cigar was verified by a British Embassy official, who said the information would be sent in a letter to Guinness World Records requesting confirmation of the record.

cuba
records
fidel castro
offbeat
anniversaries


Rural Japan rail tours push scenic, luxurious journeys into the unknown

Abstract: When planning a trip to Japan, tourists are most likely to pack destinations like Mount Fuji, Kyoto and Akihabara all into the space of a few days. But for those who have been there and done that, railways are offering a fresh alternative — a laid-back ride on a sightseeing train through the countryside, exploring the unexplored while accompanied by the pleasures of sake and local cuisine. As tourist numbers continue to swell, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka — the most popular destinations — are suffering from a shortage of accommodations while areas outside these bustling cities are jealous for being left out of the action. The government is thus thinking of ways to lure more visitors to the countryside to support rural areas, and the nation’s vast railway network is naturally playing a role in the initiative. Seibu Railway Co. just launched a “restaurant train” between Tokyo and the city of Chichibu in mountainous Saitama Prefecture. Tickets for the 52 Seats of Happiness train, its first sightseeing train, have been selling like hotcakes since it debuted in April. A ticket for the brunch course costs ¥10,000 per person, with dinner going for ¥15,000. During the three-hour ride — longer than the 80-minute ride on the commuter train — passengers are served a course meal as the four-car train, with galley and dining tables, leaves the hustle and bustle of Tokyo for the rural greenery of Seibu’s home prefecture. Architect Kengo Kuma, designer of the National Stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, developed the train’s exterior, which was inspired by Chichibu’s landscape over the four seasons. He also designed the interior by using traditional crafts honed in areas where the train runs. “Amid today’s sightseeing boom, people are starting to look for a new, unprecedented experience in their journey,” said Norio Kawasaki, a Seibu Railway official in charge of the sightseeing train. Seibu hopes the trains, which are especially popular with seniors, will generate more revenue both for the company and the economy of Chichibu, known for its pink shibazakura (moss phlox) carpeting Hitsujiyama Park in spring, and white-water rafting on the Arakawa River, Kawasaki said. “We want people to recognize Chichibu as one of the major sightseeing destinations in the Kanto region after Hakone (in Kanagawa Prefecture) and Nikko (in Tochigi Prefecture),” he said. Seibu’s next goal is to convey that to foreign tourists, especially the Taiwanese who tend to be repeat visitors in search of rural destinations. In July, the carrier invited Taiwanese media and travel agencies to experience the restaurant train. “It will surely get the attention of people in Taiwan,” Shirley Chen of Taiwan-based airline TransAsia Airways Corp. said after the ride. “It was like an oriental world coming out of a TV drama.” Other railways are also cashing in on the trend.Although similar trains have existed, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) increased the number of sightseeing services after the March 2011 mega-earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, said Gyo Taguchi, a JR East marketing manager. “Our rail lines there were heavily damaged in the 2011 disasters,” he said. “To help with the reconstruction of Tohoku, we came up with the idea of running sightseeing trains to boost the region’s value as a tourism destination.” Since the JR East trains don’t depart from Tokyo, however, people have to get to the northeast to ride them. Even so, tickets for these trains are selling so well there’s even a waiting list. Other areas covered by the trains include the Joshinetsu region and the coastline along the Sea of Japan. JR East’s Genbi shinkansen, touted as the world’s fastest museum, is one of its latest bullet trains dedicated to sightseeing. As its name — short for gendai bijutsu (contemporary art) — suggests, passengers can admire artwork in the carriages while traveling between Niigata and Echigo Yuzawa stations. The exterior, inspired by the Nagaoka fireworks festival in Niigata Prefecture, is the work of famed photographer Mika Ninagawa. With these trains, JR East aims to draw not only enthusiastic travelers in search of hidden attractions, but also casual sightseers interested in lesser-known regions, Taguchi said. “There are many underrated spots that have breathtaking scenery. Our role is to offer information so people can discover that hidden beauty,” he said. What is getting even more popular is a luxurious sleeper train in Kyushu that is combined with a local tour. Kyushu Railway Co.’s Seven Stars cruise train has drawn heavy attention since its debut in October 2013. The train’s itinerary took it on a loop around the island, but it was forced to change course earlier this year after the earthquakes in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures. Despite the change, it remains one of JR Kyushu’s most profitable services, with prices ranging from ¥250,000 to ¥1.4 million for a three-night trip. JR East meanwhile plans to launch the first-class Train Suite Shiki-Shima (Island of Four Seasons) next May. The train, which departs from Ueno Station in Tokyo, is part of a package tour offering top-notch cuisine made with local ingredients, stays at Japanese-style hotels, and tours of places known for traditional craftsmanship as it winds its way through eastern Japan. Despite the lofty price tag — ¥950,000 per passenger for a three-night package tour featuring a two-person suite — the high demand only allowed 1 in 76 people to acquire the premium tickets for its debut run in May. Although the sightseeing train has become popular with Japanese tourists, the existence of these trains — and the allure of the regions they travel to — are not yet known to most foreigners, Taguchi said. “Many travelers today want to discover new, undiscovered spots. I hope our train can be a good opportunity for them to step outside the box,” he said. To ensure sightseeing trains don’t become another passing fad, carriers must continue to offer fresh experiences by varying the menus and destinations, said Junichi Sugiyama, a journalist versed in the train industry.


Cup Noodles slurping strong, 45 years on

Abstract: Hungry? Just grab a cup of instant noodles and pour hot water into it. After waiting three minutes, the ramen is ready to eat. This September marks the 45th anniversary of Cup Noodles, the “magic” instant food that has had a dramatic impact on food culture. Since its debut in 1971, more than 40 billion packages of the popular instant ramen had been sold as of May, according to Cup Noodles manufacturer Nissin Food Products Co. The product is now sold in more than 80 countries, with sales outside Japan occupying roughly 70 percent of the total in 2015 in terms of volume. Here are some factoids about Cup Noodles, the world’s favorite Japan-made instant food: Who invented Cup Noodles? Taiwan-born inventor Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin, came up with the idea of creating easy-to-cook ramen when he saw starving people lined up in front of Osaka’s black market noodle stalls in after the war. Ando, then 48, came up with chicken-flavored, deep-fried noodles that could be quickly rehydrated in a bowl, naming the product Chikin Ramen, the world’s first instant noodles, in 1958. Later during a demonstration in the United States to promote the product, Ando was surprised to see buyers at local supermarkets break the noodles up, put them in paper cups, add hot water and eat them with a fork. This experience made him realize the need to shed past concepts of how to eat noodles. After years of trial and error, the first Cup Noodles debuted in 1971 with the familiar soy sauce-based flavor and red and gold package. The logo was designed by a Takeshi Otaka, who also created a logo for the Osaka Expo in 1970. In Japan, the name is written in the singular, as opposed to the plural form more prevalent overseas. How popular is the product? Today, instant ramen has become so popular that some people regard it as the national food of Japan. According to a survey in 2000 by Fuji Research Institute Corp. (now known as Mizuho Information and Research Institute Inc.), instant ramen topped the list of Japan’s best inventions of the 20th century, outranking karaoke, stereo headphones, CDs, video games, Pokemon and sushi. In September 2011, Nissin built the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama’s Minatomirai waterfront district to display a wall comprising more than 3,000 packages of instant noodles, including foreign brands. The museum conveys the history of instant noodles and of Ando, who died in 2007 at the age of 96. It also has a section where visitors can create Cup Noodles variations of their own by choosing the flavors and ingredients. What drives its popularity? When the original Cup Noodles debuted in September 1971, many people doubted it would take off because it was priced at ¥100 — or about four times more than packaged instant noodles. Also, some worried the product would lead people to adopt the “bad habit” of eating while standing up. Given its low popularity with retailers, Nissin started distributing the product to such institutions as the police and the Self-Defense Forces. It even invented a vending machine that automatically heated them. In November 1971, Nissin started selling the product on the street in front of the Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district on Sundays, when its main street is closed to vehicular traffic. The place was attracting public attention because the nation’s first McDonald’s had opened inside it four months earlier. Perhaps what boosted awareness of Cup Noodles the most was the February 1972 Asama-Sanso hostage incident perpetrated by the Japanese United Red Army, an armed revolutionary group, at a mountain lodge in Nagano Prefecture. During the over 10 hours of live broadcasting of the crisis, which was watched by 89.7 percent of TV viewers at peak time, TV cameras repeatedly showed riot squad members slurping Cup Noodles near the lodge in the freezing cold. The instant ramen also became famous for its unique but sometimes controversial TV commercials. One commercial released in 2005 featured a boy holding a rifle on a beach. At the end, it showed the smiling boy and a girl eating Cup Noodles together with a message asking: “There are more than 300,000 child soldiers around the world. What can we do for them?” The commercial was withdrawn later after viewers complained about its strong political message. Are Cup Noodles healthy? Nissin has been working to shed the product’s unhealthy image. In 2009, Nissin marketed a low-calorie version of Cup Noodles to lure dieters, reducing it to 198 kilocalories — about 60 percent of the original — by using fiber-rich noodles and air-drying technology to dehydrate them without deep-frying. In January, it released a veggie-rich, pork-flavored version and sold it at farmer’s produce stands in western Tokyo alongside their vegetables, claiming farmers deemed the new version to be “almost a vegetable.”

cup noodles
instant noodles
nissin food products co .


Nigerian faces charges for naming his dog after president

Abstract: ONITSHA, NIGERIA - A Nigerian is being charged for provoking people and “breach of peace” by naming his dog after President Muhammadu Buhari and painting the name on the pet, police said on Wednesday. “The man bought a dog, named it Buhari, wrote ‘Buhari’ on both sides of the dog and paraded it” in front of people from the north, said Abimbola Oyeyemi, police spokesman in the southern Ogun state, where the man lives. He was arrested after a citizen reported him to police but was released by a court on bail until his trial starts, the spokesman said, without naming the man. “His action is provocative and capable of breaching the peace, as you know the volatility of Nigeria now,” said Oyeyemi. Nigeria is in the middle of its worst economic crisis in decades as a slump in oil prices boosts unemployment. Tensions sometimes erupt between northerners, who are Muslims, and people from the predominantly Christian south. Buhari is a Muslim from the north.

nigeria
muhammadu buhari
pets
animals
boko haram


The perfect match: U.S. woman to give boyfriend a kidney

Abstract: MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE - A New Hampshire man found his perfect match in more ways than one when he first met his girlfriend on a golf course last summer. Forty-nine-year-old Jack Simard of Manchester is slated for his second kidney transplant around Valentine’s Day and the donor is his girlfriend, Michelle LaBranche. WMUR-TV reports that the two avid golfers met at Stonebridge Country Club in Goffstown and fell in love. When LaBranche found out Simard was seeking a kidney donor, she tested to see if she was eligible without telling him. Doctors were surprised that her kidneys turned out to be compatible. Simard’s first kidney transplant was 19 years ago. His sister was the donor. LaBranche says Simard is her future, and she wants to help him have a healthy life.


Two-year twins: Babies born Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 in San Diego

Abstract: SAN DIEGO - Twins in San Diego are getting some attention because, though born just minutes apart, one has a birthday in 2015 and one in 2016. Jaelyn Valenica was born New Year’s Eve at 11:59 p.m. Her twin brother, Luis Valencia Jr., arrived at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day. KGTV-TV reports that the babies were due at the end of January, but doctors at San Diego Kaiser Permanente Zion Medical Center called the mother in because one was in a breech position. The father, Luis Valencia, called it a New Year’s blessing to have two healthy children.


Apple hikes iPhone prices in Germany over music, pornography levy

Abstract: BERLIN - Apple has raised the prices for handheld devices in Germany following a deal between the tech industry and content producers that will benefit musicians, actors and pornographic filmmakers. The California-based company confirmed in a statement Sunday to The Associated Press that the price increase affecting iPhones and iPads is linked to the new copyright levy. Apple, Samsung and others agreed last month to pay from 5 euros to 7 euros ($5.50-$7.70) for each smartphone or tablet imported to Germany. The money will be distributed among creative professionals, including a group representing “creators, producers and acting artists of erotic and pornographic films.” The agreement is based on a 1965 German law that allows consumers to make private copies of sound, images or texts in return for a small levy on the device.

apple
germany
pornography
intellectual property


Japan's public baths hope foreign tourists will help keep the taps running

Abstract: Japan’s public baths, known as sento , represent an institution with hundreds of years of history. They provided an important public service in the days before homes had their own hot-water bathtubs. The entrance of the Inariyu sento in Tokyo’s Kita Ward is designed like that of a temple. It was a common architectural style for sento in Tokyo. | SATOKO KAWASAKI Sento can range in style from simple hot springs piped into a large tub to modern facilities resembling theme parks and offering a range of therapies. In the Edo Period (1603-1868), sento were so popular that every town had on. They were important centers of the community. Sento are on the decline both because homes now have fully fledged bathrooms and because retiring operators find it hard to find successors to take on their businesses. There are now around 630 establishments in Tokyo, down from 2,700 in 1968, a peak year for sento. One of the baths at the Inariyu sento in Tokyo’s Kita Ward bubbles away for customers to soak in. | SATOKO KAWASAKI Faced with this trend, the Tokyo Sento Association is trying to tap demand from non-Japanese residents and tourists. A sign in English at a sento helps non-Japanese customers, in a bid to draw more custom. | SATOKO KAWASAKI It has installed explanatory signs at each facility showing non-Japanese speakers how to use a sento in five languages. It also plans to create an app for people to search for sento in English.


Looking for a bit of light in the fight against crime

Abstract: Do you ever get the feeling that you’re trapped in Harold Ramis’ 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” except that you’re an investigative journalist, not a weatherman, and the nemesis that keeps popping up isn’t a rodent but a crime syndicate boss? Maybe it’s just me. On Dec. 9, the U.S. Treasury Department put Tadamasa Goto, former head of the Goto-gumi — an affiliate of the Yamaguchi-gumi, the country’s largest yakuza syndicate — on its list of individuals and organizations that are subject to financial sanctions. The last individual to receive the same treatment was Kodo-kai chief Teruaki Takeuchi, who was targeted in April. Little more than four months later, a Kobe-based affiliate split from the Yamaguchi-gumi, triggering fears of a turf war between the rival factions. The new group, Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi, is headed by Kunio Inoue, but the U.S. appears to be targeting Goto instead of him. But why now? Hadn’t Goto retired from the syndicate in 2008 and become a Buddhist priest? Apparently not. According to the Treasury Department, Goto began working for the Inagawa-kai syndicate before switching sides and becoming a key player in the Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate. He is believed to have set up a network of front companies for the syndicate before he was expelled in 2008. Nevertheless, the Treasury Department still considers Goto to be an influential criminal figure who is now living in Cambodia laundering money. Goto is arguably one of the most notorious crime bosses that has ever operated in Japan. In 1992, director Juzo Itami portrayed yakuza members as common thugs in “Minbo no Onna,” or “Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion,” telling reporters in interviews that he “wanted to show the public that you can fight gangsters and win.” Angered by the yakuza’s portrayal in the film, members of the Goto-gumi syndicate attacked Itami outside his home six days after the movie opened. The director was beaten and had his face slashed. In his 2010 autobiography, “Habakarinagara,” Goto denies any involvement in the attack. However, he says, Itami “deserved it — he made the yakuza look stupid.” Goto was eventually diagnosed with liver cancer but struck a deal with the FBI in 2001: He would trade information on his yakuza associates in exchange for a visa to the United States. He’d already arranged to receive a liver transplant at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. Goto received his new liver but coughed up little useful information. I broke the transplant scandal in 2008 in The Washington Post and worked with the Los Angeles Times on a few follow-up stories. The Yamaguchi-gumi expelled Goto in 2008 after he was accused of attempting to overthrow the leadership of the syndicate with 10 other members, writes Katsumi Kimura in “Goodbye Yamaguchi-gumi.” The Nishi Nihon newspaper on Sept. 7 went further, arguing that the failed coup was behind this year’s split. The newspaper suggested that Inoue had originally backed the coup, while others have claimed that Goto bankrolled the rebel faction this year. Goto and Inoue certainly appear to be close allies. These allegations are arguably sufficient grounds for the U.S. to slap financial sanctions on Goto and, subsequently, send a warning to the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi as well. In his biography, Goto called my writing “unpleasant.” I suppose it was also an “unpleasant” experience for real-estate agent Kazuo Nozaki to be stabbed to death in April 2006. Then again, Nozaki was embroiled in a legal dispute with a Goto-gumi front company over the property rights to a building in Tokyo. The Metropolitan Police Department has managed to convict several members of the Goto-gumi syndicate for the murder but criminal charges have never been filed against Goto himself. In August 2012, Nozaki’s family sued Goto for the real-estate agent’s wrongful death, arguing that Goto was liable as an employer of the killers. According to Chunichi Shimbun, the case was settled out of court with a payment of $1.4 million to the family of the victim. Goto, meanwhile, expressed his condolences. As I’ve written before, it appears that crime does indeed pay in Japan — it may just cost you a bit more to stay out of jail. Another new year has begun but it feels like little has changed. The yakuza still operate in the open. Goto is back in business and, by all accounts, doing well as an esteemed guest of the Cambodian government. I’m struggling to make a living, although I’m no longer under police protection. You could say I’m not feeling particularly lucky. So, this year, I’m going to go Meiji Shrine and write out a simple votive tablet: “May my readers, friends and loved ones all be blessed, live well and prosper. May my enemies and 99 percent of yakuza gangsters repent their evil ways and if not, go to jail.” Otherwise, it’s going to be another dark year in the land of the rising sun.

tadamasa goto
goto-gumi
yamaguchi-gumi
yakuza
kodo-kai
kobe yamaguchi-gumi