Japanese Olympic hopeful Takashi Usami has had an offer to join German first-division club Hoffenheim from Bayern Munich, a Gamba Osaka source said Wednesday. Usami, who had been on loan to Bayern from Gamba this season, made just three appearances in the Bundesliga and his deal expires at the end of June.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic made a solid return to red-clay courts, dominating Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-3 Tuesday night to open his Italian Open title defense. On the women's side, Serena Williams beat 46th-ranked Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-3 for her 14th consecutive victory, following titles in Charleston, South Carolina, and Madrid — and two wins in Fed Cup. Also, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and defending champion Maria Sharapova won in straight sets at Foro Italico to reach the third round.
Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba has sued major publisher Shinchosha, claiming his reputation was damaged by a magazine article quoting him as allegedly saying Japan could hand over the Senkaku Islands to China if Beijing wants them, it was learned Wednesday. In the suit filed with Tokyo District Court, Genba is seeking ¥33 million in damages and an apology in print from the publisher.
FC Tokyo went down 1-0 away to South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai in the Asian Champions League on Wednesday, a first defeat of the competition costing the Emperor's Cup holders a home tie against J. League champions Kashiwa Reysol in the round of 16. Both teams had already qualified for the next stage but Tokyo only needed a draw to secure top spot in Group F and home advantage against Reysol, who finished second in Group H after a gutsy 2-0 win at Jeonbuk Motors on Tuesday.
A group of astronomers has warned that some eclipse glasses sold in Japan have been found to be insufficiently lightproof to safely view the upcoming annular solar eclipse and could cause retinopathy when observers see the sun through them. The Japan committee for the annular solar eclipse 2012, which comprises academic and amateur astronomers, called on observers to make sure they have proper glasses before the eclipse, expected to occur Monday.
Seventy-six-year-old theater director Yukio Ninagawa is famed and honored the world over for his magnificently visualized stagings of Shakespeare and Ancient Greek tragedies — as well as modern Japanese plays. He was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2002, and has been invited to present his latest interpretation of "Cymbeline," at the World Shakespeare Festival in London this month.
Once Kyrie Irving finished cracking jokes, thanking Cleveland's fans, his teammates and coaches, he looked down from the podium at the person who promised this would happen. He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year.
Japan Post Holdings Co. is reporting that its group net profit for fiscal 2011 increased 11.9 percent from the previous year to ¥468.9 billion, the most since privatization of the postal system started in October 2007. The increase was attributable primarily to the Japan Post group's bonus cut equivalent to 1.3 months' wages for the year to March.
NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Wednesday it will expand smartphone services, including offering unlimited access to "anime" and music as well as a text translation service. The No. 1 carrier appears to be striving to reinforce its competitive edge and seeking new sources of revenue, as competition with rival carriers has intensified due to the rapid growth of smartphones.
Saying "the time is not ripe," Liberal Democratic Party chief Sadakazu Tanigaki rejected an overture by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda for talks earlier this month to secure help from the main opposition party to pass a law raising the sales tax, political sources said Wednesday. Noda, who heads the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, has said he is staking his "political life" on the tax hike plan, and was apparently aiming to break the deadlock in the opposition-controlled House of Councilors, the sources said.
Kisenosato took a big step toward becoming the first Japanese-born winner in over six years Wednesday, beating fellow ozeki Kakuryu on the second attempt to move two wins clear of the field heading into the final stretch of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. Kisenosato, promoted to sumo's second-highest rank after the Kyushu meet last November, and Kakuryu (7-4) had to go through a rematch after both were deemed by ringside judges to have hit the dirt at the same time in their initial clash at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Alberto Zaccheroni may have blotted his copybook with defeats in Japan's last two competitive matches, but the national team manager will only have eyes for the here and now as he begins his preparations for the final round of World Cup qualifiers this week. Zaccheroni on Friday names his squad for next Wednesday's warmup friendly against Azerbaijan in Shizuoka, with the Italian set to draw heavily from his Europe-based contingent ahead of next month's qualifiers against Oman, Jordan and Australia. Losses to North Korea and Uzbekistan at the end of the previous round cost Zaccheroni the unbeaten record he had held since taking over in September 2010, but with the majority of his players arriving straight from the end of the European club season, the dynamic this time will be significantly different.
Hanshin Tigers catcher Kenji Johjima, who has been sidelined with pain in his sciatic nerve, said Wednesday he will have back surgery sometime next week. The 35-year-old, who aims to return to action this season, will require a month of recovery before he can resume practice after having his hernia removed.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's bus operations, running in the black since 2003, probably lost money for the first time for fiscal 2011, and the major reason is the dividends from Tokyo Electric Power Co. shares have dried up. While many bus operators, public and private, have been losing money for more than a decade amid the declining population and rise in other transportation options, the metropolitan government's bus operation has logged profits since 2003.
This does not sound like a winning formula. Miss 24 of 29 shots in one stretch, on the road. Watch an 11-point second-half lead turn into a deficit. Have your entire team get outscored by two players in the fourth quarter. Somehow, it worked for the Indiana Pacers.
The ongoing ruckus between Manila and Beijing over Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea exposes China's penchant for bullying and contempt for international law. This gives other countries that have territorial disputes with Beijing, including Japan, an idea of the standoffs they might expect with China in the future. There should be no other way to resolve this territorial dispute except through a rules-based diplomatic mechanism, preferably adjudication by international tribunals. This is exactly what Manila proposes, which Beijing wantonly rejects.
Images of Pastor Maldonado celebrating his Formula One victory in the Spanish Grand Prix are being replayed to patriotic music on Venezuelan television, and President Hugo Chavez is heaping praise on the driver. But while F1 fans on both sides of Venezuela's polarized political landscape are lauding Maldonado's performance, some critics have also been questioning how many millions of dollars Venezuela's state oil company has spent in sponsorship money for the team it's now touting, and whether it makes sense.
Shinji Kagawa's future destination appears to be in England, the Japan midfielder saying on Wednesday he wants to play in the Premier League after meeting Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. "It was good to meet and actually talk to him. He had some nice things to say to me," Kagawa said of Ferguson, who was on hand to watch the 23-year-old in Borussia Dortmund's 5-2 victory over Bayern Munich in Saturday's German Cup final.
With contributions by 171 artists from the Tokyo Illustrators Society, this exhibition showcases works under the general theme of "food," spanning a wide range of subjects that include cooking ingredients, chefs and people enjoying eating. Every illustration is accompanied with an explanation so that visitors have a better understanding of the artist's intentions. Also, talk sessions about food with Japanese celebrities, such as rakugo storyteller Kokontei Shinsuke and playwright and film director Koki Mitani, will be scheduled during the exhibition period. Reservations are necessary for the talks; May 19 till July 1.
Chinese and South Korean leaders turned a deaf ear to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's request that they ease restrictions on Japanese food imports imposed last year because of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear, Japanese government sources said Tuesday. Chinese President Hu Jintao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak did not respond to Noda's request during their meeting in Beijing on Monday, the sources said.
The combined consolidated net profit of five major Japanese banking groups rose 36.3 percent in fiscal 2011 from the previous year to ¥2.403 trillion, primarily boosted by temporary benefits from government bond trading, according to their earnings reports released through Tuesday. But profits from core banking business remained sluggish during the year through March amid lower interest rates, even as corporate demand for fresh loans showed signs of recovery, especially amid the acceleration of earthquake and tsunami reconstruction work.
An antiwar activist in Okinawa convicted of torching the Hinomaru flag at a 1987 national athletic meet in his hometown is determined to continue his battle for "peace and equality" in the island prefecture, where the U.S. military maintains a heavy presence 40 years after its reversion to Japanese sovereignty. Shoichi Chibana, a 64-year-old Buddhist monk from the village of Yomitan, says there is a "grim reality" in Okinawa: The heavy U.S. military presence compared with other parts of Japan means islanders still suffer from "structural discrimination."
Forty years after the U.S. returned Okinawa to Japan after a 27-year occupation, the public agreement ensuring American bases would remain after reversion and the secret agreement allowing the U.S. to reintroduce nuclear weapons continue to create anger in Okinawa and problems for the Japan-U.S. security alliance. But as declassified U.S. cables and other documents related to the negotiations that led to the 1971 agreement to return Okinawa to Japan clearly show, opposition in Okinawa to the U.S. bases long before 1972 was the major factor that forced both Washington and Tokyo to act. They also made clear the U.S. desired to remain in Okinawa after the reversion and retain the right to bring in nuclear weapons.
Orbital doesn't seem to have changed much since the 1990s — but their audience has. At last weekend's Metamorphose event in Chiba, pant sizes among the crowd were noticeably less baggy than they were 20 years ago — and there were a few more gray-haired heads bobbing to the beat. But everyone in attendance went wild when the duo played "Chime," both the generation who were around when the track was released in 1989 and, well, their children.
Seth Greisinger pitched three-hit ball over eight innings, leading the Chiba Lotte Marines to a 3-1 win over the Chunichi Dragons as interleague play got under way on Wednesday. Greisinger (4-1) struck out eight and walked one and Yasuhiko Yabuta finished things off at Nagoya Dome as Lotte won its fifth in a row and improved to 11-4 with two ties on the road.
Lessons can be learned from natural disasters and climate change by utilizing parks with geological features, according to scientists and environmental conservationists who wrapped up a four-day international conference in Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture. At the closing ceremony Tuesday of the Fifth International UNESCO Conference on Geoparks, British geologist Patrick McKeever read out a declaration adopted at the conference that included the statement, "Education about our dynamic planet in geoparks is a most effective way to help our local communities understand how to coexist with nature."
Brett Lawrie called it an "unlucky bounce." Major League Baseball is likely to call it a suspension. A furious Lawrie slammed his batting helmet to the ground after he took strike three and it struck plate umpire Bill Miller in the hip as the ninth inning turned nasty Tuesday night in Toronto's 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.
Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. said Wednesday the Japanese property and casualty insurer has completed its acquisition of Delphi Financial Group Inc., a medium-size U.S. life and nonlife insurance group. Of about $2.7 billion in total cost for the acquisition, Tokio Marine will raise $1.3 billion from a fund the government has created for Japanese firms' overseas mergers and acquisitions in response to the yen's appreciation.
The Los Angeles Kings knew the Coyotes would come with everything they had. Even when that meant some questionable hits as the frustration grew, the Kings never let it bother them.
Aftershocks of the giant earthquake of March 11, 2011, are expected to continue for at least several decades along the border of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, according to a study released Wednesday. Aftershocks, including those that can't be felt by people, are likely to persist for two years off the Miyagi coast and about four years in Tokyo, according to the study by Shinji Toda, an associate professor at Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute.
Tokyo-based British DJ/producer Matt Lyne, aka A Taut Line, coruns the record label Diskotopia, with Brian Durr, aka BD1982. A Taut Line's melodic broken house, garage and techno productions are just as influenced by the Chicago jazz and postrock scenes as by the 1980s Chicago house scene. Meanwhile, Greeen Linez, a joint project Lyne has with Hong Kong In The 60s member Christopher Greenberg, unites early '90s dance music with '70s and '80s jazz funk. Keeping in mind the variety of music Lyne has been exposed to, we took a look inside his record bag. Opening Number: Mim Suleiman — "Hebu" [Running Back]. Maurice Fulton-produced futurist-Afrobeat taken from the East African singer's album "Tungi." Just a very solid, stoic start to a set that I've taken to recently. Although if I want to begin slow and build, I'll often kick things off with something like Patrice Rushen's "Remind Me" or "Mambo" by Wally Badarou.
The confrontation between the central government and Kansai area leaders over the restart of two nuclear reactors in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, has more to do with the growing power struggle between Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda than with safety or objective attempts to determine how much electricity will be available this summer. Since February, Kansai Electric Power Co. has revised downward its projected electricity shortages after being grilled by Hashimoto-appointed critics.
Final arrangements are being made for a Japanese academic close to ruling Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Hiroshi Nakai to meet with a senior North Korean official in China over Japanese postwar remains in the North, government sources said Wednesday. The scholar, whose name has been withheld, is expected to visit northeastern China from Thursday, possibly to exchange views with the official, Song Il Ho, about the apparent remains of Japanese who stayed behind in what is now North Korea after World War II.
So indie-guitar music in Britain is in the doldrums, is it? Try telling that to The Maccabees. In a world of Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, the London five-piece are bucking the trend for young white British boys armed with a six-string. Not only is third album "Given to the Wild" their finest by far, but critical platitudes are being matched by commercial success: "Given to the Wild" is a U.K. Top 5 album and 2012 sees The Maccabees embark on their biggest tour to date.
Tokyo rock trio Andymori formed in the fall of 2007. The following summer — before the group had released any music — it earned an invite to perform at the Fuji Rock Festival. In 2009, Andymori issued its eponymous debut and appeared at Summer Sonic. Continuing to build upon its initial successes, the band has since played numerous concerts across the country and has also gigged in Canada and South Korea. Its fourth full-length, "Hikari" ("Light"), opens with the radio-friendly, pop-rock cut "Bass Man." Guitarist Sohei Oyamada's polished, melodic vocals and catchy bits of whistling are the main focus of the song and play out over simple, toe-tapping rhythms. Revisiting the youthful exuberance they showcased on excellent early singles like "Follow Me" and "Everything is My Guitar" from its first album, the title track and "San Punkan" ("For Three Minutes") are two of the edgier offerings on "Hikari." The former starts as a fast-paced piece of alternative rock and doesn't let up during its nearly three-minute running time. The latter gains steam as Oyamada's singing switches from crooning to ragged yelps. Both should have little difficulty making crowds bop around during Andymori's summer shows.
NEC Corp. announced Wednesday it will solicit voluntary retirement among employees in July as part of restructuring efforts. Employees aged 40 and above who have been with the company or a group firm for five years or longer and are currently in sections including its mobile phone and platform business operations are eligible to apply from July 17 to 31 for retirement as of Sept. 28, it said.
Without "Akira" there would be no "Cool Japan." There's no denying that for many non-Japanese back in early 1990s. The anime adaptation of the manga "Akira" was for them the first taste of a drug that ultimately drove the addicted to seek more highs like it, and it caused a pandemic of interest in Japanese pop culture that still exists today.
Despite failing inspections for decades, no changes were ever made at the hotel where a fire killed seven on Sunday, the city of Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, admitted Tuesday, adding the facility wasn't even up to code at the time of the first inspection in 1987. The municipal government initially said that although the Hotel Prince wasn't up to current building code, it met the standards at the time of construction in the 1960s and therefore the hotel owner could not be forced to make renovations.
Hideki Matsui went hitless in his minor league debut on Tuesday. The 37-year-old, who recently signed a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, batted fourth as the Triple-A Durham Bulls' designated hitter against Pawtucket. He struck out once in four at-bats.
As Japanese electronics makers step up restructuring in their efforts to bounce back from massive losses in the business year that ended in March, they are seeking to team up with others to continue their television businesses. The nation's three top TV manufacturers — Sharp Corp., Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. — are exploring ways to remain in the market, now led by South Korean firms, despite seeing their money-losing TV operations drag down their earnings last year.
The Bank of Japan missed its target for buying government bonds in the first round of an asset-purchase program, the central bank said Wednesday. In an auction, the BOJ offered to buy ¥600 billion in long-term government bonds from financial institutions but attracted only ¥480.5 billion in demand. A BOJ official said this was a "temporary development due to extraordinary factors."
The number of people on welfare came to 2.1 million in February, up 5,499 from the previous month, extending a record high that began last July, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Wednesday. After exceeding 2 million in February 2011, the number rose by around 90,000 over the next 12 months to reach 2,097,401, with increases affecting not just the elderly but also younger workers who were thrown out of their jobs.
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko departed Wednesday for a five-day visit to Britain to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee, their first overseas trip since 2009 when they visited Canada and Hawaii. "I am very happy to have an opportunity to express my congratulations to her majesty, who is still well performing her duty as the queen," the Emperor said at Haneda airport in Tokyo.
FEG Inc., a K-1 martial arts promoter, has effectively gone bankrupt by starting protection procedures with the Tokyo District Court on May 7, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Wednesday. The amount of debt left by the failure has not been disclosed.
Rebiya Kadeer, the leader of exiled Uighurs, on Wednesday criticized China for "intervening in Japanese affairs" by trying to stop Tokyo from issuing her a visa to attend a meeting of the World Uyghur Congress. The president of the congress being held in Tokyo also dismissed Beijing's claim that she is a "terrorist," saying her group takes a "nonviolent" approach.
In 2001, when it made a successful bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing promised there would be complete freedom for the foreign media to report in China. While this did not occur, more liberal rules were introduced, such as not requiring official permission before conducting interviews. However, the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia of 2010 triggered fear in Beijing that the Arab Spring movement might spill over into China and, very soon, there was a clampdown on the media, which has now led to the first expulsion of a foreign correspondent in more than a decade: Melissa Chan, the reporter for Al Jazeera's English-language channel.
Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s intention to raise household rates in July met with stiff opposition from representatives of consumers and small companies at a meeting of the government's panel tasked with examining the appropriateness of the proposed hike. Tepco President Toshio Nishizawa told the meeting Tuesday that raising electricity rates by an average of 10.28 percent is necessary to enable the utility to stay afloat amid rising fuel costs for thermal power generation to make up for the halt in nuclear power generation due to the Fukushima crisis.
Regarding the serious shortfalls in electrical energy predicted for Kansai and other regions of Japan this summer, it troubles me to see obvious waste by those who should know better. At this time, all segments of society should be taking action to eliminate any extravagance in their use of electrical energy. I'd like to bring to light something I noticed recently while standing on a platform at JR Osaka station. Although this case involves JR West trains, no doubt a similar situation exists throughout Japan. A JR West train often consists of two separate trains connected together. For example, a 12-car train may be made up of an eight-car-long segment joined to a four-car segment.
In the wake of fatal car accidents involving epileptics, the National Police Agency has began studying possible revisions to the Road Traffic Law in hopes of preventing accidents by drivers with disorders characterized by seizures. A minivan rammed into pedestrians at a busy intersection in the city of Kyoto's Gion entertainment district on April 12, killing seven people and injuring 11. The 30-year-old driver, Shingo Fujisaki, also died, after crashing into a utility pole at high speed.
The Foreign Ministry has given diplomat Naofumi Hashimoto, chief of the Representative Office of Japan to the Palestinian Authority, the title of ambassador in charge of Palestinian affairs. It is an extraordinary step for a diplomat in charge of an area that Japan has not yet recognized as a state to be designated as an ambassador.
Regarding Mark Valencia's May 14 article, "Philippines-China spat tests ASEAN solidarity": Thanks for a nice article. I appreciated it because I have doubts that coincide with the writer's as to whether the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States and other countries with close ties to the Philippines will stand and support our country in case of armed conflict. We only have our ego and fighting spirit to stand upon. In reality, we can't do anything to thwart Chinese military might even if we have a strong basis to support our territorial claims to Scarborough Shoal. We hope this standoff will not end with a military confrontation. I understand why ASEAN members are so quiet on the issue: There's not only China's military strength but also economic fears related to China's dominance in the region.
Fifty-eight women got together to fight in a rare female-only sumo meet Sunday in Fukushima, Hokkaido, an event to commemorate two renowned sumo champions who hail from the southern Hokkaido town. In the championship match, Etsuko Abe, 46, defeated an American woman who goes by the ring name Odori-yama (Dance Mountain). Abe, whose own ring name is Etsuno-umi, was the apparent underdog, at half of her American challenger's weight.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church is coming to Japan in September for the centennial of the death of a missionary who brought the orthodox religion to Japan, Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency said Tuesday, quoting the church's external affairs official. Patriarch Kirill will first visit Hakodate, Hokkaido, where the missionary served at the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) as a priest for the Russian Consulate, according to the report.
Regarding the May 15 front-page article "Oi assembly says yes to restarting reactors" and the rush to restart these idled nuclear reactors: The Oi municipal assembly's choice to preserve its local economy makes sense, especially in light of the lucrative measures of support promised by the central government and Kansai Electric Power Co. Any locality needs a sound economy simply to survive. But the Oi assembly's choice to anticipate "the central government's steps to ensure the Oi reactors' safety" puzzles me. I am wondering whose judgment the assembly members intend to trust? Will it be another thumbs-up indication from Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda? Or maybe a nod of reassurance from Kepco's front office with its vested interests? Or maybe a confident smile from some street-corner fortuneteller who wisely relies on candles?
Recently uncovered documents show that the United States conducted top-secret tests of Agent Orange in Okinawa in 1962, according to a veterans services employee. The experiments, believed to have taken place under the auspices of Project AGILE — a classified program to research unconventional warfare techniques — have also been confirmed by a former high-ranking American official.
Many years ago, I took my children to visit the sites of the D-Day landings (June 6, 1944) in Normandy. I wanted them to understand the sacrifices that others had made so that Europe and North America could enjoy the benefits of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We saw the beaches whose names echo through history — Omaha, Utah, Juno. Those beaches remain a memorial to the idea that, together, we can overcome any threat, no matter how great.
I share Donald Feeney's concerns in his May 10 letter, "Politically correct 'straw men," about modern political discourse, but it seems we are not reading the same letters. He implies that my May 3 letter accused him of claiming in his April 29 letter "that Western males were perfect with regard to their treatment of women." I did no such thing. My response was specifically to his rendering of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's views, which he chose to include and present as: "White men are not oppressors, she says, but rather liberators." Feeney asks why it is "contemptible" and "obscene" to quote an internationally famous activist to make a point. I made no such complaint. My objection (May 3) was not to Hirsi Ali's views, per se, but to his summation above, which was not a quotation. As for the courageous Ayaan Hirsi Ali, readers will find a very sympathetic critique of her views and her book, "Nomad," by Michelle Goldberg at http://www.democracyjournal.org/18/6776.php?page=all
Is Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s plan for returning to profitability — restarting nuclear power plants to raise enough cash to pay off the damage caused by their inability to properly manage nuclear power plants — supported by government officials? The damage caused to the Fukushima area and the continuing potential for disaster from exposed reactor rods is not something that can be swept under the rug while finance people dance around with profit projections. Nor should nationalizing Tepco be undertaken merely to hand taxpayers a bill for corporate screwups. Tepco should never be handed back to business entities again.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. and three other Japanese firms plan to buy interests in an offshore Australian natural gas field for around ¥350 billion, industry sources said Wednesday. Tepco's financial difficulties stemming from the nuclear crisis at its Fukushima No. 1 power plant have forced it to revise its 2009 plan to acquire a 15 percent interest in the Wheatstone gas field development and an 11.25 percent stake in a project to liquefy gas there, the sources said.
These days, Togo Murano (1891-1984) may not be a household name, however for architecture fans, he is renowned for his modernist designs of several prestigious buildings, including the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace in Hiroshima. Held in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, this exhibition reassesses Murano's relationship with the city, highlighting two of his high-profile buildings — Amagasaki's government office and Osho community center. The buildings respectively commemorate their 50th and 75th anniversaries, and the show presents 150 architectural artifacts, including blueprints and models; till June 3.
The U.S. Federal District Court in Riverside, California, has sentenced a Japanese man to 17 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography on the Internet, the Justice Department said Tuesday. Futoshi Tachino, 32, pleaded guilty after being arrested in Chicago in July 2009.
Resource nationalism was supposed to be a throwback, a discredited school of economics that failed the governments that embraced it. Apparently, Argentine President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner never got the memo. Instead, she decided in mid-April to seize a majority stake in one of her country's leading energy producers Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (YPF), a move that threatens not only to trigger an economic war with some of her country's biggest trade partners, but also could well undermine the primary objective of the move itself: the revitalization of Argentina's fraying energy infrastructure.
The welfare ministry proposed Wednesday limiting the investment of pension assets through a single advisory firm following the disappearance of massive funds entrusted to AIJ Investment Advisors Co. The proposal was included in the draft report by an experts' panel after the ministry determined that a clear set of rules is necessary to avoid a scenario in which corporate pension funds suffer massive losses after concentrating their assets into one management firm, as was the case with AIJ, officials said.
It has been six years since Shoichi Ida passed away. As a prominent woodblock print artist, Ida produced outstanding works throughout his career and is considered a significant contributor to the development of Japanese print art. Ida taught himself printmaking while still a college student, and his talent was recognized by critics soon after graduation. In his late 20s, he was asked to contribute to the International Biennial Exhibition of Prints in Tokyo from 1968 to 1970, and his work has been popular since.
Japan
Mont Fuji Japon
Japan is known equally as a hard working, hi-tech company obsessed with miniaturising everything and as a land of ancient temples, martial arts and origami. Whichever definition appeals to you more, you will find plenty to satisfy you, from the bustling neon capital of Tokyo to the ancient temples and shrines of Kyoto. All set against spectacular natural scenery such as Mount Fiji and bubbling volcanic hot springs. On top of all this, the Japanese people are famous for being friendly and gracious hosts, especially to hotel ists who can expect a warm welcome to one of the most interesting countries in the Far-east.
Currency: Japanese Yen. (¥)
Time Zone: GMT + 9
Language: Japanese
Telephone Services: Country code +81, International access code 001
Emergency Numbers: Tokyo English Life Line 3403 7106, Japan Helpline 0120 461 997
Climate
In general Japan benefits from a temperate climate with cool sunny winters and very hot summers. The most pleasant time to visit is the milder Autumn and Spring seasons. Rain can fall throughout the year but is not generally too heavy. Typhoons can occur during September or October but generally don't last for longer than a day. Okinawa has a sub-tropical climate and Hoikkaido boasts a climate similar to that of Washington with Siberian blasts blowing in during the winter providing great skiing spots. Winter can get very cold with temperatures as low as 2 degrees C and in the North temperatures can drop to below freezing.
BASIC DO'S AND DON'T'S ( adapted from Japan Made Easy, by De Mente as featured in the Travel Japan Bookstore)
DON'T:
Eat food while walking down the street.
Blow your nose in public. Sniffling is okay.
Wear shoes or slippers on tatami mats!
Give someone 4 of anything( or any number that is
"even").The Japanese word for "4" is similar to the word for death.
Smile in formal pictures.
Stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice.
Wear shorts to temples or shrines.
Point your feet at anyone when sitting on the
floor. Its insulting.
Be direct.
Laugh with your mouth wide open.
Do:
Slurp while eating noodles.
Give a slight bow when meeting someone who is your peer.
Give a lower bow if they are your elder or boss.
Say "susimasen" after everything you say. It is the
all-in-one politeness word, meaning "excuse me",
"thank you," "hello" etc.
Give your business card, with a slight bow, immediately
when meeting a business colleage.
Give your seat up for children on trains.
Wear skirts or long pants, especially when visiting
temples or shrines.
Give a gift when visiting a Japanese home.
Listen to what is NOT said.
Wash before you get into the tub, and save the bath water
for others.
For more basic tips, go to:
Good Manners.
GIFT GIVING:
Unless you are not meeting with anyone in Japan, be prepared to give gifts. Gifts from your home area are especially appreciated. If there is a number to the items, like candy, try to avoid even numbers, especially "4." If you are meeting with a group, bring a consumable gift so everyone can enjoy it equally and no one is left out. Tee shirts with sayings in English are very popular in Japan. Pencils or pens with company or school name would be admired and plentiful to have enough for an entire group.
GREETINGS:
While some Japanese have become somewhat accustomed to shaking hands, it is still awkward for most. It is best to bow slightly when greeting someone. The lower the bow the more respect. If you are meeting someone for work-related business purposes, it's important to have a business card, preferably with a Japanese translation on one side. After bowing, with respect, extend an immaculate business card from a business card holder, preferably in a breast pocket or purse. When receiving a business card, admire it for a moment and keep it out to refer to. Don't fold it, write on it, or stuff it in a pocket. See this site for further information:
Bowing.
Visitors bowing before entering a temple.
SHRINES: Just a reminder: when visiting these beautiful shrines, please remember they are sacred--be respectful and wear long pants or a conservative skirt (no sleeveless tops or shorts).
VISITING IN THE JAPANESE HOME:
The Japanese will expect that you will be from another culture, but keeping these tips in mind will help the visit go more smoothly. The host family will want to "spoil" you, basically. They will want to have thought of your every need. If they realize you need something not already provided by them, they will be disappointed. Its best to graciously make do with what is provided and be thankful. If anything inconveniences your host, be apologetic. Before entering the house, you will leave your shoes where the others have left them outside the door. Then you will wear slippers provided or just your socks. Before entering a room with tatami mats on the floor(likely to be the main, multi-purpose room), its important to remove your slippers so as not to damage the mats.
For more information, see:
Customs in the Home.
A room at a Ryokan, a Japanese inn. Notice the tatami mats on the floor.
Golden Pavillion
Things to see and do
Unlike most cities, Tokyo is not a city littered with interesting or ancient architecture. Having been almost completely rebuilt after the heavy damage sustained during the Second World War the skyline is dominated by modern hi-rise skyscrapers. While in the suburbs some tradition clings on by its fingertips, certainly central Tokyo can be described as nothing short of a modern metropolis. Most visitors spend a lot of there time in the Ginza shopping district which contains boutiques, shops and galleries of all kinds. Its fashionable status does make Ginza somewhat expensive so unless you want to blow your whole trip's budget in one day it is best to take it easy here. Some of Japans finest museums and galleries are located around the Ueno-Koen park including the Tokyo National Museum and the National Science Museum.
After experiencing the new Japan in Tokyo there is no better place to discover a taste of old Japan than Kyoto. The city boasts literally hundreds of temples, shrines and gardens and was even the nations capital for over a thousand years. Although even here, modern buildings have started to encroach on the tiled roves and pebbled gardens of the temples there is still plenty left to see. There are a number of suberb temples including the Kinkaku-ji temple and the Sanjunsangen temple which houses 1001 statues of Kannon the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Also worth a look is the Imperial Palace in central Kyoto and the Himeji-jo Castle located just outside the city itself.
Those with a penchant for modern history often visit Nagasaki, the city decimated by the second nuclear bomb dropped on Japan during Worl War Two. The city has now been rebuilt as a prosperous example of Japanese urban life but its grisly past is recorded in the A-bomb museum situated at Urakami, the centre of the explosion. Also of interest in the city is the Fukusai-ji Zen Temple, Glover Garden and the Hypocentre Park which has a monument to mark the exact centre of the blast which decimated Nagaski.
Travel
When travelling in the mainland of Japan, it is dubious if the distances warrant air travel, however when travelling throughout the Islands it does become a viable possibility. Several airlines offer domestic flights throughout Japan and its islands including Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airlines and Japan Air Systems. Tickets can be bought from hotel operators, or at the airports from both airline counters and automatic ticketing machines in the larger airports.
Japan Railways Group is the rail operator throughout Japan. The service is one of the best in the world with some of the most hi-tech trains in existence. Many travellers will be familiar with the famous "bullet trains" which reach speeds in excess of 300km/h, which serve the busiest lines on the Japanese network with some routes offering as many as six trains per hour. Other lines run limited express, express or local services, generally each type of train ryokanries a different supplement with a further supplement being charged for travel in the first class "green" ryokans, seats on which must usually be reserved in advance. Tickets can be bought from stations, most commonly from automated vending machines. For some short distance, local trains, this is the only way to obtain a ticket.
A "Japan Rail Pass" is available, which is usually purchased through Japan Airlines or a hotel operator which is only available to foreign hotel ists. This pass allows unlimited travel on Japan Rail trains, buses and ferries. Passes start from £150 for a 7 day pass and are without a doubt one of the most economical ways to get around in Japan.
Bus travel is highly developed in Japan, but in most cities has been superseded by the underground metro system for local travel, similarly the rail network has mostly replaced the inter-city bus network. Services do still exist in appreciable numbers but the fare system are confusing and almost always highly automated so for most travellers it is wisest to just stick to the train.
Taxis are plentiful but they can be veery expensive, especially at night but if you are travelling in a group and can share the cost they could be a good transport option.
hostel, guesthouses in Japan are sub-divided between Western and Japanese style hostel, guesthouses. While the Western style hostel, guesthouses are much the same as those found in Western Europe the Japanese style ones are a unique experience. On arrival guests are given kimonos and rooms are decked out in traditional Japanese style complete with paper sliding doors and Japanese bathtubs. These Japanese style hostel, guesthouses are known as "ryokan and the Japan Ryokan Association can be contacted for more information. For general information on all kinds of hostel, guesthouses the Japan hostel, guesthouse Association can provide further information.
There are over 400 youth hostels in Japan which are regulated by Japan Youth Hostels Inc. In general guests must be a member of the International Youth Hostel Association although guest passes can be obtained from Japan Youth Hostels Inc's headquarters in Tokyo or from some hotel operators.
Health
The provision of healthcare in Japan is excellent, easily on par with the standards of the US or western Europe. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers will provide English speaking doctors where appropriate and all western medications are widely available. Treatment costs can be extremely high in Japan so it is essential that you have adequate insurance cover when planning a visit to Japan.
There are no special precautions or vaccination recommended before visiting Japan, food and drink is considered safe and normal everyday precautions should be observed when buying food from street traders.
A valid passport and a return ticket is required by all visitors to Japan. Visas are not required by US or EU nationals for a stay of up to three months. Further visas and visas for other nationalities are issued at the local Japanese Embassy or Consulate and their exact validity and price varies widely with nationality.
Addresses
Visa and immigration related enquiries should be directed to the nearest Japanese Embassy of Consulate;
Embassy of Japan
101 Piccadilly
London
W1V 9FN
Tel: (020) 7 465 6500
Fax: (020) 7 491 9348
If you require UK representation while in Japan you should contact the British Embassy;
British Embassy
No 1 Ichiban-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-8381
Tel: + [81] (3) 5211 1100
Fax: + [81] (3) 5275 0346
embassy@tokyo.mail.fco.gov.uk
The Japan National hotel ist Organization is a source of hotel ist information for visitors to the country;
Japan National hotel ist Organisation
Heathcote House
20 Saville Row
London
W1X 1AE
Tel: (0171) 734 9638
Fax: (0171) 734 4290
ferries. Passes start from £150 for a 7 day pass and are without a doubt one of the most economical ways to get around in Japan.
Bus travel is highly developed in Japan, but in most cities has been superseded by the underground metro system for local travel, similarly the rail network has mostly replaced the inter-city bus network. Services do still exist in appreciable numbers but the fare system are confusing and almost always highly automated so for most travellers it is wisest to just stick to the train.
Taxis are plentiful but they can be veery expensive, especially at night but if you are travelling in a group and can share the cost they could be a good transport option.
