by Luis Torres de la Llosa
– Mon Oct 19, 9:04 pm ET
NEW YORK (AFP) – The world's most comprehensive collection of armor, weaponry and art covering 700 years of Japan's fabled Samurai culture goes on exhibit this week at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
"Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868" will open Wednesday, showcasing "214 masterpieces, including 34 national treasures, 64 important cultural properties, and six important art objects," the museum said in a statement.
Open until January 10, the exhibit includes "armor, swords, sword fittings and mountings, archery and equestrian equipment, banners, surcoats... as well as painted screens and scrolls," some of which have never left Japan.
"This is the most comprehensive exhibition of Japanese arms and armor ever to take place in the world," including Japan, the museum boasted.
The Bushi or Samurai, Japan's military elite, for seven centuries dominated the politics, economy and society of their country. The exhibition displays the evolution of the Samurai's "omote dogu," or exterior equipment.
Military hardware, especially swords and armor, were highly prized and used for display as well as the dress worn in battle. In pursuit of their excellence, the Samurai would spend untold amounts and go to any extreme.
In contrast to the brutality of their profession, many Samurai became highly cultivated individuals; several were known as accomplished poets, and others as talented calligraphers.
"This exhibition is a unique opportunity to witness for the first time the emergence and development of this 'exterior equipment' together with paintings and other related materials," the museum said.
It "will include many works that are seen rarely and others that have never been shown beyond the Shinto shrines and a temple," exhibition curator Morihiro Ogawa said in the museum statement.
A top feature of the exhibition is the Japanese sword, often called the "spirit of the samurai." Among the masterpieces is a 13th century tachi blade, or slung sword, that was valued at the time at 2.25 kilograms of silver.
The exhibition includes a video showing all the work involved in crafting a samurai sword, from the forging of several types of steel to ensure the blade's resilience and tough edge to its painstaking sharpening procedure.
Samurai armor is another feature of the exhibition, including a collection of unique helmets in lacquered metal, topped with imposing crests inspired by nature that communicated both status and fear on the battlefield.
The collection from the Edo period (1615-1868) includes a peach-shaped helmet with butterfly crest, one with a fore crest in the form of a mantis, another in the shape of a crab and one in the form of a five-storied pagoda.
"I sincerely hope that this exhibition will bring to the public a new awareness of the samurai culture that is often misunderstood as a mere martial art," said Ogawa.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Japanese university plans huge 'manga' library
(AFP) – Oct 22, 2009
TOKYO — In a move to promote serious study of Japanese manga, a university in Tokyo plans to open a library with two million comic books, animation drawings, video games and other cartoon industry artifacts.
Tentatively named the Tokyo International Manga Library, it would open by early 2015 on the campus of the private Meiji University, and be available to researchers and fans from Japan and abroad.
"Manga has been taken lightly in the past and there has been no solid archive for serious study," said Susumi Shibao, a library official at the university told AFP by telephone.
"We want to help academic studies on manga as part of Japanese culture."
To give an early taste of its collection, the university will open the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subculture this October 31, featuring the late manga critic's collection of 140,000 comic books.
Some of the books date back to before World War II.
Japan, which grew rich on exporting cars and high-tech goods, has stepped up an official campaign to promote its cultural offerings, from Tokyo city wear to video games and award-winning animation films.
Japanese manga, ranging from classic Astro Boy and the Doraemon robot cat to the latest smash hit Naruto, a tale of a ninja boy, has charmed children and adults worldwide.
The former conservative government of Taro Aso, which was ousted in August elections, had earmarked 11.7 billion yen (128 million dollars) for a museum on Japanese cartoon art and pop culture to be built in Tokyo.
But the plan, part of wider stimulus measures, was axed by the new centre-left government, which criticised the construction as a "state-run manga cafe" that has nothing to do with boosting the economy.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
TOKYO — In a move to promote serious study of Japanese manga, a university in Tokyo plans to open a library with two million comic books, animation drawings, video games and other cartoon industry artifacts.
Tentatively named the Tokyo International Manga Library, it would open by early 2015 on the campus of the private Meiji University, and be available to researchers and fans from Japan and abroad.
"Manga has been taken lightly in the past and there has been no solid archive for serious study," said Susumi Shibao, a library official at the university told AFP by telephone.
"We want to help academic studies on manga as part of Japanese culture."
To give an early taste of its collection, the university will open the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subculture this October 31, featuring the late manga critic's collection of 140,000 comic books.
Some of the books date back to before World War II.
Japan, which grew rich on exporting cars and high-tech goods, has stepped up an official campaign to promote its cultural offerings, from Tokyo city wear to video games and award-winning animation films.
Japanese manga, ranging from classic Astro Boy and the Doraemon robot cat to the latest smash hit Naruto, a tale of a ninja boy, has charmed children and adults worldwide.
The former conservative government of Taro Aso, which was ousted in August elections, had earmarked 11.7 billion yen (128 million dollars) for a museum on Japanese cartoon art and pop culture to be built in Tokyo.
But the plan, part of wider stimulus measures, was axed by the new centre-left government, which criticised the construction as a "state-run manga cafe" that has nothing to do with boosting the economy.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Japanese automakers' hydrogen car drive
by Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura
Sun Oct 25, 12:23 am ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Imagine a car that can be refuelled in minutes but emits only water. Sounds like science fiction? In fact it already exists -- Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis has one. So does Honda president Takanobu Ito.
Yet while some see them as the ultimate environmentally-friendly automobiles, the high production cost means that affordable hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars are still more of a dream than reality.
Manufacturers such as Honda, however, are making a renewed push behind the vehicles, which run on electricity generated by a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, belching out nothing more harmful than water vapour.
"We believe that the fuel-cell electric vehicle will be the ultimate form for automobiles in the future," Ito said at the Tokyo Motor Show which opened Wednesday.
"It has advantages such as zero CO2 emissions in use, can travel considerable distances without refuelling and can be quickly refuelled," he said.
Honda last year began delivering about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered cars on lease to US and Japanese customers, including some Hollywood celebrities.
Other automakers have also been pouring money into the technology, invented in the 19th century by the Welsh scientist William Robert Grove.
Toyota, pioneer of hybrids powered by a petrol engine and an electric motor, has said it plans to launch a fuel-cell car by 2015. It is applying its hybrid technology to the vehicles, swapping the petrol engine for a fuel-cell stack.
"We can't concentrate on just one technology," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, the chief engineer of the first-generation Prius hybrid.
Toyota president Akio Toyoda says he expects that eventually electric cars will be used for short distances and fuel-cell hybrids for long journeys.
Nissan and Mazda have developed their own fuel-cell vehicles and leased them to governments and corporate clients, while Suzuki Motor is showcasing a car, a wheelchair and scooter -- all powered by fuel cells -- at the Tokyo Motor Show.
The big challenge for manufacturers is to reduce the production cost of hydrogen-powered vehicles -- currently several hundred thousand dollars each.
"There is a feeling that by 2050 fuel cells will eventually surpass electric cars," said Ashvin Chotai, managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia.
"In a lot of countries where electricity is generated with fossil fuels electric cars are still not an ideal solution, especially in places like China and India where a lot of the energy is produced using dirty coal," he said.
The goal of carmakers is for hydrogen for cars to be produced by electrolysing water using renewable energy such as solar power.
Fuel cells have long been seen as an eco-friendly alternative to petrol, but for now most automakers are focusing their attention on hybrids and plug-in electric cars.
Supporters, however, see hydrogen-powered cars as the natural next step because they also use electricity but can be refuelled more quickly than plug-in cars and can travel further before the power runs out.
Some industry experts see a day when compact electric cars are used for short distances and fuel cells for bigger vehicles such as trucks, because hydrogen tanks require a lot of space.
As well as the high cost, the lack of filling stations and the size and weight of the fuel-cell vehicles also present hurdles.
Last month, Toyota, Honda, Renault-Nissan, Hyundai, Ford, General Motors, Daimler and Kia issued a joint plea for a sufficient hydrogen infrastructure network to be built by 2015, from when they believe "a few hundred thousand" of the cars could be commercialised worldwide.
The cause got a vital boost last week when the US Congress approved 187 million dollars in funding for research into fuel cells, seen by supporters as the ultimate zero-emission solution.
"There's no way around it. A fuel-cell car gives you power, distance... It gives you short refuelling time," said George Hansen, GM's head of fuel-cell commercialisation in the Asia-Pacific.
"The technology is there and ready to be used. Now it depends on whether governments are willing to put in place the infrastructure, and whether volume production will bring costs down," he told AFP.
Sun Oct 25, 12:23 am ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Imagine a car that can be refuelled in minutes but emits only water. Sounds like science fiction? In fact it already exists -- Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis has one. So does Honda president Takanobu Ito.
Yet while some see them as the ultimate environmentally-friendly automobiles, the high production cost means that affordable hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars are still more of a dream than reality.
Manufacturers such as Honda, however, are making a renewed push behind the vehicles, which run on electricity generated by a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, belching out nothing more harmful than water vapour.
"We believe that the fuel-cell electric vehicle will be the ultimate form for automobiles in the future," Ito said at the Tokyo Motor Show which opened Wednesday.
"It has advantages such as zero CO2 emissions in use, can travel considerable distances without refuelling and can be quickly refuelled," he said.
Honda last year began delivering about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered cars on lease to US and Japanese customers, including some Hollywood celebrities.
Other automakers have also been pouring money into the technology, invented in the 19th century by the Welsh scientist William Robert Grove.
Toyota, pioneer of hybrids powered by a petrol engine and an electric motor, has said it plans to launch a fuel-cell car by 2015. It is applying its hybrid technology to the vehicles, swapping the petrol engine for a fuel-cell stack.
"We can't concentrate on just one technology," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, the chief engineer of the first-generation Prius hybrid.
Toyota president Akio Toyoda says he expects that eventually electric cars will be used for short distances and fuel-cell hybrids for long journeys.
Nissan and Mazda have developed their own fuel-cell vehicles and leased them to governments and corporate clients, while Suzuki Motor is showcasing a car, a wheelchair and scooter -- all powered by fuel cells -- at the Tokyo Motor Show.
The big challenge for manufacturers is to reduce the production cost of hydrogen-powered vehicles -- currently several hundred thousand dollars each.
"There is a feeling that by 2050 fuel cells will eventually surpass electric cars," said Ashvin Chotai, managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia.
"In a lot of countries where electricity is generated with fossil fuels electric cars are still not an ideal solution, especially in places like China and India where a lot of the energy is produced using dirty coal," he said.
The goal of carmakers is for hydrogen for cars to be produced by electrolysing water using renewable energy such as solar power.
Fuel cells have long been seen as an eco-friendly alternative to petrol, but for now most automakers are focusing their attention on hybrids and plug-in electric cars.
Supporters, however, see hydrogen-powered cars as the natural next step because they also use electricity but can be refuelled more quickly than plug-in cars and can travel further before the power runs out.
Some industry experts see a day when compact electric cars are used for short distances and fuel cells for bigger vehicles such as trucks, because hydrogen tanks require a lot of space.
As well as the high cost, the lack of filling stations and the size and weight of the fuel-cell vehicles also present hurdles.
Last month, Toyota, Honda, Renault-Nissan, Hyundai, Ford, General Motors, Daimler and Kia issued a joint plea for a sufficient hydrogen infrastructure network to be built by 2015, from when they believe "a few hundred thousand" of the cars could be commercialised worldwide.
The cause got a vital boost last week when the US Congress approved 187 million dollars in funding for research into fuel cells, seen by supporters as the ultimate zero-emission solution.
"There's no way around it. A fuel-cell car gives you power, distance... It gives you short refuelling time," said George Hansen, GM's head of fuel-cell commercialisation in the Asia-Pacific.
"The technology is there and ready to be used. Now it depends on whether governments are willing to put in place the infrastructure, and whether volume production will bring costs down," he told AFP.
Japan PM speaks out against excessive capitalism
(AFP) – Oct 25, 2009
TOKYO — Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Monday launched a broadside against the excesses of capitalism, in his first parliamentary address since taking office last month.
Speaking on his vision of a kinder, gentler society guided by the spirit of "fraternity," Hatoyama said market forces were useful for a country but must be tempered in order to create a liveable society.
"It is self-evident that free economic activity in markets invigorates society," said Hatoyama, 62, who swept to power in August elections, ending more than half a century of almost unbroken conservative rule.
"But it is also obvious that the idea of letting markets decide everything for the survival of the strongest, or the idea of 'economic rationalism' at the expense of people's lives, does not hold true any more."
Hatoyama said that in Japan -- the world's number two economy, now emerging from its deepest recession in decades -- thousands of people commit suicide every year because of financial difficulties.
"My primary duty is to correct this anomaly and restore the Japanese tradition of mutual support in a way that fits with modern times," said Hatoyama, the scion of a powerful and wealthy political dynasty.
"I want to create a new bond that connects people by sharing values," he said, citing sports, arts, volunteer work and the Internet as examples.
Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan won a sweeping victory in August 30 lower house elections, ousting the business-friendly Liberal Democratic Party which had ruled with only one break since 1955.
The new government has promised more generous social welfare, including child payments and free school tuition, and has vowed to return power to elected politicians by reining in the powerful state bureaucracy.
Almost six weeks in office, Hatoyama is riding high on strong public support and landslide wins in two upper house by-elections on Sunday.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
TOKYO — Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Monday launched a broadside against the excesses of capitalism, in his first parliamentary address since taking office last month.
Speaking on his vision of a kinder, gentler society guided by the spirit of "fraternity," Hatoyama said market forces were useful for a country but must be tempered in order to create a liveable society.
"It is self-evident that free economic activity in markets invigorates society," said Hatoyama, 62, who swept to power in August elections, ending more than half a century of almost unbroken conservative rule.
"But it is also obvious that the idea of letting markets decide everything for the survival of the strongest, or the idea of 'economic rationalism' at the expense of people's lives, does not hold true any more."
Hatoyama said that in Japan -- the world's number two economy, now emerging from its deepest recession in decades -- thousands of people commit suicide every year because of financial difficulties.
"My primary duty is to correct this anomaly and restore the Japanese tradition of mutual support in a way that fits with modern times," said Hatoyama, the scion of a powerful and wealthy political dynasty.
"I want to create a new bond that connects people by sharing values," he said, citing sports, arts, volunteer work and the Internet as examples.
Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan won a sweeping victory in August 30 lower house elections, ousting the business-friendly Liberal Democratic Party which had ruled with only one break since 1955.
The new government has promised more generous social welfare, including child payments and free school tuition, and has vowed to return power to elected politicians by reining in the powerful state bureaucracy.
Almost six weeks in office, Hatoyama is riding high on strong public support and landslide wins in two upper house by-elections on Sunday.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Japan PM pushes for 'equal' ties with US
by Miwa Suzuki Miwa Suzuki
Mon Oct 26, 5:17 am ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stressed in his first policy address to parliament Monday that he wants a relationship of equals with chief ally the United States.
Hatoyama, who took power last month, was speaking ahead of Barack Obama's first visit to Tokyo as US president on November 12-13 and amid a row about where to relocate a major US base on a southern island.
"The close and equal alliance between Japan and the United States is the foundation" of efforts to secure regional peace that would benefit Japan, Asia and the entire world, he said.
"Being equal means a relationship in which Japan can also actively propose roles and concrete actions that the Japan-US alliance could perform for global peace and security," the 62-year-old leader told the Diet.
Hatoyama also said he would hold "frank talks" about pending issues between the two long-standing allies, including touchy questions related to the 47,000-strong US troop presence in the country.
The main debate has been about the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base on Okinawa, a facility long opposed by many residents annoyed by aircraft noise, worried about accidents and angered by crimes committed by US personnel.
Hatoyama's government has said it would review a 2006 agreement to move the base from a crowded urban area to a coastal area of Okinawa by 2014, repeatedly suggesting that the facility may be moved off the island entirely.
Washington has urged Tokyo to honour the previous commitments, and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on a Tokyo visit last week urged Japan to resolve the issue before Obama's visit.
In his parliamentary address, Hatoyama pledged closer cooperation with the United States in the fight against global warming and strong support for "President Obama's courageous proposal for a nuclear-free world."
Hatoyama also said he sought closer cooperation with Russia and vowed to solve a long-standing territorial row with Moscow over four islands which Soviet troops occupied in the closing days of World War II.
"I will position Russia as a partner in the Asia-Pacific region and will strengthen cooperative relations," Hatoyama said, without elaborating.
Pressing his vision of an EU-style Asian community, he also said he would promote cooperation with South Korea, China, the Southeast Asian nations and other Asian countries.
Domestically, Hatoyama spoke on his vision of a kinder, gentler society guided by the spirit of "fraternity" and said market forces are useful for a country but must be tempered to create a liveable society.
"It is self-evident that free economic activity in markets invigorates society," he said. "But it is also obvious that the idea of letting markets decide everything for the survival of the strongest, or the idea of 'economic rationalism' at the expense of people's lives, does not hold true any more."
Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan won a sweeping victory in August 30 lower house elections, ousting the business-friendly Liberal Democratic Party which had ruled with only one brief break since 1955.
The new government has promised more generous social welfare, including child payments and free school tuition, and has vowed to return power to elected politicians by reining in the powerful state bureaucracy.
Almost six weeks in office, Hatoyama is riding high on strong public support and landslide wins in two upper house by-elections on Sunday.
Mon Oct 26, 5:17 am ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's centre-left Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stressed in his first policy address to parliament Monday that he wants a relationship of equals with chief ally the United States.
Hatoyama, who took power last month, was speaking ahead of Barack Obama's first visit to Tokyo as US president on November 12-13 and amid a row about where to relocate a major US base on a southern island.
"The close and equal alliance between Japan and the United States is the foundation" of efforts to secure regional peace that would benefit Japan, Asia and the entire world, he said.
"Being equal means a relationship in which Japan can also actively propose roles and concrete actions that the Japan-US alliance could perform for global peace and security," the 62-year-old leader told the Diet.
Hatoyama also said he would hold "frank talks" about pending issues between the two long-standing allies, including touchy questions related to the 47,000-strong US troop presence in the country.
The main debate has been about the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base on Okinawa, a facility long opposed by many residents annoyed by aircraft noise, worried about accidents and angered by crimes committed by US personnel.
Hatoyama's government has said it would review a 2006 agreement to move the base from a crowded urban area to a coastal area of Okinawa by 2014, repeatedly suggesting that the facility may be moved off the island entirely.
Washington has urged Tokyo to honour the previous commitments, and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on a Tokyo visit last week urged Japan to resolve the issue before Obama's visit.
In his parliamentary address, Hatoyama pledged closer cooperation with the United States in the fight against global warming and strong support for "President Obama's courageous proposal for a nuclear-free world."
Hatoyama also said he sought closer cooperation with Russia and vowed to solve a long-standing territorial row with Moscow over four islands which Soviet troops occupied in the closing days of World War II.
"I will position Russia as a partner in the Asia-Pacific region and will strengthen cooperative relations," Hatoyama said, without elaborating.
Pressing his vision of an EU-style Asian community, he also said he would promote cooperation with South Korea, China, the Southeast Asian nations and other Asian countries.
Domestically, Hatoyama spoke on his vision of a kinder, gentler society guided by the spirit of "fraternity" and said market forces are useful for a country but must be tempered to create a liveable society.
"It is self-evident that free economic activity in markets invigorates society," he said. "But it is also obvious that the idea of letting markets decide everything for the survival of the strongest, or the idea of 'economic rationalism' at the expense of people's lives, does not hold true any more."
Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan won a sweeping victory in August 30 lower house elections, ousting the business-friendly Liberal Democratic Party which had ruled with only one brief break since 1955.
The new government has promised more generous social welfare, including child payments and free school tuition, and has vowed to return power to elected politicians by reining in the powerful state bureaucracy.
Almost six weeks in office, Hatoyama is riding high on strong public support and landslide wins in two upper house by-elections on Sunday.
New Japanese glasses bring tears to the eyes
New Japanese glasses bring tears to the eyes
(AFP) – Oct 26, 2009
TOKYO — The Japanese eyewear company behind Sarah Palin's designer glasses has come up with a high-tech solution for obsessive video-gamers and bookworms whose eyes dry out from lack of blinking.
Masunaga Optical Manufacturing Co. Ltd. said Tuesday its "Wink Glasses" -- retailing for 40,000 yen (430 dollars) -- were an answer to the ocular dehydration caused for instance by prolonged computer use.
When a sensor detects that the wearer has not blinked for more than five seconds, the glasses "fog up" by gradually making a liquid crystal display over one eye turn opaque.
A simple blink clears the lens again.
Masunaga, based in the central Japanese city of Fukui, has enjoyed a boost in sales since Palin burst to international prominence last year as the Republicans' vice presidential pick in the United States.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Oct 26, 2009
TOKYO — The Japanese eyewear company behind Sarah Palin's designer glasses has come up with a high-tech solution for obsessive video-gamers and bookworms whose eyes dry out from lack of blinking.
Masunaga Optical Manufacturing Co. Ltd. said Tuesday its "Wink Glasses" -- retailing for 40,000 yen (430 dollars) -- were an answer to the ocular dehydration caused for instance by prolonged computer use.
When a sensor detects that the wearer has not blinked for more than five seconds, the glasses "fog up" by gradually making a liquid crystal display over one eye turn opaque.
A simple blink clears the lens again.
Masunaga, based in the central Japanese city of Fukui, has enjoyed a boost in sales since Palin burst to international prominence last year as the Republicans' vice presidential pick in the United States.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
McDonald's worker dies of 'overwork': officials
(AFP) – 6 days ago
TOKYO — A store manager with hamburger chain McDonald's in Japan who died of a brain haemorrhage was a victim of "karoshi" or death by overwork, a regional labour office said Wednesday.
The woman, employed at an outlet in Yokohama near Tokyo and reportedly aged 41, had done more than 80 hours of overtime per month before she collapsed in October 2007 during a training programme at a different store.
She died in hospital three days later, said an official at the Kanagawa Labour Bureau, which oversees the Yokohama region.
"We determined her work caused the illness," said the official in charge of work-related compensation, a decision that makes her dependent family members eligible to receive a public pension.
"She had early symptoms such as headaches some three weeks before she collapsed, and we presume she already had the illness at that point."
McDonald's Co. (Japan) Ltd. declined to comment on the case, with a spokesman saying only that the company had not been contacted by authorities and had not confirmed the decision by itself.
The woman had performed more than 80 hours of overtime a month on average for the six months before she suffered early symptoms, although she had a vacation shortly before she collapsed in October, the official said.
Japan's welfare and labour ministry investigates whether deaths are caused by excessive work if the victim had performed monthly overtime of 80 hours or more for the preceding six months, or 100 hours for the previous one month.
The number of deaths, usually through strokes or heart attacks, in Japan that are classified as "karoshi" has been hovering at around 150 annually in recent years, according to ministry data.
McDonald's suffered a blow to its image when a Tokyo court last year ordered it to pay compensation of more than 70,000 dollars to an employee who had performed unpaid overtime for several years.
The plaintiff, who had carried the job title of store manager, had earlier said he sometimes worked more than 100 hours of unpaid overtime in a month.
Japan's labour laws do not oblige companies to pay overtime to workers in managerial posts. McDonald's argued their store chiefs have a say in management decisions, but the court rejected that argument.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
TOKYO — A store manager with hamburger chain McDonald's in Japan who died of a brain haemorrhage was a victim of "karoshi" or death by overwork, a regional labour office said Wednesday.
The woman, employed at an outlet in Yokohama near Tokyo and reportedly aged 41, had done more than 80 hours of overtime per month before she collapsed in October 2007 during a training programme at a different store.
She died in hospital three days later, said an official at the Kanagawa Labour Bureau, which oversees the Yokohama region.
"We determined her work caused the illness," said the official in charge of work-related compensation, a decision that makes her dependent family members eligible to receive a public pension.
"She had early symptoms such as headaches some three weeks before she collapsed, and we presume she already had the illness at that point."
McDonald's Co. (Japan) Ltd. declined to comment on the case, with a spokesman saying only that the company had not been contacted by authorities and had not confirmed the decision by itself.
The woman had performed more than 80 hours of overtime a month on average for the six months before she suffered early symptoms, although she had a vacation shortly before she collapsed in October, the official said.
Japan's welfare and labour ministry investigates whether deaths are caused by excessive work if the victim had performed monthly overtime of 80 hours or more for the preceding six months, or 100 hours for the previous one month.
The number of deaths, usually through strokes or heart attacks, in Japan that are classified as "karoshi" has been hovering at around 150 annually in recent years, according to ministry data.
McDonald's suffered a blow to its image when a Tokyo court last year ordered it to pay compensation of more than 70,000 dollars to an employee who had performed unpaid overtime for several years.
The plaintiff, who had carried the job title of store manager, had earlier said he sometimes worked more than 100 hours of unpaid overtime in a month.
Japan's labour laws do not oblige companies to pay overtime to workers in managerial posts. McDonald's argued their store chiefs have a say in management decisions, but the court rejected that argument.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Japan eyes new law to allow N Korea cargo inspections
Fri Oct 30, 12:30 am ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's government submitted a bill Friday to allow its coastguard and customs officers to inspect North Korean shipments suspected of including nuclear and missile-related materials.
The proposed law would help Japan enforce a United Nations resolution designed to punish the isolated regime for its second nuclear test in May.
Unlike a bill that died with the previous conservative government ousted in August elections, the proposal tabled by the centre-left government of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama would not involve Japan's navy.
Under the bill, Japanese coastguard and customs inspectors would require the consent of a ship's captain before boarding a vessel and carrying out cargo inspections mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1874.
Japan's new leaders have backed away from the more hawkish stance of the former government but have maintained a strong line against North Korea.
Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said the cabinet had in a morning session decided to submit the bill on Friday in the lower house of the Diet.
"After this bill is enacted, relevant ministries will need to cooperate to collect information to carry out cargo inspections appropriately," he said.
The government of then premier Taro Aso submitted a bill in July which would have authorised the Maritime Self-Defence Forces to take part in inspections but it was aborted when Aso dissolved the Diet and called elections.
Relations have long been tense between Japan, which once colonised the Korean peninsula, and communist North Korea, whose agents in the 1970s and 80s abducted Japanese citizens to help train Pyongyang's spies.
After North Korea staged its first nuclear test in 2006, Japan imposed formal bilateral sanctions. It has since stopped all trade, frozen air and sea transport links and banned almost all visits by North Korean citizens.
Pyongyang quit six-party denuclearisation talks -- between the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan -- after the UN Security Council censured it for a long-range rocket launch over Japan in April.
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's government submitted a bill Friday to allow its coastguard and customs officers to inspect North Korean shipments suspected of including nuclear and missile-related materials.
The proposed law would help Japan enforce a United Nations resolution designed to punish the isolated regime for its second nuclear test in May.
Unlike a bill that died with the previous conservative government ousted in August elections, the proposal tabled by the centre-left government of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama would not involve Japan's navy.
Under the bill, Japanese coastguard and customs inspectors would require the consent of a ship's captain before boarding a vessel and carrying out cargo inspections mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1874.
Japan's new leaders have backed away from the more hawkish stance of the former government but have maintained a strong line against North Korea.
Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said the cabinet had in a morning session decided to submit the bill on Friday in the lower house of the Diet.
"After this bill is enacted, relevant ministries will need to cooperate to collect information to carry out cargo inspections appropriately," he said.
The government of then premier Taro Aso submitted a bill in July which would have authorised the Maritime Self-Defence Forces to take part in inspections but it was aborted when Aso dissolved the Diet and called elections.
Relations have long been tense between Japan, which once colonised the Korean peninsula, and communist North Korea, whose agents in the 1970s and 80s abducted Japanese citizens to help train Pyongyang's spies.
After North Korea staged its first nuclear test in 2006, Japan imposed formal bilateral sanctions. It has since stopped all trade, frozen air and sea transport links and banned almost all visits by North Korean citizens.
Pyongyang quit six-party denuclearisation talks -- between the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan -- after the UN Security Council censured it for a long-range rocket launch over Japan in April.
Japan unemployment falls amid recovery signs
Thu Oct 29, 9:40 pm ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's economy on Friday showed fresh signs that it is recovering after a sharp downturn, with jobless figures hitting a four-month low, an easing in deflation and household spending edging up.
Japan's unemployment rate fell to a four-month low of 5.3 percent in September, beating the market expectation that it would rise to 5.6 percent, according to data from the internal affairs ministry.
The latest figure was down from 5.5 percent in August and the lowest since 5.2 percent in May.
A separate survey released by the labour ministry Friday showed there were 43 job offers for every 100 jobseekers in September, slightly up from a record low of 42 in the previous two months.
It is the first time since May 2007 that the job-offer ratio has improved from the previous month.
Many Japanese companies, particularly exporters, moved swiftly to cut jobs and production in response to a slump in demand caused by the global economic downturn.
But Japan's economy grew in April-June for the first time in five quarters on rebounding exports and government stimulus measures.
Another survey from the internal affairs ministry showed deflation in Japan eased slightly in September following four straight months of record declines in consumer prices.
Core prices, which exclude those of volatile fresh food, dropped 2.3 percent in the month from a year earlier, after an unprecedented 2.4 percent slump in August.
Compared with the previous month, prices rose 0.1 percent -- the first increase in six months.
Some economists warned against being too upbeat on the economic outlook.
"There are concerns that price drops in services and other wide-ranging sectors may pressure wages, leading consumers to seek even lower prices," Credit Suisse economists wrote in a report.
"A further credit easing is needed" as deflation remains, they said.
In September Japanese household spending edged up by 1.0 percent from a year earlier, an increase for a second consecutive month.
Japan was stuck in a deflationary spiral for years after its asset price bubble burst in the early 1990s, hitting corporate earnings and prompting consumers to put off purchases in the hope of further price drops.
The current global economic downturn and a slump in commodity costs pushed the world's number two economy back into the deflationary doldrums. Core consumer prices have now fallen year-on-year for the past seven months.
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's economy on Friday showed fresh signs that it is recovering after a sharp downturn, with jobless figures hitting a four-month low, an easing in deflation and household spending edging up.
Japan's unemployment rate fell to a four-month low of 5.3 percent in September, beating the market expectation that it would rise to 5.6 percent, according to data from the internal affairs ministry.
The latest figure was down from 5.5 percent in August and the lowest since 5.2 percent in May.
A separate survey released by the labour ministry Friday showed there were 43 job offers for every 100 jobseekers in September, slightly up from a record low of 42 in the previous two months.
It is the first time since May 2007 that the job-offer ratio has improved from the previous month.
Many Japanese companies, particularly exporters, moved swiftly to cut jobs and production in response to a slump in demand caused by the global economic downturn.
But Japan's economy grew in April-June for the first time in five quarters on rebounding exports and government stimulus measures.
Another survey from the internal affairs ministry showed deflation in Japan eased slightly in September following four straight months of record declines in consumer prices.
Core prices, which exclude those of volatile fresh food, dropped 2.3 percent in the month from a year earlier, after an unprecedented 2.4 percent slump in August.
Compared with the previous month, prices rose 0.1 percent -- the first increase in six months.
Some economists warned against being too upbeat on the economic outlook.
"There are concerns that price drops in services and other wide-ranging sectors may pressure wages, leading consumers to seek even lower prices," Credit Suisse economists wrote in a report.
"A further credit easing is needed" as deflation remains, they said.
In September Japanese household spending edged up by 1.0 percent from a year earlier, an increase for a second consecutive month.
Japan was stuck in a deflationary spiral for years after its asset price bubble burst in the early 1990s, hitting corporate earnings and prompting consumers to put off purchases in the hope of further price drops.
The current global economic downturn and a slump in commodity costs pushed the world's number two economy back into the deflationary doldrums. Core consumer prices have now fallen year-on-year for the past seven months.
.'I hate whale meat,' Japan's PM confides: report
'I hate whale meat,' Japan's PM confides: report
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has revealed he dislikes whale meat, a newspaper reported Saturday, … .Sat Oct 31, 3:08 am ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has revealed he dislikes whale meat, a newspaper reported Saturday, in an unusual confession for the prime minister of a country that defies Western criticism of whaling.
"I hate whale meat," Hatoyama said during a meeting with his visiting Dutch counterpart Jan Peter Balkenende on Monday at the prime minister's office, the Sankei Shimbun reported.
The Netherlands is one of several anti-whaling countries that allows the radical environmental group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to register a vessel in the country.
The group's activists have repeatedly harassed Japanese whaling vessels in Antarctic waters. During the last hunt a Sea Shepherd vessel collided with a whaling ship, sparking allegations that the group was behaving irresponsibly.
Despite Hatoyama's reported dislike of whale meat, however, he urged Balkenende to take action against the group over its attacks on Japanese whalers in the Antarctic, government officials said.
Japan hunts whales by using a loophole in the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the creatures, but makes no secret of the fact that the meat often ends up on dining tables.
Tokyo often accuses Western critics of insensitivity toward its culture and heritage.
Hatoyama's centre-left government, which took office in October, has deviated little from the pro-whaling policies adopted by the previous administration, which had traditionally close ties with farmers and fishermen.
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has revealed he dislikes whale meat, a newspaper reported Saturday, … .Sat Oct 31, 3:08 am ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has revealed he dislikes whale meat, a newspaper reported Saturday, in an unusual confession for the prime minister of a country that defies Western criticism of whaling.
"I hate whale meat," Hatoyama said during a meeting with his visiting Dutch counterpart Jan Peter Balkenende on Monday at the prime minister's office, the Sankei Shimbun reported.
The Netherlands is one of several anti-whaling countries that allows the radical environmental group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to register a vessel in the country.
The group's activists have repeatedly harassed Japanese whaling vessels in Antarctic waters. During the last hunt a Sea Shepherd vessel collided with a whaling ship, sparking allegations that the group was behaving irresponsibly.
Despite Hatoyama's reported dislike of whale meat, however, he urged Balkenende to take action against the group over its attacks on Japanese whalers in the Antarctic, government officials said.
Japan hunts whales by using a loophole in the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the creatures, but makes no secret of the fact that the meat often ends up on dining tables.
Tokyo often accuses Western critics of insensitivity toward its culture and heritage.
Hatoyama's centre-left government, which took office in October, has deviated little from the pro-whaling policies adopted by the previous administration, which had traditionally close ties with farmers and fishermen.
Japan denies friction with US
Japan denies friction with US
By Kyoko Hasegawa (AFP) – 1 day ago
TOKYO — Japan's centre-left government on Monday denied US ties were being strained by a row over an American airbase, amid confusion over whether its foreign minister will travel to Washington this week.
The US State Department on Saturday said Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada would meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday, but within hours dropped mention of the meeting from Clinton's schedule.
In Japan, media reports suggested Okada was still seeking a meeting late this week, ahead of a Tokyo visit next week by US President Barack Obama, but that he was busy with parliamentary duties on Friday.
Asked about the confusion, Japan's top government spokesman Hirofumi Hirano told reporters on Monday: "It's not that ties between Japan and the United States are strained, it's just an administrative matter."
"At this point, nothing has been decided regarding such a trip," he added.
The new government took power in Japan in mid-September vowing less subservient ties with the US after decades of conservative rule in Japan.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama confirmed on Monday in parliament that his government would scrap in January a naval refuelling mission supporting the US-led campaign in Afghanistan.
His government has also promised to review a 2006 bilateral agreement on the roughly 47,000 US troops based in Japan -- including the scheduled move of a US airbase on Okinawa island from an urban area to a coastal region by 2014.
Many Okinawans oppose the American presence and want the controversial US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base closed and moved off the island, rather than having it relocated to the coastal Camp Schwab site as previously agreed.
US government and military officials have stressed that Washington is in no mood to reopen talks on a deal that was years in the making.
Hatoyama has said the issue is unlikely to be resolved before Obama's November 12-13 visit, while his ministers have floated sometimes contradictory ideas about how to resolve the issue.
On Okinawa, where Hatoyama's left-leaning coalition partners made strong gains in recent elections, positions have also been hardening about the long-festering question of where US forces should be based.
Washington regards the southern island as a key staging post close to China, Taiwan and North Korea -- but local residents have long been angered by aircraft noise, risk of accidents and crimes committed by American personnel.
The city assembly of Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture, on Monday adopted a statement that said: "Given the situation surrounding the Futenma Air Base, which is worsening year by year and which is going against residents' wishes, we can never accept the relocation inside Okinawa."
The mayor of Nago city, site of the Camp Schwab relocation facility, on Monday denied the city was reconsidering its previous offer to host the US replacement base and voiced anger at Japan's new government.
"I'm frustrated by comments made by ministers," said the mayor, Yoshikazu Shimabukuro. "I wonder if they are toying with our feelings."
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
By Kyoko Hasegawa (AFP) – 1 day ago
TOKYO — Japan's centre-left government on Monday denied US ties were being strained by a row over an American airbase, amid confusion over whether its foreign minister will travel to Washington this week.
The US State Department on Saturday said Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada would meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday, but within hours dropped mention of the meeting from Clinton's schedule.
In Japan, media reports suggested Okada was still seeking a meeting late this week, ahead of a Tokyo visit next week by US President Barack Obama, but that he was busy with parliamentary duties on Friday.
Asked about the confusion, Japan's top government spokesman Hirofumi Hirano told reporters on Monday: "It's not that ties between Japan and the United States are strained, it's just an administrative matter."
"At this point, nothing has been decided regarding such a trip," he added.
The new government took power in Japan in mid-September vowing less subservient ties with the US after decades of conservative rule in Japan.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama confirmed on Monday in parliament that his government would scrap in January a naval refuelling mission supporting the US-led campaign in Afghanistan.
His government has also promised to review a 2006 bilateral agreement on the roughly 47,000 US troops based in Japan -- including the scheduled move of a US airbase on Okinawa island from an urban area to a coastal region by 2014.
Many Okinawans oppose the American presence and want the controversial US Marine Corps Futenma Air Base closed and moved off the island, rather than having it relocated to the coastal Camp Schwab site as previously agreed.
US government and military officials have stressed that Washington is in no mood to reopen talks on a deal that was years in the making.
Hatoyama has said the issue is unlikely to be resolved before Obama's November 12-13 visit, while his ministers have floated sometimes contradictory ideas about how to resolve the issue.
On Okinawa, where Hatoyama's left-leaning coalition partners made strong gains in recent elections, positions have also been hardening about the long-festering question of where US forces should be based.
Washington regards the southern island as a key staging post close to China, Taiwan and North Korea -- but local residents have long been angered by aircraft noise, risk of accidents and crimes committed by American personnel.
The city assembly of Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture, on Monday adopted a statement that said: "Given the situation surrounding the Futenma Air Base, which is worsening year by year and which is going against residents' wishes, we can never accept the relocation inside Okinawa."
The mayor of Nago city, site of the Camp Schwab relocation facility, on Monday denied the city was reconsidering its previous offer to host the US replacement base and voiced anger at Japan's new government.
"I'm frustrated by comments made by ministers," said the mayor, Yoshikazu Shimabukuro. "I wonder if they are toying with our feelings."
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Heart of London gets Tokyo-style makeover
Heart of London gets Tokyo-style makeover
(AFP) – 1 day ago
LONDON — Oxford Circus, the heart of London's West End shopping and entertainment district, got a Tokyo-style makeover Monday with a new "scramble crossing" layout.
London Mayor Boris Johnson launched the new scheme, aimed at cutting crowd congestion and the lengthy traipse round the interchange. People are now able to walk diagonally across to their destination in a pedestrian free-for-all.
The design, which also saw barriers and street clutter ripped out, is based on a busy crossing in Shibuya, the Japanese capital's equivalent of London's West End.
"This project is a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old-fashioned common sense," Johnson said.
"The head-scratching frustration caused by the previous design is over and we've brought one of the world's greatest crossroads into the 21st century.
"Being able to cross in an oblique rather than a perpendicular fashion will make Oxford Circus incredibly more efficient for the millions of pedestrians and road users that use the crossing every year."
The changes cost five million pounds (8.2, million dollars, 5.5 million euros) and took six months to complete. Johnson's office said it would be Europe's busiest diagonal crossing.
In homage to the crossing's Japanese origins, Johnson struck a two-metre (yard) gong as Japanese musicians played taiko drums.
At peak periods, up to 32,000 pedestrians per hour pass through Oxford Circus, the intersection of Regent Street and Oxford Street.
"Taking our inspiration from the Far East makes perfect sense as the Japanese have perfected the art of managing large numbers of people through good design and engineering," said Westminster City Council leader Colin Barrow.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – 1 day ago
LONDON — Oxford Circus, the heart of London's West End shopping and entertainment district, got a Tokyo-style makeover Monday with a new "scramble crossing" layout.
London Mayor Boris Johnson launched the new scheme, aimed at cutting crowd congestion and the lengthy traipse round the interchange. People are now able to walk diagonally across to their destination in a pedestrian free-for-all.
The design, which also saw barriers and street clutter ripped out, is based on a busy crossing in Shibuya, the Japanese capital's equivalent of London's West End.
"This project is a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old-fashioned common sense," Johnson said.
"The head-scratching frustration caused by the previous design is over and we've brought one of the world's greatest crossroads into the 21st century.
"Being able to cross in an oblique rather than a perpendicular fashion will make Oxford Circus incredibly more efficient for the millions of pedestrians and road users that use the crossing every year."
The changes cost five million pounds (8.2, million dollars, 5.5 million euros) and took six months to complete. Johnson's office said it would be Europe's busiest diagonal crossing.
In homage to the crossing's Japanese origins, Johnson struck a two-metre (yard) gong as Japanese musicians played taiko drums.
At peak periods, up to 32,000 pedestrians per hour pass through Oxford Circus, the intersection of Regent Street and Oxford Street.
"Taking our inspiration from the Far East makes perfect sense as the Japanese have perfected the art of managing large numbers of people through good design and engineering," said Westminster City Council leader Colin Barrow.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
New Japan PM offers Obama help on Afghanistan
New Japan PM offers Obama help on Afghanistan
By Shingo Ito (AFP) – Sep 23, 2009
NEW YORK — Japan's new left-leaning Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Wednesday told President Barack Obama he would look for ways to support Afghanistan, holding out an olive branch in their first meeting.
Obama also sought to start his relationship with Hatoyama on the right footing, calling the half-century US alliance with Japan a "cornerstone" of US diplomacy and saying he will visit in November.
Hatoyama in the past has criticized "US-led globalism" and called for "more equal" ties between the United States and Japan, with some left-leaning members of his coalition pushing for a cut in the 47,000-strong US troop presence.
Hatoyama has said he plans to end an Indian Ocean naval refueling mission that supports the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan, one of Obama's key priorities.
While in opposition, his party briefly forced a halt to the naval mission through parliamentary maneuvers, arguing that Japan -- officially pacifist since World War II -- should not abet "American wars."
But Hatoyama told reporters after the summit that the relationship between Washington and Tokyo would be a "key pillar" of his foreign policy.
Japan "will seriously consider what we can do for the sake of Afghanistan as well as Japan and the United States" as a possible alternative to the refueling mission, Hatoyama said.
"Japan wants to make a positive contribution in the field of our specialty ... such as agricultural support or job training, which the Afghan people would be pleased to see," Hatoyama said.
Obama stopped short of responding to Hatoyama's proposal, only saying he was "grateful" for his thoughts, according to a Japanese government official.
Obama sought common ground with Hatoyama by drawing implicit comparisons between their change-fueled election races, congratulating him for running an "extraordinary campaign" and leading a "dramatic change" in Japan.
The US leader said he had "very good preliminary discussions about the critical importance of the US-Japanese alliance" in his talks with Hatoyama.
Obama agreed to visit Japan in November, Japanese officials said, possibly as part of an expected Asian tour including stops in China and at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore.
The relationship has been the "cornerstone" of security and the economic prosperity of both countries "for almost 50 years," Obama said after the meeting at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel, near the United Nations where world leaders were meeting.
The two leaders also agreed to work together in climate change talks. "We need to resolve the issue politically," said Hatoyama, who has dramatically stepped up Japan's commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Hatoyama -- whose Democratic Party of Japan ended more than half a century of almost unbroken conservative rule in a sweeping election win last month -- is taking his first steps on the world stage.
During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to stand firm against North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, the Japanese government official said.
"We have to take stern action, including implementation of UN Security Council resolutions," Hatoyama told reporters.
Hatoyama's DPJ has vowed to maintain the country's hardline stance against North Korea, which is reviled by many Japanese due to its abductions of Japanese civilians in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies.
However, Hatoyama has reached out to Asia and some lawmakers in his party have sought more emphasis on starting dialogue with the North.
"I plan to strengthen relations of trust and promote cooperation with Asian countries," Hatoyama told Obama, according to the Japanese official, adding that Obama welcomed the remarks.
During his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday, Hatoyama proposed a plan to create a future EU-style East Asian community, which may be bound under a single currency.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved
By Shingo Ito (AFP) – Sep 23, 2009
NEW YORK — Japan's new left-leaning Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Wednesday told President Barack Obama he would look for ways to support Afghanistan, holding out an olive branch in their first meeting.
Obama also sought to start his relationship with Hatoyama on the right footing, calling the half-century US alliance with Japan a "cornerstone" of US diplomacy and saying he will visit in November.
Hatoyama in the past has criticized "US-led globalism" and called for "more equal" ties between the United States and Japan, with some left-leaning members of his coalition pushing for a cut in the 47,000-strong US troop presence.
Hatoyama has said he plans to end an Indian Ocean naval refueling mission that supports the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan, one of Obama's key priorities.
While in opposition, his party briefly forced a halt to the naval mission through parliamentary maneuvers, arguing that Japan -- officially pacifist since World War II -- should not abet "American wars."
But Hatoyama told reporters after the summit that the relationship between Washington and Tokyo would be a "key pillar" of his foreign policy.
Japan "will seriously consider what we can do for the sake of Afghanistan as well as Japan and the United States" as a possible alternative to the refueling mission, Hatoyama said.
"Japan wants to make a positive contribution in the field of our specialty ... such as agricultural support or job training, which the Afghan people would be pleased to see," Hatoyama said.
Obama stopped short of responding to Hatoyama's proposal, only saying he was "grateful" for his thoughts, according to a Japanese government official.
Obama sought common ground with Hatoyama by drawing implicit comparisons between their change-fueled election races, congratulating him for running an "extraordinary campaign" and leading a "dramatic change" in Japan.
The US leader said he had "very good preliminary discussions about the critical importance of the US-Japanese alliance" in his talks with Hatoyama.
Obama agreed to visit Japan in November, Japanese officials said, possibly as part of an expected Asian tour including stops in China and at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore.
The relationship has been the "cornerstone" of security and the economic prosperity of both countries "for almost 50 years," Obama said after the meeting at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel, near the United Nations where world leaders were meeting.
The two leaders also agreed to work together in climate change talks. "We need to resolve the issue politically," said Hatoyama, who has dramatically stepped up Japan's commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Hatoyama -- whose Democratic Party of Japan ended more than half a century of almost unbroken conservative rule in a sweeping election win last month -- is taking his first steps on the world stage.
During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to stand firm against North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, the Japanese government official said.
"We have to take stern action, including implementation of UN Security Council resolutions," Hatoyama told reporters.
Hatoyama's DPJ has vowed to maintain the country's hardline stance against North Korea, which is reviled by many Japanese due to its abductions of Japanese civilians in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies.
However, Hatoyama has reached out to Asia and some lawmakers in his party have sought more emphasis on starting dialogue with the North.
"I plan to strengthen relations of trust and promote cooperation with Asian countries," Hatoyama told Obama, according to the Japanese official, adding that Obama welcomed the remarks.
During his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday, Hatoyama proposed a plan to create a future EU-style East Asian community, which may be bound under a single currency.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved
Al Gore praises China, Japan climate leadership
Al Gore praises China, Japan climate leadership
(AFP) – Sep 22, 2009
UNITED NATIONS — Former US vice president and environmental activist Al Gore on Tuesday hailed China and Japan for providing global leadership in tackling climate change.
Speaking at a special UN summit on climate change, the Nobel laureate praised statements made by both Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
"I think that China has provided impressive leadership," Gore told reporters.
Predicting that China would take further action if global negotiations on a new treaty succeed, Gore said: "I think the glass is very much half full with China.
"It's not widely known in the rest of the world but China in each of the last two years has planted two and half times more trees than the entire rest of the world put together," he said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao said that the world's largest developing economy was ready to slow down emissions by a "notable margin." But he said emissions would be measured in terms of China's growth and did not provide a figure.
The United States has led rich nations in demanding that China and other developing nations commit to action in a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose requirements on rich states to cut emissions expire in 2012.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, making his first international appearance since his center-left government took charge, confirmed to the summit that the world's second largest economy would ramp up its commitments.
He pledged that Japan would cut emissions by 25 percent by 2020 compared with the 1990 level, a goal far more ambitious than the previous government's eight percent.
Gore described Hatoyama's speech as "terrific" and said he was "encouraged by his pledge to step up assistance for developing nations.
"Japan, along with the European Union, has provided tremendous political leadership over the past decade in keeping the world on track toward progress involving the climate crisis," he said.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Sep 22, 2009
UNITED NATIONS — Former US vice president and environmental activist Al Gore on Tuesday hailed China and Japan for providing global leadership in tackling climate change.
Speaking at a special UN summit on climate change, the Nobel laureate praised statements made by both Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
"I think that China has provided impressive leadership," Gore told reporters.
Predicting that China would take further action if global negotiations on a new treaty succeed, Gore said: "I think the glass is very much half full with China.
"It's not widely known in the rest of the world but China in each of the last two years has planted two and half times more trees than the entire rest of the world put together," he said.
Chinese President Hu Jintao said that the world's largest developing economy was ready to slow down emissions by a "notable margin." But he said emissions would be measured in terms of China's growth and did not provide a figure.
The United States has led rich nations in demanding that China and other developing nations commit to action in a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose requirements on rich states to cut emissions expire in 2012.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, making his first international appearance since his center-left government took charge, confirmed to the summit that the world's second largest economy would ramp up its commitments.
He pledged that Japan would cut emissions by 25 percent by 2020 compared with the 1990 level, a goal far more ambitious than the previous government's eight percent.
Gore described Hatoyama's speech as "terrific" and said he was "encouraged by his pledge to step up assistance for developing nations.
"Japan, along with the European Union, has provided tremendous political leadership over the past decade in keeping the world on track toward progress involving the climate crisis," he said.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Japan's new first lady in backseat diplomacy
Japan's new first lady in backseat diplomacy
AFP September 23, 2009, 7:42 am
NEW YORK (AFP) - Japan's usually cheerful and sometimes quirky new first lady, Miyuki Hatoyama, conducted some backseat diplomacy Tuesday, promoting her husband's political slogan -- fraternity -- at school.
The 66-year-old former actress accompanied her husband, Yukio Hatoyama, who was appointed prime minister last Wednesday and is making his global debut to grapple with tough agendas ranging from climate change to nuclear disarmament.
During a visit to a Japanese school in New York, Miyuki sought to overcome her eccentric image fuelled after she made headlines for saying that her soul had travelled by UFO to Venus and that she had met Tom Cruise in a past life.
"I'm afraid that the memory of September 11 still largely dwells in people's hearts in New York," Miyuki said in her speech to students. "In the end, people want peace. Peace is it. We cannot have peace with fights and anger."
Miyuki continued that "fraternity" -- a political philosophy adopted by her husband -- was an answer.
"Hatoyama is always saying, 'Let's create a society of fraternity.' He aims for that," Miyuki said. "Fraternity means sharing the happiness and sadness of others. That's the spirit of fraternity."
Miyuki, dubbed "Mrs Occult" by Time Magazine, talked about her trip to Venus in a book published last year. Her colorful remarks have been splashed across newspapers as far afield as India, Israel, Britain and the United States.
Hatoyama, 62, head of the center-left Democratic Party of Japan, was voted in by parliament two and a half weeks after his party's stunning election victory changed the country's political landscape.
AFP September 23, 2009, 7:42 am
NEW YORK (AFP) - Japan's usually cheerful and sometimes quirky new first lady, Miyuki Hatoyama, conducted some backseat diplomacy Tuesday, promoting her husband's political slogan -- fraternity -- at school.
The 66-year-old former actress accompanied her husband, Yukio Hatoyama, who was appointed prime minister last Wednesday and is making his global debut to grapple with tough agendas ranging from climate change to nuclear disarmament.
During a visit to a Japanese school in New York, Miyuki sought to overcome her eccentric image fuelled after she made headlines for saying that her soul had travelled by UFO to Venus and that she had met Tom Cruise in a past life.
"I'm afraid that the memory of September 11 still largely dwells in people's hearts in New York," Miyuki said in her speech to students. "In the end, people want peace. Peace is it. We cannot have peace with fights and anger."
Miyuki continued that "fraternity" -- a political philosophy adopted by her husband -- was an answer.
"Hatoyama is always saying, 'Let's create a society of fraternity.' He aims for that," Miyuki said. "Fraternity means sharing the happiness and sadness of others. That's the spirit of fraternity."
Miyuki, dubbed "Mrs Occult" by Time Magazine, talked about her trip to Venus in a book published last year. Her colorful remarks have been splashed across newspapers as far afield as India, Israel, Britain and the United States.
Hatoyama, 62, head of the center-left Democratic Party of Japan, was voted in by parliament two and a half weeks after his party's stunning election victory changed the country's political landscape.
Japan's new government stands by whaling
Japan's new government stands by whaling
(AFP) – Sep 22, 2009
UNITED NATIONS — Japan's new government urged Australia on Tuesday to help prevent violent attacks by activists on Japanese whalers as it stood by the country's traditional support for whaling, an official said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada met his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith on the sidelines of this year's UN General Assembly.
Okada was appointed last Wednesday when Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was sworn in at the head of his new center-left government after winning the country's elections.
The victorious Democratic Party of Japan formed a coalition government with two small parties under Hatoyama, ending half a century of almost uninterrupted rule by the country's conservative Liberal Democratic Party.
"During the meeting, our minister called for Australia's cooperation against groups like Sea Shepherd (Conservation Society), which resort to violent action," a Japanese foreign ministry official said.
Smith stopped short of replying to the request, only saying Australia wants to resolve the dispute through dialogue to avoid straining relations.
"Our minister did not clearly state that the new Japanese government supports whaling, but I understand that his remarks were quite in line with the stance held by our previous cabinet on the subject," the official said.
Anti-whaling nations led by Australia and New Zealand, as well as environmental groups, have attacked Japan for its annual whaling expeditions, including in Antarctic waters, criticizing them as cruel and unnecessary.
Japan hunts whales by using a loophole in the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling that allows whales to be killed for "lethal research," and Tokyo often accuses western critics of insensitivity toward its culture.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Sep 22, 2009
UNITED NATIONS — Japan's new government urged Australia on Tuesday to help prevent violent attacks by activists on Japanese whalers as it stood by the country's traditional support for whaling, an official said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada met his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith on the sidelines of this year's UN General Assembly.
Okada was appointed last Wednesday when Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was sworn in at the head of his new center-left government after winning the country's elections.
The victorious Democratic Party of Japan formed a coalition government with two small parties under Hatoyama, ending half a century of almost uninterrupted rule by the country's conservative Liberal Democratic Party.
"During the meeting, our minister called for Australia's cooperation against groups like Sea Shepherd (Conservation Society), which resort to violent action," a Japanese foreign ministry official said.
Smith stopped short of replying to the request, only saying Australia wants to resolve the dispute through dialogue to avoid straining relations.
"Our minister did not clearly state that the new Japanese government supports whaling, but I understand that his remarks were quite in line with the stance held by our previous cabinet on the subject," the official said.
Anti-whaling nations led by Australia and New Zealand, as well as environmental groups, have attacked Japan for its annual whaling expeditions, including in Antarctic waters, criticizing them as cruel and unnecessary.
Japan hunts whales by using a loophole in the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling that allows whales to be killed for "lethal research," and Tokyo often accuses western critics of insensitivity toward its culture.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
NKorea's moves 'untrustworthy': Japan envoy
N Korea's moves 'untrustworthy': Japan envoy
(AFP) – Sep 7, 2009
TOKYO — Japan's top negotiator on North Korea said on Monday that Pyongyang's recent diplomatic overtures were "untrustworthy" in light of its ongoing nuclear weapons development.
North Korea has shown "small displays of diplomacy and moves to build peace," Akitaka Saiki told reporters after meeting his US counterpart Stephen Bosworth.
But its refusal to commit to the denuclearisation process "makes its diplomatic efforts untrustworthy", he added.
North Korea announced on Friday that it had reached the final stages of enriching uranium, a second way of making nuclear bombs, and was also building more plutonium-based atomic weapons.
"This kind of unilateral nuclear development is a cause for worry. We are making efforts to stop North Korea's provocative attitude towards the international community," Saiki, a career diplomat, said.
The North has recently struck a more conciliatory note after months of tension, freeing two US journalists, sending envoys to talks in Seoul and showing willingness for direct contact with Washington on the nuclear standoff.
But Saiki said he had been assured by Bosworth that there were "absolutely no prospects of (bilateral) US-North Korean talks in the near term."
The North has been pushing for direct talks with the United States since its April move to quit the six-nation process grouping the two Koreas, the US, Japan, Russia and China in protest at the UN censure of a rocket launch.
Bosworth, who was in Japan after visiting Beijing and Seoul, has said that talks would only take place between the United States and North Korea within the six-party framework.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Sep 7, 2009
TOKYO — Japan's top negotiator on North Korea said on Monday that Pyongyang's recent diplomatic overtures were "untrustworthy" in light of its ongoing nuclear weapons development.
North Korea has shown "small displays of diplomacy and moves to build peace," Akitaka Saiki told reporters after meeting his US counterpart Stephen Bosworth.
But its refusal to commit to the denuclearisation process "makes its diplomatic efforts untrustworthy", he added.
North Korea announced on Friday that it had reached the final stages of enriching uranium, a second way of making nuclear bombs, and was also building more plutonium-based atomic weapons.
"This kind of unilateral nuclear development is a cause for worry. We are making efforts to stop North Korea's provocative attitude towards the international community," Saiki, a career diplomat, said.
The North has recently struck a more conciliatory note after months of tension, freeing two US journalists, sending envoys to talks in Seoul and showing willingness for direct contact with Washington on the nuclear standoff.
But Saiki said he had been assured by Bosworth that there were "absolutely no prospects of (bilateral) US-North Korean talks in the near term."
The North has been pushing for direct talks with the United States since its April move to quit the six-nation process grouping the two Koreas, the US, Japan, Russia and China in protest at the UN censure of a rocket launch.
Bosworth, who was in Japan after visiting Beijing and Seoul, has said that talks would only take place between the United States and North Korea within the six-party framework.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Japan's next PM vows tough greenhouse gas cuts
Japan's next PM vows tough greenhouse gas cuts
(AFP) – Sep 6, 2009
TOKYO — Japan's next prime minister Yukio Hatoyama delighted environmental activists but worried business leaders on Monday by vowing to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.
"We welcome new prime minister Hatoyama's courage," said World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan office chief Takamasa Higuchi in a statement, praising Hatoyama who is set to take office on September 16.
The new target is far more ambitious than the eight-percent reduction advocated by the outgoing conservative government of Prime Minister Taro Aso, which lost parliamentary elections on August 30.
"It is hard to believe," Nippon Oil Corp. chairman Fumiaki Watari said of Hatoyama's plan.
"I want to ascertain his intention," he told reporters while visiting Beijing with a delegation of Japanese business leaders, the Jiji Press news agency reported.
"It is nothing but preposterous," Kobe Steel advisor Koushi Mizukoshi said, according to the news agency. "It will undoubtedly run counter to national interests. It will become impossible to conduct manufacturing activities at home."
Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, told Kyodo News that the new target "will be an encouragement for other countries to show a greater level of ambition."
The WWF's Higuchi said Japan until now "lacked an ambitious attitude because it was largely influenced by an industrial sector that is backward-looking in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
Greenpeace also called the new target "a major step forward."
"This is the first sign of climate leadership we have seen out of any developed country for quite some time -- the type of leadership we need to see from President (Barack) Obama," said Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International.
Kaiser also said the target still fell short of a 40 percent cut by 2020 required from industrialised countries as a group and warned that it needed to be a domestic target, rather than achieved through international offsets.
Outgoing premier Aso's business-friendly government was criticised for bowing to pressure from Japanese manufacturers who have pushed for a new reduction target of no more than six percent.
The head of the WWF Global Climate Initiative, Kim Carstensen, said Japan's new higher goal "will be a big force in moving one step forward the stalled talks between developed and developing countries."
Hatoyama, who heads the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan, said Tokyo would ask other major greenhouse gas emitters to also set tough targets on emissions blamed for raising global temperatures.
Japan, the world's second largest economy, will formally present its goal at international talks in Copenhagen in December aimed at agreeing a follow-up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012.
On the Net:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: http://unfccc.int/2860.php
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Sep 6, 2009
TOKYO — Japan's next prime minister Yukio Hatoyama delighted environmental activists but worried business leaders on Monday by vowing to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.
"We welcome new prime minister Hatoyama's courage," said World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan office chief Takamasa Higuchi in a statement, praising Hatoyama who is set to take office on September 16.
The new target is far more ambitious than the eight-percent reduction advocated by the outgoing conservative government of Prime Minister Taro Aso, which lost parliamentary elections on August 30.
"It is hard to believe," Nippon Oil Corp. chairman Fumiaki Watari said of Hatoyama's plan.
"I want to ascertain his intention," he told reporters while visiting Beijing with a delegation of Japanese business leaders, the Jiji Press news agency reported.
"It is nothing but preposterous," Kobe Steel advisor Koushi Mizukoshi said, according to the news agency. "It will undoubtedly run counter to national interests. It will become impossible to conduct manufacturing activities at home."
Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, told Kyodo News that the new target "will be an encouragement for other countries to show a greater level of ambition."
The WWF's Higuchi said Japan until now "lacked an ambitious attitude because it was largely influenced by an industrial sector that is backward-looking in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
Greenpeace also called the new target "a major step forward."
"This is the first sign of climate leadership we have seen out of any developed country for quite some time -- the type of leadership we need to see from President (Barack) Obama," said Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International.
Kaiser also said the target still fell short of a 40 percent cut by 2020 required from industrialised countries as a group and warned that it needed to be a domestic target, rather than achieved through international offsets.
Outgoing premier Aso's business-friendly government was criticised for bowing to pressure from Japanese manufacturers who have pushed for a new reduction target of no more than six percent.
The head of the WWF Global Climate Initiative, Kim Carstensen, said Japan's new higher goal "will be a big force in moving one step forward the stalled talks between developed and developing countries."
Hatoyama, who heads the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan, said Tokyo would ask other major greenhouse gas emitters to also set tough targets on emissions blamed for raising global temperatures.
Japan, the world's second largest economy, will formally present its goal at international talks in Copenhagen in December aimed at agreeing a follow-up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012.
On the Net:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: http://unfccc.int/2860.php
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Okada to become Japan's new foreign minister: reports
Okada to become Japan's new foreign minister: reports
(AFP) – Sep 4, 2009
TOKYO — Katsuya Okada, a senior figure in the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), is to be appointed the nation's new foreign minister, newspapers reported on Saturday.
Japan's next prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, has "decided in principle" on the appointment, which will be announced on September 16 when he takes office, the Mainichi Shimbun said, quoting sources close to Hatoyama.
Okada, the secretary-general of the party, has personal connections with influential figures in the United States and is also known as an advocate for Asian-oriented diplomacy.
News reports also said DPJ senior adviser Hirohisa Fujii is a likely candidate for the finance minister post, while former health minister Naoto Kan may be tapped for the head of the newly-formed National Strategy Bureau.
Hatoyama's DPJ claimed a landslide win in last weekend's general election, ending more than half a century of almost unbroken rule by outgoing Prime Minister Taro Aso's Liberal Democratic Party.
The 56-year-old Okada has said Japan must get out from underneath the United States after years in the shadow of its major ally and must reach out more to its Asian neighbours.
"It will be the age of Asia, and in that context it is important for Japan to have its own stance, to play its role in the region," Okada said in an interview with AFP last month.
He is the second son of Takuya Okada, who remains honorary chairman of one of Japan's two leading supermarket operators, Aeon. He joined the trade ministry in 1976 after graduating in law from the prestigious University of Tokyo.
Okada, who also studied at Harvard University, was first elected to parliament representing Aso's LDP in 1990 but bolted for the new opposition party in 1993, when Japan saw its first non-LDP ruling coalition in 38 years.
Okada, dubbed the prince of the DPJ, was elected head of the party in 2004 but forced to step down following a massive defeat in the 2005 general election.
One of his more peculiar hobbies is collecting items that depict frogs. But there is a serious political point -- "frog" in Japanese is a homonym for "change" -- the slogan used by the DPJ during last month's election campaign.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Sep 4, 2009
TOKYO — Katsuya Okada, a senior figure in the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), is to be appointed the nation's new foreign minister, newspapers reported on Saturday.
Japan's next prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, has "decided in principle" on the appointment, which will be announced on September 16 when he takes office, the Mainichi Shimbun said, quoting sources close to Hatoyama.
Okada, the secretary-general of the party, has personal connections with influential figures in the United States and is also known as an advocate for Asian-oriented diplomacy.
News reports also said DPJ senior adviser Hirohisa Fujii is a likely candidate for the finance minister post, while former health minister Naoto Kan may be tapped for the head of the newly-formed National Strategy Bureau.
Hatoyama's DPJ claimed a landslide win in last weekend's general election, ending more than half a century of almost unbroken rule by outgoing Prime Minister Taro Aso's Liberal Democratic Party.
The 56-year-old Okada has said Japan must get out from underneath the United States after years in the shadow of its major ally and must reach out more to its Asian neighbours.
"It will be the age of Asia, and in that context it is important for Japan to have its own stance, to play its role in the region," Okada said in an interview with AFP last month.
He is the second son of Takuya Okada, who remains honorary chairman of one of Japan's two leading supermarket operators, Aeon. He joined the trade ministry in 1976 after graduating in law from the prestigious University of Tokyo.
Okada, who also studied at Harvard University, was first elected to parliament representing Aso's LDP in 1990 but bolted for the new opposition party in 1993, when Japan saw its first non-LDP ruling coalition in 38 years.
Okada, dubbed the prince of the DPJ, was elected head of the party in 2004 but forced to step down following a massive defeat in the 2005 general election.
One of his more peculiar hobbies is collecting items that depict frogs. But there is a serious political point -- "frog" in Japanese is a homonym for "change" -- the slogan used by the DPJ during last month's election campaign.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Japan's next PM a softie at home, says wife
Japan's next PM a softie at home, says wife
(AFP) – Aug 31, 2009
TOKYO — Japan's next prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, likes to wash dishes, enjoys animal movies and is secretly addicted to shrimp crackers, according to his wife Miyuki, a newspaper said on Monday.
Hatoyama, who heads the Democratic Party of Japan, which won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections on Sunday, is "a natural person," Miyuki told the Mainichi newspaper.
"Hatoyama is often described as an 'alien,' but he is truly an ordinary person, a natural person," she was quoted as saying.
"He shows love without restraint, and in that sense he may appear to be an alien because he is unlike a Japanese," she added. Hatoyama has been nicknamed 'the alien' by his party in a gentle stab at his physical appearance.
The scion of a powerful political dynasty and one of Japan's richest lawmakers, the 62-year-old Stanford-trained engineer generally appears straight-faced in public, with a few exceptional smiles after Sunday's vote.
Miyuki painted a warm picture of her husband in private.
"I like to cook, but he goes to the kitchen after breakfast and dinner saying, 'I feel bad letting you do the dishes after having you cook'," Miyuki, a former actress-turned-lifestyle-guru told the paper.
Miyuki said the couple never discussed politics at home and that, instead, she gave him foot rubs after a hard day's campaigning.
"On holidays, we go to the supermarket together and he appears to have fun pushing the cart around. He likes shrimp crackers, but knowing that I will scold him, he secretly slips a couple of bags into the cart," she said.
Among his other hobbies, Hatoyama enjoys watching movies in which the protagonists are animals or have sweet plots such as Hayao Miyazaki's animation classic "Princess Mononoke," she said.
"I am a fan of action movies, and he tells me, 'Why do you like such violent movies?' But he still watches them with me," she added.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Aug 31, 2009
TOKYO — Japan's next prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, likes to wash dishes, enjoys animal movies and is secretly addicted to shrimp crackers, according to his wife Miyuki, a newspaper said on Monday.
Hatoyama, who heads the Democratic Party of Japan, which won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections on Sunday, is "a natural person," Miyuki told the Mainichi newspaper.
"Hatoyama is often described as an 'alien,' but he is truly an ordinary person, a natural person," she was quoted as saying.
"He shows love without restraint, and in that sense he may appear to be an alien because he is unlike a Japanese," she added. Hatoyama has been nicknamed 'the alien' by his party in a gentle stab at his physical appearance.
The scion of a powerful political dynasty and one of Japan's richest lawmakers, the 62-year-old Stanford-trained engineer generally appears straight-faced in public, with a few exceptional smiles after Sunday's vote.
Miyuki painted a warm picture of her husband in private.
"I like to cook, but he goes to the kitchen after breakfast and dinner saying, 'I feel bad letting you do the dishes after having you cook'," Miyuki, a former actress-turned-lifestyle-guru told the paper.
Miyuki said the couple never discussed politics at home and that, instead, she gave him foot rubs after a hard day's campaigning.
"On holidays, we go to the supermarket together and he appears to have fun pushing the cart around. He likes shrimp crackers, but knowing that I will scold him, he secretly slips a couple of bags into the cart," she said.
Among his other hobbies, Hatoyama enjoys watching movies in which the protagonists are animals or have sweet plots such as Hayao Miyazaki's animation classic "Princess Mononoke," she said.
"I am a fan of action movies, and he tells me, 'Why do you like such violent movies?' But he still watches them with me," she added.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Tensions brewing between Japan Inc. and new govt
Tensions brewing between Japan Inc. and new govt
Sep-3-09 1:00pm
From: afp.com
Fresh from a landslide election win, Japan's next government faces signs of an emerging rift with big business, which fears some of its policies could hinder a recovery in the recession-hit economy.
Premier-in-waiting Yukio Hatoyama has vowed to put the interests of people before those of corporate Japan. In a recent essay he criticised "unrestrained market fundamentalism and financial capitalism that are void of morals."
His Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has irked major manufacturers with a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
The ambitious target compares with an eight-percent cut promised by the pro-business Liberal Democratic Party, which was swept from power in a landmark election Sunday after governing Japan almost continuously since 1955.
The head of the top business lobby, Nippon Keidanren, has called on the DPJ to review its emission reduction target, telling Japanese media on Thursday that it may be unrealistic and "a burden to the people."
The lobby's head Fujio Mitarai -- chairman of high-tech giant Canon Inc. -- urged the DPJ to consider the "effects on jobs" of the sweeping plan.
Japanese companies have long argued that tighter emission rules would hurt their ability to compete with global rivals, and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association has also spoken out against the plan.
"We are concerned about its feasibility given its impact on economic activities, effect on employment and significant burden on the Japanese people," said Honda Motor chairman Satoshi Aoki, who heads the association.
The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan has described the target as "very tough" and asked the party to be more realistic.
Another bone of contention is the DPJ's proposal to curb the use of temporary workers, who have borne the brunt of jobs cuts by companies struggling to cope with the worst recession in decades.
The party's allies in the labour unions have accused Japanese companies of being too quick to fire contract workers, who played a key role keeping Japan's plants and factories running before the economic crisis erupted.
After decades of cosy ties between the LDP and big business, Hatoyama's DPJ has pledged to shift the focus to households with measures including cash allowances for families, an increased minimum wage, and petrol tax cuts.
Rather than raising taxes, the opposition proposes funding its measures by cutting wasteful government spending.
The DPJ has decided to freeze the unspent portion of the extra budget drawn up by the LDP for this fiscal year and divert the money to its own welfare programmes, the Yomiuri newspaper reported in its evening edition.
Analysts believe the DPJ's proposed measures, worth a combined 16.8 trillion yen (177 billion yen) a year from 2012, could boost consumer spending -- for long a weak link in the economy.
But some are worried that the party is abandoning free-market reforms they see as vital in order to tackle the massive public debt and boost productivity to cope with an ageing and shrinking population.
"The DPJ has failed to point to any clear policies related to job creation, industrial promotion, population problems, deregulation, policy finance methods and fiscal consolidation," said Barclays Capital economist Kyohei Morita.
"This makes it difficult to see how the Japanese economy will develop over the long term."
Experts say, however, that corporate Japan could benefit from assistance from the incoming government in areas such as electric cars and energy-efficient appliances.
The DPJ plan is likely to require individual firms to cut emission, but could also create new opportunities for companies with environmental technologies, said Yoko Monoe, an analyst at the Daiwa Institute of Research.
Sep-3-09 1:00pm
From: afp.com
Fresh from a landslide election win, Japan's next government faces signs of an emerging rift with big business, which fears some of its policies could hinder a recovery in the recession-hit economy.
Premier-in-waiting Yukio Hatoyama has vowed to put the interests of people before those of corporate Japan. In a recent essay he criticised "unrestrained market fundamentalism and financial capitalism that are void of morals."
His Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has irked major manufacturers with a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
The ambitious target compares with an eight-percent cut promised by the pro-business Liberal Democratic Party, which was swept from power in a landmark election Sunday after governing Japan almost continuously since 1955.
The head of the top business lobby, Nippon Keidanren, has called on the DPJ to review its emission reduction target, telling Japanese media on Thursday that it may be unrealistic and "a burden to the people."
The lobby's head Fujio Mitarai -- chairman of high-tech giant Canon Inc. -- urged the DPJ to consider the "effects on jobs" of the sweeping plan.
Japanese companies have long argued that tighter emission rules would hurt their ability to compete with global rivals, and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association has also spoken out against the plan.
"We are concerned about its feasibility given its impact on economic activities, effect on employment and significant burden on the Japanese people," said Honda Motor chairman Satoshi Aoki, who heads the association.
The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan has described the target as "very tough" and asked the party to be more realistic.
Another bone of contention is the DPJ's proposal to curb the use of temporary workers, who have borne the brunt of jobs cuts by companies struggling to cope with the worst recession in decades.
The party's allies in the labour unions have accused Japanese companies of being too quick to fire contract workers, who played a key role keeping Japan's plants and factories running before the economic crisis erupted.
After decades of cosy ties between the LDP and big business, Hatoyama's DPJ has pledged to shift the focus to households with measures including cash allowances for families, an increased minimum wage, and petrol tax cuts.
Rather than raising taxes, the opposition proposes funding its measures by cutting wasteful government spending.
The DPJ has decided to freeze the unspent portion of the extra budget drawn up by the LDP for this fiscal year and divert the money to its own welfare programmes, the Yomiuri newspaper reported in its evening edition.
Analysts believe the DPJ's proposed measures, worth a combined 16.8 trillion yen (177 billion yen) a year from 2012, could boost consumer spending -- for long a weak link in the economy.
But some are worried that the party is abandoning free-market reforms they see as vital in order to tackle the massive public debt and boost productivity to cope with an ageing and shrinking population.
"The DPJ has failed to point to any clear policies related to job creation, industrial promotion, population problems, deregulation, policy finance methods and fiscal consolidation," said Barclays Capital economist Kyohei Morita.
"This makes it difficult to see how the Japanese economy will develop over the long term."
Experts say, however, that corporate Japan could benefit from assistance from the incoming government in areas such as electric cars and energy-efficient appliances.
The DPJ plan is likely to require individual firms to cut emission, but could also create new opportunities for companies with environmental technologies, said Yoko Monoe, an analyst at the Daiwa Institute of Research.
Rising poverty looms large in Japan's election
Rising poverty looms large in Japan's election
By Harumi Ozawa (AFP) – Aug 22, 2009
KITAKYUSHU, Japan — Tomoshi Okuda is a man of faith, not politics. But the Japanese pastor has seen enough new faces on his nightly rounds feeding the homeless to persuade him that something needs to change.
He's not the only one eager for a fresh start. With unemployment rising in the wake of the worst recession in decades, voters appear to be deserting Prime Minister Taro Aso's long-ruling party ahead of an August 30 election.
It's a far cry from the 2005 lower house vote when premier Junichiro Koizumi won by a landslide on a platform of harsh economic reforms. These days many people blame his measures for a growing rich-poor divide.
"I'm watching who will offer the most drastic change to the course of Koizumi's structural reform," Okuda told AFP during his rounds on a rainy evening in Kitakyushu, an industrial city in southwest Japan.
The 45-year-old Baptist pastor hands out bananas and rice meals to people sleeping on the streets, including one 68-year-old woman sheltering from the downpour on a flattened cardboard box in a shopping arcade.
"I want to start working again, but I can't with my broken leg," she said.
Thousands of workers have been laid off in the local area, home to plants run by major firms including Nissan, Toshiba and Canon -- which have all been hit hard by slumping exports and Japan's worst post-war recession.
"In April alone, we saw 69 new faces on the street, three times more than in the same month last year. One young man, only 29, was a temporary worker at a Nissan auto parts factory who was laid off in December," Okuda said.
"Another 27-year-old man lived homeless with his wife, 24, and a four-year-old girl. Her apparently pink shoes were black with dust."
Some people are even believed to have starved to death after being refused welfare benefits. In the latest case here, a 39-year-old man was reportedly found dead with nine yen (9.5 US cents) in his wallet and an unposted note saying "help."
Across the country almost 230,000 temporary workers have lost their jobs since the recession began last year, pushing the jobless rate up to a six-year high of 5.4 percent -- within striking distance of its post-war peak.
Although Japan's economy rebounded in the second quarter of 2009, there has been little sign of a bounce in the polls for Aso, whose Liberal Democratic Party has ruled almost uninterrupted for more than half a century.
"Voters are totally fed up with the one-party LDP rule. Nobody believes in it any more and people are really desperately wanting to see a change," said Noriko Hama, a professor of economics at Doshisha Business School in Kyoto.
The LDP and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) have both pledged to roll back some of Koizumi's reforms, which were aimed at slimming down the public sector and reducing the huge national debt.
Aso has pledged to break away from "excessive market capitalism," while the DPJ wants to boost spending on child support, education, healthcare and employment measures, and restrict the use of temporary job contracts.
The DPJ's agenda mirrors US President Barack Obama's efforts to increase public spending to boost the economy and medical care, said Yoshinobu Yamamoto, professor of politics at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo.
"What the DPJ is trying to do seems similar to the old style of government intervention in the economy," he said.
Japan once took great pride in having an egalitarian society and life-time employment following its rise from the ashes of World War II.
But many people now fear for the future and are relying on handouts or working longer to make ends meet. The number of households on welfare benefits hit a record high of 1.2 million in April, according to the most recent data.
"The LDP and (its coalition partner) New Komeito have been in government for too long, and look what happened. Things are not good," said 66-year-old Tokyo resident Shigeo Utsumi, who wants to work but cannot find a good job.
"It's probably a good idea to let the DPJ take over, at least once. We're heading for disaster if nothing changes."
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved
By Harumi Ozawa (AFP) – Aug 22, 2009
KITAKYUSHU, Japan — Tomoshi Okuda is a man of faith, not politics. But the Japanese pastor has seen enough new faces on his nightly rounds feeding the homeless to persuade him that something needs to change.
He's not the only one eager for a fresh start. With unemployment rising in the wake of the worst recession in decades, voters appear to be deserting Prime Minister Taro Aso's long-ruling party ahead of an August 30 election.
It's a far cry from the 2005 lower house vote when premier Junichiro Koizumi won by a landslide on a platform of harsh economic reforms. These days many people blame his measures for a growing rich-poor divide.
"I'm watching who will offer the most drastic change to the course of Koizumi's structural reform," Okuda told AFP during his rounds on a rainy evening in Kitakyushu, an industrial city in southwest Japan.
The 45-year-old Baptist pastor hands out bananas and rice meals to people sleeping on the streets, including one 68-year-old woman sheltering from the downpour on a flattened cardboard box in a shopping arcade.
"I want to start working again, but I can't with my broken leg," she said.
Thousands of workers have been laid off in the local area, home to plants run by major firms including Nissan, Toshiba and Canon -- which have all been hit hard by slumping exports and Japan's worst post-war recession.
"In April alone, we saw 69 new faces on the street, three times more than in the same month last year. One young man, only 29, was a temporary worker at a Nissan auto parts factory who was laid off in December," Okuda said.
"Another 27-year-old man lived homeless with his wife, 24, and a four-year-old girl. Her apparently pink shoes were black with dust."
Some people are even believed to have starved to death after being refused welfare benefits. In the latest case here, a 39-year-old man was reportedly found dead with nine yen (9.5 US cents) in his wallet and an unposted note saying "help."
Across the country almost 230,000 temporary workers have lost their jobs since the recession began last year, pushing the jobless rate up to a six-year high of 5.4 percent -- within striking distance of its post-war peak.
Although Japan's economy rebounded in the second quarter of 2009, there has been little sign of a bounce in the polls for Aso, whose Liberal Democratic Party has ruled almost uninterrupted for more than half a century.
"Voters are totally fed up with the one-party LDP rule. Nobody believes in it any more and people are really desperately wanting to see a change," said Noriko Hama, a professor of economics at Doshisha Business School in Kyoto.
The LDP and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) have both pledged to roll back some of Koizumi's reforms, which were aimed at slimming down the public sector and reducing the huge national debt.
Aso has pledged to break away from "excessive market capitalism," while the DPJ wants to boost spending on child support, education, healthcare and employment measures, and restrict the use of temporary job contracts.
The DPJ's agenda mirrors US President Barack Obama's efforts to increase public spending to boost the economy and medical care, said Yoshinobu Yamamoto, professor of politics at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo.
"What the DPJ is trying to do seems similar to the old style of government intervention in the economy," he said.
Japan once took great pride in having an egalitarian society and life-time employment following its rise from the ashes of World War II.
But many people now fear for the future and are relying on handouts or working longer to make ends meet. The number of households on welfare benefits hit a record high of 1.2 million in April, according to the most recent data.
"The LDP and (its coalition partner) New Komeito have been in government for too long, and look what happened. Things are not good," said 66-year-old Tokyo resident Shigeo Utsumi, who wants to work but cannot find a good job.
"It's probably a good idea to let the DPJ take over, at least once. We're heading for disaster if nothing changes."
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved
Japan to use deep-sea probes to search for minerals
Japan to use deep-sea probes to search for minerals
(AFP) – Aug 6, 2009
TOKYO — Japan plans to deploy unmanned probes to scour the sea-floor around the resource-poor island nation for mineral deposits, a government-backed scientific organisation said Thursday.
Two underwater robots tethered to a ship would explore the seabed for rare metals, said an official of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), which is set to start the project in fiscal year 2010.
Researchers hope to discover minerals such as manganese, cobalt, lead and zinc used in Japanese products from cars to the batteries in IT gadgets.
JAMSTEC, a government-linked agency that specialises in environmental research and marine technology, plans to invest four billion yen (42.55 million dollars) in the probes, the official said.
The move comes as Japan, the world's second-biggest economy, tries to break away from its dependence on foreign imports of raw materials and energy.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is trying to secure stable supplies of rare metals amid growing demand from emerging economies that has sparked worries over a supply crunch.
"It is extremely important to ensure stable supplies of rare metals from the standpoint of maintaining and strengthening the competitiveness of Japan's manufacturing industry," the ministry said in a strategy published last week.
It is important for Japan to "strengthen the technology it holds for securing natural resources," it added.
Experts say deep-sea mining, especially near mineral-belching hydrothermal vents on the sea-floor, will become feasible despite huge technical challenges and expenses, as certain minerals become more scarce worldwide.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
(AFP) – Aug 6, 2009
TOKYO — Japan plans to deploy unmanned probes to scour the sea-floor around the resource-poor island nation for mineral deposits, a government-backed scientific organisation said Thursday.
Two underwater robots tethered to a ship would explore the seabed for rare metals, said an official of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), which is set to start the project in fiscal year 2010.
Researchers hope to discover minerals such as manganese, cobalt, lead and zinc used in Japanese products from cars to the batteries in IT gadgets.
JAMSTEC, a government-linked agency that specialises in environmental research and marine technology, plans to invest four billion yen (42.55 million dollars) in the probes, the official said.
The move comes as Japan, the world's second-biggest economy, tries to break away from its dependence on foreign imports of raw materials and energy.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is trying to secure stable supplies of rare metals amid growing demand from emerging economies that has sparked worries over a supply crunch.
"It is extremely important to ensure stable supplies of rare metals from the standpoint of maintaining and strengthening the competitiveness of Japan's manufacturing industry," the ministry said in a strategy published last week.
It is important for Japan to "strengthen the technology it holds for securing natural resources," it added.
Experts say deep-sea mining, especially near mineral-belching hydrothermal vents on the sea-floor, will become feasible despite huge technical challenges and expenses, as certain minerals become more scarce worldwide.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
How to Find a Spouse, Japanese-Style
How to Find a Spouse, Japanese-Style
The Trend of Konkatsu, or Marriage Hunting, Is a Departure for Japanese People
By MARGARET CONLEY
TOKYO, Aug. 7, 2009 —
Smartly dressed young Japanese professionals casually converse in a dimly lit bar at what appears to be any other hotspot in Tokyo.
But between sips of sake, the stakes are high. These singles are here for konkatsu, or marriage hunting.
This latest mainstream trend of actually seeking a spouse is a departure for tradition-driven Japan and from the era of office ladies and arranged marriage.
Today, with more Japanese women holding careers after the equal employment opportunity act was passed in 1986, government statistics show marriage rates are on the decline and the marrying age is rising.
"Until the 1980s, we had this system of arranged marriage, or meeting people through work," says Masahiro Yamada, who coined the phrase konkatsu with co-author Tohko Shirakawa. "So there was a system working for a lot of people. So you didn't really have to make an effort. You didn't have to be that active to meet someone."
The word "konkatsu" is a spinoff of the term "job hunting." As their best-selling book "Konkatsu Jidai, or The Era of Marriage Hunting," flew off shelves last year, the concept has become a socially acceptable trend.
Businesses Cash In
Businesses in this economic recession are cashing in.
Since changing his publicity plan at his bar, Green, from a singles bar to a members-only konkatsu bar, manager Yuta Honda says business is up 400 percent.
"In this downturn economy," Honda says from his bar in the city's Roppongi district, "if you just go after money, you will not succeed. You have to give customers some kind of value or benefit."
In the nearby neighborhood of Shibuya, a "konkatsu cooking class" offers the benefit of expertise in the kitchen -- or, perhaps, the chance to meet a potential spouse.
Participants pay about $60 to mingle in a small group at a private residence. There they partake in an intimate cooking lesson, chopping up vegetables and sampling sauces side by side.
After preparing their meal, they eat together as a group and see if any of the sizzle from the kitchen transfers to the residence dining room.
Kunio Saragai, a 32-year-old systems engineer, tells ABC News he's at the class because "he's not a good cook and wants to learn," but he also joined for konkatsu. He says he hopes to ask out one of the women he met that night. Yamada, also a sociology professor at Chuo University in Tokyo, has observed differences between singles culture in the East and West. He says singles in Japan are too comfortably passive.
"They wait for somebody to find you, or to talk to you, or to approach you," he says. "It's not how Americans act. Too many people are waiting."
Speaking in broad terms, he attributes some of the laid-back mentality to a group he calls "parasite singles." It is another popular buzz word and refers to adults who enjoy a carefree lifestyle by living with their parents, or as his name suggests, feeding off of them. "In Japan, there are many people in their 30s and 40s who live with their parents. They have company so they don't really feel lonely," Yamada explains. "They don't feel the urgency, that's why they are waiting. They wait for somebody perfect to come to their life. That also has to change."
Konkatsu Becomes a Craze
The konkatsu craze has spread throughout Japan, with venues searching for clever ways to play modern-day matchmaker -- from bars and cooking classes, to baseball stadiums and even shrines.
Imado shrine in Tokyo offers a prayer service and tea party for singles.
"This is a shrine known for marriage and many men and women seeking a good match come here," priest Tomoe Ichino tells Reuters.
Relying on divine intervention and actively looking, however, doesn't always provide answers.
"Now given this economy," says Teruko Katsuragi, a konkatsu bar patron, "not every man is guaranteed with lifetime employment, so there may be a gap between what men can offer and what women want."
While getting married may still be prevalent in Japanese society, Yamada concedes that he came up with the idea of konkatsu to simply help people get together.
"It's only natural that people want to meet somebody and want to love and also want to be loved," he says, "and when that happens, they don't necessarily have to get married."
Noriko Namiki contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
The Trend of Konkatsu, or Marriage Hunting, Is a Departure for Japanese People
By MARGARET CONLEY
TOKYO, Aug. 7, 2009 —
Smartly dressed young Japanese professionals casually converse in a dimly lit bar at what appears to be any other hotspot in Tokyo.
But between sips of sake, the stakes are high. These singles are here for konkatsu, or marriage hunting.
This latest mainstream trend of actually seeking a spouse is a departure for tradition-driven Japan and from the era of office ladies and arranged marriage.
Today, with more Japanese women holding careers after the equal employment opportunity act was passed in 1986, government statistics show marriage rates are on the decline and the marrying age is rising.
"Until the 1980s, we had this system of arranged marriage, or meeting people through work," says Masahiro Yamada, who coined the phrase konkatsu with co-author Tohko Shirakawa. "So there was a system working for a lot of people. So you didn't really have to make an effort. You didn't have to be that active to meet someone."
The word "konkatsu" is a spinoff of the term "job hunting." As their best-selling book "Konkatsu Jidai, or The Era of Marriage Hunting," flew off shelves last year, the concept has become a socially acceptable trend.
Businesses Cash In
Businesses in this economic recession are cashing in.
Since changing his publicity plan at his bar, Green, from a singles bar to a members-only konkatsu bar, manager Yuta Honda says business is up 400 percent.
"In this downturn economy," Honda says from his bar in the city's Roppongi district, "if you just go after money, you will not succeed. You have to give customers some kind of value or benefit."
In the nearby neighborhood of Shibuya, a "konkatsu cooking class" offers the benefit of expertise in the kitchen -- or, perhaps, the chance to meet a potential spouse.
Participants pay about $60 to mingle in a small group at a private residence. There they partake in an intimate cooking lesson, chopping up vegetables and sampling sauces side by side.
After preparing their meal, they eat together as a group and see if any of the sizzle from the kitchen transfers to the residence dining room.
Kunio Saragai, a 32-year-old systems engineer, tells ABC News he's at the class because "he's not a good cook and wants to learn," but he also joined for konkatsu. He says he hopes to ask out one of the women he met that night. Yamada, also a sociology professor at Chuo University in Tokyo, has observed differences between singles culture in the East and West. He says singles in Japan are too comfortably passive.
"They wait for somebody to find you, or to talk to you, or to approach you," he says. "It's not how Americans act. Too many people are waiting."
Speaking in broad terms, he attributes some of the laid-back mentality to a group he calls "parasite singles." It is another popular buzz word and refers to adults who enjoy a carefree lifestyle by living with their parents, or as his name suggests, feeding off of them. "In Japan, there are many people in their 30s and 40s who live with their parents. They have company so they don't really feel lonely," Yamada explains. "They don't feel the urgency, that's why they are waiting. They wait for somebody perfect to come to their life. That also has to change."
Konkatsu Becomes a Craze
The konkatsu craze has spread throughout Japan, with venues searching for clever ways to play modern-day matchmaker -- from bars and cooking classes, to baseball stadiums and even shrines.
Imado shrine in Tokyo offers a prayer service and tea party for singles.
"This is a shrine known for marriage and many men and women seeking a good match come here," priest Tomoe Ichino tells Reuters.
Relying on divine intervention and actively looking, however, doesn't always provide answers.
"Now given this economy," says Teruko Katsuragi, a konkatsu bar patron, "not every man is guaranteed with lifetime employment, so there may be a gap between what men can offer and what women want."
While getting married may still be prevalent in Japanese society, Yamada concedes that he came up with the idea of konkatsu to simply help people get together.
"It's only natural that people want to meet somebody and want to love and also want to be loved," he says, "and when that happens, they don't necessarily have to get married."
Noriko Namiki contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
China rescues kidnapped children
China rescues kidnapped children
Police in China say they have recovered more than 2,000 children in a six-month campaign against human trafficking.
The ministry of public security has set up a website with pictures of some of those kidnapped, in the hope of returning them to their families.
The ministry website has pictures of 60 children, ranging from babies to young adults, who were kidnapped from their families.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children go missing in China each year.
Tragic trade
The 2,008 rescued children come from across China, and some have already been reunited with their parents.
Some of the older children on the "Babies Looking for Home" website were kidnapped years ago, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Criminal gangs steal the children and sell them to childless couples.
State media have reported a string of arrests in recent months, including 42 suspects picked up last week for allegedly selling 52 children in the north of China.
In China's patriarchal society, baby boys are especially prized, sometimes selling for as much as $6,000 (£3,670), says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing.
Girls are sometimes sold for just $500 (£305), he says.
Children of poor farmers or migrant workers are often targeted. The parents of such children have complained in the past of official indifference to their plight.
Human trafficking is seen as a growing problem in China. Some families buy trafficked women or children to use as extra labour or household servants.
There have been several high-profile cases of abducted children being rescued from mines and brick kilns.
Increased wealth and freedom of movement in China have made human trafficking both more profitable and easier, analysts say.
Beijing has promised to do more. A national DNA database was set up this year to help trace missing children.
Published: 2009/10/28 10:39:06 GMT
© BBC MMIX
Police in China say they have recovered more than 2,000 children in a six-month campaign against human trafficking.
The ministry of public security has set up a website with pictures of some of those kidnapped, in the hope of returning them to their families.
The ministry website has pictures of 60 children, ranging from babies to young adults, who were kidnapped from their families.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children go missing in China each year.
Tragic trade
The 2,008 rescued children come from across China, and some have already been reunited with their parents.
Some of the older children on the "Babies Looking for Home" website were kidnapped years ago, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Criminal gangs steal the children and sell them to childless couples.
State media have reported a string of arrests in recent months, including 42 suspects picked up last week for allegedly selling 52 children in the north of China.
In China's patriarchal society, baby boys are especially prized, sometimes selling for as much as $6,000 (£3,670), says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing.
Girls are sometimes sold for just $500 (£305), he says.
Children of poor farmers or migrant workers are often targeted. The parents of such children have complained in the past of official indifference to their plight.
Human trafficking is seen as a growing problem in China. Some families buy trafficked women or children to use as extra labour or household servants.
There have been several high-profile cases of abducted children being rescued from mines and brick kilns.
Increased wealth and freedom of movement in China have made human trafficking both more profitable and easier, analysts say.
Beijing has promised to do more. A national DNA database was set up this year to help trace missing children.
Published: 2009/10/28 10:39:06 GMT
© BBC MMIX
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
China Spends Billions In A Global Spree For Oil
China Spends Billions In A Global Spree For Oil
by Anthony Kuhn
October 27, 2009
The global recession appears to have accelerated a shift in political and economic power to developing nations, especially China's growing role in world energy markets.
China has taken advantage of low prices to snap up energy resources around the planet and ensure future economic growth. So far this year, China has purchased an estimated $15 billion in oil and gas supplies worldwide, already double last year's figure.
Earlier this month, Russia agreed to sell China about 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas a year — almost as much as Russia sells to all of Europe. In August, China paid $8.9 billion to purchase the Swiss firm Addax, giving it access to oil in northern Iraq and West Africa.
Very oil-rich countries, particularly in the Middle East, see China and East Asia as becoming the major demand center, and therefore they want to build diplomatic and commercial links with future major customers.
- Philip Andrews-Speed, an energy expert
Wu Kang, an energy expert at the East-West Center in Hawaii, says China's state oil firms are paying top dollar for their purchases.
"They are cash-rich, which is why they can offer better terms to the host country or company," he says.
Wu says low oil prices have offered China important opportunities. First, China has bought and stored billions of barrels of oil in strategic reserves, which can insulate the country from market fluctuations.
Wu adds that the recession reduces the need for government subsidies that keep gasoline artificially cheap in China.
"This slowing down of the demand globally gives people a chance — particularly for China — to reform, when oil prices are low," Wu says.
Internationally, China's oil shopping binge has raised concerns that China is elbowing out other countries in a competition for finite resources.
But experts point out that China only became a net oil importer 16 years ago. As a latecomer to the market, China has had to buy oil from countries with pariah reputations, war-torn territories and hard-to-extract oil reserves.
"They're going in and producing in countries that otherwise people might not be producing in. So actually, at the margins, they are producing more oil to market than would be if nobody was going into those countries," Andrews-Speed says.
He says oil producers have various reasons for selling to China.
Some poorer nations want the infrastructure investment that China often pledges to sweeten an oil deal. Other countries, like Venezuela, see China as a political counterweight to the United States.
But many are just betting that the global focus of political and economic power is shifting China's way.
"Very oil-rich countries, particularly in the Middle East, see China and East Asia as becoming the major demand center, and therefore they want to build diplomatic and commercial links with future major customers," Andrews-Speed says.
Critics say China's purchases of oil from Iran and Sudan are undermining international sanctions against these countries. Others accuse China of freeloading off U.S. military protection to extract oil from the Persian Gulf.
Jin Canrong, an international affairs expert at People's University in Beijing, says that China's government is somewhat sensitive to these charges.
"China's elites know that their country has benefited from the U.S.-led international system. So China has made the strategic choice to join this system. It now wants to become a builder and contributor to the system," Jin says.
Jin says China is gradually learning to manage the political risks and international criticism that come with its foreign energy acquisitions.
Often, he says, it's learning the hard way — from its mistakes.
by Anthony Kuhn
October 27, 2009
The global recession appears to have accelerated a shift in political and economic power to developing nations, especially China's growing role in world energy markets.
China has taken advantage of low prices to snap up energy resources around the planet and ensure future economic growth. So far this year, China has purchased an estimated $15 billion in oil and gas supplies worldwide, already double last year's figure.
Earlier this month, Russia agreed to sell China about 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas a year — almost as much as Russia sells to all of Europe. In August, China paid $8.9 billion to purchase the Swiss firm Addax, giving it access to oil in northern Iraq and West Africa.
Very oil-rich countries, particularly in the Middle East, see China and East Asia as becoming the major demand center, and therefore they want to build diplomatic and commercial links with future major customers.
- Philip Andrews-Speed, an energy expert
Wu Kang, an energy expert at the East-West Center in Hawaii, says China's state oil firms are paying top dollar for their purchases.
"They are cash-rich, which is why they can offer better terms to the host country or company," he says.
Wu says low oil prices have offered China important opportunities. First, China has bought and stored billions of barrels of oil in strategic reserves, which can insulate the country from market fluctuations.
Wu adds that the recession reduces the need for government subsidies that keep gasoline artificially cheap in China.
"This slowing down of the demand globally gives people a chance — particularly for China — to reform, when oil prices are low," Wu says.
Internationally, China's oil shopping binge has raised concerns that China is elbowing out other countries in a competition for finite resources.
But experts point out that China only became a net oil importer 16 years ago. As a latecomer to the market, China has had to buy oil from countries with pariah reputations, war-torn territories and hard-to-extract oil reserves.
"They're going in and producing in countries that otherwise people might not be producing in. So actually, at the margins, they are producing more oil to market than would be if nobody was going into those countries," Andrews-Speed says.
He says oil producers have various reasons for selling to China.
Some poorer nations want the infrastructure investment that China often pledges to sweeten an oil deal. Other countries, like Venezuela, see China as a political counterweight to the United States.
But many are just betting that the global focus of political and economic power is shifting China's way.
"Very oil-rich countries, particularly in the Middle East, see China and East Asia as becoming the major demand center, and therefore they want to build diplomatic and commercial links with future major customers," Andrews-Speed says.
Critics say China's purchases of oil from Iran and Sudan are undermining international sanctions against these countries. Others accuse China of freeloading off U.S. military protection to extract oil from the Persian Gulf.
Jin Canrong, an international affairs expert at People's University in Beijing, says that China's government is somewhat sensitive to these charges.
"China's elites know that their country has benefited from the U.S.-led international system. So China has made the strategic choice to join this system. It now wants to become a builder and contributor to the system," Jin says.
Jin says China is gradually learning to manage the political risks and international criticism that come with its foreign energy acquisitions.
Often, he says, it's learning the hard way — from its mistakes.
Mob in China lynches a salesman
Mob in China lynches a salesman
Reuters
October 27, 2009
Beijing - A mob of angry parents lynched a book salesman and badly injured four of his colleagues after rumors spread that the men were part of a human smuggling ring, the official New China News Agency said Monday.
The attack at a primary school in prosperous Zhejiang province occurred in the early morning as the group handed out leaflets about a lecture to be given nearby, a police official said.
After gossip spread that a gang was trying to ensnare the young pupils, parents surrounded the group and set upon its members until police intervened. One man died in a hospital and the others were undergoing treatment, the news agency said.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children go missing in China each year.
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
Reuters
October 27, 2009
Beijing - A mob of angry parents lynched a book salesman and badly injured four of his colleagues after rumors spread that the men were part of a human smuggling ring, the official New China News Agency said Monday.
The attack at a primary school in prosperous Zhejiang province occurred in the early morning as the group handed out leaflets about a lecture to be given nearby, a police official said.
After gossip spread that a gang was trying to ensnare the young pupils, parents surrounded the group and set upon its members until police intervened. One man died in a hospital and the others were undergoing treatment, the news agency said.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of children go missing in China each year.
Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
Monday, October 26, 2009
Cross-river double happiness
Cross-river double happiness
By Fan Xiaoming 2009-10-27
Construction crews work on the lower section of the Minpu Bridge, the first double-deck bridge in Shanghai and a structure that will become the world's longest span of its type. Linking Minhang District and the Pudong New Area, the 3.6-kilometer-long bridge is expected to open to traffic at the end of this year. The main span of the cable-stay bridge will measure 708 meters. The crossriver connection will slash travel times from the downtown to the suburbs, Pudong International Airport and neighboring Zhejiang Province. Its upper level is part of an expressway with a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour, while traffic on the six-lane lower level will be restricted to 60 kph, according to its builder, Shanghai Foundation Engineering Co Ltd.
By Fan Xiaoming 2009-10-27
Construction crews work on the lower section of the Minpu Bridge, the first double-deck bridge in Shanghai and a structure that will become the world's longest span of its type. Linking Minhang District and the Pudong New Area, the 3.6-kilometer-long bridge is expected to open to traffic at the end of this year. The main span of the cable-stay bridge will measure 708 meters. The crossriver connection will slash travel times from the downtown to the suburbs, Pudong International Airport and neighboring Zhejiang Province. Its upper level is part of an expressway with a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour, while traffic on the six-lane lower level will be restricted to 60 kph, according to its builder, Shanghai Foundation Engineering Co Ltd.
Japan's hip young farmers dig in to avert food crunch
Japan's hip young farmers dig in to avert food crunch
by Harumi Ozawa Harumi Ozawa – Sun Oct 25, 11:54 pm ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Young Japanese are fleeing the urban jungle for the half-abandoned countryside on a mission to make farming cool again and cut Japan's frightening food deficit in the process.
Organic farming converts, rice-growing Tokyo fashionistas and other young greenfingers have trickled back into rural Japan where many farm towns have been slowly dying amid fast-greying Japan's demographic crunch.
Japan, the world's second-largest economy, now imports 60 percent of its food, and many worry about future food security if climate change rocks global food supplies or energy costs swing international grain prices.
In a high-tech country that grew rich on selling cars and electronics, the young farmers are standing up to reinvent the image of agriculture.
"No matter how big Japan's economy is, no matter how much cash it stacks up, this country will soon be unable to buy so much food from overseas," Yusuke Miyaji, 31, recently told a crowd of young farmers.
"I want to make a job in the primary sector cool, striking and profitable," said Miyaji, dressed in overalls, to applause from his audience. "Kids should dream of becoming farmers, not baseball players!"
Miyaji, who comes from a pig farming family, has created a network called Kosegare, a word meaning farmer's son, that has attracted more than 200 young farmers and supporters who share his sense of crisis.
"The time left for us to revamp this industry is probably about five years," Miyaji warned his squad of youthful activist farmers.
Under his scheme, produce is marketed under the network's "Refarm" brand. Members share information on organic farming and urge supportive consumers to buy directly from them to cut distribution and commission costs.
Encouraged by the movement, Kaori Nukui, 31, who joined her parents last year to grow green tea and shiitake mushrooms, said that after years in the city she now saw a business opportunity in family farming.
"I had no interest before in taking over this business," said Nukui, who had worked for Tokyo consulting and public relations firms for seven years, as she drove a pick-up truck to a mushroom house in Iruma, north of Tokyo.
"My mother also wanted me to marry a businessman rather than work the land," she said. "But when I thought of starting a business myself, I realised my parents had already built a good foundation for me."
Data shows Japan's farming population is quickly ageing and that many farm households have no working heir, as birth rates have fallen and children have left country towns for the bright city lights.
More than 70 percent of Japan's working farmers are aged 60 or older, and nearly half are over 70.
Only 8.5 percent are aged 39 or younger.
About 3,800 square kilometres (1,520 square miles) of farmland have been abandoned and laid waste throughout the nation. In 88 percent of cases, the owners said they were too old to work the fields.
Japan, which kept its food self-sufficiency ratio above 70 percent in the late 1960s, now produces only 40 percent of its food and buys almost all its wheat, corn and soy beans from overseas.
Domestic production of meat, particularly beef and pork, has fallen from 96 percent in 1960 to about half in 2007.
The country grows enough rice for domestic consumption, thanks to heavy trade protection which has also made the rice sector highly inefficient.
The government has for years tried to reduce rice farming acreage in order to limit supply, keep the market price high, and thereby allow Japanese rice farmers to continue to make a living.
The new government led by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has pledged to abolish the policy but keep subsidising rice farmers.
Seeing the dire situation of farmers, even girls with trendy hairstyles and long painted fingernails in Tokyo's fashionable Shibuya shopping district have jumped onto the rural bandwagon.
Shiho Fujita, a 24-year-old singer, music producer and model, is leading a squad of "gal" farmers who have cultivated rice in the countryside, and dishes out advice in her blog on growing zucchini and tomatoes.
"It may be difficult for gals and young people to start farming instantly," she writes. "But if the agro-industry becomes more exciting by young people joining it, then Japan's farming will definitely change.
"And I think, Japan needs it."
by Harumi Ozawa Harumi Ozawa – Sun Oct 25, 11:54 pm ET
TOKYO (AFP) – Young Japanese are fleeing the urban jungle for the half-abandoned countryside on a mission to make farming cool again and cut Japan's frightening food deficit in the process.
Organic farming converts, rice-growing Tokyo fashionistas and other young greenfingers have trickled back into rural Japan where many farm towns have been slowly dying amid fast-greying Japan's demographic crunch.
Japan, the world's second-largest economy, now imports 60 percent of its food, and many worry about future food security if climate change rocks global food supplies or energy costs swing international grain prices.
In a high-tech country that grew rich on selling cars and electronics, the young farmers are standing up to reinvent the image of agriculture.
"No matter how big Japan's economy is, no matter how much cash it stacks up, this country will soon be unable to buy so much food from overseas," Yusuke Miyaji, 31, recently told a crowd of young farmers.
"I want to make a job in the primary sector cool, striking and profitable," said Miyaji, dressed in overalls, to applause from his audience. "Kids should dream of becoming farmers, not baseball players!"
Miyaji, who comes from a pig farming family, has created a network called Kosegare, a word meaning farmer's son, that has attracted more than 200 young farmers and supporters who share his sense of crisis.
"The time left for us to revamp this industry is probably about five years," Miyaji warned his squad of youthful activist farmers.
Under his scheme, produce is marketed under the network's "Refarm" brand. Members share information on organic farming and urge supportive consumers to buy directly from them to cut distribution and commission costs.
Encouraged by the movement, Kaori Nukui, 31, who joined her parents last year to grow green tea and shiitake mushrooms, said that after years in the city she now saw a business opportunity in family farming.
"I had no interest before in taking over this business," said Nukui, who had worked for Tokyo consulting and public relations firms for seven years, as she drove a pick-up truck to a mushroom house in Iruma, north of Tokyo.
"My mother also wanted me to marry a businessman rather than work the land," she said. "But when I thought of starting a business myself, I realised my parents had already built a good foundation for me."
Data shows Japan's farming population is quickly ageing and that many farm households have no working heir, as birth rates have fallen and children have left country towns for the bright city lights.
More than 70 percent of Japan's working farmers are aged 60 or older, and nearly half are over 70.
Only 8.5 percent are aged 39 or younger.
About 3,800 square kilometres (1,520 square miles) of farmland have been abandoned and laid waste throughout the nation. In 88 percent of cases, the owners said they were too old to work the fields.
Japan, which kept its food self-sufficiency ratio above 70 percent in the late 1960s, now produces only 40 percent of its food and buys almost all its wheat, corn and soy beans from overseas.
Domestic production of meat, particularly beef and pork, has fallen from 96 percent in 1960 to about half in 2007.
The country grows enough rice for domestic consumption, thanks to heavy trade protection which has also made the rice sector highly inefficient.
The government has for years tried to reduce rice farming acreage in order to limit supply, keep the market price high, and thereby allow Japanese rice farmers to continue to make a living.
The new government led by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has pledged to abolish the policy but keep subsidising rice farmers.
Seeing the dire situation of farmers, even girls with trendy hairstyles and long painted fingernails in Tokyo's fashionable Shibuya shopping district have jumped onto the rural bandwagon.
Shiho Fujita, a 24-year-old singer, music producer and model, is leading a squad of "gal" farmers who have cultivated rice in the countryside, and dishes out advice in her blog on growing zucchini and tomatoes.
"It may be difficult for gals and young people to start farming instantly," she writes. "But if the agro-industry becomes more exciting by young people joining it, then Japan's farming will definitely change.
"And I think, Japan needs it."
Silver Week
Silver Week
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silver Week (シルバーウィーク, Shirubā Uīku?) is a new Japanese term applied to a string of consecutive holidays in September. In 2009, the term has gained popularity[1], referring to the unusual occurrence of a weekend followed by three Japanese public holidays in September. The holidays are:
Respect for the Aged Day, third Monday of September
Autumnal Equinox Day, astronomically determined, but usually September 23
Kokumin no kyūjitsu, the day in between the two other holidays
Japanese law stipulates that if there is only one non-holiday in between two public holidays, that day should become an additional holiday, known as a Kokumin no kyūjitsu (lit. Citizens' Holiday). It is unusual for September to get this extra holiday. In Japanese pseudo-anglicism, "silver" is a commonly used, polite adjective for referring to the elderly, deriving from their gray hair. More probably, however, the term "silver week" refers to the second rank after the more famous "Golden Week". The holiday period is sometimes used for foreign travel.[2][3]
Prior to 2009, a different definition of Silver Week referred to the days in the second half of November around the time of Labour Thanksgiving Day[4], or during the first week of November by another source[5]. Historians have identified Silver Week itself as a commercial invention of the 1950s film industry, keen to promote cinema attendance during the holiday by reference to the popularity of leisure pursuits during the better-established Golden Week[5], yet another invention of the Japanese film industry.[6] However, this older definition of Silver Week did not catch on nor did it make it to some dictionaries.[7]
September occurrences
The five day break occurs in the following years:
September 19 — September 23: 2009, 2015, 2026, 2037, 2043, 2054, 2071, 2099
September 18 — September 22: 2032, 2049, 2060, 2077, 2088, 2094
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silver Week (シルバーウィーク, Shirubā Uīku?) is a new Japanese term applied to a string of consecutive holidays in September. In 2009, the term has gained popularity[1], referring to the unusual occurrence of a weekend followed by three Japanese public holidays in September. The holidays are:
Respect for the Aged Day, third Monday of September
Autumnal Equinox Day, astronomically determined, but usually September 23
Kokumin no kyūjitsu, the day in between the two other holidays
Japanese law stipulates that if there is only one non-holiday in between two public holidays, that day should become an additional holiday, known as a Kokumin no kyūjitsu (lit. Citizens' Holiday). It is unusual for September to get this extra holiday. In Japanese pseudo-anglicism, "silver" is a commonly used, polite adjective for referring to the elderly, deriving from their gray hair. More probably, however, the term "silver week" refers to the second rank after the more famous "Golden Week". The holiday period is sometimes used for foreign travel.[2][3]
Prior to 2009, a different definition of Silver Week referred to the days in the second half of November around the time of Labour Thanksgiving Day[4], or during the first week of November by another source[5]. Historians have identified Silver Week itself as a commercial invention of the 1950s film industry, keen to promote cinema attendance during the holiday by reference to the popularity of leisure pursuits during the better-established Golden Week[5], yet another invention of the Japanese film industry.[6] However, this older definition of Silver Week did not catch on nor did it make it to some dictionaries.[7]
September occurrences
The five day break occurs in the following years:
September 19 — September 23: 2009, 2015, 2026, 2037, 2043, 2054, 2071, 2099
September 18 — September 22: 2032, 2049, 2060, 2077, 2088, 2094
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