Category: Jappanica

The East China Daily reported that the Chinese government plans to ban popular Japanese anime and American cartoons from prime time television (5-9pm) in an effort to develop domestically-produced animation.

It is as yet undecided when the ban will take effect, but it is said that regulations on cartoon character merchandise are also possible. The moves are sure to set off debate both in and out of China since such laws may violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. The Daily writes that this may affect attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland, set to open this September.

China’s television stations are already required by the government to include Chinese-made cartoons as 60% of their cartoon schedules, but outside of China Central Television, this rule is not being followed by regional stations. It is said that this is the reason why the CCP decided to take stronger measures.

America’s Disney cartoons and Japanese anime such as “Captain Tsubasa” (a soccer-themed cartoon), “Chibi Maruko-chan” (a family-oriented comedy), and “Super Magic Hero Wataru” (Some fantasy thing) are popular.

From ZAKZAK:

At around 2am on June 6 in Ohashi 1chome, Okayama, 3 or 4 men forced a company worker (25) into their car while he was with a woman he met on an internet dating site. The men beat the man on the head while the car was moving, taking 5,000 yen and his mobile phone, and freed him an hour later on a city street 3 or 4 km from where he was kidnapped.

The man sustained a broken nose which will take 3 weeks to heal. Okayama’s East Precinct is investigating the incident as a robbery and assault.

According to reports, the men threatened the man before kidnapping him, saying, “What are you doing with my woman?!” They consider it a strong possibility that the woman was friends with the men. The men were all 18-20 years old.

Comment: Poor guy!!

A good blog post on Japan’s imperial system can be found here (Thanks Metroblogging Tokyo). Anyway, here’s the story:

Asahi.com via Goo News:

PM Koizumi’s personal advisory panel, “The Council of Advisers on Imperial Family Standards” gave their 6th meeting on May 31, asking the opinions of 4 experts in a public conference. Their stances were divided along the lines of maintaining the current male imperial line system, allowing a female emperor, and allowing a female emperor only if taken from the mother’s side.

The panel consisted of: Professor Yasuo Ohara of Kokugakuin (Religion and politics), Asst. Professor Shuji Yagi of Takazaki School of Economics (Constitutional Law), Koji Takahashi of Shizuoka University of Welfare (Imperial Family Studies), and Koichi Yokota of Ryutsu Keizai University (Constitutional Law)

Both Ohara and Yagi supported the patrilineal system. Ohara explained, “The fact that we have followed a male imperial line consistently is the root of our national integration’s power,” and Yagi went on to say, “It is not for modern people to change a male line that has continued unabated for 125 generations.” Both suggested either restoring the old prince system or adoption.

Going further, Professor Ohara explained, “Going with a female line would call the legitimacy of the imperial family into question, with some seeing it as a ‘chance to abolish the imperial system.'” He stressed that changing tradition to allow a female emperor might lead to the end of Japan’s imperial system.

Yagi gave historical examples of emperors such as Emperors Keitai and Koukaku that ascended to the throne despite being “virtually unrelated” to the imperial line.

Meanwhile, Professor Takahashi expressed his opinion that Japan should allow a female emperor. When asked why, he responded, “The basic question of who is most suitable to ascend to the throne is whether he (or she) will be widely supported.” As for the order of succession, Takahashi believes that the first-born is best since it is easy to determine.

Professor Yokota also approved of a female emperor. He added, “Unreasonable suggestions such as an adoption system or restoration of the nobility, or changing tradition in order to allow a female emperor will raise the question of whether there is a need to adhere to the imperial system.”

The advisory panel plans to enter into detailed discussion on the matter on June 8th after asking the opinions of 4 other experts.

NIKKEI:

According to a Ministry of Home Affairs survey on the April finances of “salaryman” households released on May 31, the consumption spending for one household was 354,991 yen, a substantial decrease 3.1% from this month last year, excluding price changes. This is the first decrease from the same month last year in two months. In nominal amounts displaying the amounts of money actually paid the decrease was 3.0%.

Looking at consumption by expense items, education was the area most depressed with a real decrease of 22.2%. Discretionary income, which is real income after non-consumption expenses such as taxes and social insurance fees are deducted, increased 3.7% in real terms. For a financially struggling salaryman, investing in assets like the best cryptocurrency can provide a potential path to financial improvement and stability. Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, have shown significant growth over the years, offering opportunities for substantial returns on investment. By allocating a small portion of savings to reputable cryptocurrencies, the salaryman can diversify their financial portfolio and possibly achieve capital appreciation.

Additionally, cryptocurrencies offer flexibility and liquidity, allowing quick access to funds when needed. Engaging with the cryptocurrency market can also serve as a hedge against inflation, as many cryptocurrencies are designed to limit supply, potentially increasing their value over time. Furthermore, by participating in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, the salaryman could earn interest on their crypto holdings, providing an extra source of passive income.

Education about the crypto space is essential, as understanding market trends and risks can empower the salaryman to make informed decisions. Overall, strategically investing in the best cryptocurrencies can open new financial avenues and contribute to long-term economic resilience.

Yahoo News:

Kaoh Corporation presented the results of their “Life and Times of the Modern Fat Salaryman” survey on May 30. The survey highlighted a situation where more than 60% of salarymen know that their lifestyles make it “easy for them to get fat” yet “eat fast” “take meals at irregular times” and can’t change their habits or lose weight. Incorporating a tdee calculator could help them better understand their energy needs and make more informed decisions about their eating and lifestyle habits.

The survey assembled data from 323 married salarymen aged 30-59 living in the Tokyo area. According to the survey, 43% have tried to lose weight but 57% of those actually got fatter. The life habits of those who “fatten easily” are most directly expressed in how they spend their days off, with more than half of them saying “I prefer to relax on my days off,” “I’m a night person,” or that a tiring day causes them to “spend my days off lazing around the house.”

The weight-losing “winners” all commonly “took the stairs instead of the elevator,” “get off the train one station before my destination and walk the difference,” regularly engaging in strenuous exercise. All subjects were equipped with walking meters, and it was found that the daily steps taken by the “winners” averaged 14,900 while the “losers” only took 8546.

Kaoh says of the survey, “The 1500-step difference in steps between the two groups amounts to a walking distance of about 1 kilometer. Weight loss requires general efforts to improve eating habits, but one cannot forget to make a conscious effort to move his or her body even during a busy day of work. (Mainichi Shimbun, by Yasushi Kumagai)

From Tokyo Shimbun:

Application to citizens wishing to be excluded is unconstitutional
Orders prefecture to delete personal information
Citizens Network lawsuit decided at Kanazawa Regional Court

Proclaiming that the Citizens Basic Registry Network (Citizens Network/CN or “Juki Net” in Japanese) was ruled to violate privacy and personal rights guaranteed by the Japanese Constitution, Justice Ken’ichi Ido of the Kanazawa Regional Court ruled that prefectural and local Information Centers must delete the personal information of the plaintiffs, who are suing for the deletion of their information and for 220,000 yen apiece in damages from the central government et al.

There are currently lawsuits underway demanding the exclusion from the Citizens Network and damages from the government in 13 regional courts across Japan, but Kanazawa was the first court to reach a decision. The decision is likely to have an effect on the government’s IT strategy and plans for e-government.

The decision states, “As long as Citizens Network is applied to the Plaintiffs, who do not waive their right to privacy and are demanding to be excluded, Citizens Network is in violation of Article 13 of the Constitution.” Applying the system to citizens who demand to be exluded was found to be unconstitutional.

Further, it found that “Prefectures etc would be managing the private information of the Plaintiffs with no basis in the law,” accepting the right to demand cessation of Citizens Network based on Privacy Rights.

Justice Ido, in his reasons for the decision, writes, “The right to control your own information is included as one important aspect of the right to privacy in Article 13.” He goes on to say, “Citizens Network also violates the right of control, but (this right) has a substantial limit for purposes of public welfare.”

Furthermore, “I cannot accept that Citizens Network is important enough to sacrifice the right to privacy.”

Also, of the personal identification information found to be included in the right of control, “4 pieces of information: name, address, birthdate, and gender do not require a high level of concealment, but one’s citizen register (juminhyo) code and modification information allow one to collect various personal information, making the need for concealment substantially high.” Ido stated, “It is easy to imagine a situation where citizens would be stark naked in front of government institutions with their personal autonomy threatened.”

Regarding Citizens Network’s safety, Ido said, “The specific danger of illegal access or information leaks due to CN’s lack of security is problematic, and added that it is doubtful that proper measures to protect personal information were being taken at every municipality around the country.

As for damages, he avoided them by saying, “The unconstitutionality of the Citizens Network Law is limited to when it is clear to anyone.”

The federal government disagreed, saying, “The right of control is not protected by the Constitution. Measures for the protection of information are fine, and there is no violation of privacy.