Former Democratic Party of Japan Lower House Member Sayuri Kamada (40) announced at meeting of her supporters’ association (Koenkai) on the 29th that she will run for Mayor of Sendai-shi (election to be announced July 17, with voting on the 31st) as an independent. She plans to inform DPJ officials of her intention to leave the party soon.
Kamada won her second term in the Lower House in the Miyagi 2nd district in 2003, but after discovery of election law violations with an official in her camp she resigned her posts to take responsibility. In a decision of a guilt-by-association suit, she was banned from running for office in the same district for 5 years.
According to a source within the Prefectural chapter of the DPJ, there is strong criticism that, “The citizens will not accept Kamada’s bid for the office of mayor,” and her response to the movement supporting Tomiko Okazaki (61) will be followed closely. In the same race, Prefectural Rep. Susumu Kanma (54) and former METI Commerce Negotiator Katsuhiko Umebara (51) have announced their candidacies as independents.
89.4% of those surveyed believe that an increase of foreign tourists visiting Japan will “lead to an increase in crime” according the release of a monitor questionnaire on tourism from the Transportation Ministry released May 29. Meanwhile, the top response as to what the benefits of foreign tourists are was “getting them to understand Japan” with 76.6% of that opinion.
The survey was adminstered over the Internet in February to 777 “monitors” aged 20-79 who registered with the Ministry, with 86% of them responding.
“Criminals posing as tourists might enter the country and I worry that would cause a rise in crime” was the top response to the question, “What demerits does the increase of foreigners visiting to Japan have?” Following that was “trouble resulting from language or cultural differences” (33.4%).
As for the question on “merits”, following “getting them to understand us” was “Revenues from tourism would increase, which would be important to the domestic economy” (70.6%).
73.8% of respondents either “had no idea” or “were hearing for the first time” about the Ministry’s efforts to increase foreign tourism using the words “Founding a tourist nation” and “the Visit Japan Campaign”, revealing its low level of permeation.
Hideaki Ito (29), who will star in Fuji TV drama “Sea Monkey” (海猿, Tuesdays at 9pm), and heroine Ai Kato (22) attended a spectator demonstration of the Japan Coast Guard held at Tokyo Bay on May 29.
The drama, which depicts the lives of a submarine crew in the Coast Guard, was realized with the full cooperation of the guard. They also watched rescue operations and other general drills.
Ito, who just finished filming a dangerous underwater rescue scene for the first and second episodes, said, “I felt a real sense of urgency that should show up in the footage,” expressing his enthusiasm for the rest of the filming. (Sports Nippon 5/30)
The prices for American “Minced Cod” which is the basis for “Kamaboko”, “Chikuwa” and other processed boiled fish paste products are expected to become bullish. The demand for a replacements arising out of BSE and Avian flu breakouts in Europe and Asia are causing a rise inquiries about fillets (sold in threes). Meanwhile, the production of mince is falling, so fears of a shortage are placing focus on bream and other “golden thread” fish. However, high oil prices are predicted to cause a slump in fish harvests. Domestic inventory is at a low standard, and we are likely to see more and more markets trying out a price increase by the fall season.
Price negotiations for American produced Minced Cod are conducted twice a year in spring and fall between the American and Japanese fishing industries
Importers were demanding a price drop due to domestic fish cake makers’ profit deterioration, but with a worldwide expansion in demand looming, the spring negotiations this year decided on the 3rd straight price increase.
Producers are shifting from mince to fillets, which have a higher unit price, making the fears of a mince shortage high. Due to this, there was a partial movement to use “golden-thread” as a replacement. However, last year’s import quantity was 54,060 tonnes, a 14% decrease from the previous year. According to a fishing company, this is because of “the lackluster response from the consumer.”
This year, with an increase in cost of fishing boat operation due to the rising price of crude oil, and harvest amounts shaky, there are some who predict that domestic influx may be limited. There is a movement among fishing companies to find other replacements, but at present they have not found a promising contender.
The Farming, Forest, and Fisheries Minsitry says that minced Cod inventories were 41,937 tonnes at the end of this March, 23% lower than they were in March of last year. With an increasing crunch in supply and demand, wholesale prices for frozen minced Cod increased 13% to 295 yen per kilogram. Depending on the supply quantity for the fall season, further price increases are likely. (KM)
Fukuoka Pref. Tagawa Precinct 2nd Division Security Section Chief Patrol Officer Uchigata Daisuke (30 of Fukuoka pref. Tagawa-shi, Nara) hit 2 men crossing Prefectural Road 2 of Numamoto-cho, Ogura-minami-ku, Kitakyushu in his car at 2am May 29th.
Araki Hakafumi (64 of Soita-cho Nakamotodera) died immediately after receiving a strong blow to the head, and Tone Eisaku (79 of Oguraminami Kamiyoshida 3) died soon after breaking his spine.
According to reports of Oguraminami Precinct, Uchigata was on his way back to his hometown in Kitakyushu City on holiday. “I was distracted by a restaurant’s sign on the side of the road, so I was looking over at that,” he explained.
Oguraminami prefecture is questioning Uchigata on suspicion of negligent homicide while on duty, but they do not plan to arrest him. The precinct explains, “There is no fear of flight or hiding of evidence. The victims were crossing the street outside of a pedestrian crosswalk, so the level of negligence is rather low.”
Araki was reportedly on his way to a nearby restaurant with a number of people at the time.
Chief Sakai Yoshio of Tagawa Precinct said, “We express deep apologies to the families of the deceased. We will continue to work to the full ability of our leadership to prevent similar incidents” (Kyodo News)
As we all wait and pray for his safety, Japanese media outlets are busy digging up information on this enigma of a man. The 44-year-old former SDF member had a 21-year career in the French Foreign Legion, seeing action in Africa and Bosnia. A quiet man, it is unknown why he left the Legion to work in Iraq as a security consultant. The French Foreign Legion has a rule of not asking its members about their past and does not follow up on them after they leave. But it is known that he was fluent in French and acted as an interpreter for new Japanese recruits to the Legion (of which there are apparently quite a few!).
A lieutenant who served with Saito said, “He had a lot of friends at the Legion, so even if he has parted ways with us we pray for his safe release.”
UPDATE: I just had to add something. Japan, as a pacifist country, has few “veterans” save for the aging survivors of the Imperial Army. The positive representation this guy is receiving reminds me of glorification of soldiers that goes on in America. Could he be the first modern Japanese war hero?
In Shanghai, where anti-Japanese demonstrations have been occurring for weeks, the recently-opened Japanese-style ramen (the Japanese name for Chinese noodle soup) stores are enjoying healthy business. One, a ramen store , specializing in Japanese flavors such as tonkotsu (hogbone) and salt flavor, opened very close to the Japanese Consul General in Shanghai. The store, owned by Osaka Ohsho Co., owners and operators of the famous Gyoza No Ohsho chain, is their first expansion into China.
However, the infamous anti-Japanese protests occurred when they tentatively opened their doors preceding their Grand Opening festivities.
“After hearing that some other Japanese restaurants had been damaged, we hurried to postpone our Grand Opening,” said Mr. Fujioka Hisashi, a manager at the restaurant.
Since then, they have been doing business while avoiding promotional activities, but the curious people of Shanghai, always craving new things, have made the new restaurant busy through word of mouth.
“The only trouble was on the day of the demonstration, and it’s disarmingly normal ever since,”Said Fujioka.
The youth of Shanghai display their anti-Japanese feelings at the demostrations April 16, but at the same time you can’t deny the reality that people in Shanghai are strongly enamored of Japanese fashion and food, showing that you can’t just look at one side to explain the complicated Sino-Japanese relationship.
It is customary in Japan for employers to pay transportation fees for their workers. Don’t tell anyone, but it is equally customary for workers to use this system to scam their oppressors, with the most popular method being to lie about one’s route (e.g.: Claim to take the expensive JR but in fact commute by a cheap private railway. Combine this with the 50% children’s discount for maximum damage). Now, it seems like even local governments are in on the act:
(4/19/05) The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the results of a special survey on April 19 thats finds 274 municipalities in 31 prefectures are paying commuting benefits to city workers who walk to their jobs. National public servants do not receive such stipends for walking to work, and must commute at least more than 2km one way if they do use some mode of transportation. 244 of the municipalities were paying benefits to people living within 2km of their workplace as well (WTF alert: but 30 weren’t?!).
The Ministry stated, “We demand that the payment of local public servants conforms to the standards of their national counterparts, and paying commuting benefits for people who walk is improper,” seeking speedy review from local governments.
The survey results are current as of Jan. 1 of this year, and were taken after the “hospitality” scandals (fraudulent overtime etc.) among Osaka’s public servants. Aichi Prefecture was the worst, with 38 municipalities. Fukuoka followed with 28, and Saitaima was 3rd with 23. As a whole, there were most in Western Japan, and there were no such incidents found in Hokkaido or the Tohoku (Northeast) region.
The highest monthly benefit payment (for workers living within 2km of their workplaces) was in Hekinan, Aichi, with 5750 yen. Most payments were 1000-4000 yen, and the smallest was Kitakyushu city with 100 yen per month.
In Hekinan, workers received commuting benefits on 8 levels based on distance without regard to mode of transportation, with workers living within 1km receiving 4950 yen per month and those within 2km receiving 5750 yen. Only 14 people actually walk to work in Hekinan, with most employees electing to drive (as of April 1). The city explained, “We based our system on our surrounding areas and the way we’ve done things up to now,” but in response to the criticism has reduced its payments to 2500 yen for workers within 1km and 5000 yen for those within 2km.
Anti-Japanese Protests Held at Japanese Embassy in Vietnam
Apr. 17, 2005 7:03pm JST
HANOI (4/17, Reuters) Anti-Japanese protests were held in front of the Japanese embassy in Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi.
Wearing headbands, the participants shouted anti-Japanese slogans into bullhorns and waved banners written in English and Chinese characters. One of the banners read “Japan get out!”
The demonstrators are said to be expatriate Chinese living in Vietnam.
Gyoza No Ohsho (餃子の王将 — Their gyoza are “Oh-sho” delicious!） was one of my favorite Chinese food places when I was living in Kyoto. Cheap sets, good food, and plentiful locations! My favorite was the ramen set: it included ramen, karaage, gyoza (of course), AND fried rice. Man was I full.
The branch right outside the Ritsumeikan campus was owned by a die-hard Beatles fan — he decked out his store with volumes upon volumes of manga (lots of ashita no joe, hajime no ippo, and captain tsubasa), rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia, and Beatles music (more often Beatles covers, actually) on the old-school stereo system he had set up. I was saddened to see one day that the whole place had been swept clean of any differentiating marks, and when I returned to Kyoto earlier this year it was “closed for repairs”.
BTW, Ohsho is some kind of mahjonng term, so the fact that they named a Chinese food chain after a mahjonng reference says something about what Japanese people think of when they think of China… what I’m not sure, but it definitely says something.
So on a completely unrelated note, recently I was Google-alerted to the fact that Ohsho is planning to open its first stores overseas in — no joke — China. And their timing couldn’t be better!Nikkei has the story:
Kansai’s Chinese food chains trying their craft on home turf “Made in Japan” Image to appeal to middle and high-class customers (March 12, 2005)
Kansai’s restaurant industry, which has been making chain stores out of ramen stands and Chinese restaurants, continue to extend their businesses into China. At 10-30 yuan per customer (13 JPY), they plan to charge twice the amount of local restaurants. Reversing their low-price strategy for the Japanese market, the chains intend to exploit their Japanese image to target middle and upper class consumers. Escaping from the shrinking restaurant market in Japan, they are attempting to succeed in the home of Chinese cuisine.
In addition to Osaka Ohsho (opening in Shanghai, offering izakaya food as well, plans to franchise up to 25 stores) and “Bikkuri Ramen” (opening in Tsingtao, offering curry and donburi) which is famous for the 180 yen ramen bowl, Gyoza Ohsho is also opening a store in Dalian. They plan to offer grilled gyoza (generally not available in most of China), ramen, fried rice, and other items directly from the Japanese menu. They will consider expanding the chain after viewing results from the first store.
