Everyone has probably already seen this, but I was just sucked into it again. Go play. Anyone get an impressive high score?
Category: Japan
NBS takeover plot thickens, but it’s still too early for optimism that Japan is ready for change
Our friend Saru has, after a long hiatus, posted a new piece over on his blog. Neither of us here holds a candle to Saru’s knowledge of economics, so I won’t try to offer any additional comment right now. Here’s his lead, go read the rest over at his blog, and check out some of his older pieces. Posts may be rare, but always well written and informative.
Recent developments in the ongoing takeover battle between internet upstart Livedoor and old guard Fuji Television for control of Japan Broadcasting are making things interesting for Japan watchers.
Yesterday came the unexpected news that the Tokyo District court had ruled in favor of Livedoor, ordering NBS to halt its intended direct issuance of new shares to Fuji in an effort to dilute Livedoor’s holdings. Yahoo! Asia News ran this rather optimistic analysis of the ruling, describing the court’s decision as, “turning the clock forward on Japan’s capital markets.
The Turbulent Promotion Tour: Sadako Ogata
Sadako Ogata came to DC this week to promote her new book, The Turbulent Decade, which chronicles her stint as UN High Commissioner on Refugees from 1990-2000. I took Mrs. Adamu to see her give a talk at the Library of Congress. You can listen to her Mar 8 appearance on The Diane Rehm Show, a local NPR politics roundup. She also made appearances in New York.
The audience was, not surprisingly, mostly professional, Japanese women. Ogata is a hero(ine) to Japanese women because she was one of the first Japanese women to secure a major role in Japanese politics, born in an era when few women attended college. She’s been the subject of countless TV shows and books (Including “Sadako Ogata’s Way of Life“), causing a bit of a sensation because of her liberal politics (and pedigree), direct personality, and unapologetic professionalism and cosmopolitanism.
I couldn’t help but be a little surprised when I saw the diminuitive figure of the elderly Ogata. I was expecting someone larger than life judging from all the hype. She did have an aura about her that exuded confidence. She deserve it — not was she the first woman, the first Japanese, and the first academic UNHCR, she is also credited with changing refugee assistance from the traditional “set up camps when they get here” model to what we know today. Under Ogata, humanitarian aid came first, political solutions were the number one priority, and in general she refused to allow refugee assistance to become a “humanitarian figleaf” that masked a dire situation.
The talk itself ended up being a kind of disappointment, with Clark sounding off at any opportunity with lines from his 2004 presidential campaign (Inside info: He’s planning to run again). But some interesting points:
US Patents and Translation from Japanese
Interesting post here from a translators mailing list that I subscribe to. I don’t have time to comment in detail, but very interesting in light of some of the current controversies over the appropriate scope of patent law.
I talked to a US patent agent yesterday who told me that there
are actually some people in the US pushing for abandonment of
examination and turning the patent system to a registration-only
system, like they have in France for example. The idea is that
there is such a huge backlog and examiners usually don’t have the
time or the resources to do a proper examination, so validity is
questionable until a patent is contested in court anyway.I don’t think it will come to that anytime soon, but if it does, then
the obvious consequence will be that all those Japanese companies
will shift a lot of the money they spend for prosecution right now to
translation, which would lead to an even greater demand for
patent translation.
Wear a kimono and ride for free in Kyoto
From the Japan Times:
KYOTO (Kyodo) Kyoto will offer free subway and bus rides for anybody wearing a kimono over an 11-day period beginning Friday to promote the traditional attire and the local textile industry, city officials said.
Free admission to some tourist attractions, including Nijo Castle, Kyoto Tower and some museums, will also be available for kimono wearers during the period, and a kimono fashion show and kimono flea market are planned.
Free tickets for the transportation and tourist facilities will be available in subway stations, buses, hotels and elsewhere in the ancient capital.
Rental kimono will be made available if people make advance reservations.
For people who need to have their kimono readjusted, they can stop by 10 locations in the city, mainly at kimono shops and in the kimono sections of department stores.
For more information, call the Kyoto Municipal Government’s Traditional Industry Department at (075) 222-3337.
The Japan Times: March 8, 2005
(C) All rights reserved
Hello Kitty, First Female Sumo Wrestler?
The Japan Sumo Association has selling Hello Kitty Sumo limited edition merchandise at events, and the items became such a hit that they are now available on the Internet.
Among the goods available for purchase are mobile phone straps:
Hello Kitty is playing the role of the “Yobidashi-san”, or referee.
And here she is wearing the mawashi, the infamous diaper of the sumo wrestler.
Towels and mugs are also available:
Continue reading Hello Kitty, First Female Sumo Wrestler?
Japanese Quiz #2 日本語で芸能クイズ！
In an effort to further alienate my readers, here’s a J-Pop quiz in Japanese!
日本で飽きられ、
東南アジア巡業をした後、
アメリカで放送された此奴等のアニメがヒットした
↑は誰のことを指しているか述べよ
正解はコメントをクリックしてください
Kokutai National Sports Festival to Be Almost Completely Opened to Foreigners
Daily Sports Presents!
It was announced on Mar. 2nd that the restrictions on qualifications for participation in the Kokutai, Japan’s national sports festival, will be greatly relaxed for students of Korean schools in Japan, Japanese-Brazilians, and other players and coaches with foreign citizenship to take, opening the door for their participation. The Japan Amateur Sports Association (JASA) will make the official decision at a Kokutai Committee meeting on Mar. 4. The changes are expected to be implemented in next years combined Kokutai in Hyogo Prefecture.
Under current regulation Japanese citizenship is a prerequisite for participation in the Kokutai, and limited to foreign students of Japan Basic Education Law Clause 1-defined schools (Clause 1 Schools) who are (1) entered in such high schools or colleges, (2) have been an exchange student of such high schools or colleges for more than 1 year, or (3) graduated from such high schools or colleges.
The revision to rules regarding players and coaches of foreign nationalities will admit long-term residents (as defined by the Immigration Law) as participants, treating them in the same way as Japanese citizens. This change will allow the participation of students of Korean and other ethnic and international schools, defined as “various schools” the same as preparatory schools in the Basic Education Law.
International students at Japanese universities, heretofore barred from participating, will be allowed in if they have lived in Japan continuously for 3 years.
The National High School Sports Federation has been accepting non-Clause 1 school students since 1994.
My Comment: Well, it’s about time. The government has also recently decided to allow graduates of International Universities apply to Japanese grad school. Good going, guys!
Japanese Quiz #1
【企業】2月の軽自動車販売、ダイハツが14年ぶりにスズキ逆転首位
Q: Based on the above headline, who is the top light automobile maker? The answer may be found in the Comments section.
Sumo wrestling, Japan’s NASCAR, to remain Japanese, stagnant
From an article about Estonian Rikishi Baruto:
Out of 708 wrestlers in Sumo’s six divisions, 59 were born outside of Japan. There have now been three foreign Yokozuna grand champions.
Hawaiian Akebono was the first in 1993, then his compatriot Musashimaru and now Mongolian Asashoryu.
The current crop of foreign wrestlers comes from across the globe, including Tonga, Brazil, Bulgaria, Russia, Mongolia — and Estonia.
Their number is unlikely to increase much more, however.
Perhaps fearing a gradual foreign takeover of Japan’s ancient sport, in 2002 the Japan Sumo Association limited the 55 stables to one foreign sumo wrestler each (a few stables already had more than one foreign wrestler when the rule was introduced).
For the moment the Mongolians are cleaning up. Yokozuna Asashoryu heads a gang of seven countrymen in the top division. From the other end of the continent, European wrestlers like Russian Roho, Bulgarian Kokkai and Kotooshu from Georgia are also starting to push their weight around.
The old presumption that foreigners could only ever succeed by brute force has already proved wrong, says Mark Schreiber, veteran sumo watcher.
“All the Hawaiians had going for them was their bulk. When I look at the new crop, I see a slightly different style,” he says.
“Now you get people who are big, and who have technique. You certainly see that with the Mongolians.”
In the farcical image game that is professional sports, these issues can be confusing. I am tempted to make accusations of racism to the Japan Sumo Association, but there are many possible reasonable counter-arguments . But despite my initial gaijin rage that bubbled up upon reading this, I eventually had to laugh it off and decided to “let the baby have its bottle”.
There is a perceived need for sumo to give its fanbase “what it wants” because without them there can be no sumo. Perhaps this move was meant to rein in more liberal trainers who want to beef up their stables or find the next Asashoryu (Mongolian wrestler currently dominating the sport).
Continue reading Sumo wrestling, Japan’s NASCAR, to remain Japanese, stagnant