- Working mothers in Japan
31 July 2010, 1:14 am
Here is another very interesting survey from goo Research, a look at child-rearing and working. This is the second time the survey has been conducted, the first time being in December 2007, but I didn’t translate that one. Demographics Between the 24th and 29th of June 2010 exactly 1,000 members of the goo Research online [...]...
- It’s a dog’s death in Japan
29 July 2010, 11:58 pm
Following on from yesterday’s look (well, it was supposed to be yesterday’s but I forgot to press the “Publish” button!) at the life of a Japanese dog, this survey from iShare took a look at people’s opinions regarding pet funerals – any pet, not just dogs. Demographics Between the 5th and 8th of July 2010 [...]... - It’s a dog’s life in Japan
29 July 2010, 12:55 am
Alternatively subtitled “Over half of single Japanese sleep with their dogs”, but that sort of headline has got me into trouble before! When Yahoo! Japan Value Insight took a look at dog ownership, they found out that and many other interesting facts. Demographics Between the 25th and 27th of June 2010 560 members of the [...]... - Railway station message boards in Japan
28 July 2010, 12:33 am
Here’s a little bit of Japanese rail transport recent history I wasn’t aware of, uncovered in a survey by goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com into railway station message boards. It appears that these blackboards could be used not just for official announcements, but also by the public for passing messages. Now, of course, [...]...
- What can the Yakuza explain anyway?
30 July 2010, 10:42 am
Having read and enjoyed Jacob Adelstein's Tokyo Vice, it was with considerable interest that I read his article "The Last Yakuza" in the World Policy Journal (h/t to Corey Wallace). Like Wallace, I have no particular expertise with which to assess the role played by the Yakuza in Japanese society. But also like him, I am skeptical about what political outcomes we can actually attribute to organized crime. In brief, Adelstein argues that after decades of deep ties to the LDP — which organizatio...
- The 2006 roadmap's impasses
23 July 2010, 12:16 am
In the wake of its defeat the Kan government has made it patently clear that the Hatoyama government's "ratification" of the 2006 realignment plan was nothing of the sort — it is now saying that it will be impossible to complete negotiations before Okinawan gubernatorial election in November. The government once again is considering alternatives to the V-shaped runways to be built at Henoko bay, and is reluctant to impose a solution on the Okinawan people. But, as the Wall Street Journal repor... - What next for the LDP?
11 July 2010, 9:50 pm
With the exit polls suggesting that the LDP will edge out the DPJ in this election and recover some of its strength in the upper house, it is worth asking what will be the consequences of victory for the LDP. Most obviously, LDP leader Tanigaki Sadakazu will have a new lease on his position, delaying generational change within the LDP for a bit longer. Generally speaking, the LDP's old guardsmen will be able to use this vote as vindication for their resistance for anything more than superf... - Twisted again
11 July 2010, 8:28 pm
The various newspapers are reporting that according to exit polls, the DPJ won somewhere between forty-three and fifty-one seats, falling short of the total needed to preserve control of the upper house. Once again the Diet is "twisted," barring the formation of a new coalition that enables the DPJ to retake control of the upper house. Adamu is living blogging the returns at Mutantfrog here. I won't necessarily be live blogging, but I will be updating intermittently. ...
- Megabanks Sumitomo Mitsui and Tokyo-Mitsubishi ban financing of cluster bomb production
30 July 2010, 7:06 pm
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp....
- Researchers pinpoint enzymes affecting outbreak of stomach ulcers
30 July 2010, 6:55 pm
Japanese researchers have discovered an enzyme that plays a part in the outbreak of stomach ulcers, providing hope for the development of methods to treat and prevent the painful ailments....
- DPJ suffers new blow after LDP secures chairman's post for key panel
30 July 2010, 6:50 pm
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which suffered a defeat in the July 11 House of Councillors race, lost its initiative in the chamber after the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) captured the post of the chairman of the house's steering panel....
- Grandson lied to welfare officer about '111-year-old' man
30 July 2010, 6:08 pm
The 49-year-old grandson of a man hailed as the oldest living male in Tokyo until the recent discovery of his mummified body lied to a welfare officer about the older man's whereabouts in February, it has been learned....
- So much for the IMF
31 July 2010, 12:16 am
”(There is) a growing recognition that the dispersion of credit risks to a broader and more diverse group of investors…has helped make the banking and wider financial system more resilient. The improved resilience may be seen in fewer bank failures and more consistent credit provision.” From the IMF’s (shortsighted) Global Financial Stability Review, April 2006 What rough [...]...
- Cracks re-emerging in Japan’s convenience store industry
27 July 2010, 11:00 pm
A Nikkei report published today told us that Japan’s convenience stores experienced their second lowest annual growth in financial 2009 since 1978 as sales booms derived from the introduction of the TASPO card wore off. According to the paper: Overall sales at domestic convenience stores edged up 1.1% in fiscal 2009 to mark their second-weakest rise [...]... - Why aren’t Japan’s megabanks joining the US on financial sanctions against Iran?
14 July 2010, 10:26 pm
Earlier today, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Treasury David Cohen visited Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group to outline US financial sanctions against Iran. These sanctions were signed into law by US President Barack Obama on 1 July. The fact that Japan’s megabanks have yet to comply with US sanctions [...]... - Nikkei: Western firms buying overpriced property in Japan
13 July 2010, 12:55 am
On Monday, the Nikkei published an article asserting that Western firms “are returning to the Japanese real estate market, taking proactive steps in the hope of big gains once the market improves.” This, of course, means that they are paying too much for real estate investments that will turn sour. The Nikkei article has a picture [...]...
newsPage brought to you by newsPage Plugin


