Look-Alike Welcome Robot
No need to greet guests at your wedding when you can have a creepy little robot do it instead:
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Categories: Technology
Japan plans mass cremations of the dead
A grim report from the Japanese government:
Japan’s plan for any future influenza pandemic calls for shutting down airports, closing schools and organizing mass cremations of the dead in hopes of keeping the virus off its shores or at least containing it.
The government plan estimates that a new human flu virus could infect a quarter of the population and force 40 percent of the workforce to stay home. It could cause as many as 640,000 deaths in Japan if it were to spread across the country, the health ministry said Thursday.
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Categories: General Japan
Japanese government may grant Noriko Calderon special permission for residence
The Japanese government was supposed to issue its decision today about the case of Noriko Calderon, a 13-year-old girl born and raised in Japan who is facing deportation because her parents are illegal immigrants. However, the Justice Ministry still needs time, so a 2-week extension of temporary residence has yet again been granted to the Calderon family.
No final decision has been reached, but the government announced that it is likely only Noriko will be allowed to stay in Japan:
A provisional release status for the family, which is under a deportation order, expired Friday, but the status has been extended for another two weeks, according to their lawyer.
The immigration authorities have suggested it may be possible to issue special permission for residence to Noriko only.
The ministry’s decision raises the possibility that only Noriko’s parents will be deported later this month.
Do you think it is fair to allow only Noriko to stay in Japan?
Update: The BBC reports that her parents have been told to pack their bags.
But Justice Minister Eisuke Mori, who oversees immigration, told reporters: “I have decided not to grant a special residential permit to the entire family.”
A leading human rights lawyer handling the case said the immigration bureau had told the parents they had until 27 February to choose a departure date.
The immigration authorities warned that Noriko’s 36-year-old father could be detained if he refused to leave.
“We accept neither the deportation of the whole family nor sending back only the parents,” said lawyer Shogo Watanabe.
He said he would continue negotiating for the parents to be allowed to stay at least until the daughter was older.
Noriko’s father said: “She is 13 years old. She cannot survive or protect herself alone.”
Mr Watanabe said about 500 families were in the same situation as the Calderons.
Related Link: A video of Noriko’s appearance before the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan can be viewed on TV Jan.
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Categories: Foreigners in Japan
Sea otter swims up a river, attracting national media attention
A sea otter has spent the last two days swimming around in the Kushiro River in Hokkaido, drawing crowds of locals and even the national media:
Earlier reports included no name for the otter, but FTV then aired a clip on the 11th of a child being persuaded to name it “Kuu,” so the name has since been picked up by other media outlets.
Experts say it is rare for a sea otter to hang out in a river and they don’t expect Kuu to stay there more than a few days.
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Categories: Animal Videos
Valentine’s Day Chocolates in Japan
TokyoMx News reports on some of this year’s trendiest Valentine’s Day stuff:
Included in the video are:
- “Reverse Chocolates” that men can give to women (contrary to the Japanese custom of only women giving men gifts on Valentine’s Day). The letters on the labels are printed backwards.
- A t-shirt cleverly disguised as a chocolate bar.
- Chocolate Ramen! The reporter says it tastes good.
- A chocolate facial – it costs 21,000 yen for 80 minutes.
The video also includes the results of a survey about chocolate purchases for this year’s Valentine’s Day. Some 30% of women plan on buying chocolates for their husband/boyfriend, 14% for their father, and 12% for co-workers. 20% of the women surveyed plan on buying chocolates for just themselves (a practice known by the term “my choco” in Japanese).
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Categories: General Japan
Back to the Naked Festival… for a closeup
GABM shows us around the Hadaka Matsuri this year, with a good shot of the “Shin-otoko”, or god-man.
(many women thinking, “Just 1?! Don’t most men think they’re God??)
Contributor Bio: Fatblueman, shockingly, teaches English, but would prefer to do other things (shockingly). So he writes songs or comedy or the occasional theological treatise. Sometimes he tries to combine all of them. This is most easily observed at www.youtube.com/fatblueman.
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Categories: General Japan