Japan reading list: Spring break 2009
A few new books you might be interested in:
Black Jack, Volume 4
The latest in Vertical‘s wonderfully-produced English translations of one of Japan’s greatest manga series. When you read this and other previous volumes of the series, its not hard to see why Tezuka has been called “the god of manga.”
Eat Sleep Sit: My Year at Japan’s Most Rigorous Zen Temple
Nonomura’s book about experiencing life at the Zen monastery of Eihei-ji has sold over 100,000 copies since it was first published in Japanese back in the 1990′s. The English translation will not be released in America until April 1st, but it’s already on bookstore shelves in Japan (and is on Amazon.co.jp). I’m currently a few chapters into it and although I don’t usually enjoy reading books about spirituality, I’ve found that Nomura’s descriptions of monastic life to be quite interesting. Read the book and educate yourself about proper Zen toilet etiquette, such as the proper chant to recite when you flush!
Strongholds of the Samurai: Japanese Castles 250-1877 
Turnbull continues to churn out books about the history of the samurai period! His other samurai history books published by Osprey are usually quite short, but this one will be about 200 pages.
Japan’s Open Future: An Agenda for Global Citizenship
This book, which argues that Japan should take a more active and outward-looking stance towards the rest of the world, is the only book on Amazon.com that references the Gaijin Hanzai File in its bibliography. Sample sections of the book can be read on its official website.
Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster’s Daughter
This book already received lots of good reviews when its hardcover edition was published in 2007. If you missed it before, get yourself a copy of the far cheaper paperback edition that has just been released.
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Categories: Books
Japanese government to ban smoking in hospitals, government offices, and public transportation
Looks like Japan is becoming a little less like the smoker’s paradise shown in the above commercial. The health ministry is set to announce a ban on smoking at hospitals, government offices and public transportation to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke:
The health ministry plans to announce the move next month, which is expected to exempt restaurants and hotels for the time being since an outright ban could affect their businesses, N-H-K reported on its website.
Currently, public facilities in Japan are required by law to set up designated smoking areas, but studies have found that this is not enough to prevent the spread of smoke, N-H-K said.
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Categories: General Japan
Mixi bans users from dating
J-Cast/Asiajin reports that Mixi, Japan’s largest social networking site, has banned its users from dating:
Mixi changed their terms of policy on December 1st, in accordance with the “Dating site regulation act”. They are now prohibiting users from “using Mixi mainly to meet with strangers of the other sex”.
Recently, Mixi has deleted many groups which hold group dating or offline meetings.
Mixi issued the ban because not doing so could have prompted authorities to take action against it as a “dangerous” place where predators can pick up minors (users as young as 15-years-old can register profiles on the site).
As Joe has pointed out over at JapanSoc, the ban only applies to meeting members of the opposite sex, so same-sex relationships seem to be okay. Maybe somebody should set up a gay dating group to see how Mixi’s admins will react?
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Categories: Discrimination, Technology
Tourist finds old grenade-like object in Okinawa, brings it on flight without problem
A student who found a grenade-like object on a beach in Okinawa seems to have proven that airport security in Okinawa may not be so great:
“I picked it up because I thought it was seashell. I then found that it might be a grenade but thought I shouldn’t leave it there. I didn’t think it might explode,” he told reporters.
The student picked up the object, corroded and covered with seaweed, on the shore in Yomitan on Okinawa Island on March 16 and he checked his baggage containing the object on a Japan Transocean Air flight from the Okinawa capital Naha to remote Ishigaki Island on Saturday.
The airline said it will look into the matter and review its safety check system.
The owner of the inn where the student was staying on Ishigaki Island realized the potential danger and notified the police. It has been left in a field until a GSDF bomb squad can come and determine whether or not it is actually an explosive device.
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Categories: General Japan
Hawker family comes to Japan seeking justice
The family of murder victim Lindsay Ann Hawker has once again come to Japan to spread awareness about the failure of police to track down murderer Tatsuya Ichihashi. Her father spoke to the press after meeting with the police:
After the meeting, Mr Hawker said: “We have met with the new head of the investigation, Superintendent Ito, and we are encouraged that he is thinking of new initiatives to catch Ichihashi.
‘ In Japan, if you’re wanted for a crime, after a certain amount of time if you don’t come forward or you are not found, it’s written off. ’
“He has just launched a campaign using a life-size cut-out of Ichihashi with his voice recording and already it’s producing fresh calls to the incident room which we find encouraging.”
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Categories: Foreigners in Japan
The official Japanese government position on Obama’s Special Olympics joke
Prime Minister Taro Aso hasn’t made any major gaffes this week, so Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura has the time to do PR work for Barack Obama:
“I believe President Obama is always careful about what he says and suppose that he made the remarks because of the high level of interest in the United States in the Special Olympics,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura, who often has to clean up after gaffe-prone Prime Minister Taro Aso.
During his appearance on the “Tonight Show” on Thursday, Obama joked about his bowling skills, likening to the performance of Special Olympians with intellectual disabilities.
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Categories: Politics