Archive for September, 2009

Chinese people don’t know about Japan’s giant jellyfish problem

“Mezamashi TV” investigates the giant jellyfish invasion taking place in the Sea of Japan:

The jellyfish originate in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. No one is entirely sure of why the giant jellyfish population is increasing, but it has been argued that global warming or Chinese pollution has killed off some of their natural predators, allowing them to grow to an enormous size before leaving Chinese waters and heading into the Sea of Japan.

Their reporter took the streets of Qingdao to ask Chinese people about their views on giant jellyfish. Nobody seemed to know about the problem facing Japanese fishermen:

The report hints at a solution: using the jellyfish as a food instead of treating them like worthless pests. Jellyfish cookies are mentioned as one type of food. A new post over at Pink Tentacle reveals that high school students in the town of Obama have also created jellyfish caramels.

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Narita helicopter service vs. new Narita Express train

FTV compare’s the new helicopter and rail services to and from Narita airport:

The helicopter flight takes 30 minutes and has nice leather seats with interior decoration by Hermes. A one-way ticket costs 75,000 yen (but a special launch price of 57,000 yen will be in effect until the end of this year).

The new Narita Express NEX E259 trains begin service on October 1st. The trip between Tokyo and the airport takes about an hour, but it will be a far cheaper ride than the helicopter. It will also be equipped with electrical outlets and locks for luggage.

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• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
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Japanese rock concert held on the USS Missouri

Japanese rock group VAMPS recently held a special concert on the deck of the USS Missouri, a battleship best known for hosting Japan’s war surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945.

Flanked by the ship’s 16-inch guns and with the stars and stripes flying behind them, the band performed 20 songs, including the upcoming release “Sweet Dreams.” About 600 fans paid $150 each to see the unique show. Vamps was formed in 2008 around L’Arc en Ciel frontman Hyde and Oblivion Dust guitarist K.A.Z. The lineup also includes bassist Ju-ken, who has performed with Gackt and X Japan’s Yoshiki. They have released one album and three singles. The tour took in 60 shows in Japan and the U.S. and finishing off in Hawaii, which is in more than one way the meeting point between the two countries, was heavily symbolic. Hyde said, “I think it’s great that an instrument of war can be used to send out a message of peace like this.”

According to the “Mezamashi TV” clip, about 600 Japanese and American fans attended the concert.

[hat tip to The Other East]

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Related video clip: a newsreel from 1945 showing the surrender ceremony:

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Foreigners only eat chocolate

A cute clip from a segment on “Katakuri TV” that put a Hanawa‘s two sons in charge of a shop:

The foreign “customer” who shows up is no doubt a paid actor (who seems to understand their Japanese), but the kids probably don’t realize it.

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Keiko Chiba opposes death penalty, favors dual surnames

The AFP reports on some of the views held by the woman taking over the Justice ministry:

One of them, Keiko Chiba, 61, is the new justice minister, who opposes the death penalty and wants to encourage national debate on ending capital punishment.

She is a supporter of London-based human rights group Amnesty International, which released a damning report last week that said inhumane prison conditions in Japan were driving some death row inmates insane.

Chiba also wants to push an issue dear to the hearts of many Japanese women — allowing married couples to have different surnames, a break with the current practice of forcing wives to assume their husbands’ family names.

Chiba has said that she will carry out her role with prudence and discretion, which means she’ll probably be slow when it comes to signing off on executions.

Back in 2008, Yukio Hatoyama’s pro-death penalty brother was given the unpleasant nickname “grim reaper” because of his willingness to sign so many execution orders while serving as Justice minister in the Abe cabinet. I guess the Hatoyama family is a bit divided over the death penalty.

[via JapanSoc]

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Illegal fishing – Koreans violate Japanese territorial waters

ATV reports on the growing problem of South Korean vessels that are illegally fishing in Japanese territorial waters:

South Korean fishermen have depleted their own coastal waters, so now many are sneaking into Japanese waters to catch more crabs and eel. Some are caught and have to pay fines, but the rewards are so great that they just go back and continue their illegal activities.

Japanese coast guard vessels can easily spot buoys that fishermen usually use to mark the location of traps, so the Korean fishermen use their GPS systems instead. There are also fishermen who sometimes cut or abandon their nets in order to quickly flee from authorities. This creates a risk that they may be lost and become “ghost fishing nets,” which do considerable environmental damage.

The area shown in the news report is off the coast of Shimane Prefecture, a poor area of Japan with little industry other than fishing. The illegal activities of South Korean fishermen and South Korea’s refusal to abide by a 1999 agreement to allow Japanese fishermen into the waters around the Korean-occupied Liancourt Rocks have made the local government very frustrated. Under these circumstances, Shimane has been quite vocal regarding the territorial dispute with Korea.

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