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Work-Sex Balance: Putting Japan in the Mood to Procreate

CitizenSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:30:13 -0800

With one of the world's lowest birth rates, it's not the first time the Japanese government has tried to get in bed with the people. In the '90s, a government-organized dating program failed to produce results — and, yes, by results I mean babies. But now it's turning to the already-married business class, hoping they'll have more children if employers ensure they're home in time for sex.

A new survey shows that the average couple in Japan has sex 45 times per year. That's less than half the global average of 103 times. Why so low? To find out,

Iran Loses Bid For Global Influence on UN Security Council

LibertySugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:45:45 -0700

Pushing hard for an elected seat on the UN Security Council, Iran failed to get enough votes from its allies. All 192 United Nations members could participate in the vote to chose which nations should fill the five open seats on the UN Security Council. They decided to give the Asian seat to Japan, instead of Iran by 158 votes to 32.

The extremely influential Security Council can impose sanctions and deploy peacekeepers. Today's vote dealt a blow to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's assertion that the positions of the US do not represent the attitudes of the rest of the world.

In the Europe corner, Turkey, Iceland, and Austria proved formidable opponents. But Iceland was the odd country out, as that continent's open spots went to Turkey and Austria. Uganda and Mexico ran uncontested for the African and Latin American seats. It sure would have been tricky to keep up sanctions on Iran, if they took a seat on the Security Council!

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Front Page: Japan Confirms New PM, Poll Finds 18 Percent Undecided, Bailout Shockwaves

CitizenSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:56:48 -0700

Japan Confirms New PM:
Conservative Catholic Taro Aso became Japan's new Prime Minister today with promises to revive Japan's economy and keep the country vigilant in the fight on global terror. The 68-year-old former Olympic skeet-shooter said, "The mission is not for Afghanistan, the US or for Pakistan, but it's a responsibility as a member of the international community to fight against terrorism. We must continue the mission by all means."

Poll Finds 18 Percent Undecided:
A new AP/Yahoo poll finds that 18 percent of likely voters are still undecided or willing to change their minds, now just five weeks before casting ballots. The economy was the biggest issue to most respondents and the indecision stems from not knowing which candidate will help the situation most.
Bailout Shockwaves:
After five hours of testimony in front of the Senate Banking Committee, the details of the $700 billion bailout plan "did not abate the growing discontent,” according to one House Republican who opposes the plan. George W. Bush expressed extreme confidence that the "discontent" will be resolved and said, "I am confident when it's all said and done, that there will be a robust plan." However, former President Jimmy Carter called the plan "faulty," amid news that the FBI has begun a fraud investigation into the four major financial firms involved in the current financial crisis.

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Old Is Great If You're Not Sushi! Japan's Record Centenarians

CitizenSugar — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:01:51 -0700

Well, if there's no other reason to live to the ripe young age of 100, in Japan you get a silver cup and a congrats card from the prime minister if you do. I hope he's bought those suckers in bulk because almost 20,000 Japanese are set to turn 100 this year alone. And they'll have many, many friends in their 5-k age class — there are already 36,276 centenarians in Japan, up a whopping 4,000 since last year. The UN projects that by 2050 there will be almost a million people over 100 in Japan alone. That's 100 gabillion birthdays between them, believe me, I did the math.

Those birthdays almost all warranted pink birthday hats, too — 86 percent of the century club are women. The oldest gal is 113 years old and lives on the island of Okinawa, the oldest man is 112 and likes to write in his diary in the evening. Oh, I want to matchmake these two. The reasons for the good long lives: healthy diet, good medical care, and strong communities — and exercise. Sounds like an easy recipe, right?

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Front Page: Hurricane Gustav Makes Landfall, Japan's PM Resigns, Italy Agrees to Reparations

CitizenSugar — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:34:20 -0700

Hurricane Gustav Makes Landfall: The storm, varying in reports between a Category 2 and Category 3, made landfall in the area of Port Fourchon, Louisiana around 9 a.m. ET. Grand Isle, directly in the storm's path is covered in water. Between preparations and a smaller storm than expected, the fallout in terms of property damage is estimated to be a quarter of what was expected yesterday.

Japan's PM Resigns:
Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has announced his surprise resignation at a news conference after serving less than a year. His government has been plagued by unpopularity. He said, "If we are to prioritize the people's livelihoods, there cannot be a political vacuum from political bargaining, or a lapse in policies. We need a new team to carry out policies."

Italy Agrees to Reparations:
Italy has agree to pay Libya $5 billion in reparations for its 32-year occupation of the country which ended in 1943. Silvio Berlusconi is set to sign the package which includes construction projects and pensions for Libyans who served with Italy in World War II. In return, Italy wants Libya to monitor illegal migrants turning up on Italy's shores.

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See the Latest Beauty Gadgets from Japan!

bellasugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:00:05 -0700

The seventh Diet and Beauty Fair wrapped up in Tokyo yesterday, and its offerings go far beyond lip gloss and face masks. The trade show featured unusual, up-and-coming, and just plain bizarre beauty treatments. Have a look at some of the strangest. Source

Carbon's the New Calorie: Japan to Label Goods with Footprint

LibertySugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:13 -0700

Japan has plans to label consumer goods like beer and detergents with their carbon footprints. Officials think the standardized label will raise corporate and consumer awareness of global warming. Britain and France already place similar labels on products.

So say you want to eat a bag of potato chips. Forget the calories — you have a carbon footprint to think about. Each bag emits 75 grams (2.63 ounces) of carbon dioxide. If you want to break it down, like you'd break down saturated and trans fats, 44 percent of the carbon dioxide comes from growing the potatoes, 30 percent comes from producing the chips, 15 percent comes from packaging, 9 percent comes from delivery, and 2 percent comes from tossing the bag. I'm guessing these figures are estimates, since each product must have a unique footprint.

While certainly more work needs to be done to make the footprint calculations accurate and globally standard, the label will provide information to consumers who want it, while everyone else can ignore it. And who knows, maybe businesses will become more efficient in hopes of attracting customers.

Japan's Unmarried Employees Living Together in Dorms

SavvySugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:30:45 -0700

Mitsui & Co., one of Japan's largest companies, is revising the common conception of a work-life balance by reintroducing its old tradition of supplying dorms for unmarried employees. In Tokyo, the company's six dorms for men and two for women cost about $185 a month and provide private bedrooms but a shared cafeteria and bathhouse.

According to The Wall Street Journal, employee dorms were originally introduced in the 1950s and 60s to help establish a company culture of family. One 24-year old Mitsui employee said, "The dorm is a very successful system where you can build relationships with colleagues who we don't have access to otherwise."

The dorms are meant to reinforce a focus on the team over the individual by allowing workers to make friends and learn about each other outside the office. Would you be receptive to living in a dorm with co-workers during the first several years of your working life? Do you think this idea would ever fly in the US?

Source

The Beauty Ads Celebs Don't Want You To See

bellasugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:00:01 -0700

Celebrity endorsements are big overseas — just ask Angelina, Anne, Jennifer, or any of the other famous people who've appeared in beauty ads in Japan and Korea. For a day or two of work, these stars can earn more than $2 million by endorsing lipstick, mascara, or shampoo. Read on to see who's raking in the bucks (and who's hoping you won't have to see her practice her swordsmanship).

Hiroshima Mayor Asks US To Back Nuclear Ban On 63rd Anniversary of Atomic Bomb

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:07:22 -0700

Hiroshima Mayor Asks US to Back Nuclear Ban on 63rd Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Hiroshima's mayor on Wednesday urged the next US president to support a proposed ban on nuclear weapons, as Japan marked the 63rd anniversary of the atomic blast that obliterated this city and killed 140,000 people. In a ceremony, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba also announced the launch of a two-year study to gauge the psychological toll of the Aug. 6, 1945, attack in the closing days of World War II.