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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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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.

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.

The Way We Became the G-8 Bunch: The Summit Episode

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:00:33 -0700

The G-8 Summit gets underway in Hakkaido, Japan today; a three-day meeting of the leaders of the eight countries invited, plus a representative of the European Union.
Grown from the concept of a forum of the major industrialized democracies after the 1973 oil crisis, more have been invited until 1997 when the last member, Russia, was invited at the initiative of then US President Bill Clinton.

The guest list is at the edge of controversy this year, as major climate issues are at hand, and two of the worst polluters (China and India) aren't invited. Here's who is (top to bottom, left to right):

Marcia Brady: United Kingdom, Gordon Brown
Jan Brady: United States, George W Bush
Cindy Brady: Germany, Angela Merkel
Carol Brady: Canada, Stephen Harper
Ann B. Davis as Alice: European Union, Jose Manuel Barroso
Mike Brady: Japan, Yasuo Fukada
Greg Brady (Johnny Bravo): France Nicolas Sarkozy
Peter Brady: Russia, Dmitry Medvedev
Bobby Brady: Italy, Silvio Berlusconi

What's going to happen in this very special episode of the G-8 bunch? Well, no one's going to find a Tiki idol or Vincent Price in a cave, but some other important stuff instead. To find out,

US Officials Drive and Ditch in London Leaving $4.7 Million Tab

LibertySugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:10 -0700

A current diplomatic showdown between the US and its motherland involves $4.7 million of unpaid fines US diplomats owe for refusing to pay London's traffic congestion charge.

So what are the transatlantic positions? The US calls the £8 per day charge to enter the city a tax. Therefore, tax-exempt foreign service officers need not pay. The UK sees the charge as service fee, not a tax. In 2006, London's mayor called the US ambassador a "chiseling little crook" for evading the charge. Other countries share the US position, and Russia and Japan owe millions too, according to Bloomberg.

London also has to swallow the pain of more serious diplomatic offenses. In 2007, 20 serious crimes (think assault, drinking and driving, or robbery), attributed to foreign diplomats, went unpunished thanks to diplomatic immunity.

I wonder if the US will try to get foreign diplomats headed below 60th street to pay the New York City congestion charge that goes into effect next March! Should the diplomats pay up like everyone else in London?

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Asian Fusion — Japan Reconnecting With China and Hello Kitty

LibertySugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:00:25 -0700

Japan and China reached a deal yesterday about long-disputed gas fields located in the East China Sea. The two countries will share the profitable gas fields; Japan's private sector will invest in Chinese development. Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda eloquently said: "We will turn it into a sea of peace and friendship."

The Chinese government is officially into the deal; a foreign ministry statement said it will help foster a "healthy and stable" relationship between the Asian neighbors. But in an unusual fashion, China allowed, and even helped, nationalist protesters to demonstrate against the deal.

In other Japanese news: Sanrio Co., the company behind Hello Kitty, plans to give the cat character a fresh dose of Japan-ness. The surrogate Japanese ambassador will now infiltrate Chinese markets, as well as markets in Russia, India, and America, in a more Japanese fashion — via electronics. The company will sell digital cameras shaped like Hello Kitty's face, kitty-clad USB memory cards, and a globular humidifier (I'll have to look that up) shaped like the cat.

Hello Kitty, who gets paid for her TV appearances, is a tourist attraction for Japan's visitors who stock up on everything Hello Kitty while in the country. Considering Japan's tourist ministry just appointed Hello Kitty to represent Japan in China, I wonder if the expressionless cat had anything to do with the gas field deal between the two countries!

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Front Page: Gore Endorses Obama, Japan Hangs Murderers, Israel Makes Progress

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:58:20 -0700

Gore Endorses Obama: Last night at an event in Michigan, Al Gore officially endorsed Barack Obama, drawing from his own experience to drive his point saying, “Looking back over the last eight years, I can tell you that we have already learned one important fact since the year 2000. Take it from me, elections matter. If you think the next appointments to the Supreme Court are important, you know that elections matter.” In front of nearly 20,000 people Gore outlined the challenges facing the US and said Obama is “clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.”

Japan Hangs Murderers: In Japan today, a serial killer who whose rash of grisly killings in the late 1980s triggered calls for tighter restrictions on violent pornographic videos, was hanged at a detention center in Tokyo. His unspeakably heinous crimes were ultimately punished alongside two other convicted murderers. The justice minister said, "I ordered their executions because the cases were of indescribable cruelty. We are pursuing executions in order to achieve justice and firmly protect the rule of law." Japan is one of the few industrialized countries to use capital punishment, and the use has risen dramatically amid rising concerns about violent crime. In the past six months, 13 have been hanged, compared to one in all of 2005.
Israel Makes Progress: Israel appeared to be making diplomatic progress yesterday on three issues: a prisoner exchange in the works with Hezbollah; a call back for brokered talks with Syrian representatives in Turkey; and gearing up for a possible truce with Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials however say it would be premature to draw any conclusions about understandings with Syria or Hamas. The positivity comes with skepticism as some Israelis suspect that the current burst of diplomatic activity is intended to distract attention from the political and legal troubles of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

7.2 Magnitude Quake Rips Japan, Killing At Least 6 People

CitizenSugar — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:44:18 -0700

A magnitude-7.2 earthquake crumpled the countryside in Japan on this morning, killing at least six people, leaving a path of destruction. At least eight people are still missing.

Military helicopters headed to the quake zone 250 miles north of Tokyo, bringing supplies and taking the injured to hospitals. At least 144 people were injured and landslides trapped 100 bathers at a hot spring resort, say officials.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said they are marshaling "everybody we possibly can" to find the missing and rescue and treat the injured. "Our most important task is to save as many lives as possible, and we are doing the best we can."

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Tokyo Stabbing Spree Leaves 7 Dead

CitizenSugar — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:55:06 -0700

Tokyo Stabbing Spree Leaves 7 Dead A man who police said "was tired of life" drove into a crowd of pedestrians Sunday and then went on a stabbing rampage in Tokyo's top electronics and video game district, killing seven people and wounding 10, authorities said. The attacker grunted and roared as he slashed and stabbed at his victims on a street crowded with Sunday shoppers.

Greece Grants Gay Marriages, Japan Awards Gender Rights

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:41 -0700

With a Greek mayor who presided over outlawed gay marriages yesterday saying, "The laws on marriage simply do not specify any genders. To me, therefore, if something is not banned by law it is not illegal," now facing jail time for his actions, Japan's government is actually moving toward broader gender ideas.

Japan’s House of Councillors (like the US Senate) has unanimously passed legislation which will allow people with gender identity disorder to officially change their sex, giving Gender Identity Disordered (GID) people the ability to change the way the world perceives them — on paper. To see how,

Japanese Woman Calls a Stranger's Closet Home

LibertySugar — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Japanese police just arrested a woman for living secretly in a stranger's closet for over a year — sleeping on a small mattress she brought with her. Considering that this woman was living in a closet for a year, I'm not so sure prisontime will be too bad of a punishment.

The homeowner knew something was up once he noticed food was missing from his refrigerator. This guy must love food a whole lot more than he liked clothes, since he noticed his food was gone, but failed to notice he had a roommate!

Well once the missing food planted a seed of suspicion, he installed a nanny cam-type surveillance system. And guess who he found! Fifty-eight-year-old Tatsuko Horikawa, a formerly homeless woman, sleeping in his storage space and walking around his place while he wasn't there. Can you imagine the eerie feeling of realizing food is missing, only to find out someone has been living in your home!

How is it even possible to not realize a person is crashing at your place for that long? Are you going to go home and check all your closets?

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Hello Kitty Named Japan Tourism Ambassador

CitizenSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:10:51 -0700

Hello Kitty Named Japan Tourism Ambassador Hello Kitty — Japan's ubiquitous ambassador of cute — has built up an impressive résumé over the years. Global marketing phenom. Fashion diva. Pop culture icon. Now the moonfaced feline can add "government envoy" to the list. Officials hope that tapping into that fan base will lead to a bigger flow of tourists into Japan, and closer toward their goal of attracting 10 million overseas visitors every year under the "Visit Japan" campaign.

Japan Getting Rid of Babies, US Woman Collecting Her 18th!

CitizenSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:15:44 -0700

In Japan, a Roman Catholic hospital's controversial "storks' cradle" is a flyaway success. The hatch is designed to be a safe haven for unwanted babies, and officials say in the past year 16 years babies have been safely dropped off and more than 1,000 people have called for advice. The hatch ensures a safe drop-off point where unwanted children are placed anonymously and are guaranteed care by the hospital.

The program has received criticism from conservative politicians, but perseveres in the hope of preventing abortions and abuse against unwanted children. The director of the hospital says, "As I said when it was installed, it would be best if it were not used. . . . honestly speaking, I was surprised to see there were this many troubled mothers." He said the so-called Storks' Cradle "has performed a great role," bringing attention to problems from unwanted pregnancies. To see what's happening in the US,

Naughty Japanese Bureaucrat Accessed Porn 780,000 Times

LibertySugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:15:00 -0700

An employee for city government in Japan was just disciplined as a result of his pornography addiction. What exactly was his transgression? He accessed porn sites 780,000 times in 9 months. That's an average of almost 3,000 a day.

July was actually his worst month — he visited the sites 177,000 times, which averages out to 20 clicks per minute. So, was he fired? いいえ! Instead, he was demoted and will make about $200 less a month. And hopefully the employer put a filter on his computer.

The porn-happy bureaucrat wasn't caught until his computer caught a virus. Um, why didn't his supervisor notice he wasn't getting any work done?!

Are you surprised he wasn't fired? Do you think he was actually clicking on 20 porn sites per minute, or was his computer taken over by a virus a while back that could have had something to do with it? Even so, how could this go on so long without anyone noticing? Does this shed light on inefficiency of bureaucracy, or is it just an example of one bad/horny apple?

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Modern Geishas in Japan — Pretty Tradition or Outdated Idea?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:45:00 -0700

In Japan, being a geisha is a steeped in tradition but a fading career choice for the modern woman. Years ago, girls needed personal connections to become a geisha. But one 23-year-old named Komomo (Little Peach) looked for the job the same way many modern women job hunt — by email.She was lured to the field for love of country. She says, "I wanted to know more about my own country and that's why I chose this world. I wanted to make Japanese history and customs a part of my daily life, not just wearing a kimono occasionally but every day and living life as they did in the old days." Despite her high-minded reasons for becoming a geisha, she admits she's judged harshly on her appearance, and though she loves her job, she worries about the future. There are no pensions for geisha and they are not permitted to marry.The number of geisha in Japan peaked at 80,000 in 1928, but now only 1,000 are left. Two reasons are shrinking business expense accounts zapped after the economic woes of the 1990s, and politicians who now stay away fearing scandal. A dinner with a geisha present can cost around 80,000 yen ($785) a person, depending on the venue and number of geisha. In a nod to the modernizing world, men are now geisha, too, serving the growing number of professional women in Japan willing to fork out from $1,000 to $50,000 a night for male companionship.Is this a tradition worth saving? Do you like the idea of modern co-ed geisha?

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Modern Geishas in Japan — Pretty Tradition or Outdated Idea?

Pretty Tradition! It's part of their heritage and a career choice. I'd like to see it saved.

Outdated Idea. It's dwindling for a reason, and it should be allowed to fade gracefully.

I think it's both.

It's neither of these options. I'll tell you my opinion in the comments.

Well, those male geishas sound interesting. . . .

Japan Succeeds at Decreasing Homelessness

LibertySugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:00:24 -0700

Japan's homeless population dropped to 16,000 down 2,500 from the previous year. Japan continues its downward trend, and the Welfare Ministry thanks better employment prospects in the cities and local governmental policies.

The homeless are overwhelmingly male, with 14,707 men, 531 women, and 780 gender unknown. Osaka claims the largest population, with 4,333, and Tokyo comes in second with 3,796.

The success Japan has had in addressing homelessness is more apparent when you compare its numbers to other places. For example, San Francisco's homeless population is estimated at 6,248 out of a population of 750,000. Tokyo has half the amount of homeless, even though the city has 12.7 million residents! New York City fares a bit better. A recent count found 3,306 people living on the street, out of a population of 8 million. Tokyo has 4 million more people, and the same amount of homeless.

Are you surprised by these comparisons? Is your quality of life impacted by a homeless crisis? Should curbing homelessness, by creating affordable housing and a social safety net, be a government priority?

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US Reputation Around the World Is on the Up

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:01:36 -0700

America is turning a popularity corner. In a BBC World Service poll, 35 percent of people from all over the world said the US has a positive influence, up from 31 percent last year. The view that the US has a negative influence declined from 52 percent to 47 percent.

The pollsters credit various factors including: extra attention to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process; a firmer stance on global warming; the election of pro-US Nicolas Sarkozy in France; decreased violence in Iraq; and the upcoming presidential election. World citizens hope that the next president will pursue a more collaborative foreign policy.

Comparatively, Iran and Israel received the most negative ratings. Doing a 180 from about 60 years ago, Japan and Germany have the highest positive ratings. Russia gets a 37 percent approval rating, higher than the US.

Surprised by these results? Do you think approval will increase with the next US president, or is a superpower destined to be judge critically?

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What Is Going on at the Japanese Foreign Ministry?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:05:17 -0700

Japan got a new ambassador. Really. (And yes, it's news! I can't make this stuff up!)

Take a guess a what's happening in this wacky pic and to find out if you're right

Say What? Craft a Lucky Caption

CitizenSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:00:32 -0700

It's the St. Patrick's Day Craft a Caption! The leprechauns might just be gearing up here, but worldwide Irish celebrations have been chasing snakes and finding gold all weekend. Tokyo, Japan had a huge parade, where this pic was snapped. Come up with a clever caption and leave it in the comments — and the luck of the Irish to you!

How about: What? The green umbrella is clover doing it?

To take a peek at more international celebrations,

Front Page: Missiles in Somalia, Whaling, Rice Calls for Peace

CitizenSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 07:02:32 -0800

American naval forces continued to fire missiles into southern Somalia yesterday, aiming at what the Defense Department called terrorist targets.The missile strike was aimed at Kenyan Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan. He is wanted by the FBI for questioning in nearly simultaneous attacks in 2002, including one on a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the target is a “known Al Qaeda terrorist.” Three civilians have been wounded in the attacks, with no casualties yet.
Japan has escalated the situation surrounding an environmental group's attack on one of its whaling ships using rotten butter. Japan has summoned senior diplomats to complain about the activist attack, calling attention to the fact that rotten butter is a mild acid. The Sea Shepherd group carried out the attack. The International Whaling Commission will meet soon in London for a three-day meeting, an attempt to break the deadlock between pro-whaling and anti-whaling nations.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in the Middle East calling for a renewal of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Her arrival comes a day after Israel withdrew from a five-day operation in Gaza to hunt down Palestinian militants, who have been firing dozens of rockets into Israel. Rice called attention to both Israel and Hamas-backed militants responsibility for the violence. Rice said, "There needs to be a stop to the rockets. There needs to be an awareness of what is happening to innocent civilians and an effort to prevent innocent people from being harmed."