Patriot Missile Farce

East Asian Security Research Council reports in June issue of Sekai.
Key premiss : recent deployment of PAC3 systems in response to North Korean missile threat (intelligence info about which was supplied to Japanese gov’t in first instance by US Satellite Early Warning Centre) was an act of public misdirection with regard to the true nature [...]

Osaka Governor Hashimoto argues for decentralization

[ Asahi Shinbun : 25th July : morning edition ]
In a conference with Yokohama mayor Takada in Tokyo, Osaka governor Hashimoto reported that around 20 local governors have agreed to form a group pressing for regional decentralization from Tokyo in the next election and are ready to announce which party they will back.
According to information [...]

Miyazaki Governor sets out stall for LDP leadership race

Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru – TV and film comedian and actor turned politician – responded to questions from journalists with Election Campaign Chairman Koga of the LDP after a meeting between the two men on 23rd June, reports the Asahi Shinbun (24th June : morning edition). Higashikokubaru commented “unless there is a change in ruling [...]

Embarrassment for Saitama Police

[ Asahi Shinbun : 23rd June, morning edition ]
Saitama Police have revealed that a 46 year-old man taken in dead drunk at around 2:20am on 19th June, later set fire to his shirt (after taking it off) using a lighter he had on him. Thanks to surveillance cameras the fire was promptly extinguished; the man [...]

Nationwide pessimism re:local economy

[ Asahi Shinbun, 22nd June '09 ]
A nationwide survey of the opinions of business owners/managers re: the local economic situation in the regions has revealed that over 70% believe local business conditions are getting worse. This is a considerably worse result than for a similar survey conducted at the same time with 100 top companies. [...]

Pig Influenza and the Japanese media

[ Sekai : July 2009 / Tatsuhito Tonooka / unlicensed and abridged translation/summary ]
Initial alerts by WHO were ambiguous : a level 3 alert was called at first, but this is supposed to indicate the spread of a disease among animal populations with insufficient evidence to suggest human-human contagion; perhaps the WHO were afraid of [...]

High School Students in Shinagawa receive 8.5 million yen in compensation

In Shinagawa prefecture, 22 students at Kanda prefectural High School failed on the basis of criteria not stipulated in official guidelines – hair colour, length of skirt, etc. – had their case brought before the Prefectural Board of Education. The board announced on 17th June that four of the students had agreed to accept a [...]

First Tokyo Trial by Jury to be murder case; trial starts in August

It has been understood from sources within the trial system that the first criminal trial to feature ordinary citizens taking part in deliberations is expected to open in early August this year; the case is that of a murder in May this year in Tokyo’s Adachi ward. There are currently around 80 cases on trial [...]

‘Salaryman’s’ pocket money… Public Survey

The Asahi Shinbun reports today that, according to consumer finance body Shinsei Financial’s “2009 Salaryman Pocket Money Survey”, company workers have on average a quarter of the ready cash they enjoyed during the bubble period. Male company workers’ pocket money has decreased by 700 yen since last year to 45, 600 yen. This represents a [...]

Atomic Radiation Sickness suit – Tokyo High Court Judgement

The Government moves to abandon appeal
[ report in Asahi Shinbun 9th June 2009 3:01am ]
On 8th June the government began deliberations on the withdrawal of its appeal against a recent ruling by the Tokyo High Court in which 9 out 10 people until now denied legal recognition of atomic radiation sickness were recognized as entitled [...]