NHK has a regular travel series called "Quiz de Go," which sends TV personalities to far-flung corners of Japan and then asks them questions about the area's local qualities. Several weeks ago, three celebrities were exploring Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, and were turned on to a local delicacy called Curry-yaki. They sampled the treat in front of an 80-year-old woman who has been selling it for decades. She asked their opinion, and they answered excitedly with various takes on the word oishī (delicious).
"Of course, I knew you were going to say that," the old lady remarked.
Except for sugoi (wow!), does any Japanese word have less meaning from overuse than oishī? Every nuance has been exhausted due to the ubiquity of travel and food shows, and unless the morsel in question was prepared by some comedian or idol ripe for ridicule, reactions to food are invariably and effusively positive. (Japan Times)
Rigged online food reviews should come as no surprise
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Call of the powder: sublime snow in Japan
There is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of hurtling down a steep, untracked slope of knee-deep powder. It is an uncomplicated pleasure, pure and exhilarating; carving turns into the untouched snow and sending up white plumes in your wake.
Fortunately, Japan gets masses of feathery powder, and many resorts turn a blind eye to off-piste skiing and have refined the art of Zen and grooming - taking a minimalist approach on selected runs.
Having been raised on the icy slopes of New England, where deep powder runs are akin to Loch Ness monster sightings, Japan has been a revelation. In New England there are about 20 different words for icy conditions, and you get your money's worth out of your ski edges. Here, conditions are incredibly good and, unless you ski in Hokkaido, it's not nearly as cold. (Japan Times)
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University entrance exams kick off
The national unified college entrance examinations began Saturday, with more than 550,000 applicants and a record-high 835 public and private institutions taking part.
The exams mark the start of an annual competition for spots in two- and four-year universities for the start of the 2012 academic year in April.
Total applicants fell by 3,447 from last year to 555,537, and included 439,713 high school students scheduled to graduate in March, according to the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, an affiliate of the education ministry. (Japan Times)
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Japan steps up efforts to crack untapped Myanmar market
yanmar has been billed as "Asia's final frontier," and its rich resources and cheap wage levels are increasingly catching the eye of Japanese companies and the government.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano on Friday met with President Thein Sein and other senior officials of Myanmar, and reached an agreement on Japan's cooperation in the Southeast Asian country's economic development.
Rivals from China and elsewhere in Asia have already made significant investments in Myanmar's infrastructure and the procurement of natural resources. Although Myanmar's development has lagged other Asian nations due to economic sanctions imposed by Western nations, some restrictions have been loosened in recent months as it has made steps toward democratization. (Yomiuri)
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Japan murders beg tough questions
Few news stories carry the potential to galvanize the far flung academic and student community of Taiwan like our recent tragedy in Japan. Whether we trace messages on social network systems like Facebook, Twitter, or Plurk, or ordinary emails and telephone calls, this violent end to the lives of three young people seems to be on everyone's mind.
This applies as much to Taiwanese currently studying or working in academia in Japan and elsewhere abroad as it does to us here at home.
As this past week wound down and media excitement returned to the presidential race that finished yesterday (with many a sigh, moan, and wonder) the final focus on the Japan story had shifted, at least momentarily, to the media itself. (China Post)
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Poll indicates public frustration / Over 80% say Noda has not sufficiently explained own policies, views
The fact that last week's reshuffle of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda did not stop its approval rating from sinking in a Yomiuri Shimbun opinion poll appears to indicate the public's dissatisfaction with the government's explanation of integrated social security and tax reform, and the administration's attempts to cut unnecessary spending.
After the previous opinion poll conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun on Dec. 10 and 11, the Noda Cabinet agreed on a draft plan for integrated reform. However, turmoil also arose as some lawmakers in the Democratic Party of Japan left the party due to their dissatisfaction with the reform plan and the decision to resume construction on the once-canceled Yamba Dam in Gunma Prefecture. (Yomiuri)
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Sumo: Dominating Baruto chalks up another victory
Baruto is building his case as the man standing between Hakuho and his third consecutive championship title - and the Estonian ozeki hasn't looked this dominant since his debut at sumo's second-highest rank.
Baruto overpowered rank-and-filer Kitataiki on Sunday to remain undefeated with an 8-0 record in a share of the lead with the lone yokozuna as the second week of the 15-day basho kicked off in front of another full house at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Ozeki pair Kisenosato and Kotooshu remained one behind the co-leaders at 7-1. (Japan Times)
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Yokohama antinuclear conference draws thousands of activists, experts
A two-day antinuclear conference kicked off Saturday in Yokohama with the aim of sharing lessons from the Fukushima crisis and fostering global momentum against atomic power.
The conference drew thousands of participants to the Pacifico Yokohama convention center, including about 100 experts and activists from 30 countries and nearly 200 domestic groups.
Holding an event of this scale in Japan just 10 months after the Fukushima No. 1 plant meltdowns represents a significant meaning for the antinuclear movement, said Yoshioka, chairman of the event.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is set to approve reports submitted by Kansai Electric on stress tests carried out on two idled reactors at the Oi power plant in Fukui Prefecture, government sources said Saturday. (Japan Times)
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Electronics giants turn to smart cities
Hitachi, Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and other major electronics makers are increasingly turning their sights toward "smart city" projects designed to create eco-friendly, energy-efficient communities.
In the wake of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, smart cities are considered to be a crucial part of the government's energy-saving policy. Such projects are already under way overseas, particularly in urban developments in newly emerging economies.
Foreign electronics companies, including General Electric Co. of the United States, are also gearing up to enter the smart city market, intensifying competition for orders. (Yomiuri)
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Second crested ibis found injured after possible attack by bird of prey
An injured crested ibis found on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture was apparently injured by a bird of prey - the second case of its kind in a week, the Environment Ministry said.
The ibis, released into the wild by the ministry in September 2009, is being treated at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center but is not in critical condition, officials said Saturday.
The 4-year-old male was found hurt in a lotus field about 200 meters from its roosting site early Saturday. (Japan Times)
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Okada nudges Diet to take wage cuts
Deputy Prime Minister Katsuya Okada said Sunday that lawmakers should take bigger pay cuts than civil servants are facing under new legislation, nudging politicians to an active part in reforms.
On a TV talk show aired by NHK, Okada touched on ad hoc legislation proposed in the Diet that would chop government workers' salaries by an average of 7.8 percent through fiscal 2013. (Japan Times)
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Golf: Ishikawa mulling U.S. membership
Ryo Ishikawa has never started his season this early, playing in the Sony Open for the first time. It's the start of what should be a long year, even by the Japanese star's standards.
Ishikawa is interested in taking up U.S. PGA Tour membership. He is one of the biggest draws, especially on the U.S. West Coast, and he already has received exemptions to the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the Northern Trust Open at Riviera, along with the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook.
The first three months are pivotal. (Japan Times)
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U.S. auto council opposes Japan joining in TPP talks
A council representing the Big 3 U.S. automakers has declared that it opposes Japan joining negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement at this time, saying Japan's auto market is not receptive to imports.
The American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) also said it is no longer reasonable for the Japanese government to give preferential treatment to the "Kei" category of super-mini vehicles that are manufactured only domestically.
The AAPC expressed its views in an opinion paper submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative on Friday, the deadline for submitting opinions to the USTR to assist it in assessing Japan's expression of interest in the TPP negotiations. (Yomiuri)
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Sydney-bound JAL jet returns due to fire
A Japan Airlines flight bound for Sydney returned to Narita airport after a seat caught fire Saturday night, forcing the passengers to stay in Japan overnight.
A cabin attendant confirmed a small fire on a seat in business class at 8:20 p.m. shortly after the Boeing 777, carrying 260 passengers and crew members, took off from Narita, JAL said.
A lighter was found on the seat but JAL has yet to identify who it belonged to, it said, adding no one was injured in the incident. (Japan Times)
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Treasured pine still standing tall after tsunami
Izumi no Ichiyo Matsu, a 400-year-old pine tree on the coast of Minami-Soma City, has survived the tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent salt pollution.
The needles of the Japanese black pine are generally punched in V-shaped pairs, but some black pines--known as ichiyo matsu--also have single needles and are considered scientifically valuable. The area around Izumi no Ichiyo Matsu was submerged by the March 11 tsunami, and many residences and trees nearby were swept away.
However, the pine tree was able to withstand the disaster. While rice paddies around the tree were damaged by salt pollution, the tree has so far shown strong growth. (Yomiuri)
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Noda Cabinet approval rating falls to 37%
The approval rating for the reshuffled Cabinet led by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda stood at only 37 percent, down from 42 percent in a December survey, a Yomiuri Shimbun survey has found.
In the nationwide telephone survey conducted from Friday through Saturday, 51 percent disapproved of Noda's reshuffled Cabinet, up seven percentage points from the previous survey conducted Dec. 10-11.
It is the first time the disapproval rating for Noda's Cabinet has exceeded 50 percent, and the second month in a row in which the negative rating has exceeded the approval rating, indicating a possibly irreversible slide. (Yomiuri)
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France's Louvre to show art and solidarity in Japan
The world-renowned and most visited Louvre Museum of France is due to bring more than 20 art works to Japan as a show of solidarity with the Japanese in the wake of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the country on March 11 and which triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.
The announcement on Friday was made by Jean-Luc Martinez, director of the department of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities at the Louvre museum.
Louvre which is home to the world's greatest masterpieces will hold the exhibit in Japan specifically in the severely hit areas from the March disaster. The exhibit dubbed as "Meeting, Love, Friendship, Solidarity in the Louvre collections" will run from April 20 to September 17 in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. (Tokyo Times)
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Man fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to hitting flight attendant during flight to Hawaii
A 65-year-old Japanese man pleaded guilty Friday to assaulting a flight attendant aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Tokyo to Honolulu, a federal prosecutor said.
Sohei Yamanouchi was expected to return to Tokyo on a Japan Airlines flight Friday. His passport would be returned after paying the $2,500 fine the judge ordered him to pay, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Song said.
Yamanouchi hit the flight attendant once with an open hand and once with a closed fist after drinking four glasses of wine in business class during the Monday flight, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. A crew member also noted that Yamanouchi had a glass of champagne before the plane departed. (Washington Post)
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Honda to build NSX 'supercar' in Ohio
With one announcement last week at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Honda surprised auto industry observers in at least two ways.
First, the automaker is resurrecting the rare-but-beloved Acura NSX "supercar." And second, the new NSX will be designed and built in Ohio, not Japan, where the model's previous iteration was built from 1990 to 2005.
Already, preliminary development work for the NSX has been handed off from Japan to Honda's Center of Research and Development in Raymond, Ohio, about 140 miles northeast of Dayton, a Honda spokesman said. (Channel NewsAsia)
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Japan's growing yen for acquisitions
Japan Inc is on an acquisitions march across Asia and around the world, new figures show, as firms armed with ever more valuable yen take strategic advantage of the currency's post-war highs.
Western economies have been left in turmoil by the global financial crisis and eurozone sovereign debt woes.
And in recent years Japan's economy has been eclipsed by that of China, which has overtaken its neighbour to take second place in global GDP rankings on the back of rampant growth that has underpinned much of the global economy.
But last year Japanese firms made 198 corporate purchases across the rest of Asia, mergers and acquisitions researchers Recof Data found, an all-time high and well above the previous record of 153 in 2005.
(Channel NewsAsia)
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