Sluggish consumer spending caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake exacerbated declining department store sales last year, but sales at some stores in quake-hit areas showed signs of growth after the disaster.
The Japan Department Stores Association announced Thursday that in 2011, sales fell 2 percent from the previous year to 6.15 trillion yen on a same-store basis. The figure was the lowest since 1981, when sales slipped to 6.55 trillion yen, and marked the 15th consecutive annual decline.
The decline was mainly attributed to sluggish consumer spending following the massive March 11 earthquake. That same month, sales fell 14.7 percent compared to the previous year, marking the second-biggest year-on-year fall. (Yomiuri)
Not all gloom for dept stores in 2011
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Nepalese man's DNA not found on victim
New evidence submitted to the Tokyo High Court has revealed that DNA samples taken from the clothes of a murdered Japanese woman did not match the DNA of a Nepalese man convicted of killing her, making it highly probable the case will be retried, sources said.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office ordered new tests for a case seeking the retrial of Govinda Prasad Mainali, 45. According to the test results, the only DNA found on the victim's clothes, the last items examined, was that of the victim herself.
Prosecutors believe more DNA testing is necessary, but as the latest finding found no direct links to a possible murderer, the high court may decide it unnecessary. (Yomiuri)
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Japan sees first urination-based computer game
Sega has created a number of urination-based games for people to play while they spend a penny.
The computer games company has revealed bars in Japan have been installing its Toylet devices in their bathrooms.
The games - which cost $1,958 each - are controlled by the strength and direction of a person's urine stream, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reports.
A screen displaying animations to go with the game is positioned above the urinal and players are even able to download their scores onto memory sticks.
(breakingnews.ie)
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Japan to lead adoption of connected TVs
Connected TVs will account for over 80% of televisions shipped globally by 2015, compared to 27% in 2011, according to a new report from UK firm Futuresource Consulting.
On a regional level, Japan is predicted to lead the way in adoption of connected TVs, with 59% of shipments in 2011 integrating IP connectivity as standard. Penetration in the US and China hit 29%, but Europe is believed to be behind the curve with 24% of TV sales being connected.
As demand grows, major TV manufacturers are responding by making IP connectivity a standard feature in 60% to 80% of their product portfolio, according to Futuresource. In addition, embedded Wi-Fi is expected to drive usage, with many premium models now offering this feature. (iptv-news.com)
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Japan's oldest elephant turns 65
A female elephant named Hanako in Tokyo's Inokashira Park Zoo has turned 65, making her the oldest elephant in Japan, zoo officials said.
A gift to Japan from Thailand, Hanako was born in Bangkok in 1947, but her exact birth date is unknown.
Zoo officials decided New Year's Day would be considered her birthday.
The zoo said it would hold an event celebrating Hanako's age Feb. 5, when she will be presented with home-made bread, one of her favorite foods.
(UPI)
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A peep into hell
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) released the first pictures of the interior of the number 2 reactor containment vessel at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The images, taken on Jan. 19 using an industrial endoscope working on the same principle as those used for medical examinations, showed no apparent damage to piping. But it did show paintwork peeling, probably caused by the extreme temperature and humidity inside the vessel.
The images were blurred, partly as a result of the high humidity inside the vessel, and were also affected by visual noise, which may be due to the high level of radiation inside the vessel. (majirox news)
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Table tennis: Fukuhara captures national title
Table tennis icon Ai Fukuhara finally won a national singles title Saturday, defeating 2011 champion Kasumi Ishikawa four games to one in the final.
Fukuhara, making her 13th appearance at the national championships, won 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5 in the matchup many people were hoping to see on the penultimate day of action at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
She clinched victory when 18-year-old Ishikawa's backhand went long. (Japan Times)
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Mixed response to autumn enrollment plan
National universities are evenly split over an autumn enrollment system proposed by the University of Tokyo, with about half considering a similar change to their calendars but others skeptical whether it would fit Japanese society.
The survey was conducted after recent reports the University of Tokyo, also known as Todai, plans to shift the enrollment of its undergraduate students from spring to autumn. Among 36 institutions that have started or will start discussions on introducing autumn enrollment was Tsukuba University, which said the change will be crucial to securing excellent students and faculty members from overseas to improve the university's education and research capabilities. (Yomiuri)
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TSE Olympus decision rapped
The Tokyo Stock Exchange's decision not to delist scandal-ridden Olympus Corp. was lambasted by critics who said the company's concealment of huge losses for many years constituted breach of trust.
The TSE's rules stipulate that companies should be delisted when the effects of false reporting are judged to be serious from a "comprehensive" viewpoint.
Makoto Minoguchi, standing governor of Tokyo Stock Exchange Regulation, the TSE's self-regulatory body, said at a press conference Friday, "The effects of the false reporting were not serious enough to delist the company's shares." (Yomiuri)
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Rightist rams car into SDP's head office
A 41-year-old man was arrested Sunday morning for ramming his car several times into the shuttered entrance of the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party in Tokyo, police said.
Takuya Ueno, who says he is a rightist, was apprehended on the spot by police officers alerted by a guard. No one was injured.
Investigators quoted the man as saying he would explain his motives later.
The small opposition party supports the Constitution's pacifist stance and opposes nuclear power.
(Japan Times)
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It's Murphy's Law if you don't get the joke in Japanese
If you miss the punch line to a Japanese joke, don't feel bad. It's simply unrealistic to use something as elusive as humor to measure your ability to understand a foreign language.
On the other hand, knowing what makes people laugh is a great incentive for language study.
Years ago, I found the lessons in my university's Japanese textbook rather dull, and set out to supplement them with more amusing materials.
I was reminded of those efforts last August, when I read the お悔やみ (okuyami, obituary) of veteran TV entertainer Takehiko Maeda (前田武彦), who had passed away at the age of 82. (Japan Times)
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Ainu take aim at Upper House with new party
Members of the Ainu indigenous ethnic group launched a political party in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, on Saturday, resolving to field 10 candidates in the House of Councilors election.
The Ainu Party of Japan, headed by Shiro Kayano, decided at its inaugural meeting to fight to regain the rights of Ainu people and bring about a multicultural society. (Japan Times)
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Sumo: Hakuho calls time on Baruto's perfect record
Yokozuna Hakuho drew a line in the sand Sunday, beating ozeki Baruto to deny the Estonian goliath a 15th win on the final day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
Baruto was trying to become the first wrestler at sumo's No. 2 rank to win a tournament with a perfect 15-0 mark since Hakuho achieved the feat at the 2007 summer basho, but Hakuho had other plans for sumo's jolly giant in the grand finale at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
With his mother and wife in the audience looking on, Baruto came flying out at the charge and attempted to grab Hakuho's arm, but the yokozuna escaped his grasp before heaving Baruto out for a first loss in front of another full house. (Japan Times)
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Osaka mayor orders officials to bow to flag
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto has instructed high-ranking officials of the city government to always bow to the Hinomaru national flag as they take a seat in the municipal assembly's main conference hall and when replying to questions when the assembly is session, it has been learned.
Hashimoto e-mailed the instruction earlier this month to bureau chiefs who sit on the platform of the conference hall during the assembly's deliberations.
Titled "Paying homage to the national flag at the conference hall," the mayor's e-mail read, "You are asked to bow to the flag when seating yourself on the platform," assembly sources said. (Yomiuri)
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China, Japan celebrate Lunar New Year
Celebrations rang out in Beijing and Tokyo on Sunday night to mark the start of the lunar new year.
In Beijing, fireworks exploded into the sky to celebrate the year of the dragon, which begins on Monday.
The dragon is believed to be a powerful, mythical creature that symbolises good luck in many Asian countries.
"I'm so happy to see in the New Year this way. It's so much fun to set off fireworks with friends and family. I feel so happy to see the explosions, and I don't have a care in the world," said local resident, Anna Du.
Traditionally, fireworks are believed to have been first set off to scare off a man-eating monster, and they have now become an indispensable feature of the nationwide celebrations. (citytv.com)
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Japanese stores go extra mile to attract Chinese during New Year holidays
A visitor to the VenusFort shopping mall in Tokyo's Odaiba district over the weekend could be forgiven for thinking they had stumbled into Chinatown.
Posters in Chinese celebrating the Lunar New Year have been prominently displayed around the mall since Friday. Red--a color Chinese consider auspicious at this time of year--dominates window displays, and seven Chinese-speaking staffers will be stationed at the mall until Sunday to help customers shop.
VenusFort is not the only commercial entity that has launched an intensive sales campaign targeting Chinese tourists during the Chinese New Year holidays, which run from Jan. 22 to 28 this year. The number of Chinese tourists to Japan has rebounded following a sharp drop after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, and department stores and retailers in Japan are eager to cash in. (Yomiuri)
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Battle over no-alcohol beer heats up in Japan
The head of Japanese beer giant Kirin Brewery Co. has fired a warning shot over the bows of the company's biggest rival in the increasingly fierce battle for the growing market for alcohol-free beer.
Kirin president Koichi Matsuzawa has complained publicly that the design for the label of a new alcohol-free beer produced by Asahi Breweries is too similar to the company's mainstay Super Dry product.
"Its outward appearance resembles Super Dry so much that it could lead people to buy it by mistake," Matsuzawa said at a press conference on January 11.
Asahi announced the previous day that it would release the new beer - called Dry Zero (picture) - in February.
The cans for the new beer will be silver with back writing, while the bottled version will have a similar, square label and another around the neck. The Japanese word for "non-alcohol" appears on the labels, but Kirin believes the Asahi logo across the centre of the design will make people associate the new drink with Super Dry. (themalaysianinsider.com)
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Nikkei rises for fifth day, Olympus climbs
Japan's Nikkei share average
was set to extend gains for the fifth straight session on
Monday, although the failure over the weekend of Greece and its
private creditors to reach a deal on avoiding a messy default
limited its advance.
Scandal-hit Olympus Corp surged 7.6 percent and was
the heaviest traded stock by turnover on the main board after
the Tokyo bourse kept the company listed.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange, however, on Friday placed the
camera and endoscope maker on its "security on alert" list for
firms needing to urgently improve their internal management. (Reuters)
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Japan elects youngest woman mayor
Voters in Japan have elected a 36-year-old woman as the country's youngest female mayor, in a nation where older men make up the vast majority of politicians.
Naomi Koshi, a graduate of Harvard law school, beat a male incumbent twice her age to take the honours in Otsu, the capital city of Shiga prefecture.
Shiga's governor is also female, meaning it is the first place in Japan where a region's two top jobs are held by women.
Koshi, who was backed by the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, beat 70-year-old Makoto Mekata by a margin of five-to-four. (AFP)
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Tennis: Nishikori wins, makes history for Japan
Kei Nishikori keeps accumulating the tennis milestones for Japanese men, always remaining conscious of but not concerned about the expectations being heaped upon him.
Nishikori notched another mark Monday when he became the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open since the Open Era began in 1968 with an exhausting 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory against former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.
"I never feel the pressure," he said. "You know, it's very honor to make a lot of history, to be the No. 1 player in Japan. But that never gives me the pressure."
The 22-year-old Nishikori also matched the best Grand Slam performance ever by a Japanese male in the Open Era -- Shuzo Matsuoka's run to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1995.
He's now got a chance to better Matsuoka's mark when he plays No. 4-ranked Andy Murray on Wednesday. (cbssports.com)
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