Mayor blasts Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki as Ginowan city abstains from vote on Henoko land reclamation

Abstract: Amid long-standing political wrangling over construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa, the mayor of the city of Ginowan in the prefecture has said the municipality will not participate in a prefectural referendum set to be held over reclamation of land in order to build the new military facility, and has sharply criticized Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki over his neutrality on the issue. Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsugawa became the second municipal leader to announce that the city would not participate in the referendum, following Mayor Toshihiko Shimoji of the city of Miyakojima. The city of Okinawa has since announced that it too will abstain from the vote. The municipal assemblies of Ishigaki and Uruma both rejected in December budget amendments that would have allocated funds needed to hold the referendum. After re-submission, both proposals were voted down again, increasing the likelihood that the two municipalities will also choose not to participate. The nonbinding referendum, to be held on Feb. 24, will seek to confirm whether there is public support for ongoing land reclamation work, which is underway in the Henoko district in the city of Nago. Advocates for the referendum submitted more than 100,000 signatures of local residents to Tamaki, which obliged him by law to submit a draft ordinance to the prefectural assembly. The assembly voted in favor of the referendum in October. Speaking during a news conference at the Ginowan municipal office on Dec. 25, Matsugawa said funds would not be allocated to administer the vote. The city hosts U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, from which some operations will be transferred to the new facility at Henoko following its completion. Matsugawa expressed his concern that if the referendum showed more local residents are opposed to the relocation, it would lead to the continued use of the Futenma base in Ginowan. “It was a difficult and painful decision,” Matsugawa said, touching on the fact that the referendum was called in response to the request of local residents. The Ginowan Municipal Assembly voted down a draft budget to fund the referendum at its plenary session on Dec. 20. Matsugawa then submitted it again for reconsideration, but it was voted down a second time. “The decision of the municipal assembly is very grave,” said Matsugawa, adding that he needs to maintain a trusting relationship with the assembly, which prompted his decision not to participate in the referendum. “We, the city of Ginowan, have done what we were legally obliged to do,” he said. Most residents in Ginowan were disappointed with the decision, while some expressed understanding of the mayor’s decision. “I can’t say either way,” a 65-year-old woman from the Uchidomari district said. “If many oppose the land reclamation, I can’t help but wonder if the transfer of the Futenma base from Ginowan might not go ahead,” she added, revealing her mixed feelings. In contrast, an 84-year-old man from the district of Aichi, said angrily, “It’s outrageous to have our right to vote snatched away. “When the election was held, the mayor was vague about whether he agreed with the Henoko plan,” the man pointed out, referring to the mayoral election held in September. “But announcing that he won’t hold the prefectural referendum is the same as supporting the plan. “Whether he supports the Henoko relocation plan or not, I resent that people are being deprived of their right to clearly express their wishes in a prefectural referendum,” the man added. An 86-year-old woman living in the Uehara district said a referendum would give local residents an opportunity to express their wishes on the Henoko plan. “They should proceed with it,” she added. A young couple visiting the Ginowan city office agreed. “The problem affects not just Henoko but all of Okinawa, so I think there should be a way residents of the prefecture can indicate their wishes,” said a 28-year-old man from the Oyama district. “I’d like to hear the varied views of city residents, so I think perhaps they should hold the referendum,” added his 29-year-old wife. Ginowan is also home for Jinshiro Motoyama, 27, representative for the Association for the “Henoko” Referendum on the Construction of a New U.S. Base in Henoko, which campaigned for the vote. “As a citizen, to be deprived of the right to vote saddens me deeply and makes me angry,” he said. But Motoyama also pointed out that municipal leaders have the authority to earmark the budget under the municipality law. “There are two months until the prefectural referendum,” he stressed. “So through various means, such as speaking directly to the leaders who have decided not to participate, I would like to appeal tenaciously for their understanding in this matter.” Tamaki and others continue to work to persuade municipalities that have rejected budget proposals for administering the prefectural referendum, with the aim of ensuring it is held in every village, district and city within the prefecture. But it was the handling of the issue by prefectural authorities that drew the most stinging criticism from Matsugawa during his Dec. 25 news conference, where he suggested such disarray could have been avoided had there been more coordination by the governor and at the prefectural assembly. At the event, which was crowded with reporters from outlets both within and outside of the prefecture, the Ginowan mayor blasted Tamaki over his appearance in Henoko on Dec. 15, the day after landfill deposits were made at the site. Matsugawa saw this as problematic and inconsistent with the principles of presenting information objectively and with neutrality as advocated under Article 11 of the ordinance for the prefectural referendum. Reading aloud from a sheet of paper, the mayor began the session with a prepared statement explaining why the municipality would not participate in the referendum. During the question and answer session, which lasted about 25 minutes, Matsugawa read aloud the full text of Article 11. His voice was raised the most when setting out his criticism against Tamaki. Matsugawa said that when it came to holding a prefectural referendum over the land reclamation, there are “concerns over whether a governor who was opposed (to Henoko) from the start can really approach things with neutrality or objectivity.” When asked about the legality of not conducting the referendum, he retorted that it is the governor who is violating the ordinance. As of Dec. 1, the number of voters listed on the electoral roll in Ginowan was 76,699. In Ishigaki, 38,799 voters were listed.

okinawa
u.s. military
u.s. bases
futenma
ginowan
nago
henoko
referendums
denny tamaki
masanori matsugawa


Abe and Dutch counterpart offer support for May's Brexit deal

Abstract: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - The prime ministers of Japan and the Netherlands said Wednesday they want Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union to go as smoothly as possible and to prevent Brexit from happening without an agreement on future ties between the bloc and its former member. The U.K. is due to leave the EU on March 29. Prime Minister Theresa May is fighting to persuade lawmakers to endorse her government’s deal with the EU on the divorce terms and post-exit trade relations. So far, May appears likely to lose in a House of Commons vote next week, even though business leaders fear a “no-deal” scenario could have far-reaching economic and social effects. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte agreed during bilateral trade talks in Rotterdam on Wednesday that “we were both in for the avoidance of no-deal Brexit and confirmed the importance of a smooth process.” “We want to see the influence of Brexit to the global economy be minimized through ensuring transparency, predictability and legal stability through a transition,” said Abe, who plans to meet with May in Britain on Thursday. Rutte said he was working with counterparts in like-minded countries such as France and Germany “to help my British colleague to bring the vote next week to a successful outcome.” He did not elaborate on what leaders of remaining EU member nations were doing to win support for the current deal in the deeply divided House of Commons. “The present deal on the table is, I think, the best deal,” Rutte said. Abe visited Rotterdam as part of Japan’s preparations for hosting the Group of 20 leaders in Osaka in June. He and Rutte also confirmed they will boost bilateral economic ties with a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union set to take effect next month. “Frustration at globalization sometimes causes the temptation of protectionism or sharp conflicts between countries,” Abe said, apparently referencing the trade friction between the United States and China. “But we leaders have a responsibility to persuade the people that free trade is a source of power to make their lives prosperous,” he said. The Netherlands is not a G20 member but will be invited to the summit in Osaka as a guest. Abe said the two countries will tackle other global challenges, such as climate change and marine plastic waste, along with other summit member nations. Rutte hailed a trade deal the EU and Japan signed last year that eliminates about 99 percent of the tariffs on Japanese goods sold to the bloc. The agreement is expected to lift about 94 percent of the tariffs on European exports to Japan and rise to 99 percent in the future.

shinzo abe
eu
u.k .
brexit
theresa may
mark rutte


Russia protests remarks by Japan about disputed islands, saying they 'distort' deals struck between Abe and Putin

Abstract: MOSCOW - Russia on Wednesday lodged a protest with Japan over recent remarks by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other senior Japanese officials about disputed islands off Hokkaido, saying they are “distorting” agreements by the two countries’ leaders. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov summoned Japan’s ambassador to Russia, Toyohisa Kozuki, to the Russian Foreign Ministry and told him that recent statements are distorting the essence of agreements between Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The protest came after Abe at a news conference last week spoke of the need to convince Russian residents of the islands that the sovereignty of their homes will change and that their lives will improve by living alongside Japanese people. A major Japanese daily, quoting sources involved in the bilateral negotiations, reported earlier this week that Japan may propose to Russia that both sides renounce the right to demand compensation related to the islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and the Southern Kurils in Russia. “Those statements are grossly distorting the essence of agreements between the leaders of Russia and Japan meant to accelerate the negotiating process on the basis of the 1956 Joint Declaration, and are misleading the two countries’ general public over the contents of negotiations,” the Tass news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying. “These remarks cannot be viewed otherwise but as an attempt to artificially increase pressure around the peace treaty issue and to impose an own scenario of its resolution on the other side,” the ministry said, according to Tass. Abe and Putin are expected to meet in Moscow later this month to advance negotiations for a postwar peace treaty. The long-standing dispute over the islands has prevented the two countries from concluding a pact. In November, the two leaders agreed that they will accelerate talks based on a 1956 declaration that mentioned the transfer by Russia to Japan of Shikotan and the Habomai islet group following the conclusion of a peace treaty. The Soviet Union seized the islands, as well as Etorofu and Kunashiri, following Japan’s surrender in World War II on Aug. 15, 1945. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the peace treaty issue “might be resolved in case a qualitatively new atmosphere in the Russian-Japanese relations is created.” “It should be supported by the two nations and rest in full on Tokyo’s unconditional recognition of the results of World War II, including the Russian Federation’s sovereignty of the Southern Kuril Islands,” according to the statement carried by Tass.

shinzo abe
vladimir putin
disputed islands
northern territories
hokkaido
russia-japan relations


Taro Aso's blaming of sexual harassment victim is voted 2018's most sexist remark by a Japanese politician

Abstract: Finance Minister Taro Aso’s apparent justification of sexual harassment committed by a former prominent bureaucrat topped a list of the most egregious sexist and discriminatory remarks made by Japanese politicians in 2018, according to a recent online survey. The survey, released Wednesday, was launched late last year in the belief that the country’s entrenched sexism has been exacerbated by “politicians making sexist speeches that reinforce gender stereotypes, despite their purported roles as representatives of the public and their duty to make society better,” says its organizer, an eight-member group of scholars and lawyers. The survey was conducted over nine days from Dec. 29 through Sunday and garnered 3,933 votes from 2,026 people. Each respondent was allowed to vote for a maximum of two of the 12 remarks selected by the organizer. Aso’s comments regarding allegations leveled at former Finance Ministry bureaucrat Junichi Fukuda, who was accused of sexually harassing a female journalist, topped the list with 1,208 votes. Aso was criticized for his unapologetic attitude and his apparent attempts to turn the blame around on the victim, who anonymously accused Fukuda of misconduct, such as reportedly suggesting she “could have left the scene if she hated” his attention that much or that the media “should only assign male reporters to the Finance Ministry” in the future to prevent a recurrence. He also drew fire by saying there is nothing his ministry can do unless the victim comes forward and identifies herself. Many respondents cited Aso’s highly influential position and the significant weight of his words as a reason for their selection, the organizer said upon releasing the survey’s outcome online. “The result shows many people objected to the fact that a person in power with huge social responsibility repeatedly made remarks effectively defending gender discrimination, and that people around him kept tolerating this,” the organizer said. Running a close second was a remark made by Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Mio Sugita. The junior conservative lawmaker became the target of public outrage last year when she contributed a contentious article to the August issue of monthly magazine Shincho 45, where she labeled the LGBT community as “unproductive” in terms of childbirth . Her assertion that taxpayer money shouldn’t be wasted on policies supporting same-sex couples due to what she called their lack of productivity soon ignited an outpouring of criticism and eventually led the magazine to effectively fold. Her comment garnered 1,045 votes. Kanji Kato, another LDP lawmaker, collected 366 votes and placed third with his claim that married couples should have at least three children. A spate of sexist incidents made headlines in Japan last year, including the systematic tampering of entrance exam scores by multiple medical universities to curb female enrollment. The nation also finished 110th out of 149 in the World Economic Forum’s global gender equality ranking for 2018.

gender
taro aso
women
lgbt
scandals
discrimination
surveys
gaffes
mio sugita


Japanese winter holiday travelers at Narita up 6.5%

Abstract: The number of Japanese people who flew out of and into Japan using Narita International Airport near Tokyo during the year-end and New Year’s holiday period marked the first growth in two years, preliminary data showed Thursday. Between Dec. 21 and Jan. 3, the number of such passengers rose 6.5 percent from a year earlier to 599,230, according to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau’s Narita Airport District Immigration Office. The rise came mainly because low-cost carriers increased their flight services and people who work Monday to Friday could take nine straight days off from Dec. 29 through Jan. 6 if they took leave Jan. 4, the first business day of 2019. The number of foreign passengers who used international flights to and from Narita increased 4.5 percent to 690,750. Of foreign passengers who flew to Narita for short-term travel to Japan, those from China, excluding Macau and Hong Kong, accounted for the largest share, at 44,380, followed by Taiwan at 33,120, and the United States at 32,710. Of both Japanese and foreign passengers who departed from the airport to overseas destinations, travelers to the United States came to 126,500, the largest, followed by those to China at 75,900, and those to South Korea at 75,000. Meanwhile, the total number of Japanese and foreign air passengers who traveled out of and to Japan using Tokyo International Airport at Haneda during the same period went up 5.3 percent to 700,150, according to the Haneda Airport District Immigration Office.


Late Japanese travel writer Kaoru Kanetaka's trip around the world

Abstract: In some ways, Kaoru Kanetaka introduced the world to Japan — and maybe a little bit of Japan to the world — when she flew around the globe in 1958. It took her 73 hours 9 minutes and 35 seconds, a world record at the time by commercial aircraft and, as she wrote in The Japan Times upon her return, even faster than she planned. The famed travel writer and television producer, whose show aired for 30 years, died Saturday at age 90 due to heart failure. “What sad news. She was such a beautiful person, and to me she was a star. When ‘Kanetaka Kaoru Sekai no Tabi’ (‘Kanetaka Kaoru’s World Travels’) started, she introduced us to the fun and excitement of studying abroad, the many traditions and cultures out there in the world by interacting with those who practice them,” said actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. “After I became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, I was reminded of Ms. Kanetaka almost everywhere I went. She pioneered documentary filmmaking and impacted our lives greatly.” Born in Kobe, Kanetaka graduated from St. Hilda’s School in Tokyo before attending college in Los Angeles. After graduating she returned to Japan where she began her career as a travel writer. Her show was the first of its kind and launched at a time when few women held media jobs. Throughout her life, Kanetaka traveled to more than 150 countries and interviewed famous figures like former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Spanish painter Salvador Dali and Prince Charles. Her curiosity and adventurous spirit became a symbol of worldliness at a time when traveling abroad was uncommon for Japanese. During her trip in 1958, Kanetaka departed from Haneda airport in Tokyo and stopped in various global cities, where she was greeted by notable figures and officials. She met Harry Belafonte, an American singer, in Rome; greeted the Japanese ambassador to the Philippines in Manila; and posed for photographers in Bangkok. Kanetaka said she embarked on the voyage for three reasons. First, she wanted to demonstrate the “exactitude with which airlines maintain their schedules” despite unforeseen factors like headwinds and late or missed connections. The second reason was to highlight Tokyo’s status as a major city for air travel, due to its location as well as its size. The third reason, she explained, was her hope to highlight how the world was getting smaller. “The world has shrunk considerably since the time, less than 70 years ago, when Nellie Bly … went around (the planet) in 72 days. The record today is now almost a twenty-fourth of what it was then,” she wrote for the Japan Times in 1958. “I feel that it will shrink more and at a faster pace. The speed with which speed is developing nowadays, I believe I’ll be alive when someone tries to go around the world in 80 minutes.” “Today, there is reason to predict speed inconceivable to us now.”


Japan's young adults prefer celebrating coming of age at 20 despite lowered legal age of 18, survey shows

Abstract: More than 70 percent of youths and young adults prefer to celebrate their coming-of-age at 20, even though the age of legal adulthood in Japan will be lowered to 18 in April 2022, according to a recent online survey by a Japanese think tank. The Nippon Foundation survey, conducted in December targeting 800 people age between 17 and 19 nationwide, showed 74 percent of the respondents considered 20 as an appropriate age for attending the coming-of-age ceremony organized by local governments, compared with 23.9 percent preferring 18. Asked in a multiple-choice question why they remain in favor of holding the ceremony at the traditional adulthood age of 20, 62.8 percent said a celebration at 18 would interfere with their preparations for entrance exams for universities and other schools, while 23.8 percent said they would be busy hunting for a job. Some 70.6 percent said they would like to attend the ceremony, with many citing reasons such as the chance to reunite with former classmates and mark a new chapter in life. Japanese municipalities hold ceremonies for new adults around Coming of Age Day, designated as the second Monday of January. Many women wear lavish kimono to mark the day, while some drunk participants have disrupted the ceremonies in the past. The Nippon Foundation has been holding surveys on work, marriage and other topics targeting youth in the country, as Japan will lower the legal age of adulthood following a Civil Code revision. The country’s minimum voting age was also reduced to 18 after a revised election law came into effect in June 2016.

festivals
surveys
coming-of-age day
nippon foundation


Tens of billions of yen in jobless benefits unpaid due to faulty labor ministry data: sources

Abstract: The government has failed to pay tens of billions of yen in benefits such as unemployment insurance, affecting about 10 million people, due to the labor ministry’s publishing of faulty jobs data for the past 15 years, sources with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. The ministry is considering retroactively paying the benefits, which would likely require the budget for the year beginning in April to be reworked to include the additional costs, the sources said. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare admitted that it had published the revised October edition of its monthly labor survey despite knowing that it had not collected enough data to ensure its accuracy. Under existing rules, the ministry has to survey all business establishments with 500 or more employees in the country. But in Tokyo, it covered only a third of the roughly 1,400 firms that meet that criteria. The practice is thought to have started in 2004, having been passed down among ministry officials for 15 years, the sources said. The survey serves as a key indicator of the country’s employment conditions, covering over 30,000 business establishments across the country, also including selected ones with less than 500 workers. The data are used to calculate unemployment benefits. Suspicions over a systematic cover-up have begun to arise, including the suspected use of specialized software to hide the fact that the sampling was not done correctly. The ministry is questioning officials who worked on the survey in the past. Labor minister Takumi Nemoto is expected to explain details of the incident at a news conference Friday, according to a ruling party lawmaker. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday the government will decide whether to rework the fiscal 2019 budget after the ministry’s investigation. “Of course, we should ensure the accuracy of statistics that form the basis of policymaking,” he told a news conference. A draft of the budget was approved by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month and was to be deliberated in the upcoming Diet session. The issue is likely to draw strong criticism from opposition lawmakers during the session, especially after fundamental flaws were found in the ministry’s work-hours survey last year, leading the government to ditch a portion of a labor reform bill that was eventually enacted.


Police to investigate how human skulls ended up as teaching aids at three Fukui high schools

Abstract: FUKUI - Three public high schools in Fukui Prefecture are believed to have kept human skulls for use as teaching aids, with one having been put on display, officials of the prefectural education board said Wednesday. The board has been conducting an investigation into the matter after a human skull was found at a public high school in Kagoshima Prefecture in June last year. The skulls, kept at prefectural-run high schools in the cities of Sakai, Awara and Echizen, will be examined by the police, who will investigate how they ended up there. One of the schools had been displaying the skull in a glass case near a biology classroom. It was used for teaching until several years ago, an official of the school said. Following the probe by the education board, the school moved the skull to the teachers’ room so that students couldn’t see it. The school also said teachers have been told that “a real skull was purchased as a specimen,” although it was not clear when that occurred. No students had complained about the skull, according to the school. Yoshiro Matsumori of the education board said it is left up to schools to choose what types of teaching aids they want to use in class.

fukui prefecture
education
schools
high schools


Expansion of Pacific trade deal discussed at ministerial meeting in Tokyo

Abstract: The 11 members of a trans-Pacific free trade agreement on Saturday held their first ministerial meeting since the pact entered into force, discussing its future expansion as well as how to counter the rise of protectionism. “Our door is open for countries and regions that share our vision and are ready to accept the high-standard rules” of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at the meeting in Tokyo where the delegates launched its decision-making panel. The challenge for current members is to set procedures to accept newcomers, with the list of countries interested in joining including Thailand and the United Kingdom. The outlook for an expanded CPTPP is unknown, however, due to uncertainty over Brexit as well as a planned general election in Thailand, some analysts have said. Abe expressed hope that the remaining member countries will speed up their domestic ratification processes so the pact will enter into force for all 11 members “as soon as possible,” as confidence in the global trade system has been “greatly shaken.” The CPTPP was enacted on Dec. 30 after Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore ended their ratification processes, in what was widely seen as an effort to counter the threat of protectionism amid an escalating tariff war between China and the United States. The pact entered into force for Vietnam last Monday. Brunei, Chile, Malaysia and Peru have yet to ratify the agreement. The accord, covering around 13 percent of the world economy, is designed to cut tariffs on agricultural and industrial products, ease investment restrictions and enhance intellectual property protection. The 11 members salvaged the pact after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the world’s largest economy out of the agreement in 2017. A revised version was signed in March last year. Japan has been promoting multiparty free trade arrangements while it awaits the start later this year of bilateral trade talks with the United States. “Japan will aim to expand the free, fair, and rules-based economic area,” Abe said. “As Group of 20 chair this year, we will spare no effort to strengthen the international trade system, including reform of the World Trade Organization.”


Canada says talks on free trade with China 'not on the table right now' amid spat over Huawei detention

Abstract: OTTAWA - Canada’s envoy to Beijing on Thursday threw cold water on long-sought free trade between the two nations as an ugly diplomat spat over Canada’s detention of a top Chinese tech executive drags into a second month. Ambassador John McCallum, who returned to Canada to brief lawmakers on the row, told reporters that Canadian businesses want to press on with growing the trade relationship. But, he added, exploratory talks on free trade that started in September 2016 are now dead and unlikely to be revived in the foreseeable future. “We are certainly not negotiating free trade with China either before or after this. So it’s not on the table right now,” McCallum told reporters. “Canada has invested a lot in China,” he said. “Our tourist industry, our universities, our farmers are all highly dependent on China and I think China will still play a very important part in Canada’s future.” Canadian businesses “want to continue moving forward in China,” McCallum said. But right now Ottawa is preoccupied with securing the release of two Canadians detained in China and obtaining clemency for a third on death row. “Our top priority by a longshot is to get our two Canadians back and to save the life of the third. That is top of the list,” the ambassador said. Canada and China became embroiled in a tit-for-tat diplomatic row following the arrest in Vancouver of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. warrant. Meng faces extradition on fraud charges for alleged Iran sanctions-busting and lying to U.S. banks about it. In a move widely seen as a counterstroke, Chinese authorities arrested two Canadians — former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor — accusing them of espionage. Ottawa insisted they had been “arbitrarily” detained and that interrogations of Kovrig breached the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations — allegations Beijing flatly rejected. Former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler went further, accusing China in an email to The Canadian Press of “hostage diplomacy.” Canada and China have flirted with the idea of deepening trade ties since the 1990s. During tense negotiations with the United States and Mexico to revamp a continental free trade agreement last year, growing trade with China was touted as a means of reducing Canada’s heavy trade reliance on the United States. This would have made Canada the first Western nation to reach a free trade deal with Beijing. But when exploratory talks floundered, Ottawa instead joined the Trans Pacific Partnership. This move came on the heels of a Canada-EU free trade pact in 2017. Canada still sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States. But since 2003, China has been its second largest trading partner. According to the latest government data, Canada exported 2.1 billion Canadian dollars ($1.6 billion) in goods to China in November while importing CA$3.9 billion ($3.0 billion) in goods from China.


U.S. demands regular review of China's trade reforms

Abstract: BEIJING/WASHINGTON - The United States is pushing for regular reviews of China’s progress on pledged trade reforms as a condition for a trade deal — and could again resort to tariffs if it deems Beijing has violated the agreement, according to sources briefed on negotiations to end the trade war between the two nations. A continuing threat of tariffs hanging over commerce between the world’s two largest economies would mean a deal would not end the risk of investing in businesses or assets that have been affected by the trade war. “The threat of tariffs is not going away, even if there is a deal,” said one of three sources briefed on the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity. Chinese negotiators were not keen on the idea of regular compliance checks, the source said, but the U.S. proposal “didn’t derail negotiations.” A Chinese source said the United States wants “periodic assessments” but it is not yet clear how often. “It looks like humiliation,” the source said. “But perhaps the two sides could find a way to save face for the Chinese government.” The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed import tariffs on Chinese goods to put pressure on Beijing to meet a long list of demands that would rewrite the terms of trade between the two countries. These include changes to China’s policies on intellectual property protection, technology transfers, industrial subsidies and other trade barriers. An enforcement and verification process is unusual for trade deals and is akin to the process used when imposing punitive economic sanctions, such as those on North Korea and Iran. Disputes over trade are more typically dealt with through courts, the World Trade Organization or through arbitration panels and other dispute settlement mechanisms built into trade agreements. Trump’s team has criticized the WTO for failing to hold China accountable for not executing on promised market reforms. The U.S. has also criticized the WTO’s dispute settlement process and is seeking reforms at the organization. Regular reviews would be one potential solution to address a demand from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to have ongoing verification of any trade pact between the two countries, three sources familiar with the talks said. The threat of tariffs would be used to keep reform on track, the sources said. Lighthizer is leading the negotiations with China. A USTR spokesman declined to comment on the possibility of regular assessments. The idea was part of a U.S. negotiating document leaked after talks in May 2018, before the United States slapped its first round of duties on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. The renewed focus on regular reviews in current negotiations — this time carrying the threat of tariffs — underscores the growing distrust between the two countries. The extra scrutiny is needed and should be based on clear benchmarks — with consequences for failing to meet them, said Erin Ennis, Senior Vice President of the U.S.-China Business Council, a trade group representing American companies doing business in China. “It needs to be tied to removing or reducing the tariffs,” Ennis said. “If China can show compliance through a process like this, it would also be a trust-building measure for both sides.” Trump’s administration has accused China of repeatedly failing to follow through on previous pledges to implement reforms sought by the United States. As an example, Washington often cites the difficulties still faced by foreign payment card operators in entering China’s market despite a 2012 WTO ruling that found Beijing was discriminating against them. A separate industry source said it is likely that different agreement on separate issues — forced technology transfers, intellectual property, changes to China’s legal system — would require separate verification processes, all of which will need to be hammered out by negotiators. “The challenge of verification and enforcement stems from the fact that China has made promises it hasn’t kept,” the source said. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day truce in the trade war in December to give their teams time to negotiate a deal. Nearly 50 days later, there is little sign that China will make the concessions the U.S. is seeking. Lighthizer saw no progress on structural issues at three days of midlevel talks in Beijing the previous week, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said on Tuesday. China’s Vice Premier and lead negotiator Liu He is due to visit Washington for the next round of talks with Lighthizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at the end of the month.


Feminist strippers win fight to keep club open in England

Abstract: LONDON - A strip club in Britain has won a battle to remain open after local authorities were told many of the dancers who work there are feminists. The Urban Tiger club in the western city of Bristol had faced calls for its license to be removed, but argued that stripping was not inconsistent with women’s rights. “It was the right decision,” said Bristol-based burlesque dancer and stripper Tuesday Laveau. “Feminism is about women making their own choices and what I see in this criticism is a deep discomfort with women who are comfortable with their own sexuality.” Sex work and stripping have long divided feminists, with critics arguing it encourages the objectification of women, while those in favor saying women have the right to use their bodies as they wish. Urban Tiger, which offers both full and partially nude dances, had faced strong opposition to its application for a license renewal as a sexual entertainment venue from some women’s rights campaigners. “I am unable to avoid seeing Urban Tiger whenever I go to the city centre. I experience this as a constant reminder to me of my place as a woman in society and of Bristol’s tolerance of sexism in our city,” wrote one objector. Another said: “Sexual entertainment venues promote the inequality and objectification of women. However well-run they claim to be, that remains the message their presence conveys.” However, the lawyer representing the club told Bristol City Council’s licensing committee that dancers working there considered themselves feminists. There were also some messages of support from women. “Just because a small group of women are against these venues does not mean they should be closed,” wrote one woman. “I for one am a female who chooses to visit these venues on a night out with my friends.” A spokeswoman for Bristol City Council confirmed that the club’s license had been renewed.


Butterflies set to become unlikely victims of Trump's border wall

Abstract: MISSION, TEXAS - In Mission, Texas, the construction of part of a long-promised wall on the border with Mexico to stem the tide of undocumented migrants is already in progress. Among the many who will be affected? Butterflies. Mission, in the lower Rio Grande Valley, is home to the National Butterfly Center, a private nonprofit 100-acre (40-hectare) preserve dedicated to the conservation of the insects in their natural habitat. But the wall — a key plank of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy — could end up chopping the area in half and severely complicate any work being done to save the butterflies that flutter through. “This land used to be an onion field,” explained Luciano Guerra, who is responsible for education outreach at the center. “We converted it back to native habitat.” “And when we created the habitat for the butterflies, we also attracted birds, because the birds like to eat the butterflies and the caterpillars. Then we attracted things that eat the birds, and so on.” In the end, more than 200 species have been counted here. In spring and autumn, “we can have 80 to 100 species of butterflies here in one day,” Guerra said. Among those are the easily recognizable monarch, with its black-and-orange wings; the queen butterfly, native to North and South America; and the bright-orange passion butterfly. Along the banks of the Rio Grande, which forms a natural border with Mexico, there are also bobcats, coyotes, javelinas (skunk pigs), armadillos and Texas turtles. Building a wall here would be “devastating,” the center says on its website. Marianna Trevino Wright, the center’s executive director, traveled to Washington to plead her case with lawmakers. The funding for the part of the wall that would run through the nature preserve — unlike the money at the heart of a political showdown in the U.S. capital — was approved last year. According to the center, construction of the 33-mile (50-km) stretch of barrier could begin in late February. Trevino Wright told lawmakers that the wall project is in violation of multiple environmental protection laws. The wall and the glaring spotlights that would come with it will disrupt the “nocturnal activities of all plants and animals, transforming what is now a vibrant but endangered ecosystem into a biological desert,” she said. “People say, ‘Well, the butterflies can fly over it or fly through it or around it'” explained Guerra. “Not necessarily. Some butterflies fly lower to the ground — they could not go over that 18-foot concrete wall.” Moreover, “when the bulldozers come in to clear the way for the border wall, they’re going to knock down trees, plants, grasses and so on, which are host plants for the butterfly species we have here,” he added. Those trees also are the home for several species of birds, especially in the spring, and some mammals risk seeing their natural habitat destroyed — or being hit by construction vehicles, Guerra warned. According to what the butterfly center has been told about the plans, the wall will essentially slice the reserve in half. Will there be some kind of gate allowing personnel to travel back and forth? Unclear. “They won’t tell us that yet,” Guerra said. The center has filed suit against the federal government, claiming its private property rights are being violated. “Chances are the lawsuit will not get heard, will not go to court until after the wall has already been built,” Guerra admitted. He says he is frustrated, and believes Trump is exaggerating the extent of the crisis on the border. “If there was a crisis, I wouldn’t be living here,” he said. In December, Guerra wrote an Op-Ed for The Washington Post explaining the plight of the butterfly reserve. In the column, he said he had voted for Trump in 2016. Now the longtime Republican says he will not cast his ballot for the incumbent in 2020. We’re not in favor of open borders. We do believe our immigration laws should be enforced, but there are other ways of doing it,” Guerra said. “Walls are old and outdated.”

u.s .
immigration
animals
mexico
endangered
butterflies
donald trump


Russia's new heavy-lift rocket has critical defect

Abstract: MOSCOW - Scientists have discovered a defect in the engines of Russia’s new flagship heavy-lift space rocket that could destroy it in flight, an apparent setback to a project President Vladimir Putin has said is vital for national security. The Angara A5, which was test-launched in 2014, is being developed to replace the Proton M as Russia’s heavy-lift rocket, capable of carrying payloads bigger than 20 tons into orbit. A launch pad for the new rocket is due to open in 2021. In July, Putin said the Angara A5 had “huge significance” for the country’s defense and called on space agency Roscosmos to work more actively on it and to meet all its deadlines. The issue with the Angara A5 was brought to attention by scientists at rocket-engine manufacturer Energomash in a paper ahead of a space conference this month. The paper, reported by RIA news agency on Friday and published online, said the engines of the Angara A5 could produce low-frequency oscillations that could ultimately destroy the rocket. A special valve had been fitted to mitigate the issue, but in some cases the oscillations continued, it said. Energomash did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Russia’s space program has been dogged by mishaps in recent years, including failed cargo delivery missions into space and the aborted launch in October of the manned Soyuz mission to the International Space Station. Russia’s current heavy-lift rocket, the Proton M, has had a nearly 10 percent failure rate in more than 100 launches since it entered service in 2001, creating pressure to reorganize and improve the space program.


NASA and China collaborate on Moon mission

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The space agencies of the United States and China are coordinating efforts on moon exploration, NASA said Friday as it navigates a strict legal framework aimed at preventing technology transfer to China. “With the required approval from Congress, NASA has been in discussions with China to explore the possibility of observing a signature of the landing plume of their lunar lander, Chang’e 4, using our @NASAMoon spacecraft’s instrument,” NASA’s associate administrator for the science mission directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen, said on Twitter. Zurbuchen’s tweet confirmed a similar statement made Monday by the deputy chief commander of the China Lunar Exploration Program, Wu Yanhua. NASA shared information from a U.S. satellite, while China told the Americans about the latitude, longitude and time of the landing “in a timely manner,” he said. The hope was that NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter could observe the historic touchdown of the Chinese lander on Jan. 3. NASA provided the LRO’s planned orbit path to China, but it turned out the spacecraft was not in the right place at the right time. “For a number of reasons, NASA was not able to phase LRO’s orbit to be at the optimal location during the landing, however NASA was still interested in possibly detecting the plume well after the landing,” the agency said in a statement. “Science gathered about how lunar dust is ejected upwards during a spacecraft’s landing could inform future missions and how they arrive on the lunar surface.” Such observations could help astronauts prepare for future missions to the moon. NASA’s lunar orbiter will pass over the Chang’e 4 landing site on Jan. 31 and will snap pictures, as it did for the Chang’e 3 in 2013. The agency said significant findings resulting from the cooperation will be shared with the global research community in February at a United Nations space gathering in Austria. Since 2011, Congress has barred NASA or the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from using federal funds “to develop, design, plan, promulgate, implement or execute a bilateral policy, program, order, or contract of any kind to participate, collaborate, or coordinate bilaterally in any way with China or any Chinese-owned company.” Exceptions are possible, but NASA must convince Congress and the FBI that the activity would “pose no risk of resulting in the transfer of technology, data, or other information with national security or economic security implications to China or a Chinese-owned company.” NASA said in its Friday statement that “all NASA data associated with this activity are publicly available” and “NASA’s cooperation with China is transparent, reciprocal and mutually beneficial.”

china
nasa
space
planets
moon
chang ' e-4


Bacteria-inspired Swiss microbot will be able to deliver drugs inside human body

Abstract: LONDON - A tiny sliver of elastic material swims along a narrow tube, coiling up and changing shape in response to the thickness of fluid and the contours of the tube around it as it moves toward its goal. The miniature robot — the brainchild of scientists in Switzerland seeking new methods to deliver drugs to diseased tissue — is designed to wend its way through blood vessels and other systems in the body. The team is led by Selman Sakar at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and Bradley Nelson at ETH Zurich, two leading research institutes for science and technology. “Nature has evolved a multitude of micro-organisms that change shape as their environmental conditions change. This basic principle inspired our microrobot design,” Nelson said. “The key challenge for us was to develop the physics that describe the types of changes we were interested in, and then to integrate this with new fabrication technologies.” The soft robot they have developed is a few millimeters long and made using a folding technique similar to the art of origami, helping it adapt to the environment around it. The robots are made from hydrogel nanocomposites that contain magnetic particles, meaning their movement can be guided with a magnetic controller. The team is now working on improving the microbot’s ability to swim through fluids such as those found in the human body. Other researchers working on the use of microbots for use in the human body include a team at the City University of Hong Kong that has developed a soft robot that moves like a caterpillar, also designed to deliver drugs within the body. Their flexible robot has hundreds of 1-mm-long hairlike pointed legs. In 2018, the team constructed the robot from a type of silicon embedded with magnetic particles. The rubbery material is flexible and can be cut to form different shapes and sizes.


Swimming with a real-life 'Jaws'

Abstract: HALEIWA, HAWAII - Two shark researchers who came face to face with what could be one of the largest great whites ever recorded are using their encounter as an opportunity to push for legislation that would protect sharks in Hawaii. Ocean Ramsey, a shark researcher and conservationist, encountered the 20-foot (6-meter) shark Tuesday near a dead sperm whale off Oahu. The event was documented and shared on social media by her fiance and business partner, Juan Oliphant. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said that it was aware of photos of the great white and that tiger sharks also have been feeding on the whale. Oliphant, who photographed the now-viral images, said it is unclear if the shark is the famed Deep Blue, believed to be the largest great white ever recorded. “She looks the part right now,” Oliphant said about the shark spotted Tuesday. “Maybe even more exciting that there is another … supersize great white shark out there, because their populations are so dwindling.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ocean Ramsey #OceanRamsey (@oceanramsey) on Jan 16, 2019 at 4:56pm PST Ramsey, who operates Oahu-based One Ocean Diving and Research with Oliphant, has been pushing for several years for a bill that would ban the killing of sharks and rays in Hawaii, and hopes it will become law this year. She said the images of her swimming next to a huge great white shark prove the predators should be protected, not feared. Still, the veteran shark diver doesn’t think the general public should recklessly get into the water with the giants — especially around a food source like a rotting whale carcass. Ramsey said extensive training and time spent studying shark behavior has kept her team and customers safe. She teaches people about how to act — and, more importantly, not act — when they encounter a shark. Ramsey and her team observe behavior, identify and tag sharks and share that data with researchers as well as state and federal officials. She previously swam with the huge shark on research trips to Guadalupe Island, Mexico. She also leads cage-free diving tours for sharks. Unlike many marine mammals, sharks are not a federally protected species, though there are laws against selling their fins. “There’s not a lot of sympathy for sharks because of the way they’re portrayed in media and they don’t have the cute cuddly appearance,” Ramsey said. “You can’t hate them for being predators. We need them for healthy marine ecosystems.” Ramsey and Oliphant want to make sure that people realize that shark bites are uncommon. “The idea that they see people as a food source — that is rubbish, and that needs to go away because, really, that’s ultimately leading to the demise of these animals,” Oliphant said. State Sen. Mike Gabbard sponsored the shark protection legislation last session and plans to reintroduce it this year. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said the decomposing whale carcass had drifted to about 8 miles (13 km) south of Pearl Harbor after being towed 15 miles (24 km) offshore days earlier. Officials say there have been reports that people are climbing onto the carcass to take its teeth as souvenirs, which may be a violation of state and federal laws. The agency’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Chief Jason Redull said people should stay out of the water around the dead whale. “Understandably, some people want to get into the water either out of fascination or to get photographs, but it is truly dangerous to be around this carcass with so much shark activity,” he said. Ramsey said it is impressive that the great white has survived a “gauntlet of human death traps.” “I don’t know how old she is,” Ramsey said. “But for her to survive through so many long-line fisheries and, you know, gill nets and team nets and fishermen who might just kill her because they think that she is a monster . . . it’s very special.”


U.S. confirms it is holding Iran-based journalist Marzieh Hashemi to testify in crime case

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A U.S. court on Friday confirmed the arrest of a journalist for Iranian television, saying her testimony is required over an unspecified case but that she is not accused of a crime. Iran has protested the arrest of Marzieh Hashemi, who was born in the United States and is a presenter on Iran’s English-language Press TV, amid high tensions between the two countries. At a hearing in Washington, Beryl Howell, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ordered the partial unsealing of an order on Hashemi, referred to by her former name of Melanie Franklin. The order said that Hashemi was arrested on “a material arrest warrant” in a case in Washington. She will be released immediately after the completion of her testimony to a grand jury investigating unspecified “violations of U.S. criminal law.” “Franklin has been appointed an attorney and has not been accused of any crime,” it said. Hashemi married an Iranian man and converted to Islam. She has produced documentaries critical of U.S. policy in the Middle East and the country’s treatment of Muslims and African Americans. She was arrested Sunday at the St. Louis airport on a visit to see an ailing family member, Press TV said. Iran, generally on the receiving end of criticism by the United States on press freedom and human rights, pledged to defend Hashemi, who it considers an Iranian citizen due to her marriage. “The arrest of Marzieh Hashemi by America is an unacceptable political act that tramples on freedom of speech,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Wednesday. The New York-based Committee to Protest Journalists voiced concern earlier Friday about the arrest, saying that the United States needed to disclose the reason for her arrest. The advocacy group said that Iran is detaining at least eight journalists over their work. In one of the most notorious cases, Iran detained Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian for 544 days before he was freed as part of a reconciliation deal with President Barack Obama’s administration.


Years after Westgate Mall terrorist attack, Kenya's response to Dusit assault earns praise

Abstract: NAIROBI - Kenya’s security response to the Islamist assault on the Dusit hotel complex in Nairobi on Tuesday and Wednesday shows the numerous lessons learned since a chaotic intervention when the Westgate Mall was attacked in 2013, according to analysts. The swift reaction, under a single chain of command, with the site rapidly cordoned off and procedures put in place to deal with survivors, has received widespread praise in the aftermath of the assault which left 21 dead, 28 injured and saw some 700 people rescued. “It was an operation which appeared well-executed,” said a regional security analyst, requesting anonymity. “From a purely operational point of view, if the toll remains as it is, it is almost a miracle. We know how complicated it is, even with exceptionally well-trained people,” he added, highlighting the tricky layout of the Dusit complex with its numerous buildings and parking lots. “Across the spectrum, we’ve seen greater seriousness in all aspects of counterterrorism, both prevention and response,” since Westgate, said Matt Bryden, director of the Sahan think tank in Nairobi. AFP journalists covered both attacks from the inside and while the first hours of the operation against Somali Islamist group al-Shabab in Westgate were marked by total confusion, the deployment of police forces and sealing off of the DusitD2 complex were done in an orderly and rapid manner. In both cases, it was plainclothes police officers and armed civilians — mostly from the Indian community — who were the first to intervene and help rescue those caught inside. At DusitD2 a number of heavily armed Westerners, from private security companies and members of diplomatic security, were also present from the start. Very quickly, elite Kenyan police units took over, while officers attached to the presidency also rapidly showed up. Black-clad members of the anti-terrorist unit and members of the paramilitary General Service Unit (GSU) with their red berets quickly deployed, as did a bomb squad. “It was much more efficient, and it seems to have been better coordinated and the tactics they employed were better practiced, they had better equipment so all in all, a much better performance,” said Bryden. The perimeter was quickly cordoned off and secured, in contrast to Westgate where it took until nightfall to seal off the area after the attack, which began at lunchtime. An AFP journalist at the scene in 2013 recalls onlookers asking police officers, lingering outside the mall as gunshots rang out inside, to give them their weapons so that they could go in and save lives. Those who managed to flee the mall disappeared without a trace. At the Dusit people who were rescued were registered to be able to track their relatives while also ensuring the attackers were not taking advantage of the evacuations to escape. Kenyan security forces managed to neutralize and kill all four gunmen in the Dusit — while a suicide bomber blew himself up earlier — by Wednesday morning after an operation of almost 20 hours. At Westgate it took four days for the attack to be declared over, during which time a police officer was shot dead by a member of the army (KDF) in a friendly-fire incident, power struggles raged, and soldiers were found to have looted stores in the mall. The attack left 67 dead. Last week at the Dusit, all deployed units reported to the GSU. In the five years between the two attacks, Kenya’s security forces were reorganized, elite units were better trained with the help of foreign partners, and a focus was placed on sharing of intelligence. “Before, there was KDF intelligence, the NIS (National Intelligence Service) and at least one other police unit. So there were at least three agencies gathering intelligence but who were not communicating between themselves,” said the security analyst. Since Westgate, there has been a reorganization of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, which has been relocated to the office of the president to put it in a more central and influential position, explained Bryden These efforts have allowed Kenyan security services to foil several attacks in recent years. “Since we know that they have been trying and trying and trying, I think it was inevitable that at some point, they would find a gap,” said Bryden.

terrorism
kenya
al-shabab
westgate mall
nairobi
dusitd2


Robert Mueller questions BuzzFeed News' story on Donald Trump's instructions to Michael Cohen

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office Friday issued a rare public statement disputing the accuracy of a BuzzFeed News report saying President Donald Trump’s former attorney told Mueller the president had directed him to lie to Congress. BuzzFeed, citing two unidentified law enforcement officials, reported that Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project and that Cohen told Mueller the president personally instructed him to lie about the timing of the deal. The report said Mueller’s investigators learned about Trump’s directive “through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents.” The report said Cohen acknowledged Trump’s instructions when he was interviewed by the Mueller team. The statement by Mueller’s office Friday night doesn’t cite any specific errors. In it, the special counsel’s spokesman, Peter Carr, said, “BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the special counsel’s office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony are not accurate.” BuzzFeed spokesman Matt Mittenthal said the publication stands by its reporting and urged readers to “stay tuned” as they work to determine what Mueller is denying. Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News, also said the publication stands by its reporting and the sources who informed it. “We urge the special counsel to make clear what he’s disputing,” Smith said. The statement from Mueller’s office came after Democrats had vowed to investigate whether the report was true, calling that possibility a “concern of the greatest magnitude.” House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler both said they will probe BuzzFeed’s account. Some Democrats even said that if the report is true, then Trump should be impeached. Any evidence that Trump directed a witness to lie to investigators would place him in the greatest political and legal jeopardy yet. Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress to cover up that he was negotiating the Trump Tower project on Trump’s behalf during the heat of his presidential campaign. The charge was brought by Mueller and was the result of Cohen’s cooperation with that probe. Cohen admitted that he lied when he told lawmakers he had never agreed to travel to Russia in connection with the Moscow project and when he said that he had decided by the end of January 2016 that the “proposal was not feasible for a variety of business reasons and should not be pursued further.” He was sentenced to three years in prison for crimes that included arranging the payment of hush money to conceal his boss’ alleged sexual affairs, telling a judge that he agreed time and again to cover up Trump’s “dirty deeds” out of “blind loyalty.” Cohen is scheduled to testify publicly before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Feb. 7. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, said Friday that he expects Cohen to talk to that panel in February. Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has discouraged any talk of impeachment in the early days of her new majority, some senior Democrats said that if the BuzzFeed report is confirmed, Trump’s actions could rise to that level. “If the @BuzzFeed story is true, President Trump must resign or be impeached,” tweeted Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, a member of the House intelligence panel. Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, also a Judiciary committee member, tweeted that if Trump directed Cohen to lie, “that is obstruction of justice. Period. Full stop.” Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Senate Democrat, tweeted that “we need to know this ASAP” if Mueller does have multiple sources confirming that Trump directed Cohen to lie. “Mueller shouldn’t end his inquiry, but it’s about time for him to show Congress his cards before it’s too late for us to act,” Murphy tweeted.

congress
robert mueller
donald trump
2016 u.s. presidential election
russia probe
michael cohen


Syrian opposition sees window for political solution after eight years of civil war

Abstract: RIYADH - Syria now has a good opportunity to reach a political solution to its devastating eight-year war as cease-fires have brought calm to many areas of the country, Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said Saturday. “I think now that we have an opportunity, because nearly in Syria we have a cease-fire now, in the northeast of Syria and the north of Syria, and the efforts of fighting terrorism has achieved good results,” Nasr Hariri said during an interview in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, where he is based. Hariri, the opposition’s chief negotiator in U.N. peace talks, met Friday with the newly appointed United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen. “Now it is time to invest all of these developments: the cease-fire, fighting terrorism, the belief of the majority of the Syrian people that the only solution to the Syrian crisis is the political solution,” Hariri added. In December, Russia, Iran and Turkey — supporters of the main sides in Syria’s complex civil war — failed to agree on the makeup of a U.N.-sponsored Syrian Constitutional Committee but called for it to convene early this year to kick off a viable peace process. Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose forces have reclaimed most of Syria with Russian and Iranian support apart from the northern province of Idlib, has clung to power throughout the conflict and is widely seen as being loath to yield power after it ends. Arab states, including some that once backed rebels against Assad, are seeking to reconcile with him after decisive gains by his forces in the war, aiming to expand their influence in Syria at the expense of non-Arab Turkey and Iran. “All the countries . . . Turkey, to some extent Russia and the Arab countries believe . . . that without a political solution, the normalization with the (Assad) regime would be impossible,” Hariri said.

war
russia
syria
saudi arabia
iran
bashar assad
idlib


Two monks shot dead as violence flares in Thailand's deep south

Abstract: BANGKOK - Gunmen in Thailand’s deep south shot dead two Buddhist monks and wounded two others inside a temple, police said Saturday, capping a week of deadly violence as the prime minister vowed to “punish” those responsible. Black-clad assailants carrying rifles crept into Rattanaupap temple in Narathiwat province near Malaysia’s border on Friday evening and started firing, local superintendant Pakdi Preechachon told AFP. “The attack took place around 7:30 p.m. when an unknown number of gunmen dressed in black entered the temple through a rear area via a creek,” Pakdi said. “Two monks were shot dead at the temple while two others were wounded.” Since 2004 clashes between ethnic Malay-Muslim rebels and the Buddhist-majority Thai state that annexed the region a century ago have killed nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians of both faiths. The death toll in the south dropped to a record low last year as Thailand’s junta tightened its security web but violence has boiled over in recent days, raising concerns about soft targets at schools and religious institutions. In the past, Buddhist monks have been targeted only infrequently. But they have been told to suspend morning alms collection starting from Saturday in three southern provinces and the southern army commander has instructed security officials to step up safeguards of Islamic leaders who could also be at risk. Junta leader and prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha condemned the temple shootings. “The prime minister denounced such a brazen attack and instructed officials to investigate and find the assailants to punish them,” said government spokesman Buddhipongse Punnakanta. Human Rights Watch, which said in a statement that at least 23 monks had been killed since the outbreak of the insurgency in 2004, called the assault “ghastly” and a war crime because gunmen went after civilians and a place of worship. Pictures show monks standing next to heavily armed Thai soldiers and an alms bowl inside the temple compound with bullet holes in it. Last week, an imam in the same province was shot dead but it was unclear if the temple attack was related. Friday’s shooting came the same day as four security officials were wounded by two separate roadside bombs and an insurgent was shot dead in a clash near a school that sent students home for the day. Four civil defence volunteers were also killed in a drive-by shooting outside a school on January 10 in the south’s Pattani province, with security forces injuring a boy as they gunned down rebels believed to be responsible. In a rare public statement dated January 4 the main Malay-Muslim rebel group — the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) — which has command and control over most of the insurgent foot soldiers, swore to “keep fighting.” “Siam (Thailand) can’t hold out,” the BRN wrote, signing off with a warning: “Do not help and support Siam.” Security analyst Don Pathan said the uptick in violence was connected to efforts from Thai negotiators and Malaysian facilitators across the border to “pressure the BRN ruling council to come to the table without offering possible concessions.”


Philippines' richest man, Henry Sy, dies at 94

Abstract: MANILA - The Philippines’ wealthiest, man Henry Sy, who rose from being a penniless Chinese immigrant to leading a multibillion-dollar business empire, died on Saturday, his conglomerate has announced. The 94-year-old, from the Chinese city of Xiamen, made his fortune with a Philippine shopping-center conglomerate that has put up some of the largest malls in the world. However his holdings also included banks, hotels and real estate in the Philippines, as well as shopping centers in China. He had a net worth of $19 billion as of Friday, according to Forbes.com. Forbes said he was the 52nd-richest person in the world last year, beating out tycoons like Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch and George Soros. “Henry Sy … passed away peacefully in his sleep early Saturday morning. There are no further details at the moment,” his SM group said in a statement. Sy put up his first shoe store in downtown Manila in 1956, a business that later grew into a diversified empire. He stepped down as chairman of his holding firm in 2017, assuming the title of “chairman emeritus” and leaving trusted allies as well as his children in charge of his empire. It was a long journey for a man who came to the Philippines as a boy to work in his immigrant father’s variety store. “Our store was so small it had no back or second floor, we just slept on the counter late at night after the store was closed,” he told the Philippine Star newspaper in 2006. After their shop was destroyed during World War II, Sy’s father returned to China but Henry chose to stay in the Philippines. He got a commerce degree from a Manila university and started selling shoes in a shop that would later grow into a chain named ShoeMart. By 1972, his shops had branched out into selling all manner of goods, prompting the name to be changed to SM Department Store. But it was in 1985 that Sy made history when he opened his first “supermall” in Manila. Spanning over 424,000 square meters (4.6 million square feet), the mall included dozens of stores, numerous cinemas, restaurants, banks and other attractions that made it a one-stop shop for millions of Filipinos. This was just the start, as more of Sy’s mammoth malls popped up across the country, some even containing ice skating rinks, a rarity in the tropical country. Sy helped create mall culture in the Philippines, where steamy temperatures and the regular threat of torrential downpours can make outdoor shopping uncomfortable. Sy’s holding company, SM Investments Corp., opened its first mall in China in 2001 and has been expanding there as well. By 2018, SM said it had 70 malls in the Philippines and seven in China as well as six hotels and eight office buildings. Sy’s empire has earned its share of criticism from labor groups, which say it uses thousands of contractual hires to avoid paying higher wages and benefits that permanent workers are entitled to. SM officials have insisted that they do not engage in so-called “contractualization,” but say they hire “seasonal” workers for peak periods like Christmas, back-to-school and even weekends.


Despite some calling for it to be preserved, Iwate Prefecture town begins demolishing tsunami-hit former municipal hall

Abstract: MORIOKA - Work began Saturday to tear down a former town hall building in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, where dozens of people died after it was hit by a tsunami in 2011, despite calls by some local residents to preserve it as a memorial. The demolition of the two-story building came after the Morioka District Court on Thursday rejected a petition to suspend the work. The building will be completely demolished by the end of February. Otsuchi’s mayor and 27 officials died in the building when a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the region on March 11, 2011. While some residents of Otsuchi said they no longer wanted to see the building because it reminded them of the tsunami, others said it should be preserved as a memorial. The municipal government is now considering preserving some of the items that were left inside the building, including a wall clock that apparently stopped after the building was inundated by waves, and a ladder used by officials to evacuate to the roof. “It’s the first step for the town to be reborn,” a resident in his 80s said while watching the demolition work. But a 64-year-old woman who lives in the town said, “It is sad for the building to be destroyed. If it disappears, the disaster will be forgotten.”


Number of flu patients nationwide rises to alarming level

Abstract: The number of influenza patients per medical institution in Japan exceeded the alarm level of 30, which suggests an outbreak of the disease, in the week through Sunday, the health ministry has said. The number grew by 22.24 from the preceding week to 38.54, according to a survey that covered reports from about 5,000 regularly monitored medical institutions. The total number of flu patients who were treated at medical institutions across the country during the week is estimated at some 1,635,000, nearly tripling from some 586,000 the previous week. By prefecture, the number of patients per institution was highest in Aichi, at 75.38, followed by Kumamoto, at 58.79, Gifu, at 53.94, Kagoshima, at 52.34, and Shizuoka, at 52.22. Of the flu viruses detected in patients in the past five weeks, type A, which spread globally as a new type in 2009, accounted for the biggest share, followed by the type-A Hong Kong strain and type B.


Challenges await Japan as Trump presidency enters its third year

Abstract: On Sept. 26 in New York, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was facing reporters at a joint news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump when Trump cracked a joke that in fact sounded like a veiled threat. “We’ve agreed today to start trade negotiations between the United States and Japan,” Trump proudly said after a 75-minute meeting with Abe on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “Japan was unwilling to do, and now they are willing to do so. We’re very happy about that, and I’m sure that we’ll come to a satisfactory conclusion. And if we don’t, oh …,” Trump said, looking into Abe’s eyes. Trump’s gesture drew laughter from the reporters and an awkward smile from Abe. But the prime minister then briefly put on a serious look of his own as Trump chuckled in front of the cameras. It was not a laughing matter for Abe. It was the moment when Trump declared he had finally forced Abe to agree on holding bilateral trade talks, something Tokyo had long refused to accept. The free trade talks are expected to be launched soon as more than 90 days have passed since the Trump administration notified Congress of its intention to enter trade negotiations with Japan. The 90-day moratorium for the White House is legally required under U.S. trade law. As the Trump administration enters its third year Sunday, Japan-based experts recently interviewed by The Japan Times believe the upcoming talks are likely to be much tougher for Tokyo than those held since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017. The planned talks also symbolize significant changes that the Japan-U.S. relationship has undergone over the past year, they said. In his third year in the Oval Office, Trump is expected to suffer greatly from a divided Congress after the Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives in the fall midterm elections. This is likely to prompt the U.S. leader to take a much tougher stance on trade issues in a bid to achieve something he can show his supporters before the U.S. presidential election in 2020, the experts said. “It’d be almost hopeless for Trump to attempt to get a major bill passed” through a divided Congress, said Yasushi Watanabe, a professor at Keio University in Tokyo and noted expert on American studies. “I think he has no choice but to try to find a way out in diplomacy and trade talks, where he can use relatively stronger power” than when dealing with domestic affairs, he said. In fact, there are many reasons for Tokyo to worry about Trump’s third year. For one thing, several key advisers who attached much importance to America’s allies and reportedly tried to persuade him not to wage a trade war, were either fired or quit the administration. Such ex-aides include Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and top economic adviser Gary Cohn. “One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships,” Mattis wrote in his resignation letter to the president, dated Dec. 20. “While the U.S. remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies,” he wrote. “Mattis is a highly respected man. I wonder if Trump can find such a great person again,” lamented a senior official at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo. Trump’s approval rating stood at 37 percent in a Gallup poll on U.S. voters conducted between Jan. 2 and 10, with the same poll showing 88 percent of Republican voters approved of Trump’s performance as president. The latter figure suggests he still has rock-solid support from his core followers two years after inauguration, said Kazuhiro Maeshima, a professor at Tokyo’s Sophia University and an expert on American politics. He also said the poll results indicate there is a good chance of Trump winning re-election in 2020, in particular because of the lack of popular Democrats who can compete with him. “None of the Democrats who are now considered potential candidates (for the 2020 vote) would be able to beat Trump,” Maeshima said. “So Japan needs to think about another six years of Trump,” he added. In the meantime, both Watanabe and Maeshima agree that one factor that could hurt Trump’s re-election bid is the alleged Russian intervention in the 2016 election. The findings of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating the Russia scandal, are expected to be publicized soon. If Trump’s campaign team is found to have colluded with Russia or other serious scandals emerge, Republican lawmakers may turn their backs on him and consider finding a powerful rival to run against Trump in 2020, Watanabe said. Yorizumi Watanabe, another Keio University professor and an expert on trade negotiations, also believes Trump could toughen his stance against Japan, as he will face difficult domestic situations this year and will have an eye toward trying to win re-election in 2020. “It’s clear Trump is aiming to get re-elected. So he is under much pressure to achieve something” that would appeal to his supporters, Watanabe said. “So I think he is likely to take a confrontational stance against countries with trade surpluses with the U.S.,” he said. But he also added that Trump places top priority on U.S. competition with China, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Compared with those countries, Japan is relatively low on his priority list, he pointed out. Abe’s good relationship with Trump may also be a plus for Japan, Watanabe noted. At the same time, he warned that Trump and many other U.S. political leaders are now deeply concerned that the U.S. may be losing its technological advantage over China. The tariff war may simmer over the short term, but the struggle against China to maintain economic superiority and technological hegemony will continue over the long term, Watanabe said. The trade war could strengthen the trend toward protectionism and damage Japan’s supply chain networks in China and Southeast Asia, he said. Thus Tokyo will try to keep pushing multilateral trade frameworks to promote free trade and eventually try to have Washington participate in them, Watanabe said.


Tokyo eyes informal multiparty talks over Sea of Japan name dispute

Abstract: Japan is considering holding informal talks with South Korea and other countries on a dispute over the name of the Sea of Japan, a top official has hinted, in what could become the latest in a series of diplomatic feuds between Tokyo and Seoul. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference Friday the government is contemplating the talks at the request of an intergovernmental organization that sets out guidelines on the international names of seas and oceans, and their boundaries. Noting that Japan is a “responsible member” of the International Hydrographic Organization, Suga said the government will “make constructive contributions to the informal talks.” But he also said that “the Sea of Japan is the only internationally recognized name and there is no need or reason for changing it.” South Korea has persistently argued that the waters should be called the “East Sea” and has demanded it be called as such on sea charts, insisting the name has a long history. It has also said the Sea of Japan is a name Tokyo began widely using from 1910 to 1945, during its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Japan has been urged by the IHO to engage in consultations with South Korea over the naming dispute by 2020, when the Monaco-based body is scheduled to hold its next general meeting to discuss updating the guidelines, according to a government source. If talks are to be held on the issue, the two countries may again clash on the dispute at a time when bilateral tension has increased in recent months over wartime labor compensation. The two countries are also at loggerheads over the alleged lock-on of a fire-control radar by a South Korean Navy destroyer on a Self-Defense Forces plane in the Sea of Japan in December. Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha are expected to discuss such issues when they meet Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. But when asked about the name dispute during a news conference on Friday, Kono sounded negative about holding formal bilateral consultations to resolve it. “I don’t think it’s necessary to have bilateral talks” on this matter, he said.

military
disputed islands
sea of japan
south korea-japan relations


Japan may unveil audio in radar row 'to avoid any misunderstanding': Takeshi Iwaya

Abstract: The government is looking to release new evidence it says proves its claim that a South Korean warship locked its fire-control radar on a Maritime Self-Defense Force plane, a government source said Saturday. It is considering making public an audio recording from the MSDF patrol plane it claims was targeted over the Sea of Japan on Dec. 20, the source said. Japan will decide on whether or not to release the audio recording after Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya returns from a visit to the United States on Sunday, according to the source. “We should avoid any misunderstanding among Japanese citizens and the international community. We have to explain what happened,” Iwaya told reporters while visiting Hawaii. In response, South Korea’s Defense Ministry issued a statement urging Japan not to “distort the facts” and release “incorrect” information with the intention of causing further confrontation between the two countries. Tokyo released video footage in late December of the alleged incident, in which it says the vessel engaged a radar system that measures how far away a target is and its direction of travel. South Korea maintains Japan has presented no definitive proof to back its claim. The intensity of the radio waves used by the radar tend to be constant and powerful, and the footage showed an MSDF crew member remarking on the plane’s systems picking up an “extremely strong” reading.

south korea
msdf
south korea-japan relations


Japan to expand age limit for special adoption system to cover children under 15

Abstract: The Justice Ministry plans to expand the special adoption system to cover children under 15 years old, compared with the current basic age limit of under 6, Jiji Press learned Saturday. The revision is aimed at helping children lacking proper care due to abuse, poverty and other reasons, according to informed sources. It will be the first time for the special adoption system to be revised since its introduction in 1988. With the revision, the special adoption system will be available to elementary and junior high school students. The Justice Ministry is also considering allowing the special adoption of children aged between 15 and 17 under some additional conditions, the sources said. The ministry aims to submit related legislation, including a bill to revise the Civil Code, during the ordinary Diet session due to start on Jan. 28, after receiving recommendations on the issue from the Legislative Council. A subcommittee of the council has looked at several options for the adoption age limit and reached a conclusion that it is desirable to set the ceiling at under 15, as the Civil Code calls for respecting the will of people aged 15 or older. The consent of children is not required under the current special adoption system, and the rule is expected to remain unchanged under the revised system. Adoption under the special system terminates legal ties between adopted children and their biological parents. The Legislative Council, at its meeting on Jan. 29, is slated to decide whether to support the exceptional adoption of children between 15 and 17, under the following conditions: that they agree to be adopted, have been living with those who would become their adoptive parents since before turning 15, and encountered circumstances that prevented their adoption filings by that age. Under the existing system, adoption filings are submitted to family courts by those applying to become the adoptive parents. The prospective parents often feel mental stress if the birth parents do not agree to their children’s adoption. To reduce their stress, the revised system would separate the court procedures for judging birth parents’ capacity to raise children from the matching of children with adoptive parents, the sources said. The new system is also expected to allow the heads of child counseling centers to file for adoption. Birth parents are currently allowed to retract their consent for adoption until a court ruling. But the planned system will give them only two weeks to withdraw consent, in a bid to help children and their new parents develop their relationships, the sources said.


Tolerant attitudes make Japan a drinker's paradise

Abstract: If any doubts existed that Japanese people are exceptionally tolerant toward the imbibing of alcohol, those were erased in 2014, when the Pew Center, as part of its Global Attitudes Project, surveyed people’s views on drinking in 40 countries. With 66 percent of Japanese subjects agreeing that drinking alcohol is morally acceptable, their country led the field by a whopping 20 points over second place, the Czech Republic. The top five were rounded out by Germany (41 percent), Britain (38 percent) and Venezuela (36 percent). Equally significant, only 6 percent of Japanese respondents said they regard drinking alcohol as morally unacceptable . On this point, Japan was followed by Canada and Britain, Australia, Germany, the United States, and Poland and France at 9, 10, 14, 17 and 18 percent, respectively. From direct observation, Japan’s culture clearly encourages the imbibing of alcohol, with little stigma against it. Even the quasi-governmental broadcaster NHK apparently sees nothing inappropriate about airing occasional prime-time, hour-long medleys of nostalgic enka (traditional ballads) about getting sloshed — think Yoshi Ikuzo’s 1988 mega-hit, “Sake yo” (English title: “Slipping and Drinking”), in which the performer reminisces on his life’s cruel vicissitudes while gulping down drink after drink. It may be stating the obvious, but sales of alcohol make a major contribution to Japan’s economic activity. Business magazine Shukan Diamond (Jan. 12) covers this in a wide-ranging special feature titled “Kawarimasu! Nippon no Sake” (“Changing! Alcoholic beverages in Japan”). Over 48 pages, the magazine attempts to answer the questions about who’s drinking; what they drink; where they drink it; and how much they spend. It becomes clear that with turnover counted in the billions of yen, the consumption of alcoholic beverages has far-reaching repercussions on everything from corporate entertainment to advertising, and that failing to grasp changing consumption patterns can spell life or death for many enterprises. Despite the nation’s adult population remaining roughly unchanged for the past quarter century, per capita consumption of alcohol has been in gradual decline since 1994, a year corresponding to the collapse of the short-lived bubble economy. Among the hardest hit is beer, which accounted for 71 percent of all consumption in 1989, but which fell by more than half, to 31.3 percent in 2016. (Another 8.7 percent of the market is occupied by happoshu , a poor man’s beer that benefits from a lower tax rate.) Supplanting beer were various types of liqueur, now at 24.5 percent of the total, and fruit-based beverages such as wine. Traditional Japanese sake fell from 15.7 to 6.4 percent of the market. Marked changes have occurred in consumers’ demographic mix. From 1996 to 2016, consumption by males fell across the board, with particularly sharp declines in the 30-39 and 40-49 years age segments — who had formerly been the second- and third-largest consumer segments. Whereas the male market has been drying up, consumption was partially supplanted through gains by females in the 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 age brackets. While beer consumption has declined overall, Diamond devotes several pages to Japan’s relatively new and growing market for craft beers. In 2017 alone, 114 companies applied for licenses to begin production (as opposed to 18 in all of 2014). The overall output last year, projected to exceed 45,000 kiloliters, is more than double the figure of five years ago. International comparisons with such markets as the United States and Canada suggest craft beer in Japan has more room for growth. “The craft beer market will grow to around 5 percent of total sales,” Naoyuki Ide, president of Karuizawa-based Yo-Ho Brewing Co., told the magazine. “Within several years we hope to grab one-fifth of that.” To Shukan Diamond’s credit, eight of the 48 pages were devoted to the “latest findings on alcohol and health.” Alcohol is believed to be the third-largest contributing factor in cancer, accounting for 9 percent among males and 2.5 percent among females. Recent figures for the number of alcoholics in Japan were not provided, although Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare figures in the past identified some 8.5 million people as “heavy drinkers,” of whom perhaps half could be described as having alcohol dependency. Diamond devotes several pages to the genetic differences that enable some people to metabolize alcohol rapidly — making them “strong” drinkers — while others cannot. Interestingly, Japan boasts distinct regional variations: more people from Akita, Iwate and Kagoshima prefectures, for example, have a genetic predisposition to hold more booze, while those with the smallest capacity can be found in Mie, Aichi and Ishikawa prefectures. Shinichi Fukuoka, writer of “Dr. Fukuoka’s Panta Rhei Pangloss” column in Shukan Bunshun (Jan. 17), asks, “Whose fault is it when a ‘sake no shippai ‘ occurs?” “Sake no shippai” may be translated as “a blunder while in one’s cups,” and Fukuoka readily admits he’s guilty of such mistakes. “From numerous past blunders,” warns Fukuoka, “we middle-aged men know how much we’re capable of drinking. For younger people, however, it’s all the more dangerous. I want them to know, the moment they raise their glass, a myriad colony of bats take wing.” And speaking of taking wing, police at London’s Heathrow Airport were alerted on Oct. 28 by the driver of a crew bus who smelled alcohol on the 42-year-old co-pilot of a Japan Airlines flight bound for Haneda airport, resulting in his arrest. One month later, JAL was also forced to delay departure of a domestic flight from Kagoshima to Yakushima when its pilot was found to have exceeded the permissible limit. JAL management’s immediate response was pull the plug on year-end partying. A message went out to all 33,000 members of the consolidated group ordering staff to “refrain from alcohol at all company-organized gatherings and year-end parties.” The company’s public relations spokesperson told the Shukan Asahi (Dec. 21) that the president “sent a warning to the entire group conveying detailed guidelines aimed at changing each and every person’s awareness (toward drinking), but the details haven’t been made public.”

alcohol
beer
yo-ho brewing
shukan diamond


Organizing guru Marie Kondo sparks plenty of joy on social media

Abstract: A new year in Japan means it’s time for ōsōji , the annual cleaning of one’s home. And, right on schedule, Netflix has released “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” to give us all some inspiration — or make us feel guilty for putting it off. The eight-episode series follows organizing guru Marie Kondo as she helps American families organize, compartmentalize and, most importantly, throw away piles of stuff in their homes. Kondo meets a variety of households, from expecting parents and a grieving widow to a same-sex couple, and convinces them to toss anything in their homes that doesn’t “spark joy,” which she describes as filling their hearts with happiness. That “spark” is the main idea behind Kondo’s “KonMari” method, which has turned her into an international cleaning superstar. Her philosophy of downsizing has lead to a best-selling book , the aforementioned Netflix series and being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2015. The show has sparked a lot of joy with people online, as Kondo floats through people’s homes, disassembling their closets and occasionally speaking a few crucial lines in English. “I love mess,” Kondo says in one episode as she opens a homeowner’s disorganized dresser drawers. Her onscreen translator, Marie Iida, tries to fill in the gaps as Kondo rattles off tidying tips, but not everything translates well. (When Kondo says “sparking joy” should feel like “kyun!”, Iida jokingly explains she can’t translate the squeal.) These funny moments have created a garage-full of memes online, as well as jokes from people who are skeptical about the KonMari method. Twitter user @adamjmoussa tweeted a photo of Kondo holding a contestant’s child with a caption that read, “This baby does not spark joy for me, so it will have to go.” Meanwhile, @kashanacauley took it a step further, writing “After a heated discussion with Marie Kondo I’ve decided to throw myself in the trash.” And the zingers didn’t stop there. “Marie Kondo is holding me at knifepoint and demanding that I throw out my husband’s ashes,” wrote @bridger_w . The aspect of the show that horrified many readers was when Kondo encouraged homeowners to throw away any literature in their house that, yup, doesn’t spark joy. “Wait Marie Kondo is telling people to toss their books? THEIR BOOKS?” posted @jowrotethis , accompanied by a gif of actress Betty Gabriel muttering “No, no, no, no, no, no.” Meanwhile, @geekylonglegs wrote , “‘Fahrenheit 451’ predicted Mari Kondo saying to burn all books.” America’s Kondo mania has been feted by likes of Elle , The Guardian , Cosmopolitan and VICE , with each outlet either focusing on the memes, the tidying tips or simply reviewing the show as pure entertainment. Japanese Twitter on the other hand was only taken aback by how the show jumps back and forth between Kondo speaking Japanese and her translator speaking English , and how people overseas were getting upset online over the book suggestion . Some people also questioned whether Kondo’s self-described “Japanese art of decluttering and organizing” was truly Japanese . Kondo starts each episode by “greeting” the house by sitting on the floor and sending out good vibes, which is something uniquely Marie. Twitter user @orcshapeshifter said that people who criticize Kondo’s techniques, including her method of “waking up” books before tossing them, are being discriminatory. “Maybe interrogate *why* animism is so funny to you? Or why — as a bibliophile — the prospect of many books being donated so they can go to people who will cherish them all over again bothers you,” he wrote. Other people online argued that Japanese homes are actually often filled to the ceiling with junk, so Kondo may be the exception instead of the rule. Twitter user @10mhardbacks created a thread on how “Japanese minimalism is built on LIES,” with plenty of people piling on with their favorite photos of messy Japanese homes and apartments. One snapshot features novelist Ango Sakaguchi’s cluttered home, where the floor is concealed under all of his books and papers. Despite some naysayers, each episode of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” ends with the homeowners, sometimes in tears, talking about how grateful they are for the KonMari method and how painless the process was. This may seem like simply a feel-good moment of a former hoarder finding their way, but it’s simply a marketing move. In the past few years, hundreds of people have become certified KonMari consultants , and Kondo plans to expand her army of cleaning cadets. While it might sound scary to let a person come into your home and tell you what to throw away, Netflix’s show seems to be easing people into the idea and potentially turning viewers into customers long after the credits roll. While we clean up our homes, Marie Kondo will be cleaning out our wallets — kyun!