German Catholic archdiocese reveals it's richer than Vatican

Abstract: PARIS - The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Cologne in Germany has disclosed it is worth €3.35 billion ($3.82 billion), making it richer than the Vatican. Publication of the first full report of its wealth reflects greater financial transparency within the German Church since Pope Francis removed a bishop in Limburg, near Frankfurt, last year for spending €31 million from secret funds on a new luxury residence. Also pressed by the pope to reform its finances, the Vatican has consolidated the various — and sometimes hidden — accounts of its many departments and found it has assets of about $3 billion (€2.64 billion), Cardinal George Pell, the Holy See’s secretary for the economy, said last week. Announcing their report on Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten period of self-denial and reflection, Cologne church officials stressed the extensive holdings helped care for 2 million Catholics, 60,000 staff and 1,200 churches and chapels. “The archdiocese doesn’t sell products or earn profits from its services, so it has to finance itself mostly from its assets,” said financial director Hermann Schon. Germany’s Catholic and Protestant churches benefit from a church tax imposed on all their members. The report said Cologne reaped €573 million from the tax in 2013 and spent over half of that on pastoral and charity work. German dioceses had traditionally published their annual operating budgets, but not a full balance sheet. Cologne, the country’s largest diocese, had a 2012 operating budget of €939 million. Its 2013 balance sheet, drawn up under guidelines for large German companies and approved by an independent auditor, showed its assets at €3.35 billion. Its landmark Gothic cathedral along the Rhine is listed as being worth only €27 euros — €1 for each of the 26 land parcels beneath it and one euro for the priceless building. (

vatican
assets
german catholic archdiocese


U.S. fast food chain Taco Bell to re-enter Japanese market

Abstract: NEW YORK - Taco Bell Corp., a major U.S. fast food chain, will reopen restaurants in Japan, joining forces with Asrapport Dining Co., a Japanese operator of restaurant franchises, the Japanese company announced Thursday. The first outlet is expected to open in central Tokyo by fall this year, according to Asrapport. Taco Bell, known for Mexican-inspired foods such as tacos and burritos, had entered the Japanese market in the 1980s but later pulled out of the country, except for U.S. military base locations. Taco Bell currently operates more than 6,000 restaurants worldwide and has a plan to add 1,300 restaurants outside the United States by 2023. Asrapport runs more than 400 “izakaya” pubs and barbecue restaurants in Japan.


New name for Namibian town is a tongue-twister

Abstract: JOHANNESBURG - A linguistic storm is brewing in Luderitz, where some residents of the remote Namibian town are protesting plans to change its name to !Nami#nus. Those are not typographical errors. The name, proposed by some government officials and tribal authorities, incorporates clicklike sounds in the language spoken by the Nama ethnic group in the southern African nation. Those sounds are often represented in written form with punctuation symbols. But Luderitz resident Crispin Clay says the proposed name could hurt the “international reputation” of coastal Luderitz as a tourist destination and might not be recognized by computers and websites. The town was named after German colonizer Adolf Luderitz. The Germans slaughtered tens of thousands of Nama and Herero people after local rebellions in the early 20th century.


China's famed Shaolin Temple plans big development project in Australia

Abstract: BEIJING - A Chinese temple famous for its martial arts is planning to build a $297 million complex that includes a temple, a hotel, a Shaolin kung-fu academy and a golf course in Australia. Shoalhaven City Coucil in the Australian state of New South Wales said earlier this month that Shaolin Temple Foundation Australia, the developer, had finalized land purchase at Comberton Grange for what will be known as Shaolin Village. Mayor Joanna Gash said Saturday that the city council and the state government have both approved the concept plan for the project, which proposes to build a temple sanctuary with resident monks, a live-in academy, a 500-bed four-star hotel, a 27-hole golf course and a residential development. Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the temple in central China, has a reputation for business acumen.


The candy, the whip and freedom of press in Japan

Abstract: We are familiar with the carrot-and-stick approach in the West, but the phrase in Japan is “ ame to muchi ” — literally, the candy and the whip. For journalists in Japan, there’s been a lot of whip in recent times and not much candy. How can we sweeten the deal? Since the ruling coalition came to power, press freedom in the country is the only thing that has sunk faster than the value of the yen. Reporters Without Borders this year ranked Japan at a new low, dropping two places to 61 out of 180 countries and territories, just one below Korea and several notches below Croatia. It had ranked as high as 22 in 2012. Reporters Without Borders didn’t shy away from the reasons behind Japan’s drop. “The (state secrets law) the National Diet in Japan adopted in late 2013 … (reduces) government transparency on such key national issues as nuclear power and relations with the United States, now enshrined as taboos. Investigative journalism, public interest and the confidentiality of journalists’ sources are all being sacrificed by legislators bent on ensuring that their country’s image is spared embarrassing revelations.” The domestic press hasn’t been controlled by the state to this extent since, arguably, 1937. It helps, or course, that the Islamic State group has recently carried out acts of terrorism on citizens of Japan. We live in a time when you can be labeled a “supporter of terrorism” for asking if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s speech in Cairo on Jan. 11 — in which he pledged $200 million for “those countries contending with ISIL (another name used to describe the Islamic State group)” — may have prompted militants to target Japan. National Police Agency sources say Islamic State militants seemed to regard Japan as neutral in the conflict until Abe delivered his speech. Well, not anymore. After the crisis died down, of course, news outlets and the opposition asked a few timid questions on the wisdom of that speech and why the government didn’t seem particularly interested in saving the Japanese hostages in Syria. Nikkan Gendai noted that Abe’s response after being informed of journalist Kenji Goto’s capture by Islamic State militants was a short vacation. The government has said that it will conduct an internal review of their handling of the hostage crisis that will not be made public. On Feb. 10, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida further kicked reporters in the teeth by saying at a news conference that all matters pertaining to the hostage crisis “could be a state secret.” That’s a very subtle way of saying: “Keep asking questions and we can put you in jail.” A freelance journalist who attempted to go to Syria last month was even directly threatened with arrest. Not so subtle. It appears the Abe administration has been focusing on the press and free speech from the very beginning, using intimidation, subversion — and some candy. The press is losing. The Wall Street Journal and others noted last month that NHK chief Katsuto Momii said the state broadcaster would refrain from reporting on the issue of “comfort women” who were forced to provide sex for Japanese troops before and during World War II “until the government stance on the situation was clear.” One has to wonder what is unclear about the government’s stance. Thus when the Asahi Shimbun — disliked by the Liberal Democratic Party and Abe — last year retracted a portion of its reporting on the comfort women issue in the 1980s and ’90s — right-wing groups seized the day and went on attack. The Asahi then also retracted important testimony on the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, perhaps out of fear. Abe himself said the Asahi had brought shame upon Japan, practically declaring it an enemy of the state, and warned other newspapers to exercise care when reporting on the comfort women issue. Still, when weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun revealed that Eriko Yamatani, chairwoman of the National Public Safety Commission that oversees the National Police Agency, was linked to a hate group known as Zaitokukai, she refused to renounce them. “It’s inappropriate for government officials to criticize individual groups,” she said during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. In other words, it’s alright to call the Asahi shameful because the government may disagree with its reporting but it’s not alright to call out racists. Similarly, Abe kept silent during the furor that arose last month after Ayako Sono — who was appointed by the prime minister to an education reform panel in 2013 — wrote a column in the Sankei Shimbun that advocated apartheid for Japan. What can be done to encourage those who value free speech to keep on fighting for the good cause when those who speak out are attacked publicly? The FCCJ has taken a small step forward by launching the first annual Freedom of the Press Awards, which will be announced on May 3 (World Press Freedom Day). There will be a specific award for investigative journalism, as well as an award for nonjournalists who have contributed to freedom of information. (Full disclosure: I’m ineligible to be nominated for any award because I’m on the organizing committee.) The judging panel will include some heavyweight Japanese luminaries. The prizes will “confer due recognition upon journalists whose work represents the finest in defense of free speech, open society and democratic accountability.” It will also offer an award for fallen heroes. The most likely candidate for the inaugural prize is Kenji Goto, the journalist who was beheaded by jihadis after Abe’s Cairo speech. Ultimately, however, the awards should recognize those in the media doing their job — informing the public of things those in power do not want them to know. That, to me, definitely seems worth rewarding.

shinzo abe
press freedom
reporters without borders
eriko yamatani
ayako sono


Japanese sword sent to teacher; 12,800 war heroes to be enshrined in Yasukuni Shrine; Russian steps into outer space; Japanese-language 'Satanic Verses' raises Muslim ire

Abstract: 100 YEARS AGO Tuesday, March 30, 1915 Japanese sword sent to English teacher Mr. J. M. McGregor, once a popular teacher of English in Waseda University, went to England, it may be recalled, some years ago, to follow up a new line of work he had chosen. A Canadian by birth, he has lately been heard from, and it is known that he has joined the British Army to fight at the front. The news has aroused much interest among Mr. McGregor’s former associates and pupils at Waseda, and they have bought a fine old sword to be sent to him. The sword is now on its way to England, and will be a fitting souvenir of the warm hearts of his Japanese friends. The following is the text of a letter that accompanies the sword: “Dear Mr. McGregor, “We were rather surprised when we heard of your enlistment in the army. We have thought you would be the last man to fight; not because you are afraid of fighting, but because you believe so much in peace. “We feel deep sympathy for your brave determination to go to the front. There is nothing, we think, which can better express our present feeling than a Japanese sword. “We earnestly pray that this sword may protect you through your march to victory. Wishing you good luck and all success.” 75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, March 6, 1940 12,800 war dead to be enshrined at Yasukuni Approximately 12,800 war dead will be enshrined in an extraordinary festival from April 24 to 28 at the Yasukuni Shrine, it was announced today. Those who will be deified in the shrine include officers and men of the Army and Navy who were killed in action or died of wounds or illness in the China Affair since its outbreak until the end of May, 1938. The number of 12,800 is about 2,500 larger than the number of those who were enshrined at the shrine last October. Family members of those to be deified will be invited shortly by the Army and Navy authorities to attend the special festival. 50 YEARS AGO Friday, March 19, 1965 Russian astronaut steps into outer space The Soviet Union thrilled the world with a new space triumph Thursday, being the first nation to let a spaceman step into space for a “weightless swim” before returning to a high-flying manned satellite. A 30-year-old miner’s son, Lt. Col. Alexei Leonov, became the first to separate from a spaceship in orbit — and to survive. Radio Moscow said Leonov, father of a 4-year-old girl, “felt good” as he clambered back through the Russian spacecraft, Voshkod (Sunrise) II, after his 90-minute space adventure. Leonov’s breathtaking space swim was seen by millions on television in Russia and throughout the world as Moscow released a graphic videotape two hours afterwards. Scientific observers said it appeared to put Russia far ahead in its space race with the United States. Television viewers saw Leonov, carefully shielded in a specially-equipped spacesuit and helmet, step gingerly out of the hatch of the capsule. For a few seconds he floated free in a horizontal position. Once he was seen floating upsidedown. Tass, the Soviet news agency, said Leonov moved up to 5 meters away from the spaceship as it hurtled through space at eight kilometers per second. 25 YEARS AGO Saturday, March 30, 1990 Japanese “Verses” raises Muslim ire The Japanese version of “The Satanic Verses,” put on sale the middle of last month, continues to arouse vehement protests from Muslims here and abroad. Muslims in Japan have demonstrated against the publication and are demanding that it not be sold at bookstores. Some Muslim countries are reportedly considering asking that the Japanese government ban its sale. The original publication of the book, which many Muslims consider blasphemous, prompted the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeni to pronounce a death sentence last February against Salman Rushdie, the book’s Indian-born British author. Rushdie has since been in hiding. About 130 Muslims living in Japan demonstrated in Tokyo last month in anticipation of the release of the Japanese version by the Tokyo publishing house, Shinseisha. During a Feb. 13 news conference held to announce the publication, a Pakistani national tried to assault an Italian promoter of the book. He was arrested on the scene. The book sold out immediately in Japan, and the publisher is planning to print additional copies, a spokesman of the firm said. But the Islamic Center of Japan is urging bookstores to stop selling the book. The organization, based in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, represents about 30,000 Muslims in Japan, a spokesman for the group said. A spokesman of the Japan-Pakistani Association in Akasaka, Tokyo, said his office is getting many calls from people voicing their desire to kill the Italian promoters. “We cannot forgive the novel because it is insulting our prophet indecently and making God’s words the devil’s words,” the spokesman said. “Japanese people also get angry when their family members are insulted.” Some major bookstores are hesitating to sell the novel. “It is difficult for us to put the book on counters because of the potential problems,” said a spokesman for Maruzen books. On July 12, 1991, the Japanese translator of the book, Hitoshi Igarashi, was found dead in his office at the University of Tsukuba. He had been stabbed multiple times. The case remains unsolved.

space
yasukuni shrine
russia
salman rushdie


Official says Afghan avalanches kill at least 124 people

Abstract: PANJSHIR VALLEY, AFGHANISTAN - Avalanches caused by a heavy winter snow killed at least 124 people in northeastern Afghanistan, an emergency official said Wednesday, as rescuers clawed through debris with their hands to save those buried beneath. The avalanches buried homes across four northeast provinces, killing those beneath, said Mohammad Aslam Syas, the deputy director of the Afghanistan Natural Disaster Management Authority. The province worst hit appeared to be Panjshir province, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Kabul, where the avalanches destroyed or damaged around 100 homes, Syas said. The acting governor of Panjshir, Abdul Rahman Kabiri, said rescuers used their bare hands and shovels in an effort to reach survivors. Rescue teams had been dispatched to the affected areas and casualties were expected to rise, Syas said. The heavy snowstorms, which began early Tuesday, hampered rescue efforts. Snow fall from the storm was nearly 1-meter (3-feet) deep in places and fallen trees blocked roads in the Panjshir Valley. Gen. Abdul Aziz Ghirat, the provincial police chief of Panjshir, said the death toll from the avalanches was expected to rise when rescue attempts resumed at sunrise Thursday. Avalanches in the valley’s Dara district affected up to 600 families, according to people trying to reach the area to assist in rescue efforts. “People there have told me that two of my relatives have been killed and eight others are still under the snow,” said an Afghan who goes by the single name Sharafudin. “My son and I are trying to get through to see if we can help find their bodies. But it will take us at least three or four hours to get there because of the snow and the road is very narrow, so we have to walk, the car can’t get through.” He spoke at the mouth of the valley, where traffic moved at a crawl. “We’ve had no help yet from the authorities, no medicines, no machinery to open the roads so we can get to the buried houses,” Sharafudin said. Another man stuck on the highway trying to reach Dara told The Associated Press that many bodies remained in houses buried beneath feet of snow. “We are so concerned about our relatives who are just stuck there,” said the man named Abu Muslim. Large parts of Afghanistan have been covered in snow as a major storm interrupted an otherwise mild and dry winter. Authorities in Parwan province closed the strategic Salang Tunnel, which links the north and south of the country, over avalanche fears. Power cables traversing the tunnel have been damaged, cutting power to much of Kabul since earlier this week. In a statement, President Ashraf Ghani said he was “saddened by news of the avalanches and flooding across the country.” He said he had ordered urgent assessments of the extent of damage and offered his condolences to the families of the dead. Temperatures have plummeted across the country, though the snow was expected to start melting in the Panjshir Valley and much of the mountainous northwest of the Hindu Kush range in the coming days, according to forecasts. Afghanistan has suffered through some three decades of war since the Soviet invasion in 1979. But natural disasters such as landslides, floods and avalanches have taken a toll on a country with little infrastructure or development outside of its major cities. In May, a massive landslide killed anywhere from 250 to 2,700 people, authorities said at the time. Another landslide in 2012 killed 71 people. Authorities were not able to recover the vast majority of bodies and ended up declaring the site a massive grave.


Filipino, Indonesian trainee nurses to get more time to pass Japan exams

Abstract: The government decided Tuesday to allow nursing and care trainees from Indonesia and the Philippines to stay an additional year for further training and to give failed candidates another chance to sit their qualification exams to work in Japan under bilateral free trade agreements. The Cabinet decision is aimed at giving potential nurses and caregivers a better chance of passing their exams and securing permission to work in the profession in Japan. Pass rates have been low because of the language barrier. Both the Indonesian and Philippines governments have called for an extension. It is the third time the government has decided to give an extra year to prospective health care workers from the Philippines and Indonesia. A one-year extension was given in 2011 and 2013, which a Japanese official said has helped boost the overall pass rate. The latest extension applies to 93 nurses and caregivers from Indonesia who arrived in Japan in fiscal 2012 and 300 Filipino and Indonesian candidate nurses and caregivers who arrived in fiscal 2013. In fiscal 2013, the pass rate for the nursing exam was 10.6 percent, while 36.3 percent of candidates passed the caregiver test. The move will benefit those who failed the exams but were able to meet certain conditions such as having relatively good scores in the last qualifying exams they took. Under the bilateral deals, the current length of stay for prospective nurses is three years and that of caregivers is four years. The candidates must pass the exams within the designated period or leave. New candidates arriving in Japan take language lessons for six months as well as on-the-job training. Candidate nurses are given three chances to take the exams, but caregivers only one. An extension makes it possible for prospective nurses to sit the test four times and caregivers twice. Around 2,200 trainees have so far come to Japan from the two Southeast Asian countries under the agreements.


Japan, Russia hold talks in Moscow to discuss Putin visit

Abstract: MOSCOW - Senior Japanese and Russian diplomats met Thursday in Moscow to lay the groundwork for a planned visit to Tokyo by President Vladimir Putin this year. Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama and his Russian counterpart, Igor Morgulov, discussed the long-running territorial dispute and prospects for a post-World War II peace pact, Japanese officials said. After Japan’s surrender in World War II, the Soviet Union seized three small islands and a group of small islets off Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido. The dispute over their sovereignty has prevented Japan and Russia from concluding a peace treaty. Sugiyama and Morgulov skipped discussions on a postponed visit to Russia by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, the officials said. Russia has taken the position that a Kishida visit, which was put off following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in southern Ukraine last March, must precede a Putin visit to Japan. Sugiyama and Morgulov also discussed the crisis in Ukraine and international terrorist activities, including those involving Islamic State, with Sugiyama conveying Japan’s position that sanctions imposed on Russia by Japan, European countries and the United States should not adversely affect Japan-Russia relations. The deputy minister-level meeting, initially set for last August, was postponed after Japan imposed additional sanctions following the Crimea annexation. The previous meeting was held in January 2014.

vladimir putin
visit
shinsuke sugiyama
igor morgulov


Japanese are quick to embrace robots

Abstract: “Hello and welcome. I can tell you about money exchange, ATMs, opening a bank account or overseas remittance. Which one would you like?” This greeting is not uttered by a human employee but, instead, a diminutive robot named Nao. Just 58 cm tall, the humanoid will be deployed on a trial basis at one or two branches of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. in April to help customers with their enquiries. It — I’m really struggling not to say “she” — is just one of an increasing number of robots working in customer-service positions in Japan. By the time foreign visitors arrive in Tokyo for the Olympic Games in 2020, these multilingual robots may well be commonplace. Nestle Japan, for example, has unveiled plans to employ SoftBank’s emotion-sensing robot called Pepper to sell its coffee machines at up to 1,000 outlets by the end of the year. So does Nao and her — I mean, its — robot compatriots signal a significant change in robot intelligence? I’ve written before about how robots are more easily assimilated into society in Japan than in the West. Many put this down to the fact that Japan has been founded on Shintoism and, as a result, the lack of spiritual distinction between animate and inanimate objects means people in Japan don’t have problems accepting robots as living entities. In other words, Japanese folk simply aren’t weirded out by robots. This has fascinating implications for how we decide whether advanced machines can think, or even pretend to think. It’s something that a lot of scientists spend a lot of time wondering about, the heart of which can be traced back to the Turing test. Conceived by computer scientist Alan Turing in the 1950s, the test recognized that a computer could have the ability to “think” if a human interrogator couldn’t tell it apart from another person through conversation. The test has since become something of a sport, with tournaments evaluating the trickiness of computer programs in passing themselves off as human beings. Last year, Eugene Goostman — purportedly a teenager from Ukraine but, in fact, a piece of software called a chatbot — made headlines when it supposedly passed the Turing test. It hadn’t — it was just very good at chatting — but it won’t be long until a machine becomes so good at chatting that we may be forced to accept that thing as a real person. I don’t think we’re far away — at least not emotionally. I already find myself wanting to refer to the robot Nao as a female. Many Japanese who currently spend a lot of time with robots — and here I’m thinking particularly of people in hospitals and care homes — tend to refer to them affectionately and add the suffix “ chan ” when talking to or about their robots. Let’s say technology improves to a point where we can say that robots really do seem to be thinking, and not just chatting about hamsters (one of Eugene’s favorite subjects) but properly thinking. No doubt we will form bonds with these machines. The question then becomes: If these machines are good enough to really mimic human thought, should they be considered humans and, if so, should they possess the same rights as us? Funnily enough, these very issues are currently being explored by writers and directors as well as neuroscientists worldwide. Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” tackles precisely this issue. The U.K. writer, who wrote “The Beach” in the 1990s before going on to write screenplays for “28 Days Later” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go,” makes his directorial debut with a film that really only has three characters: Caleb, Nathan and Ava. Caleb’s a coder who wins a chance to spend a week at a house belonging to his billionaire boss, Nathan, to take part in an unusual kind of Turing test. Unusual, it transpires, is a bit of an understatement. The machine attempting to pass itself off as human is Ava — a devastatingly sexy robot. This is no mere humanoid, but a full-on gynoid — a female android — with curves in the right places and a beautiful face. The film’s title derives, of course, from the Latin “deus ex machina,” which means “the god from the machine.” While Ava is an unusual machine to use in a regular Turing test, her depiction reflects the all-too-familiar way feminized robots are portrayed in film. In such movies, gynoids are almost always sexbots. Check out the character of Motoko Kusanagi in the anime “Ghost in the Shell.” (The movie is currently being remade in Hollywood, starring Scarlett Johansson.) You might even remember that the female replicant in “Blade Runner,” Pris, is also a sexbot — albeit one who can turn violent in a heartbeat. “Ex Machina” recalls “Blade Runner” in several ways, not least the way a male character is asked to interrogate a beautiful female character to determine if she is “real” or not. Is Ava a conscious human being? Is she a very good simulation of consciousness, or does she have that “extra spark” that humans have? And in a sentence, I hope it’s clear what blind alleys the study of consciousness can lead us down. I don’t think there is an “extra spark” that differentiates humanity from machines — a robot smart enough to fake consciousness might as well be considered to be conscious. In “Ex Machina,” Caleb queries the setup of the Turing test he has to perform on Ava (the machine is hidden from view in a normal Turing test, but here the robot is in plain sight). Yes, says Nathan. He is so confident of Ava’s intelligence that he feels he can reveal the fact that she is a robot. I won’t give away what happens, but I wonder if intelligent robots are poised to be embraced in Japan before anywhere else in the world, not only because of the country’s proven prowess in robotics but because its people are more ready to accept the machines.


Winter offers a wake-up call for local revitalization drive

Abstract: Kansai’s corporate titans gathered in Kyoto earlier this month for their annual retreat, formally known as the Kansai Economic Forum. While there was no shortage of the usual slightly daft old men with slightly daft ideas, this year saw two important, positive changes. The first was that the old men decided they were tired of critics banging on about the lack of women in what has always been an old boys’ club. At this year’s forum, in the conference rooms and in front of the smoked salmon buffet tables, women were far more visible. The second change was an unprecedented sense of urgency in addressing issues the good ol’ boys (and girls) have long worried about: a declining population, especially in rural areas, a Tokyo-centric economy and local economic revitalization. Longstanding concerns such as the declining birthrate and aging society, as well as an intense concentration of people in the Tokyo region and what it means for Japan’s future economy, are finally getting some attention. Local governments from Okinawa to Hokkaido have tried to solve the problems by giving away land, offering tax credits to young families and firms, and concocting all manner of PR schemes to convince people to abandon the urban rat race and enjoy a higher quality of life in their locality. These and countless other programs to keep younger Japanese in particular from running off to Tokyo or, less so, Kansai have failed. The reasons for the continued migration of people to urban areas, particularly Tokyo, are said to be economical. Or political. Or cultural. All true. But there is another, less obvious, reason neither Kansai’s corporate mandarins nor local politicians mentioned: the weather, and modern attitudes toward it. The Kansai Economic Forum took place on a day when the national media squawked that the sky was, quite literally, falling in Tokyo — specifically, 3 cm of snow. If you’re from snow country, you might snicker at such reports. If you’re not from snow country (i.e. from Tokyo or Osaka), however, that’s reason for panic. For such people, snow is as scary as heavy rain and cold wind. It makes a mess of designer-label clothing and expensive hairdos. It turns shiny tile floors into slippery zones where you might break an arm. It means trains to and from work might be delayed or canceled. And then there’s the fact houses in Kanto and Kansai are not constructed for bone-cold weather. People from Hokkaido are often shocked to discover the well-insulated homes they grew up in are in short supply down south. No wonder in Osaka, once the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius (not Fahrenheit), the phrase most often heard is meccha samui (“It’s really cold”). Traditional Japanese art and literature may celebrate the four seasons, but modern advertising mostly prefers selling spring’s cherry blossoms, the hot summer sun and autumn’s leaves. No wonder few in Kansai or Tokyo can envision life, as opposed to a weekend ski trip, in winter. Local governments themselves have also failed to convey to potential residents the real lifestyles of those living outside uber-convenient and comparatively mild Tokyo and Kansai. PR materials abound with glossy photos of smiling villagers enjoying bucolic lifestyles — in spring, summer and fall, that is. Winter, if it is mentioned, is a magical world in white under deep blue skies. Nice — if the intent is to attract tourists. But as long as policies for rural revitalization and decentralization from Tokyo fail to address legitimate concerns about the realities of life in weather conditions different from Tokyo and Osaka, no one should expect them to succeed.


Where's the beef? Kyoto looks to carve out global niche

Abstract: The quintessential tourist image of Kyoto cuisine is one of a refined “bento” (boxed lunch) containing all sorts of small treats, but heavy on fish, tofu and vegetables, with much attention devoted to presentation and tastes that are sublime, but not overpowering. Certain Kyoto vegetables like “kujo negi” green onion form the base of many local dishes, while Kyoto tofu is famous throughout the country for its quality. But one food item not traditionally associated with Kyoto is beef. While Kobe beef is world famous and along with Omi and Matsuzaka beef is considered Japan’s finest, sparking spirited debates among fussy foodies over the merits of each, the idea of visiting a Kyoto restaurant for a thick steak, or even an excellent “shabu-shabu” or sukiyaki dinner with local beef, is not yet on the tourist list of must-do things while in the ancient capital. Kyoto Prefecture, however, is now trying to make “Kyoto Beef” into a brand name worldwide. Earlier this month, for the first time ever, about 500 kg of top quality beef from Kyoto was sent to Singapore as part of a trade promotion fair. “We chose Singapore because Kyoto Beef is expensive and Singapore has a lot of wealthy diners, as well as a large Japanese ex-pat community. A local Japanese restaurant offered a number of traditional Kyoto and Japanese-style lunch and dinner sets featuring not only local beef but also kujo negi, a traditional Japanese green onion or scallion associated with Kyoto, as well as Kyoto pickles and Kyoto ‘macha’ (green tea) ice cream,” said Koichi Kamimura, a prefectural agricultural official involved in promoting Kyoto Beef. How did the beef go over with Singapore’s diners? “People said they liked it because it was slightly sweet,” he said. The recent decision to market Kyoto prefectural beef as Kyoto Beef overseas is mostly to avoid confusion. There are, in fact, several names for beef from cows born and raised in Kyoto. The highest and most expensive grade of beef is simply “Kyoto Niku,” which rivals Matsuzaka and Kobe beef in terms of quality and cost. Then there is “Kyo no Niku,” using the old kanji for “capital.” It’s not certified as the highest grade but is still considered premium. Then there is “Tanba-gyu,” or beef from the Tanba region of the prefecture, and “Kameoka-gyu,” from the Kameoka region. Both types of beef can be bought for about half of what the other two cost. Finally, there is “Kyotankuro wagyu.” “It’s difficult for people overseas to get a fixed image of what Kyoto Beef is with all of the different names for Kyoto-area beef, In order to build an easily understandable brand abroad, we decided to call it all Kyoto Beef,” Kamimura said. For meat to be certified as Kyoto Beef, it must come from cows that were bred in Kyoto and raised there for most of their lives. It must also be certified as one of four top grades by the Japan Meat Grading Association. Like Kobe, Omi and Matsuzaka beef, Kyoto Beef is closely monitored and production history records are kept, allowing one to trace the lineage of a particular head of cattle. The next overseas promotion event will be in March, at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Torrance, California. But domestically, the push is just getting started, although the plan is to target luxury hotels, especially international hotels, and the city’s top restaurants. “The idea is to present Kyoto Beef as part of traditional Japanese dishes, though we have to keep in mind how beef is eaten overseas,” Kamimura said. While Kyoto’s brand name image and recognition give it a competitive advantage over other prefectures also trying to expand beef sales, a limited supply means the marketing strategy will focus not only on quality of taste but also exclusivity. The latter effort is not only a marketing choice but also a practical necessity. The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Ministry’s most recent data show there are about 2.5 million head of beef cattle nationwide. Hokkaido, with just over half a million cattle, ranks at the top. Hyogo Prefecture, the home of Kobe beef, only has about 52,000 head of cattle, while Mie Prefecture, where Matsuzaka beef comes from, has only 26,700 head. Shiga Prefecture, known for its “Omi beef,” has 17,200 head. Kyoto Prefecture, however, has just under 6,700, making beef from Kyoto rare domestically, let alone overseas. The other aspect of international promotion, one likely to resonate in countries where meat safety inspection standards are not as tough as Japan’s, focuses on assuring customers Kyoto Beef is extremely safe from disease. On the other hand, health-conscious consumers, especially in the United States or Europe, may have concerns about Kyoto Beef, especially those cuts with a much higher fat content than beef from their own countries to which they are accustomed. But unlike the somewhat exaggerated and sometimes patently untrue lore surrounding Kobe beef about beer dinners and tummy massages, Kyoto cattle don’t have a particularly unique, Kyoto-type diet. “We don’t feed the cattle things like kujo negi or tofu, although the feed mixture is probably not something the ranchers want to publicize too loudly,” said Kamimura.

food
kyoto
japanese cuisine
wagyu
kobe beef
kyoto beef


Kyoto's tourism boom spells war for luxury hotel chains

Abstract: Kyoto’s recent record-setting tourism boom has sparked a mini-“hotel war,” with some of the world’s best-known luxury inn chains opening branches in the ancient capital, as its international popularity as a travel destination spreads even further. Not too many years ago, Kyoto had a dearth of international first-class hotels. Visitors found a choice of domestic chains, some of which were run-down, with dark lobbies and moldy carpets in the lobby, and dirty, small rooms with hard beds. Or they could opt for a traditional evening in an ancient Japanese-style inn that cost far more and offered a cultural experience, but often lacked modern amenities that today’s international travelers demand. But one year ago, the Ritz Carlton opened, quickly earning accolades from tourists as well as long-time, slightly jaded Japanese and foreign residents as the place in Kyoto to be seen, either as a guest or simply as a customer in one of the bars or restaurants. The Ritz Kyoto, however, is expected to be joined by yet another high-end international hotel next spring, when the Four Seasons Kyoto is scheduled to open in the Higashiyama district. That’s not too far from the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, which opened back in 2006. These are joined by several smaller, luxury boutique hotels run by both Japanese and international resort chains that have opened in recent years or have announced plans to do so. The arrival of top-grade hotels comes as Kyoto’s reputation as a destination for domestic and international tourists continues to grow. Last year, the city was named by the U.S. magazine Travel + Leisure as the World’s best city, beating out Charleston, South Carolina, and Florence, Italy. In 2013, more than 51 million people visited Kyoto, according to municipal figures. More than 13 million people stayed in hotels in the city that same year, a 7 percent increase over 2012. In total, tourists spent just over ¥700 billion. One of the largest increases was recorded in the numbers of foreign tourists. About 1.13 million visited Kyoto in 2013, a 35 percent increase over the previous year. Tourists from Taiwan, the United States, China, Australia and France accounted for over 55 percent of the total, with Taiwanese, at 20.8 percent, the largest group. The news, the city says, is expected to be as good or better once the 2014 figures come out. “Overall, Kyoto tourism has been increasing these past few years, and 2013 was a record year for the number of visitors. We expect the overall upward tend to continue for 2014,” said Nobuo Hatanaka, a Kyoto municipal tourism official.


Ranking priest, past pope-picked reform panelist arrested by Vatican over document leaks

Abstract: VATICAN CITY - The Vatican said Monday it had arrested a high-ranking priest and another member of a papal reform commission on suspicion of leaking confidential documents — a stunning move that comes just days before the publication of two books promising damaging revelations about the obstacles Pope Francis faces in cleaning up the Holy See’s murky finances. The developments threatened to become a new “Vatileaks” — the 2012 scandal that began with the publication of a blockbuster book by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi detailing the corruption and mismanagement in the Holy See. The scandal ended with the conviction of Pope Benedict XVI’s butler — and Benedict’s resignation a year later. The latest arrests of two advisers hand-picked by Francis to help in his effort to overhaul Vatican finances threatened to further expose infighting and rifts surrounding the pope’s efforts at reform and a more open church. Monsignor Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, a Spaniard, and Francesca Chaouqui, an Italian public relations executive, had served on a now-defunct financial reform commission set up by Francis in 2013 as part of his drive to clean house at the Vatican, especially in its scandal-tainted economic affairs. A Vatican statement said the arrests followed a months-long investigation and that the two had been interrogated over the weekend. It said Vallejo Balda was being held in a jail cell in Vatican City, while Chaouqui was released Monday because she was cooperating with the investigation. The Vatican’s statement stopped short of linking the latest leaks probe to the two potentially bombshell books that go on sale Thursday. But a clearly irritated Vatican contended publication of such expose works risk hurting Pope Francis’ cleanup drive. The Vatican described the books as “fruit of a grave betrayal of the trust given by the pope, and, as far as the authors go, of an operation to take advantage of a gravely illicit act of handing over confidential documentation.” “Publications of this nature do not help in any way to establish clarity and truth, but rather generate confusion and partial and tendentious conclusions,” the Vatican said, noting that “the leaking of confidential information and documents is a crime” under a law enacted in the first months of Francis’ papacy. Nuzzi’s 2012 best-seller, “His Holiness,” based on leaked papal correspondence detailing corruption, infighting and intrigue in the Vatican, has been cited by some as inspiring Benedict XVI’s stunning resignation from the papacy in 2013. According to the publishers, Nuzzi’s new book, “Merchants in the Temple: Inside Pope Francis’s Secret Battle Against Corruption in the Vatican,” promises to reveal “heretofore untold, unbelievable stories of scandal and corruption at the highest levels.” “A veritable war is waging in the Catholic Church,” a news release quotes Nuzzi as saying. “On one side, there is Pope Francis’ strong message for one church of the poor” and on the other, “there is the opaque and aggressive power systems within the Vatican’s hierarchy.” The other book, “Avarice: Documents Revealing Wealth, Scandals and Secrets of Francis’ Church,” is by Italian journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi. He writes for L’Espresso newsweekly, which has published some of the most damaging leaks of Francis’ papacy, including most recently a letter by 13 cardinals warning Francis about his family synod. According to the publisher, Fittipaldi’s book maps out the church’s financial empire, from the luxurious lives of the cardinals to the big businesses of Catholic-run hospitals in Italy. Speaking Monday to Italy’s Repubblica TV, Fittipaldi said his book “doesn’t talk about Francis, but about a church that seems very distant from the mottoes of the pope.” He said it was his understanding that the arrested pair had been accused of leaking “news for my book and that of my colleague,” Nuzzi. While Francis is intent on modernizing the Vatican and making its finances more transparent, the arrests were the latest confirmation that scandal and intrigue still swirl, as they have for centuries, through the largely closed world of the Vatican’s administrative bureaucracy. Elected on a mandate from his fellow cardinals to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy and bring order to its haphazard finances, Francis in 2013 created the commission Vallego Balda and Chaouqui served on to gather information from all Vatican offices to try to shed light on the Holy See’s overall financial situation and end an entrenched culture of mismanagement, opaqueness and waste. Francis named the Maltese financier Joseph Zahra to head the commission and Vallejo Balda as his No. 2. Chaouqui was named one of the six other commission members. The commission was given broad powers to solicit information from traditionally independent Vatican offices that were none too pleased to divulge their assets to a group of outsiders, regardless of their papal mandate. But the commission did its job, coming into possession of thousands of pages of information, such as the existence of “secret” accounts held by the Secretariat of State that had never figured into the Vatican’s consolidated balance sheets. That two of the commission members now stand accused of leaking documents is a remarkable new chapter in the Vatileaks saga, but it’s unclear if the investigation will stop with them. The 33-year-old Chaouqui, who favors slim-fitting jeans and long, bouncy hairdos, cut a figure in sharp contrast to the more somber dress of the relatively few laywomen with roles at the Vatican. She is being defended by Giulia Bongiorno, one of Italy’s top criminal lawyers who won acquittal for Amanda Knox’s co-defendant in their internationally watched murder trial. Opus Dei, the conservative Catholic religious movement, expressed “surprise and pain” over Vallejo Balda’s arrest, who it described as belonging to a priestly society linked to Opus Dei. If the allegation turns out to be proven, it will be particularly painful because of the damage done to the church,” it said in a statement.

scandal
vatican
pope francis
reforms
finances
holy see
synod
vatileaks


Claws out after Israeli minister proposes deporting stray cats, dogs abroad

Abstract: JERUSALEM - Claws were out Monday after an Israeli Cabinet minister proposed sending stray dogs and cats to another country as an alternative to government-funded efforts to sterilize them. “Use the budget to transfer stray dogs and/or cats of one gender (all the males or all the females) to a foreign nation that will agree to accept them,” Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel suggested in a letter to a Cabinet colleague leaked to the mass circulation Yedioth Ahronoth daily. The proposal, which a spokesman for Ariel said had been rejected after initial consultations within the Agriculture Ministry, was roundly criticized by animal rights activists and bemused opposition politicians. “No way am I going to apply for a foreign passport for Pitzkeleh,” former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni tweeted above a photo showing the smiling Zionist Union party politician reclining on a sofa and feeding her cat. The newspaper report said Ariel, a religious Jew and a member of the far-right Jewish Home party, views spaying and neutering as possible violations of God’s directive “to be fruitful and multiply” and ritual law that prohibits animal cruelty. But Zahava Galon, head of the opposition left-wing Meretz party, wrote on Facebook that Ariel’s idea runs contrary to “basic morality”— and she quipped that it is time to find a country prepared to grant the minister shelter instead.


Does biometric authentication hold the key to a bright future or Pandora's box?

Abstract: Forgot your password? Maybe that won’t be an issue in the near future. As an alternative to traditional digital authentication that requires individuals to input numbers or phrases to prove their identity, biometric authentication, which uses people’s physical traits, has become an increasingly common feature, particularly in popular mobile devices. Because of its convenience and high degree of accuracy, the government believes such technology may be used to identify the holders of integrated circuit (IC) chip-equipped My Number cards, which will be distributed from January. But will biometric authentication replace passwords? This week’s FYI looks at the issue. What is biometric authentication? Biometric authentication is a digital identification method using the physical traits or behavioral habits of individuals to unlock devices or access personal information, according to the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA), a government-affiliated IT security firm. By preregistering personal information on a computer database, individuals can verify their identity later by scanning a part of their body or demonstrating other personal traits, such as voice and walking style. As individuals do not have to carry keys or IC cards to verify their identity, biometric authentication can lower risks such as the loss or theft of keys. What are the major types of biometric authentication? The most well-known, cheapest biometric identification is fingerprint authentication, which is scanning the shape of a fingerprint pattern, according to the IPA. Other identification points include bifurcation (scanning the point in a finger image at which two ridges meet), dots, pores, ridges and islands. In all cases, a computer can compare the scanned image with information stored on its database to identify the user. Facial recognition is another increasingly popular ID method. It was recently introduced for the Windows 10 operating system as an option to log into a computer if the camera supports the feature. Users of facial recognition can verify their identity just by having a camera capture an image of their face. The image will allow a computer to identify the user based on information such as the distance between facial parts, shape of a face and skin color. Other types of biometric authentication include identifying a user’s iris, vein, voice, keyboard typing habits or even odor recognition. Is biometric authentication better than a password? Biometric authentication is more convenient than a password, but it’s not as safe as people might think. The biggest advantage of using biometric identification is it frees individuals from the burden of memorizing complicated passwords, said Rie Yamaguchi, a project associate professor at the University of Tokyo who researches digital security. Many people sacrifice security for convenience by setting simplistic phrases for their passwords. According to the latest “worst passwords” list released by U.S. security application company SplashData, compiled from 3.3 million leaked passwords in 2014, the most frequently used password was “123456,” followed by such simple phrases as “password,” “qwerty” and “baseball.” But in terms of security, “biometric authentication is not as secure as people think,” Yamaguchi said, adding it was actually easy for intruders to steal the biometric personal information stored on computer servers. For example, Tsutomu Matsumoto, a professor of information security at Yokohama National University, proved once that biometric fingerprints can be copied. He himself demonstrated how to do this by making fake fingers from gelatin and copying and pasting someone else’s fingerprints on them. The fake fingers passed the authentication test. Yamaguchi said is was therefore important to use different methods of identification for various situations, rather than just relying on one method. What does the future hold for biometric authentication? The market for biometric authentication technology is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade, as it has become increasingly popular among smartphone users. According to a forecast by American IT market intelligence firm Tractica announced in August, the global market for biometric technology will grow from $2.0 billion in 2015 to $14.9 billion by 2024. Although the technology itself is not new, biometric authentication became rapidly popular after it began to be installed on popular smartphones, Yamaguchi said. What are the concerns about biometric authentication? Privacy is a major concern. Mitsuru Kuroda, an adjunct lecturer at the Osaka University of Economics who teaches municipalities how to use IT, says leaks of biometric information could bring more harm than password breaches, because, unlike passwords, it is virtually impossible to change biometric information. Once an individual’s personal information falls into the hands of criminals, that person’s privacy will be permanently breached and the risk of identity theft increases, he added. Kuroda said it seemed contradictory to use such important private information to protect other private data, such as My Number. If the government decides to collect everyone’s biometric information for authentication purposes, this could result in “the ultimate surveillance society,” in which all individual activities can be recorded and monitored by the government, he warned.


Tokyo cancels U.N. freedom of expression expert's visit; supporters cite secrecy law scrutiny

Abstract: A U.N. expert in charge of freedom of expression said Thursday that the Japanese government has canceled the visit he was scheduled to make next month. David Kaye, U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, told Kyodo News he hopes he “can continue to work with the (Japanese) government” and that he has always had good interactions with it. The rare cancellation of the official visit drew criticism that the Japanese government is trying to hinder him from raising such issues as the secrecy law, which is aimed at preventing the leak of state secrets. Under the contentious law, which took effect last year, civil servants and others who leak designated secrets will face up to 10 years in prison, and those who “instigate” leaks — including journalists — will face prison terms of up to five years. “We will rearrange the schedule because we couldn’t make full preparations to accept the visit due to budget compilation and other reasons,” said a bureaucrat in the Foreign Ministry. “The government has said that they wanted to postpone the visit until the autumn,” Kaye said. The ministry declined to confirm the remark. Kaye announced his plans to visit Japan from Dec. 1 to 8 at the Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly in October. He planned to conduct hearings with bureaucrats, journalists and citizen activists about information disclosure regarding the secrecy law and other topics related to freedom of expression in Japan, according to Kaye and lawyer Yuichi Kaido, who planned to support him during his trip, said. The U.N. Human Rights Committee expressed concerns about the secrecy law last year. In response to Friday’s cancellation request, Kaye urged the Japanese government to reconsider. But Tokyo notified him of the decision again on Tuesday, Kaye said. “Japan as a government and as a country is, generally speaking, very respectful of freedom of expression,” he said. “We look at things that are worth celebrating, perhaps as a model that other countries could follow,” the special rapporteur said, adding, “We also identify areas where there might be some concerns.”

secrecy law
government
japan
david kaye
u.n. rapporteur


BOJ posts ¥628.8 billion net profit in first half, thanks to JGB income

Abstract: The Bank of Japan posted a net profit of ¥628.8 billion ($5.13 billion) in the April-September first half, thanks mainly to interest from its massive purchases of Japanese government bonds, it said. The profit, up 7 percent from a year ago, marks the central bank’s highest half-year figure since 2001. The BOJ started gobbling up state debt under the radical quantitative and qualitative ultra-easy monetary policy it launched in April 2013 and expanded in October 2014, in a bid to lift the world’s third-largest economy out of nearly two decades of deflation. The central bank’s total assets have thus ballooned 32.1 percent to a record ¥366.13 trillion, with JGBs accounting for ¥309.57 trillion of it, up 35 percent. Interest income from the JGB holdings meanwhile surged 23.8 percent to ¥639.1 billion, the BOJ said. But the bank’s appraisal gain on its foreign exchange holdings narrowed sharply to ¥27.2 billion from ¥305.5 billion in the same period last year, because the yen did not weaken as much in the period. The central bank’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 7.94 percent as of the end of September, down from 8.2 percent at the end of the previous March. The BOJ considers 8 percent a sound level.

bank of japan
monetary policy
central bank
assets
net profit


Brazilian police hunt copter-stealing Santa Claus

Abstract: RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian police are hunting for a Sao Paulo Santa Claus who kicked off the Christmas shopping season by stealing a helicopter. The thief rented the aircraft late Friday from an air taxi service at the Campo Marte airport in Sao Paulo for a Black Friday “surprise,” the Sao Paulo state security secretariat said on Saturday. During the flight, the Santa forced the pilot to fly to a small farm outside of the city, where they were met by a third person. The pilot was tied up and the two perpetrators flew away. After several hours, the pilot managed to escape and alert police. There has been no sign of the helicopter, a Robinson model 44, authorities said.


TPP no done deal; hurdles include interpretation, legislative approval, U.S. election

Abstract: The full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement was released this month. The document is a wide-ranging accord between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Pushed hard by the United States as part of its efforts to compete with Chinese influence in Asia, the agreement is being hailed by its supporters as a victory for free markets and a rules-based economic system. Its detractors warn it has little to do with free trade, and is more of a corporate power grab that will harm ordinary workers and reduce the power of governments to address domestic health, environment and labor concerns. In Japan, the potential effects are now being debated in the Diet. Attention is focusing in particular on areas like agriculture, where much of the opposition originates. Following are questions and answers about the next steps for the TPP. Is the pact a done deal? Not at all. The TPP text released in early November says it is “subject to legal review in English, Spanish and French for accuracy, clarity and consistency.” This “legal scrubbing” will take time, and could create more political concern in the TPP member countries about just what, exactly, they are agreeing on, or if everybody is agreeing on the same thing. Second, and more importantly, the deal must be ratified by the legislatures of the member countries. In Japan, the government, business community and mainstream media strongly support the deal, but whether the Diet will approve the text before next summer’s Upper House election remains unclear. And the TPP agreement’s approval by the U.S. Congress is much less certain. Why is Congress worried? Some Japanese media and political figures say it stems from the opposition to the pact as stated by elements of the Democratic Party and the labor unions that support the party. But that’s only half the story. Opposition to the TPP in the U.S. is growing and crosses political boundaries because of what is included and what is not. Some worry not only about products like auto parts, but also how the TPP will affect the regulation of the Internet, the health care industry, rules of origin on products, and patents. Many Republicans are also opposed or skeptical because of last-minute concessions in areas like the length of time drug companies can protect their data and the agreement to exempt tobacco from a new international dispute resolution mechanism called Investor-State Dispute Settlement that makes it easier for corporations to sue governments over health issues. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Republican, has suggested the TPP will have to be renegotiated to pass Congress. What might Japan be required to renegotiate? Many in the U.S. Congress are concerned about the Japanese government manipulating its currency. They worry that while there is language in the negotiated text to prevent that, the enforcement mechanism is insufficient. This could become a stumbling block between Washington and Tokyo. However, economic revitalization minister Akira Amari, Japan’s lead negotiator, said last week it would be impossible to redo the agreement. Even if it clears Congress, what about the U.S. presidential election? The main candidates for the Democratic Party nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have come out against the TPP, although there is great skepticism about Clinton’s position, as she has indicated dozens of times in the past she supported it. On the Republican side, of the 10 major candidates, Donald Trump, Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee are opposed, while Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and John Kasich have voiced support for the agreement. Others are still sitting on the fence. If the TPP is passed by the 12 legislatures, what does it mean for Japan? Given that the negotiated text and annexes run to over 5,000 pages and were just released, the full impact of the 30-chapter agreement on Japan is not yet clear. However, political and media attention has been on increased agricultural imports. Over the coming years, assuming there are no renegotiations, tariffs on nearly 1,900 agricultural products will be eliminated. This includes tariffs on items ranging from grapes, apples, oranges and tomato juice to margarine, ketchup and sherbet. Tariffs would be incrementally abolished mainly over a period six to 13 years after the TPP goes into effect. Other agricultural goods will see their tariffs reduced. The tariff for imported beef, currently at 38.5 percent, will fall to 9 percent 16 years after the TPP comes into force. Duties on pork will be reduced to ¥50 (42 cents) per kilogram over a decade from a maximum of ¥482. New nontariff import quotas will be created for rice from the U.S. and Australia, to be expanded to an annual total of 78,400 metric tons 13 years after the agreement takes effect, and there will be a low-tariff quota for milk powder and butter that will eventually be expanded to a volume equivalent to 70,000 tons of raw milk. While farmers and Japan’s domestic food industry remain concerned about agricultural imports, especially increased beef, pork, rice and dairy imports, the government has largely muted opposition by assuring farmers and businesses likely to be heavily affected by the TPP that they will receive various forms of assistance to soften the blow against cheaper foreign imports. What about other areas? Under the TPP’s rules of origin, up to 40 percent of an automobile’s parts could be manufactured in a non-TPP country like China, contain 40 percent Japanese-made parts and the rest would come from TPP countries like Malaysia, and be exported to the U.S. with preferential tariff treatment. On the other hand, under a new copyright agreement for TPP members, copyright protection has been extended from 50 years after an author’s death, for example, to 70 years. This means that works by Yukio Mishima, who died in 1970, will not become copyright-free until after 2040 instead of after 2020, while works by Yasunari Kawabata, who died in 1972, won’t be copyright-free until at least 2043.

agriculture
trans-pacific partnership
tariffs


Australian sets Christmas tree record with 518,838 lights

Abstract: CANBERRA - An Australian set his third Christmas-themed world record in as many years Friday by illuminating a tree in downtown Canberra with 518,838 twinkling lights. Guinness World Records confirmed that David Richards had broken the record for the most lights on an artificial Christmas tree that had been held for five years by Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. That 36-meter (118-foot) Japanese tree had set a new benchmark of 374,280 lights this month. Richards, a Canberra lawyer and businessman, brought together a team of volunteers including an electrical engineer, structural engineer, welders, carpenters, masons and steel fixers to erect the dazzling display on a 22-meter (72-foot) steel tree. Richards creates such Christmas extravaganzas to raise money for Canberra’s Sudden Infant Death Syndrome charity, SIDS and Kids, by drawing large crowds and inviting them to donate. “Some people say I’ve got quite a knack for getting people to do things for nothing,” Richards said. “I get people to do things for nothing because they know that I do things for nothing and I’m contributing my own money, resources, time and effort as well — so maybe they feel sorry for me,” he added. He set his first Guinness World Record in 2013 for the most lights on a residential property by covering his suburban home with 502,165 bulbs. Traffic snarls in his neighborhood created by 75,000 sightseers who visited the display over four weeks made it difficult for his family to get to and from their home and irritated some neighbors. So Richards promised never to try to better that record. He set his second record a year ago by stringing up 1,194,380 LED lights in a public space. The 120 kilometers (75 miles) of multicolored wire woven in the shape of three interconnected giant, wrapped Christmas gifts in a Canberra mall was the largest ever image made of LED lights. But records tumble fast in the competitive world of light displays. Richards’ 2014 record was smashed in June at a hotel in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture, by an image of a dragon comprising 1,529,103 lights. His 2013 record for lights at home was beaten within days by a family in LaGrangeville, New York, that decorated their home with 601,736 Christmas lights, reclaiming their 2012 record.


Why do we need a little bit on the side?

Abstract: Dear Alice, I have been wondering about something for a long time: Why is sashimi always served on those piles of stringy daikon radish? Has this always been the case? Does the daikon serve any purpose, or is it just there for decoration? Also, what the heck are you supposed to do with it? Eat it or leave it on the plate? James S., Tokyo Dear James, The finely sliced daikon that comes under or around slices of raw fish is called “ tsuma .” That’s actually a generic term that can be applied to any of the many edible garnishes used to embellish presentations of sashimi. Common examples are artfully carved carrot strips, tiny whole chrysanthemum flowers, red and green seaweeds, and finely sliced myoga , the flower buds of the ginger plant. Yet the piles of white radish are so ubiquitous that, for most people, “tsuma” is pretty much synonymous with daikon. And speaking of synonyms, you probably know that “tsuma” also means “wife,” and are wondering whether there’s a connection. One theory as to why sashimi garnishes are called what they are goes like this: A plate of raw fish is like a happy household, in which the sashimi (the “husband”) exists in harmony with the supportive yet subordinate garnishes (the “wife”). Perhaps, but there are telling differences in how the two words are written. The kanji for tsuma-meaning-garnishes includes the character for tsuma-meaning-wife, but with the addition of the “ koromo hen” radical for clothing. Written this way, the character also refers to the lower front panel of a kimono, which is read — you guessed it — “tsuma”! So a second theory, which I find more plausible, is that “tsuma,” written with the clothing radical, was applied to garnishes because it means something at the side or edge. Turning now to history, I put in a call to Ayao Okumura, a chef, food consultant and cookbook author with a special interest in how Japanese cooking developed. He explained that the custom of eating raw fish was actually introduced to Japan from China, and perhaps as early as during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). At that time, the Chinese ate raw fish, including carp and sea bass, chopped into pieces and tossed with strongly flavored vegetables such as scallions and garlic. This was the way the Japanese initially consumed raw fish, too. The practice of eating raw fish died out in China, but only grew in popularity in Japan, although it remained a luxury only enjoyed by aristocrats. One of the oldest known cookbooks in Japan is the “Shijoryu Hochogaki.” It was written in 1489, in the middle of the Muromachi Period (1392-1573), and includes instructions on preparing raw fish for consumption. The fish should be very carefully sliced, then mixed with vinegar flavored with any number of possible variants. Examples given include salt, wasabi, ginger and a peppery leaf called date , which is a flowering plant in the buckwheat family. Those ingredients originally served important functions, according to Okumura. “Remember that this was in the days before refrigeration,” he said. “Highly flavored and aromatic ingredients were added to mask fishy tastes and smells. But they also slowed the rate of spoilage because, as we now know, many of these foods, and especially wasabi, contain natural anti-bacterial compounds.” The way we enjoy sashimi today — a presentation of plain slices of fish or shellfish that can be dipped in soy sauce to taste — was a much later development. “That style of eating raw fish didn’t come about until late in the Edo Period (1603-1868),” Okumura said. Instead of mixing the sauces and vegetables into the fish, sauces were offered in separate dishes on the side, and the vegetables and other edibles were placed under or around the fish. “As transportation and storage of fish improved, there was less need to mask odors and off tastes, so the original function of tsuma was lost,” Okumura said. “These days, tsuma are used only to make the presentation more attractive. The colors of the vegetables and seaweeds make the fish look more appetizing, and you can add a sense of the season by including seasonal flowers and plants.” There is, however, a new trend to use fewer tsuma, moving away from big, busy presentations. “The current thinking toward tsuma is that less is more,” Okumura commented. “We’re seeing less daikon, and a more measured use of other garnishes, too.” This reminds me of a colloquialism that seems to illustrate just how far tsuma have fallen since the glory days: The phrase “sashimi no tsuma” (“the garnish for sashimi”) can be used to mean someone or something is of little consequence. You can say, “ Kono ken ni tsuite, kare wa sashimi no tsuma no yōna mono da .” (“On this matter, he’s like the garnish for sashimi.”) This means the person’s input and opinion are unimportant, and there’s no reason to take them into account. But let’s get back to your final question: do you, or do you not, eat the daikon? Earlier this year, there was an online survey in which more 12,000 men and women offered their views. While some maintained it is a bad manners to down the decorations, and others said they won’t touch the daikon because it’s contaminated by blood from the fish, fully 76 percent of respondents said they do eat the tsuma. I thought it best to let Okumura have the final word. “It’s fine to eat the tsuma,” he assured me. “You might get a little extra nutrition, and you can certainly enjoy the different flavors and textures.” He did, however, add one caveat: “Just don’t eat the whole chrysanthemum flowers. The petals are fine, and are often used in fall dishes, but they really should be lightly boiled first.” Notice Sadly, this is the final installment of this column, which has run since 2005; Alice Gordenker has decided she needs to focus on other work. Past columns can be accessed at bit.ly/wthisthat .

japanese cuisine
sushi
daikon
sashimi
radish


Shirt photos offer sometimes awkward moments of APEC unity

Abstract: MANILA - The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, which draw the U.S. president and 20 other regional leaders, are sometimes memorable for just one moment: the leaders posing for a group photo in unexpected attire. Former President Bill Clinton started the tradition in 1993, when he handed out leather bomber jackets similar to those worn by American fighter pilots. The U.S. leader apparently wanted his fellow VIPs to feel relaxed at the meetings. Dubbed the “silly shirts” photo by some, the occasionally awkward ceremony became a signature event at most annual APEC gatherings, elevating native garb of the host countries to a brief moment of world fame. The 21 APEC leaders have posed for together in batik shirts (Malaysia in 1998), Chinese jackets (Shanghai 2001), flowing ponchos (Chile 2004) and in Vietnamese ao dai — elegant silken tunics in which several of the leaders were visibly ill at ease — in 2006. The Philippines’ barong tagalog, a partially see-through, embroidered shirt sewn from pineapple fiber and silk, appeared at the 1996 summit and returns this week in Manila. Designer Paul Cabral took months to craft the shirts for the leaders and their spouses, using different hand-embroidered themes. It’s bamboo and leaves for Chinese President Xi Jinping, a Sarawak shield design for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and cherry blossoms for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife, Akie.


Colorado woman kills 38 sheep in crash, charged with drunken driving

Abstract: DENVER - A 47-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after her vehicle plowed into a flock of sheep in southwestern Colorado, killing 38 of them, police said on Wednesday. Lynn Ann Michel was driving her Isuzu sport utility vehicle on Tuesday night on a rural road outside the town of Monte Vista when she crashed into the animals, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement. Another dozen sheep were injured in the collision, police said, which happened about 185 km (115 miles) southwest of Colorado Springs. Police said Michel then fled but investigators were able to track her down after finding the front license plate of her SUV at the crash site. Michel was cited for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, and failure to provide proof of insurance, the state patrol statement said. She was released from custody and issued a summons to appear in court to answer the charges, police said.


Without tackling Japan's labor mismatch, Abe's GDP target is just a pipe dream

Abstract: In September, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the government’s economic goal is to boost gross domestic product to ¥600 trillion in 2020. Most members of the business community have called this target impossible, since it would require an annual growth rate of 3 percent, and the last time Japan achieved that figure was in 1991. Japan would have to add ¥110 trillion to its economy to achieve the government’s target, and to do that Japan needs to add several million people to the workforce. Earlier this month a government panel of academics and business leaders recommended that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party accelerate the planned ¥18 yearly increase in the minimum wage. The conventional wisdom about raising wages is that it tends to reduce employment, though in the United States there have been recent examples that seem to contradict this economic truism. Some companies in Seattle, for instance, have already raised their hourly wage to $15 an hour ahead of a local law that sets that amount as the minimum wage for “large businesses” within the next four years, and unemployment has actually gone down, though some economists say it has nothing to do with pay. In any event, there’s no way Japan can boost GDP without expanding its workforce. The good news is that there is a surplus of job openings compared to the number of job seekers. The bad news is that there is a mismatch between the positions available and the people who are looking for jobs. In many instances it has to do with training or experience. There are not enough people with the skills necessary to fill many of the empty positions. A bigger problem is that the available jobs are not the kind that the majority of job seekers want, because of either the nature of the work or the employment conditions. An article in the Sept. 28 issue of Toyo Keizai explains that construction and social welfare are the fields that need workers the most. Building and public works projects started decreasing in number in the late ’90s, and as older workers retired, fewer new ones were hired and trained. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, construction demand has increased, but there is a serious lack of skilled workers. The labor ministry estimates that at the moment the industry needs another 500,000, and since more than 20 percent of the current construction workforce is over 60, a decade from now the shortage will expand to 1 million unless more workers are added in the meantime. In the social welfare field — nursing, caregiving, day care—the welfare ministry projects that 2.53 million people will be needed by 2025, and that at the current rate there will only be about 2.15 million. The main problem is low pay and the demands of the job, which combine to result in high turnover. Caregivers quit because they don’t think the remuneration is worth the hard work. Besides, there are other jobs available. Another field suffering from a shortage of labor is delivery services. More than 100,000 drivers are needed nationwide, and courier companies target caregivers since many caregivers have to travel to patients’ homes and thus already have drivers licenses. These companies also know that caregivers tend to be frustrated with their work, and while they don’t necessarily pay them more, the work is relatively easier. In this situation, however, workers are simply being moved from one field to another. They aren’t adding to the total workforce, so the overall economy doesn’t benefit. Another problem is so-called career blanks: workers who have skills but leave the job market for personal reasons and don’t return. The Labor Policy Research Center estimates there are something like 10 million career blanks in Japan. A fair portion are nurses who quit to get married and have children and decide not to return to work afterward. Another difficult demographic is men or women who quit their regular employment to care for elderly parents full-time, but because they tend to leave their jobs in middle age, their prospects for re-entering the job market are low. In a Reuters survey of major Japanese companies, 76 percent supported the idea of “using foreign laborers,” but the government has consistently resisted the call to allow more immigrants into Japan to fill labor needs. Consequently, it will have to persuade more Japanese to enter the workforce, and the only demographics available in any large numbers are women, the elderly and disabled persons. Abe is now advocating a program that will help workers whose parents require extensive care so that these workers don’t have to quit their jobs but, more significantly, the government should encourage companies to hire and even retrain middle-aged and retired people who don’t work at the moment. But it’s women who could make the biggest difference, especially in fields that require manual labor, like construction. The problem is mainly structural, despite the government’s claim that it is giving more women opportunities. Ever since equality in the workplace was guaranteed by law in 1985, women have been channeled into nonregular employment though revisions in the labor laws that satisfy corporate demand for cheaper workers. Right now, 70 percent of all nonregular employees in Japan are women. On the one hand, many of these women are homemakers who only work part time and purposely limit their hours so that they don’t make more than ¥1.03 million a year. If they make above that amount, they no longer qualify as dependent exemptions for income tax purposes and will also lose their type 3 status, meaning they will have to start contributing to social security plans. On the other hand, women who do want to work full time disproportionately prefer office work. According to the Mitsubishi UFJ Research Institute, there are 3.24 million women looking for regular employment and 1.22 million looking for part-time employment as ippan jimu (general office workers), but there are only openings for about a quarter of these women, which means 3.35 million won’t be able to secure their “desired” positions. The trick is to somehow channel this huge labor potential into fields that are desperate for workers, but that will take a concerted effort on the part of government and industry to not only retrain these women and make pay and working conditions more attractive, but also to convince them that women can be just as effective as men in jobs that men have traditionally filled.


YouTubers in Japan with 100,000 fans and counting

Abstract: As more and more people turn off the TV in favor of the Internet, YouTube Japan is recognizing some of its top celebrities who are drawing in millions of people to their videos. The company threw a big celebration for more than 20 YouTubers living in Japan who each have over 100,000 subscribers. The channels range from expats explaining Japanese culture to girls giving out makeup advice. Here are some of the channels honored at YouTube’s event. 1. Bilingual Chika ’s fun and informational videos aim to help Japanese people learn English and to help everyone else to understand Japan . Her videos range from simply explaining grammar points all the way to reproducing English fairy tales . 2. Chihiro shares her beauty tips with the world with monthly favorites and test trials of 100 yen store makeup — Chihiro reviews it all. Scattered within these reviews are also a number of vlogs about her life . 3. Daichi Beatboxer ‘ s name pretty much says it all: Daichi Beatboxer is a beatboxer named Daichi. His channel consists of performances , experimental content and collaboration videos with artists such as Hikakin . 4. Einshine ’s channel has one primary theme: anime. Whether it be in his videos about gaming , vlogging or animation , the topic of anime almost always seems to make an appearance. 5. Kobasolo is a musician, producer and charismatic goofball. Showing off his talent in full blown music videos or covers , Kobasolo’s musical skills really shine through. 6. Kumamiki ’s channel is a collage of different do-it-yourself and do-yourself-up videos. In addition to her beauty and makeup tutorials, Kumamiki also vlogs and tries out a variety of food. 7. Melodee Morita is a TV reporter and director who has made her way to YouTube. On top of her travel videos , her videos feature tips on how to act , eat and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 8. Rachel & Jun are more than just a friends. This married couple shows a unique perspective on living in Japan as both a foreigner and native to the country. Whether filming together or alone , their videos tend to revolve around topics relating to Japan. 9. SekineRisa ’s channel is a guide for all things glamorous. Her videos include travel , shopping hauls , makeup tutorials or a combination of the three , and Risa does it all in style. 10. Sharla in Japan is almost like an Internet tour guide for all those looking to visit or learn more about Japan. When she’s visiting theme cafes or discussing Japanese fashion , Sharla always seems to do it with a smile on her face. 11. Takutaku is a gamer with a focus on horror games. His take on games such as “ Hide and Seek “ and “ Entity “ helps make the games feel a little less terrifying. 12. Dekakin runs channel where, whether combining nine hair products into one or drinking cold water in a bathtub full of ice , his humorous personality is the star. 13. Haiji ’s channel is a collection of food vlogs that are sure to make your mouth water. When he’s enjoying cheap sushi or ordering two large bento at once, viewers might feel a mix of hunger and jealousy. 14. Miki Pon provides makeup and hair tutorials for every season and every cost . Those who love her style can mimic it in the real world with her product collections . 15. Suzukawa Ayako is a family-oriented mother who loves her kids and cars. Her videos range all the way from visiting museums with her children to assembling models of toy trains . So there you have some of the top vloggers in Japan. While they may not be household names just yet, their dedicated group of fans are probably refreshing their channels right now hoping for a new video.


Iran still trying to smuggle arms to Yemen, harass passing ships: 5th Fleet commander

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Iran’s landmark nuclear deal with world powers has done little to stop the country from pursuing activities beyond its shores that the U.S. considers destabilizing, the U.S. naval commander charged with securing the waters around the Arabian Peninsula said Sunday. Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, commander of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, made the comments during an interview with The Associated Press at the opening day of the Dubai Airshow. He was careful not to underplay the significance of Tehran’s willingness to come to the negotiating table to hammer out a deal completed in July that gives it broad sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But he noted that other actions such as attempts to smuggle military equipment to Yemen and harassing ships transiting the Gulf continue just as they did before the agreement. “We’re still concerned about Iran’s behavior overall. Positive about the nuclear agreement, but concerned … about some of their malign behavior related to other things unrelated to the nuclear issue,” he said. Aside from the nuclear negotiations, “I don’t know that we’ve seen a change in behavior,” he added, speaking aboard a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane on display at the biennial show. Donegan, a former Navy fighter pilot and aircraft carrier commander, took over as head of the 5th Fleet in September. The naval force is based in the tiny Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain, just off the coast of Saudi Arabia. It is responsible for operations in a 2.5 million-sq.-mile area that includes the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway wedged between Iran and Oman that is the route for nearly a third of all oil traded by sea. In September, a ship assigned to a multinational naval force led by the 5th Fleet commander intercepted a vessel carrying anti-tank missiles and other equipment believed to be from Iran. That seizure came months after the U.S. sent an aircraft carrier and guided missile cruiser to the Arabian Sea amid concerns that a convoy of Iranian cargo ships was sending combat vehicles and other military equipment to Shiite rebels in Yemen. “We don’t think that was the only shipment that was working its way to Yemen,” Donegan said. He declined to elaborate. Iran acknowledges supporting the Yemeni rebels but denies it provides them any military aid. In the run-up to the nuclear deal, Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship, claiming that the shipping company that chartered it owed money to an Iranian firm. Days after it was released, an Iranian naval patrol opened fire on a Singapore-flagged commercial ship in the Persian Gulf. That incident was apparently linked to a financial dispute stemming from damage to an Iranian oil platform. U.S. Navy ships continue to face occasional harassment from Iranian patrols, Donegan said. While most encounters with the Iranians are professional, they occasionally get too close in ways that are “unsafe,” he said. “The behavior we’ve seen is about what we’ve come to expect,” he said. “They’ll like to intercept our ships, especially the combatants, as they’re going through the straits or in other places in the Gulf. They like to show that they can shoot weapons when they’re in proximity.” In the heavily trafficked Strait of Hormuz, Iranian vessels have occasionally approached commercial ships passing through and told them they must fly an Iranian flag to ensure their safe passage, Donegan added. For the first time since 2007, the United States has no aircraft carrier stationed in the Gulf. The last one left several weeks ago, and a replacement is not due until late this year. The Navy says maintenance needs after several years of heavy reliance on its carrier fleet and longer-than-usual deployments are to blame for the gap in coverage. Donegan said the U.S. can manage without a carrier for the time being even as it continues to handle the bulk of coalition airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, though he acknowledged he “wouldn’t want sustain this for a long period.” U.S. Air Force and other military aircraft are stationed around the Gulf, Turkey and elsewhere in the region. The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship that resembles a small aircraft carrier and has planes and helicopters, also operates in the theater. Donegan insisted that the temporary lack of a carrier is not a signal of the U.S. pulling back from the region — a growing fear among Washington’s Gulf Arab allies. “I don’t think that anyone who looks at it too deeply is going to say that in any way we’re leaving. Quite the contrary,” he said. “We’re here, and you can expect us to stay.”

yemen
iran
airstrikes
u.s. navy
strait of hormuz
5th fleet


Attorney group to offer free advice to ID-less 'mukoseki' citizens

Abstract: Japan’s attorneys are planning a wide-scale effort to advise people trapped in mukoseki status who are deprived of basic government services because they do not appear on family registries and thus lack legal identity. In response to a government request, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations will conduct a free, daylong toll-free advice session Wednesday, followed by a wider nationwide response through its regional bar association network. For the Wednesday session, which will be provided from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., callers with issues related to lack of family registration status will be connected to attorneys in their area who can advise them. People without a family registry are ineligible for passports and driver’s licenses, as well as such basic but critical services as public health insurance and national pension benefits. In addition, their lack of a legally valid identity leaves them open to a multitude of other potential problems. As of Oct. 10, there were 677 such people, 123 of them adults, based on cases reported to the Justice Ministry. A baby can fall into mukoseki limbo upon birth if it is fathered by the new partner of a woman who had divorced in the past 300 days. This can happen if she decides not to log the child’s birth in her family registry to circumvent a Civil Code law that deems a baby born in that period as the legal offspring of her former husband. Reluctance to contact a husband who was abusive can also contribute to such a debilitating decision. Critics blame the so-called 300-day rule for aggravating the situation. “The Justice Ministry figure is only the tip of the iceberg,” said Masae Ido, a former Lower House lawmaker who heads a mukoseki support group. She said there must be at least 10,000 people languishing in a mukoseki limbo, based on Supreme Court statistics. “The government should try to grasp the exact number of people who are in a mukoseki status and find out about why they remain in such a legal limbo,” she said.


Stress test to join annual health checks as mental problems rise in corporate Japan

Abstract: In light of the nationwide rise in mental health problems, the Industrial Safety and Health Law was revised last year to oblige companies to offer annual “stress checks” to employees starting Tuesday. Here are some details on the impact the new test is expected have on companies and employees, what it involves, and the factors that led to its introduction. Are work-related mental disorders on the rise? Yes, worker compensation claims are on the rise. In fiscal 2014, a record 1,456 people claimed compensation for poor mental health, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, up from 1,181 in fiscal 2010. A health ministry questionnaire in 2013 found 10 percent of the 9,026 responding businesses said they had employees who had taken more than a month’s leave or quit because of poor mental health the previous year, up from 8.1 percent in 2012. Although the national suicide rate has been declining since 2009, 2,323 of the 27,283 suicides reported in 2013 were blamed on work-related problems, the 2014 white paper on suicide prevention said. The number of work-related suicides, however, stayed relatively stable from 2007 to 2013. What is the economic impact of mental disorders? A study released in 2010 by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research said cases of suicide and depression caused about ¥2.7 trillion in economic losses for Japan in 2009. In 2008, the Cabinet Office estimated that it would cost a company about ¥4.22 million to let an employee in his late 30s making about ¥6 million a year take a six-month leave of absence because of poor mental health. What is the purpose of the test? The primary aim is to minimize mental health problems in the workforce. It also is designed to help improve working environments, which in turn will presumably help prevent people from having breakdowns , according to the ministry. “The government has at last put in place a necessary law to cope with the working environment, where stress abounds,” said Kazuo Koiwa, a certified social insurance labor consultant who is familiar with the test. Koiwa said the mental health checkup will prompt companies to take care of employees’ mental health and help raise workers’ awareness of their psychological condition. How does the checkup work? Businesses with more than 50 employees will be required to offer the checks once a year, which means it will cover some 18,000 businesses and reportedly more than 20 million employees nationwide. All employees, including part-timers, will be urged to take the test, although it is not mandatory. Businesses will have the option of creating their own questionnaire covering three areas: causes of stress in the workplace, symptoms of stress, and personal relationships. They will also have the option of using the questionnaire made by the health ministry, which has 57 questions covering the three areas. For causes of stress in the workplace, the ministry’s test includes the question phraseology options: “I have an extremely large amount of work to do,” “My job requires a lot of physical work” and “The atmosphere in my workplace is friendly.” The test-takers response options will range from “very much so” and “moderately so” to “somewhat” and “not at all.” On symptoms of stress, the ministry’s test phrases include: “I have been lively,” “I have felt exhausted” and “I have been unable to concentrate.” The answer options include: “almost never,” “sometimes,” “often” and “almost always.” In the relationships section, one question asks how freely one can speak with superiors, colleagues, spouses and other family members. How will employees learn of the test results? The doctors or nurses who assess the tests will directly inform them. Since the medical professionals will be obliged to maintain confidentiality, they will be barred from notifying the test-takers’ employers of the results without formal consent. If test-takers are assessed as under heavy stress, they can see a doctor at their request. Based on the advice of the interviewing doctors, employers will be required to improve the situation, such as by reducing work hours or arranging transfers. Are there any concerns about the tests? Koiwa pointed out that the tests, which are not mandatory, won’t work if employees are reluctant to take them. “Companies need to show positive attitudes toward creating better working environments, while encouraging employees to take the test,” Koiwa said. A recent survey has shown that companies are being slow in preparing for the annual test. The survey by job information provider en-Japan Inc. in October said 49 percent of the 231 responding firms said they are getting ready to introduce the tests, 33 percent remain unprepared, and 5 percent have no plans for preparations. Of the companies preparing to introduce the tests, 36 percent expected the checkup to have little effect. An advertising and publishing industry source said companies expect to gain little from the tests in comparison with costs of introducing them, adding there might be other ways of safeguarding employees’ mental health. An official at a manufacturer said they are not yet sure how the results of the tests will be of use.

workers
mental health
companies
stress check


Streak of light in night sky from U.S. Navy missile test gets social media buzzing

Abstract: SAN DIEGO - The U.S. Navy fired an unarmed missile from a submarine off the coast of California and managed to create a stir on social media because people as far away as Nevada and Arizona reported a streak of light in the night sky. A navy spokesman told The San Diego Union-Tribune the Navy Strategic Systems Programs conducted the missile test Saturday in the Pacific Test Range near Los Angeles. Cmdr. Ryan Perry said the launches are conducted frequently to ensure the continued reliability of the system and that information about such tests is classified prior to the launch. The streak of light led to a flurry of calls to law enforcement agencies.

u.s .
california
pacific
social media
missile test