Today in Japan 2011/02/15

Here are a few articles from Japan Today's site, that I found of interest.
Feel free to click away.

Have a great day.
I love you!

Cam

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2 men jailed for failing to stop drunk colleague from driving
Tuesday 15th February, 02:32 AM JST

SAITAMA —
A court sentenced two men to a two-year prison term Monday saying they
failed to stop a colleague from driving a car they were going to share
even though they knew he was drunk before a fatal accident in Saitama
Prefecture in 2008.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/2-men-jailed-for-failing-to-stop-drunk-colleague-from-driving

Cam's Thoughts: It's about time they started acting on that law they
implemented years ago...

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840 students suffer food poisoning in Hokkaido
Tuesday 15th February, 06:00 AM JST

SAPPORO —
A total of 840 elementary and junior high school students have missed
class in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, due to food poisoning after eating
school lunch last week, local officials said Monday.

Fifteen teachers and other school staff also exhibited food poisoning
symptoms, they said.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/over-900-students-have-food-poisoning-symptoms-in-hokkaido

Cam's Thoughts: Poor kids! Poor parents!!

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Women file suit to keep their surnames after they marry
Tuesday 15th February, 06:00 AM JST

TOKYO —
A group of Japanese citizens filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a
civil law that effectively stops women from keeping their surnames
when they marry.
The 113-year-old law requires married couples to choose just one
surname for the man and woman to share, and custom means it’s usually
the man’s.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/women-file-suit-to-keep-their-surnames-after-they-marry

Cam's Thoughts: Although this doesn't affect foreigners marrying
Japanese, the Japanese-Japanese marriages have it tougher in the name
game.

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Cop arrested for asking wife to take rap for him in hit-and-run
Tuesday 15th February, 06:47 AM JST

SHIZUOKA —
A Shizuoka policeman was arrested Monday after he asked his wife to
turn herself in over a hit-and-tun incident that he caused over the
weekend. Kikei Takada, 46, an assistant Shizuoka Prefectural Police
inspector, allegedly bumped his car into another car on a street in
Shizuoka on Saturday night, slightly injuring two people in the other
vehicle. Saturday was his day off.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/cop-arrested-for-asking-wife-to-take-rap-for-him-in-hit-and-run

Cam's Thoughts: Spineless bastard...

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College students' spending falls to level of 30 years ago
Tuesday 15th February, 03:22 AM JST

TOKYO —
Spending by university students living away from their families has
fallen to the same level as 30 years ago, due partly to the prolonged
economic downturn, according to an annual student cooperative group
survey released Monday.

Average monthly expenditure by such students, excluding rent, came to
63,130 yen compared with 62,100 yen in 1980, while the average monthly
allowance they receive from their families was 71,310 yen, according
to the latest survey by the National Federation of University
Cooperative Associations.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/college-students-spending-falls-to-level-of-30-years-ago

Cam's Thoughts: What?!?!? Students are supposed to be poor! This is a
"spending allowance", not cost of living. Their parents usually pay
for all of the tuition, apartment, food and more. Free money from mom
and dad while going to university... talk about soft! University is a
great time to learn how to be frugal, stingy, and cost-conscious. It's
also a good time to learn how to be poor.

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Researchers in Beppu propose new way of steaming food

OITA —
Researchers in the southwestern Japan city of Beppu, where one of the
specialties is steamed food using the local hot springs, are proposing
a new and tastier way of steaming food.

When ingredients are steamed slowly at temperatures well below 100 C
the taste of the food improves, according to a research group in the
city in Oita Prefecture which is studying how to make use of steam
rising from the numerous hot springs in the Beppu area.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/researchers-in-beppu-propose-new-way-of-steaming-food

Cam's Thoughts: Umm... hello Japan? Does anyone know what a crockpot is?

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Japanese model uses heart, smarts to create Valentine's Day chocolates

NEW YORK —
With an artistic flair and passion for chocolate Kanami Kawaguchi, a
Japanese fashion model in Manhattan, is creating her latest
concoctions in time for the Valentine’s Day rush.

While her full-time gig in New York is as a fashion model who has
walked the New York runways wearing fancy clothes, accessories,
different hair styles and make-up for about five years, she has an
unusual zest for chocolate despite being allergic to it.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/japanese-model-uses-heart-smarts-to-create-valentines-day-chocolates

Cam's Thoughts: Modelicious...

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Returnees of JET program key to Japan-U.S. ties

WASHINGTON —
When current participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET)
Program gather, the discussion often focuses on English teaching
methods. When the program’s U.S. alumni get together, however, talk
often turns to a weightier subject: U.S. foreign policy towards Japan.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/returnees-of-jet-program-key-to-japan-u-s-ties#show_all_comments

Cam's Thoughts: The comments are pretty strong here, both pro and con!
Personally, my life at JET didn't get ME any connections...

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No. of people dying alone rises in 'no-relationship' society

TOKYO —
This country’s solitude is reaching alarming proportions.

Consider the number of people dying alone: in 1987 in Tokyo, 788 men
and 335 women; in 2006, 2,362 men and 1,033 women. Every day, of late,
10 people on average die alone in Tokyo.

It has been a prominent issue since January 2010, when NHK aired a
documentary titled “Muen Shakai” – literally, a “no-relationship
society.” Traditional community relationships withered with
modernization in the late 19th century and died in the mid-20th.
Family relationships are faring little better. An economy denying many
people a foothold, combined with communications technology that joins
us virtually but isolates us concretely, have left the individual
largely on his or her own – for better and for worse.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/kuchikomi-shukan-post/view/no-of-people-dying-alone-rises-in-no-relationship-society

Cam's Thoughts: This is very sad, but very true. However, just because
I'm single, have two computers, a semi-smartphone, and no TV doesn't
mean I'm going to end up dying alone in a rabbit hutch full of empty
plastic obento boxes from convenience store meals!

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Ginza hostesses battle back against predatory work rules

TOKYO —
“With all the fines and my having to make good on the unpaid bills run
up by customers, I didn’t receive any salary at all for half a year.
But I accepted 3 million yen in advance wages when I started working
there, so I can’t quit.”

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/kuchikomi-shukan-post/view/ginza-hostesses-battle-back-against-predatory-work-rules#show_all_comments

Cam's Thoughts: The women can make a LOT of money in the "mizu shobai"
business (it isn't sex trade), but if they don't follow the strict
rules, they can lose a lot of money, as well.

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Japan's new budget airline aims to offer 'overwhelmingly low fares'

TOKYO —
A&F Aviation Co, the newly launched first low-cost carrier in Japan,
aims to offer ‘‘overwhelmingly low fares’’ to attract various
passengers from Japan and abroad, its Chief Executive Officer Shinichi
Inoue said Friday.

‘‘It is the mission of LCC to offer overwhelmingly low fares rather
than deprive existing carriers of passengers,’’ Inoue said in an
interview, referring to the need for the airline launched Thursday
with funds from All Nippon Airways Co and Hong Kong’s First Eastern
Investment Group, to appeal to new potential customers.

Read more:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/travel/view/japans-new-budget-airline-aims-to-offer-overwhelmingly-low-fares

Cam's Thoughts: I wonder how low can ya go? I could see the airline
not turning on the heat in the cabin and then charging for blankets...
At 35,000 ft that would be a lot of cold people. These days on
domestic flights they give you free green tea, and that's about it.
Anything else costs. There are no pillows on board anymore, and coffee
costs money. Coffee! Also, the carry on size has gotten so
dramatically reduced, that the old carry-on luggage no longer are
allowed in the cabin: buyer beware.