Nipponica

The local government in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture has just passed an ordinance calling on residents to laugh at least once every day to promote better physical and mental health, although the new law has gone down like a bad joke in some quarters.

Put forward by members of the normally strait-laced Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and passed on Friday, the ordinance encourages local residents to snigger, chortle or guffaw daily and asks business operators to “develop a workplace environment that is filled with laughter,” the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

Walt Disney and Japan’s Oriental Land Company unveiled plans on Tuesday to launch a new cruise ship that will set sail from Tokyo in 2029, adding a ninth vessel to the brand’s growing fleet.

The new ship will be modeled after the Wish, the largest vessel in Disney’s fleet. OLC, the operator of Tokyo Disneyland, will also operate the new cruise vessel.

The best news of this announcement is that operations will be run by OLC, who has surpassed Disney itself in providing excellent service at their parks.

The Japanese government said Tuesday that Yukihiko Imasaki, a 66-year-old Supreme Court justice, will become chief justice of the country’s top court to replace Saburo Tokura, who will retire on Aug. 10.

Not the most liberal institution in the world but at least it is functioning unlike other courts I could name.

Following her loss Sunday night, Renho did not touch on the reason for her unexpectedly poor performance. Instead, she offered thanks to her supporters, including the JCP, whose members appeared with her at campaign stops and gave speeches.

“I consider it an asset for me to have received so much support from the JCP and others,” she said.

But conservative CDP veterans have long been skeptical of the cooperation between the CDP and the JCP in national and local elections, which is meant to avoid splitting the opposition vote.

Until the LDP’s turnouts are low enough for a second party to get enough seats to form a government, multi-party coalitions are necessary to attain any kind of power. Perhaps the problem isn’t entirely with the parties (although some blame is theirs) but with the candidate.

Under the new law, individuals in the public and private sectors who are qualified to handle classified information will receive certification from the government, facilitating easier participation in international research projects by businesses.

Kinda surprised this wasn’t the system already. Japan slow to move in yet another area. However…

At the same time, challenges remain, such as safeguarding the privacy of individuals in relation to the background checks required for certification.

Compared to the same procedure in the US, privacy of the individual does not factor in at all. Point to Japan for even considering it.

The city of Omura in Nagasaki Prefecture issued resident certificates to a same-sex couple in May that use the term meant for common-law husbands, prompting the alarmed Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry to send a letter to the city on Monday.

Hey, any progress towards LGBT equality is good progress. More bureaucratic screwups please.

While Japan can never become an official member of the regional alliance, its participation in the organization's activities and cooperation with its member states is increasingly important as it develops its defense capacity.

There are limits to Japan's partnership with NATO. The organization cannot come to the defense of Japan, even if it were to enter conflict with Russia, China, or North Korea. But NATO's member states, especially the U.S., could certainly support Japan with military and nonmilitary support, if necessary. Beyond the mutual defense agreement of the NATO treaty (Article 5), there are other aspects of the treaty that allow for institution building and capacity training between NATO, its members and Japan.

This is a good explainer article about how Japan fits into the western security umbrella and how it could come to the nation’s aid in the event of conflict.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te plans to appoint Lee Yi-yang, former vice president of the Examination Yuan, as the next de facto ambassador to Japan, a source has said.

Lee, 69, worked as a news reporter and a Taipei City Council member before becoming secretary-general of the Democratic Progressive Party and minister of the interior under Chen's administration.

The recent words of FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki back up these ostensible labor wins for Japanese workers. Of the mass layoffs that are happening in the US and elsewhere, Miyazaki said, “as long as this company is my responsibility, that’s something I would not let happen.” But more so than the personal benevolence of leaders like Miyazaki, it is the country’s robust labor regulations that most protect workers.

Tongue firmly in cheek with the headline, but overall this is a well researched article about how Japanese tech & gaming companies treat layoffs versus their American counterparts.

A reportage of stations along the circular JR Yamanote line in Tokyo, capturing the hustle and bustle at the heart of the world’s biggest urban area. In service since 1885, the line is the city’s oldest, most important and most famous, with millions cramming on to the 35km (22-mile) route’s distinctive green cars every day

Some nice photography inside of the transport infrastructure that keeps Tokyo alive.

It's often said in discussions about United States military bases in Okinawa and related issues that Japan is subordinate to the U.S. and lacks sovereignty. As someone who has never lived in a town hosting a U.S. base, this reporter had always thought that the blatant ruler-subordinate style of relationship under the postwar occupation had lifted.

It's been four years since I happened to witness a certain episode and began researching the activities of U.S. military aircraft above the Tokyo metropolitan region. Looking back, I think my previous views were naive.

Good article highlighting Oba's reporting over the past few years about US helicopter flights over Tokyo. These things need to be said out loud.

As of the end of 2023, there were a record 3.41 million foreign nationals living in Japan, up 330,000 from the previous year. Not only have these residents helped make up for labor shortages in the country, they also are becoming important supporters of the nation's pension system.

A good article spelling out the need for steady (and increasing) flows of foreign workers into the Japanese economy to sustain existing systems. Immigration is the answer.

At the beginning of the meeting, Kamikawa said, “We’d like to strengthen our bilateral cooperation to maintain and enhance the international order based on the rule of law.” Kihara added, “Japan-Philippines relations have seen significant progress in terms of defense cooperation and exchanges under the leadership of the president and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.”

Hunters in northern Japan are refusing to take on the surging bear population, warning that “fighting a brown bear is like fighting a US military commando”.

With a record 219 bear attacks, including six fatalities, over the past year, rural communities are desperate for help – but hunters say the dangerous job simply isn’t worth the meagre pay.

Bear hunter is one of the professions that you should never underpay and never get on their bad side.

The Liberal Democratic Party won two races and lost six in Sunday’s by-elections for the Tokyo metropolitan assembly, far worse than the party’s self-set conditions for victory of four or more wins.

The work consisted of simply printing personal information data on both sides of a white card with a fake IC chip embedded. She would often make 60 cards in a day, which she would then send to specified domestic addresses. For one day’s work, she would receive electronic money equivalent to about ¥12,000 to ¥16,000.

The MPD investigated, suspecting that the person giving instructions was in China. On May 15, they arrested two Chinese nationals on charges including suspicion of forging sealed official documents for allegedly making fake My Number cards at the request of the same group. They believe the forged cards may have been used for purposes such as setting up mobile phone contracts.

The whole point of a digital ID is that the digital bit can prove authenticity of the card itself. The fact that most businesses and banks rely only on the visual information printed on a card without certifying the digital certificate renders the whole enterprise pointless. While the counterfeiting of these cards is certainly a problem, the real issue is that people don't seem to understand or care on how to use this IDs for their intended purpose.

In 2022, the ministry conducted a special inspection of more than 200,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel about “power harassment” after a female former SDF member made accusations of sexual abuse under her real name.

Last December, the ministry announced it would punish 245 employees, mainly SDF staff called “uniformed officials.”

Action should be taken against any harassment but I am hesitant to think that this will make any kind of real difference in actual future change towards more equitable workplaces.

A United Airlines plane bound for Guam on Sunday returned to Chubu airport in Aichi Prefecture for an emergency landing after detecting a system malfunction during the flight, the transport ministry said.

Flight 136, a Boeing 737 aircraft, made the return landing at around 11:35 a.m. There were no injuries among the 44 passengers and six crew members on board, according to the ministry.

While everything regarding getting the plane on the ground went to plan, the increased scrutiny of Boeing and airlines make accidents like this more and more prominent in the public mind.

Koike, 71, secured a third consecutive four-year term, defeating Shinji Ishimaru, a 41-year-old social media-savvy former mayor from Hiroshima Prefecture, who closely contested second place with Renho, a 56-year-old former lawmaker backed by the main opposition party.

The election was initially expected to be a neck-and-neck race between Koike and Renho, both former TV anchors. However, Ishimaru, relatively unknown in Tokyo before the official campaign began, significantly boosted his profile by expanding his election activities through social media.

More of the same. Again.

Orin metallic bowls, which are used in Buddhist rituals and ceremonies, produce a clean and clear high-pitched sound when struck. The purifying sound stretches out as if echoing in the ears.

The orin made by Kazuya Nanjo transcend the conventional framework of Buddhist implements. They move people’s hearts even when used in interior decoration or as a musical instrument.

A great look into the craftsmanship of making these precise bowls and the determination of keeping a tradition alive.