All stories about "Japan"

"Japan is market pioneer again: the first industrialized nation with no butter."

Thanks to a rise in grain prices, Japanese butter reserves have been nearly depleted. To the London Times, its "reaction to global food shortages will illustrate what happens to a country whose population has far outgrown its farmland's ability to support, whose agricultural population is elderly and disaffected, whose food self-sufficency rates are low, but whose palates have grown accustomed to exotic imports." In other words, it may be a hint of things to come in many other countries. [The Times]

Just 15 years from now,

Just 15 years from now, robots could be doing the work of 3.5 million people in Japan. With the country's population shrinking, "Japan faces a 16 percent slide in the size of its workforce by 2030, while the number of elderly will mushroom." The Machine Industry Memorial Foundation, a Japanese think tank, is pushing for robots to take over everything, from helping look after children and general housework, to reading books and giving baths to the elderly. [Reuters]

CNN reports that "male geishas"

CNN reports that "male geishas" are the newest trend in Tokyo. These enterprising gentlemen work as "hosts" in clubs where women reportedly pay between "$1,000 to $50,000 a night for male companionship." As with traditional geisha girls, it's unclear whether the majority of these women are simply paying for conversation and entertainment, or for sex. Unlike traditional geisha girls, these guys don't wear elaborate makeup. But they do dye and blow dry their hair daily to "look prettier." [CNN]

Cute Baby Animals Attack Tokyo!

Japan has been hit with a wave of cute baby animals, the likes of which the world has rarely seen before. This new video shows the cubs behind this shocking cuteness epidemic: Raja, a 7-week old lion Yokohama Zoo, and a rare litter of newborn baby cheetahs from Tokyo. The cheetahs are cute and all, but Raja seems to have the star power necessary to earn him a place in the Baby Zoo Animal Hall of Fame alongside Flocke and Knut. The clip shows the lion cub squealing, sniffing the camera, and drinking from a baby bottle. For God's sakes people! The wion is dwinking fwum his widdle biddy baby bottle!

I can't even handle all this cuteness. It's melting my brain and turning me into a senseless pile of goo. I'm going to go read about the election for a few minutes until I regain my composure. [via]

Americans a Little Less Ugly

International impressions of the US are improving, according to a recent study by the BBC World Service that asked more than 17,000 people in 34 countries. The average percentage of people that see US global influence as positive rose 4% from last year's 31%. Those that believe that US influence is negative fell from 52% to 47% in the last year. But opinions of the US throughout the world remain negative overall, with perceptions worsening particularly in Canada, Lebanon and Egypt. [BBC]

Japan has announced that it

Japan has announced that it will launch its first homegrown passenger jet aircraft by the year 2013. The plane, to be built by Mitsubishi Regional Jet (with engines provided by US giant Pratt & Whitney), will seat between 70 and 90 passengers; Japan's Nippon Airlines has already ordered 25 of the jets. China and Russia are likewise developing plans for similar new regional jets, "one of the fastest growing sectors of the aircraft industry." [BBC]

Outsider Sumo Star Wins Grand Tournament in Osaka

While many people were gorging themselves on Easter candy yesterday, an epic match-up in the world of Japanese sumo wrestling was taking place in Osaka. The Spring Grand Tournament, which has been held in the Japanese city for the last 13 days, featured its tournament finale Sunday. The grudge match, which sold out weeks in advance, featured Asashoryu Akinori and his rival Hakuho Sho. Asashoryu, the winner, is the first Mongolian sumo wrestler ever to reach yokozuna (the highest rank), and is infamous within the sport. He has been suspended on two separate occasions and is known for such breaks of conduct as pulling on a fellow wrestler's mage (top knot), which took place back in 2003. Asashoryu also caused controversy when he was photographed in a suit instead of traditional Japanese dress, and refused to take Japanese citizenship. In other words, Asashoryu is a bona fide badass. In the clip above he's captured in all his glory during the title fight.

Japan has created a bizarre

Japan has created a bizarre new government post to promote animation. Yesterday, the country named Doraemon, a popular cartoon, the official ambassador of anime. At the celebratory ceremony a life-size Doraemon doll was on hand, as were his favorite dessert: "dorayaki" red bean pancakes. There, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told the mascot, "I hope you will travel around the world as an anime ambassador to deepen people's understanding of Japan so they will become friends with Japan." [MSNBC]

The Norwegian whaling lobby issued

The Norwegian whaling lobby issued a report this week claiming that killing whales is great for the environment. The report is based on data showing that whaling produces less greenhouse gases than killing livestock. Spokes-hippies for Greenpeace dismissed the data, pointing out that all fishing is more climate-friendly than farming, and that "the survival of a species is more important than lower greenhouse gas emissions from eating it." Rune Froevik, a representative from the whaling group, somehow still managed to keep a straight face while giving Reuters one of the best quotes ever: "Basically it turns out that the best thing you can do for the planet is to eat whale meat." In the past, Icelandic and Japanese whalers have made similarly ridiculous claims, arguing that whales are a menace to the oceans since they eat so damn much. So what if the Scandinavians are wrong? I like their crazy report. Since I did my part and ate whale last week, hearing this makes me feel like a hero. I'm like Al Gore now. [Reuters]

Condom Company Durex has conducted

Condom Company Durex has conducted a survey of the sex lives of 26,000 people in 26 different countries. Their research determined that Greeks, Brazilians, and Russians are having the most sex. Overall, they concluded that "sex worldwide could be better." Embarrassingly, us Americans have the second worst sex lives in the world. Japan is having the least sex of all by far. Only 34% of Japanese people who responded to the survey report that they're getting laid. In general, Anglos did pretty bad. Brits came in fourth from the bottom just behind Canadians and Australians. [Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey]

Meet the RoboPorter: the lazy

Meet the RoboPorter: the lazy man's airport amenity dream-come-true. The latest in machine replacing man, this handy robot that can haul up to 100 pounds to the destination of your choice. Currently housed in Japan's Kitakyushu Airport, RoboPorters are also outfitted with a "virtual assistant" that has a map of the airport and top secret "additional information" (we're rooting for information on flight changes and the closest Cinnabon). Currently, RoboPorters are "only programmed to head off to airport locations for taxis buses and cars, but, as the tests progress the porters will no doubt learn new tricks." [via]

Japanese Tourists: Dorks. Lauren Collins: Horrible Writer. Carol Elk: One Hot Gaijin

Can you find Carol Elk in the above picture? She was recently featured in a mind-confusing Talk of the Town about Japanese tourists in New York. The article raised many questions, most formulated by repeating key sentences, then turning one's hands skyward and saying WTF?. Lauren Collins, exploring the frailty of Japanese tourists, follows a gaggle of them through their "tour" of "New York." Here are some highlights from the article:

According to the Carol Elks, a visit coordinator (oh sorry, a "coördinator") at the Japanese Travel Bureau and the Deep Throat to Collins' Woodward, Japanese tourists demand that "hotel rooms must have bathtubs and, even for married couples, separate beds." Also, "slightly less understandable" (especially if you've ever been part of an American family) "many tourists want to have dinner at home with a regular American family. Elk: "I tell people, "We'll pay you, we'll have it catered, we'll send someone to clean up.' But nobody will do it in New York."

But more bizarre then even no-sex marriages and wanting to have dinner in the presence of a married couple who probably are not having sex, is the desire to "tour a storefront franchise of the Jackson Hewitt tax-preparation service in the Bronx." A desire indulged by Ms. Elk. Obviously, the tourists were underwhelmed by the tax-prep facility.

Collins, queen of the closer,

A Tokyoite, Ichiro Iijima, complained about the cold, the expense, the lack of slipper in his hotel, the slow elevators, and the very bad food. He giggled and gestured toward one of his colleagues. "He doesn't like New York but he thinks you're cute," Iijima said to Elk, invoking the common symptoms of a more universal syndrome.

That syndrome has a name: misguided lust. Ms. Elk, as we discovered, looks like she has a baby and a kinda cute boif named Matt. Not only that, friend, but she's only interested in "People who hates all the things that I hate. I'm only partially kidding. People like me, only different. Open-minded urban adventure seekers." And I don't think touring Jackson Hewitt qualifies as adventure seeking.

Say Cheese! [New Yorker]
Carol Elk [Friendster]

Previously: Paris Too Tough For Japanese Tourists?, NYC Tourists Get More Neurotic, New York on $5, New York According to James Brown