Japan Probe (Free subscription) | yesterday
Breaking news: The Japanese press is reporting that Tatsuya Ichihashi has been arrested in Osaka. The Yomiuri says that a man who “looks like” Ichihashi was arrested attempting to board a ferry. I am not sure why their news report is uncertain, as TBS News was quite confident in proclaiming that it [...]
My Life!!! (Free subscription) | 16 hours ago
I thought as i was in the land of nothing to do, Japan, i would try and go through my flying log book and see how many flights i had actually done in the 20 years from December 1988-November 2008 ( not included 2009 until end of year) also i missed my first 6 months of flying as did not make a note of the flights from March 88-December 88, shame!!! But here are the results Arrecife 14 Abuja 7 Malaga...
Japan Times (Free subscription) | 11/07/2009
There's something special about places on the outer limits of great nations or continents; a sort of liberated and reflective space, away from it all, yet still connected to it. Think Alaska, Vancouver Island, the Koh Chang islands in Thailand, Xining in far western China or the pearl of Sri Lanka hanging off the neckace of India. On Ishigaki in the Yaeyama Island group, some 400 km southwest of Okinawa,...
Japan Probe (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
A Reuters video report about how some decaying playgrounds in Japan are being replaced with workout equipment for the elderly: A growing number of Japanese seniors are using specially-designed playground equipment as the nation looks to enhance quality of life for its elderly,Chika Osaka reports. — Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan...
Japan Probe (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
Fuji TV news recently aired this special report on American fitness guru Billy Blanks, who has permanently settled in Osaka after marrying a Japanese woman. Part 1 The report starts with scenes of Billy attending a festival in Osaka, where is he swarmed by people who recognize him from his popular Billy’s Bootcamp fitness DVD’s. Billy [...]
Japan Times (Free subscription) | 10/29/2009
After selling out seven of their 11 "Just a Moment" CD release gigs in May and June, it came as little surprise that posthardcore act Ling Tosite Sigure's upcoming "Tornado Z" solo trek would be an anticipated affair. Performing at Japan's six Zepp music halls in November, all 2,700 Tokyo tickets and the nearly 2,220 tickets for Osaka were rapidly purchased less than 60 minutes...
Japan Times (Free subscription) | 10/23/2009
OSAKA (Kyodo) The Hanshin Tigers held their first talks with Kenji Johjima in Fukuoka on Friday. In around 90 minutes of talks, the Central League club tabled an offer to the 33-year-old catcher, who has decided to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract with the Seattle Mariners to return to Japan.
Japan Times (Free subscription) | 10/21/2009
After a two-year absence, David Palmer has made a successful return to the bj-league. Palmer, an Osaka Evessa forward, scored 19 points on Saturday and had a 20-point outing on Sunday, helping the Western Conference power earn a series sweep over the Rizing Fukuoka.
Avian Flu Diary (Free subscription) | 10/21/2009
# 3861 Despite the protestations of pork producers around the world, the novel H1N1 virus is a `swine flu’ virus, and to little surprise, is now increasingly being found in herds around the globe. Last May, after the discovery of the H1N1 virus in pigs in Alberta, the FAO ( The UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization ) strongly urged that increased surveillance of the world’s commercial...
Japanese Hand Craft owner blog (Free subscription) | 10/20/2009
There are only 12 remaining original castles in Japan that are still standing since the 16th or the 17th century. The rest of the castles in Japan were rebuilt after being destroyed in World War II. Osaka castle and Nagoya castles are the most famous of the rebuilt castles. There many rebuilt castles and abandoned castles all over Japan. No fewer than 36 of the capital cities of Japan’s 47 prefectures...
Japan Probe (Free subscription) | 10/19/2009
Livedoor News reports on a photographer who was apparently arrested because he took upskirt photographs of a paid model: At approximately 11 AM on the 12th, the two were holding a private photography session at a park in Ichioka Motomachi, Minato-ku, Osaka. Kurosawa, wearing a one-piece, climbed atop a playground slide, while Tanabe filmed from below. [...]
Japan Times (Free subscription) | 10/17/2009
OSAKA (AP) Third-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia upset defending champion Caroline Wozniacki 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 on Saturday to advance to the final of the Japan Women's Open. Stosur, who had 12 aces, broke the top-seeded Dane to go up 5-4 in the final set and then held serve to defeat the U.S. Open finalist in 1 hour, 45 minutes at Utsubo Tennis Center.
Japan Times (Free subscription) | 10/17/2009
Rearing up 27 meters on Nakanoshima in the center of Osaka, the huge blue-and-white striped tent looked like a spaceship that had landed among all the concrete buildings. But the massive marquee is actually the current home of Cirque du Soleil's "Corteo" spectacular, the magical circus troupe's hugely successful show whose title means "procession" in Italian. The circus company...
Japan Times (Free subscription) | 10/17/2009
The bj-league announced on Friday that three Rizing Fukuoka players have been diagnosed with the new H1N1 strain of influenza. Two of them, Marlyn Bryant and Shuhei Takeno, tested positive at a Fukuoka hospital on Thursday, two days after Kohei Mitomo came down with it. The three won't play in this weekend's games against the host Osaka Evessa. According to league rules, each team must have at least...
Sify (Free subscription) | 10/17/2009
OSAKA (Japan): Sania Mirza's brilliant run at the WTA Japan Open ended with a crushing 2-6, 1-6 mauling in the semi-final at the hands of world number 26 and fourth seed Francesca
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