Japanese imports of Chinese food

Japanese imports of Chinese food are not expected to cool despite a recent dumpling scare.

One-fifth of Japan's frozen food comes from China, and Yuzaburo Mogi, head of soy sauce giant Kikkoman says that trend won't change based on sourcing needs and price differentials.

Source: Reuters, Dan Sloan reports.

Japan smokers will pay more

Rising materials costs may hit Japan consumers in their front pockets, as Japan Tobacco eyes hiking prices for the first time in 14 years.

JT expects profit to fall to $3 billion this year, its first drop in 8 years.

Source: Reuters, Dan Sloan reports.

Japan - Love for Roses

Tens of thousands gather for a rose and gardening show on the outskirts of Tokyo.

An estimated 250,000 visitors are expected to visit the Tenth International Rose and Gardening Show over five days. The rose does not have a long history in Japan compared to the chrysanthemum or the cherry blossom, which are Japan's "national flowers", but its popularity is definitely blooming!

Source: Reuters, Michelle Carlile-Alkhouri reports.

Japan and Earth Quakes

Earth Quake is quite common in Japan. During my initial days, when I feel that something shaky, I suspected it my wrong judgement. I never disclosed that sometimes I feel like the earth shivering. Since I have a back pain, I attributed those shakes to my bad back. One day Mr. Balasan, the man who is behind my coming over to Japan, asked me whether I felt an quake last day. Then only I could realize that it is common in Japan and nobody seems to bother much.

These are the news I read from Mainichi Daily News about the mild quakes on July 5, 2008.

A fairly strong earthquake jolted Ibaraki Prefecture Saturday afternoon, the Meteorological Agency said. There was no immediate report of casualties or damage to property, police said. No tsunami warning was issued following the quake.

The temblor that struck at 4:49 p.m. registered lower 5 on the 7-point Japanese intensity scale in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, and 4 in wide areas of southern Ibaraki Prefecture and southern Tochigi Prefecture.

The focus of the earthquake, which is estimated at 5.1 on the open-ended Richter scale, was located about 50 kilometers below the seabed off Ibaraki Prefecture.

Fairly strong quake jolts eastern Hokkaido

A fairly strong earthquake jolted eastern Hokkaido on Thursday morning, the Meteorological Agency said. There was no immediate report of casualties or damage to property, police said. No tsunami warning was issued following the temblor.

The temblor that struck at 8:41 a.m. registered 4 on the 7-point Japanese intensity scale in Urakawa and Hiroo and 3 in Niikappu, Shin-Hidaka, Erimo and Kushiro.

The focus of the earthquake, which is estimated at 5.3 on the open-ended Richter scale, was located about 60 kilometers below the seabed off Urakawa, the agency said.

Japan's Minors, beware of Cigarette Vending machines!

Japan is always one step ahead of the world in implementing new discoveries and ideas in their society. Now the Ministry of Finance has approved cigarette vending machines that use face recognition technology to determine whether the purchaser is a minor or not. It is a breakthrough in cigarette vending machine history of Japan.

The vending machines, which determine a person's approximate age from the size of their eyes and mouth and their bone structure, were developed by Kyoto Prefecture company Fujitaka Co., a major producer of vending machines.

Vending machines designed to prevent minors from purchasing cigarettes were rolled out across Japan in July, but the taspo cards that are used as age identification have yet to become widespread.

With face-recognition technology, users will be able to purchase cigarettes without a taspo card. There are already 5,000 such machines in operation across Japan.

Taspo cards had designed these face recognition system. This is to prevent minors from buying cigarettes at vending machines went into full effect in Tokyo, Okinawa and seven other prefectures on Tuesday, bringing all of Japan's prefectures into the system. Under the system, people are no longer able to buy cigarettes from vending machines without taspo cards.

The taspo system was first introduced in Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures in March, and gradually spread across the nation. However, since people have to go to the trouble of applying for cards, providing photographs and identification, the system is still largely unused.

Space Beer: One Small Step - The Japanese way

Japan, the maker of milk, horse radish and even Pharaoh's beer, promises a new brew that is out of this world: Space Beer.

The new beer from Sapporo will use grain made from barley grown in the Russian unit of the International Space Station, in a beverage landing later this year.

Wathch the full Video News:

Source: Reuters, Dan Sloan reports.

Japan robot scales Grand Canyon

It may be a Great Wonder of the World, but the Grand Canyon could not stop a determined 17-cm robot and a pair of AA batteries.

After a few returns to base camp, a carbon-plastic robot powered by Panasonic's Evolta batteries made the 530-m rope climb in under seven hours.
Watch the full Video News:

Source: Reuters, Dan Sloan reports.

Japan's humanoid hottie

Japan, home to robot babies, musicians and pets, now has its first humanoid hottie -- Sega's E.M.A.

Short for Eternal, Maiden, Actualization, the 38-centimeter, curvaceous cyborg blows kisses, sings and shakes its -- grooved things.

Source: Reuters, Dan Sloan reports.

Japan asks: anybody out there in the space (Reuters News)

Japan's biggest astronomical observatories are teaming up for a fresh quest to find out if there is life in outer space.

They're aiming to pursue their investigation by marshalling their combined resources to view intensively one small area of space over a short period of time.

Watch the video news:

Source: Reuters

Police and Alien Card in Japan

One thing I was surprised in Japan is the terminology Japan has given to the identity card of foreigners. They call it Alien Registration card. Many times I feel that I came from a different planet to this earth known as Japan. That is why they call our identity card as Alien Card. This implies that Foreigners are aliens. May be this is due to my perception problem.

The police are fairly visible in Japan. Police boxes, called Koban in Japanese, can be visible at regular intervals on major streets. On cross roads and near railway stations and all, these are good places to ask for directions if we are doubtful of the place or feel that we are going to get lost. Policemen, Keikan, and Police women, Fujin-keikan are referred to as o-mawari-san, or the more ruffianly as poriko~.

Foreigners in Japan must carry their alien registration card with them all the times, and we may be asked to show this to a police officer if we are walking alone most probably at night for example.

The police and Crime in Japan

Japan is famous for the safety in its roads at night. Even at night people used to travel without fear. Recently due to the fear of terrorism, Japanese people look at foreigners especially those from Pakistan, Bangaladesh, Middle east asian countries, India, Srilanka with suspicious eyes. Police checking the foreigners details has become a common phenomena now a days. I was told by my well wishers to avoid travel alone at night due these developments.

One day along with my friend I was returning from Akihabara to Kiba. At the railway station, two people blocked us and showed their identity card and told in Japanese that they are police. They told us to co-operate with them to show our Alien registration card. We showed our card and police checked for details and were allowed to go. Police had taken utmost care not to embarass us in the crowd. Even in the crowdy Akihabara, nobody could notice that we were being verified by police authorities. This is the beauty I like with Japan. They check, they verify, but take care not to harass you.

Eventhough crime rate is less in Japan, there are many gangsters involved in organized crime. Gangsters are known as Yakuza in Japanese.