Thanks to some uniquely designed mouse pads, fans of AKB48 can now place their hands where they never thought they would — right between the breasts of their favorite girls. But they’ll have to be quick. The group’s management doesn’t approve and could soon stop supply.

Yukan Fuji newspaper reports that the Chinese-made mouse pads, which feature photos of four of the group’s most popular girls — Yuko Oshima, Atsuko Maeda, Mariko Shinoda, Tomomi Itan — have proven extremely popular with fans. The AKB48 mouse pads can be purchased in game centers and arcades.

Auction prices rising…

“The mouse pad is ideal for the crazy fans, so it was all sold out. I saw them selling on a net auction for ¥20,000 each,” said one AKB48 member.

The manufacturer told the paper that copyright issues were all clear, but AKB48′s management AKS doesn’t agree.

“We were not privy to this mouse pad at all,” said an AKS spokesman. “The pictures used for the mouse pads were from DVDs, or sneakshots, so we are very upset about this. We have decided to bring this to legislative measures.”

Website Tokyo Kinky went so far as to compare the accuracy of the mousepads to real images and suggested some artistic licence had been taken.

TOKYO — A heat wave continued in Japan on Sunday, with the temperature rising to 35 C or higher at 114 observation points across the archipelago, particularly in western Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The mercury soared to 37.4 C in Osaka, setting a new record for the longest streak of temperatures rising to 35 C or above at 14 days.

The weather agency forecast the heat would continue this week and called on people to take precautions against heat stroke.

Meanwhile, four people died and about a dozen others were injured across the country in mountain and water accidents, according to a Kyodo News tally.

Takeshi Isogai, a 55-year-old photographer, died after falling off a trail on a mountain in Nagano Prefecture, while Kenta Harada, a 21-year-old university student, drowned while trying to rescue two friends in Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. The two friends were safe.

At a beach in Kyoto Prefecture, Shu Oshima, a 28-year-old company employee, was found in the sea after going missing and was pronounced dead at a hospital. In Hiroshima, a 58-year-old man’s body was found at the bottom of a river.

© 2010 Kyodo News.

OSAKA — Police on Monday arrested an unemployed 60-year-old man for violation of anti-prostitution and child welfare laws after it was discovered he was allegedly employing high school girls as prostitutes.

According to Osaka investigators, the suspect, identified as Yasuhiro Takaoka, introduced around 50 girls into prostitution, of whom 20 were under 18 years of age, over the past 10 years. Takaoka introduced the girls to male clients, according to a blog written by one of the girls.

A second grade high school girl who responded to his solicitations was quoted by police as saying: “Since July of last year, I have slept with around 70 clients and made about 2 million yen. I wanted money for cosmetic surgery and clothes.”

Takaoka is reported to have split the girls’ earnings 50/50 and given them some money for living expenses. He has been charged with acting as an intermediary to prostitution between two men and two schoolgirls on Feb 15, and with incitement to commit obscene acts.

News reports

TOKYO — Police on Friday arrested the daughter and granddaughter of a man whose mummified body was found last month in Tokyo but was registered as alive, on suspicion of fraudulently receiving pension payments to which he would have been entitled.

The discovery of the remains of Sogen Kato, who would be 111 if alive, at a home in the capital’s Adachi Ward drew attention to the fact that many elderly people, particularly centenarians, are in fact missing despite being registered as alive. The arrests of Kato’s relatives are the first in connection with such a case.

The daughter, Michiko, 81, and the granddaughter, Tokimi, 53, are suspected of illegally receiving up to June some 9 million yen in pension money payable to Kato as a widower after his late wife, a former teacher, died in September 2004, despite knowing he was dead, according to investigative sources.

According to the police, Kato shut himself up in his room more than three decades ago after telling his family he had wanted ‘‘to become a living Buddha.’’ He appeared to have died around the end of 1978, police said.

A senior welfare pension for persons aged 70 years or older had been paid since 1969 to Kato, who was born in 1899. However, Michiko made arrangements to receive a bereaved family pension, which is worth more, after the death of Kato’s wife, the sources said.

Kato’s eldest daughter, her husband and their two children currently reside in the house, and had rejected requests from welfare commissioners and Adachi Ward officials to meet with Kato.

Police subsequently visited the house in late July and found his remains.

The discovery of his body has prompted the state and local governments to try to confirm the whereabouts of elderly people. Hundreds have been found to be missing.

© 2010 Kyodo News. All rights reserved.

FUKUOKA (Kyodo) A male teacher in Saga Prefecture was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stealing a woman’s underwear from a self-service laundry in Fukuoka last month while dressed as a “hot blonde in a miniskirt,” police said.

Tsuyoshi Hirano, 43, a teacher at a prefectural public school for the blind, has admitted to the theft charge, according to the police.

He allegedly took two pieces of female underwear from a laundromat in the city of Fukuoka at around 3 a.m. July 18. The underwear belonged to a 22-year-old woman.

The police said video from a security camera in the facility showed a man wearing a blonde wig, a camisole and a miniskirt taking underwear away.

After the woman returned and realized her underwear was missing, she spotted Hirano’s car parked nearby. He was in the car and still dressed as a woman.

She reported the license plate number to the police.

They said they confiscated some 150 female garments, including underwear and other items, from his home.

A pension association has filed a criminal complaint against relatives of a Tokyo man found dead at his home last month on suspicion of fraudulently receiving payments he would have been entitled to as a widower, investigative sources said Tuesday.

The complaint, filed by the Japan Mutual Aid Association of Public School Teachers, has prompted Tokyo police to investigate if the family of Sogen Kato, who would have been 111 if still alive, illegally received the pension money payable to his late wife, a former teacher, by making it appear that Kato was still alive, the sources said.

Kato’s mummified remains were found in July at his home in Adachi Ward. His family claimed he retreated to his room around 30 years ago and refused to have meals and water. He appeared to have died around the end of 1978, according to police sources.

His wife died in September 2004 at the age of 101. Since then, ¥9.45 million in pension payments have been deposited into his bank account, of which some ¥6 million has been withdrawn.

The discovery of his corpse drew attention to the fact a number of elderly people in Japan are unaccounted for. As of Aug. 4, local governments in 11 prefectures had no notion of the whereabouts of 33 people who would be 100 years old.

On Friday, the health ministry said a Nagano Prefecture man who hasn’t been seen for 30 years would be 110 if still alive. The ministry plans to soon stop sending his pension.

Kyodo News.

SHIZUOKA — Authorities said Tuesday that 23 people have been injured since Sunday by monkeys, believed to be Japanese macaques, appeared in residential areas on the outskirts of Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The monkeys bit and scratched a number of local residents. According to city authorities, there have been a number of eyewitness reports of monkeys raiding homes in search of food throughout the last two months.

On Monday morning, a housewife was bitten on the leg after a monkey opened the screen door and entered her kitchen. On Tuesday, an 80-year-old woman was attacked from behind on the porch of her house and a first-grade school girl was also injured after she was scratched by a monkey that had entered her home.

Residents say the domestic incursions are usually performed by a single, male monkey, but that they have witnessed cases in which two other monkeys stand guard outside.

The local government is cooperating with the police and fire departments to prepare traps and perform searches in an attempt to catch the simian assailants as soon as possible. City authorities are also appealing to residents to firmly lock their windows.

TOKYO — The education ministry plans to boost the number of teachers at public elementary and junior high schools by 20,000 on a net basis over eight years from next April to reduce the maximum size of a class to 30-35 students from the current 40, ministry sources said Tuesday. According to the plan, the number of students in each class at elementary and middle schools is to be gradually reduced to 35 over the first six years. The class size for first and second graders at elementary schools is to be cut to 30 during the remaining two years.

The proposal may meet with resistance from the Finance Ministry amid the nation’s acute fiscal situation, however, as it will likely cost several tens of billions of yen in taxpayer money to implement. The class size reduction will be the first since fiscal 1980, when the maximum size was slashed to 40 from 45.

© 2010 Kyodo News.

TOKYO — A total of 41,020 people were taken to hospitals due to heatstroke from May 31 to Aug 22, of whom 145 were confirmed dead right after being hospitalized, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday in a preliminary report.

The rate of increase in the number of transferred patients is the worst since the agency started compiling relevant data in 2008, it said, urging people ‘‘to remain cautions’’ amid ongoing heat spells expected to continue through September.

By age bracket, 46.3% were aged 65 or older.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said, as of Monday, that central Tokyo experienced extremely hot days with temperature over 35 degrees four times in July and five in August, far exceeding the averages.

Heatstroke is a disorder of the body caused by heat, accompanied with symptoms of dizziness, headaches and nausea. At its most severe, it can result in death.

© 2010 Kyodo News.

TAIJI, Japan (AP) — As children in inner tubes bob on the calm waters of this small ocean cove, a 250-kilogram dolphin zips through the crowd in pursuit of raw squid tossed out by a trainer.
Niru, a Risso’s dolphin caught locally, seems unbothered by all the people and the squeals of surprise and delight. The cove is packed — it is a bright summer Sunday, and hundreds of families have come.
But in two weeks, the waters of the cove will turn blood red, as it becomes a holding pen for annual hunts that capture and kill hundreds of dolphins each year.
The ancient village of Taiji, portrayed in the Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove,” has a long and complex relationship with the dolphin. The film portrays the dolphin hunts as a sinister secret, cruel and dangerous because the animals have high mercury levels.
The hunts are no secret in this village, however, where Risso meat sells for $10 a pound at the local supermarket. And the villagers are deeply and stubbornly proud of their centuries-old tradition, whatever Hollywood says.
“We will pass down the history of our ancestors to the next generation, preserve it. We have a strong sense of pride about this,” Mayor Kazutaka Sangen told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. “So we are not going to change our plans for the town based on the criticism of foreigners.”
For Sangen, dolphins are no more special than other animals, and fishermen have the right to start their hunts when the season opens again Sept. 1. He emphasized that he did not speak directly for Taiji’s dolphin hunters, who number about 60 and hunt with the permission of the national and prefectural governments.
To activists like Ric O’Barry, the “Flipper” trainer-cum-activist who stars in “The Cove,” dolphins deserve to be protected because they are different from other animals.
“Dolphins have a brain larger than the human brain. They’re self-aware, like people and like the great apes. They’re not fish, chickens, cows, pigs or other domesticated animals,” he said while in Tokyo to promote the movie in June.
The dolphins caught in the region are not endangered. In 2008, the prefecture caught 1,857 dolphins, far fewer than in other parts of Japan, which allows about 20,000 to be killed each year. Taiji fishermen use a method called “oikomi” to hunt dolphins, banging on metal poles in their boats to create a wall of sound and herd them to shore, where they are harpooned for meat or captured alive as show animals.
Nestled around a small bay, the tiny town of 3,500 is suffused with a fierce independence. It has refused to join surrounding villages as they merge, and ignores criticism as it seeks to become an international whaling and cetacean research center.
This was the birthplace of Japanese whaling in the 1600s, and shrines to the animals dot the streets, with the history celebrated in a series of annual festivals. While dolphins can be playmates, they are primarily seen as big game animals, a perception many foreigners find difficult to stomach.
The Cove’s success has thrust the town and its traditions into the international spotlight, with much of the attention negative. Local fishermen decline comment, saying their words have too often been twisted by foreign reporters.
The movie depicts a team of environmentalists with hidden cameras as they capture bloody footage of dolphins being slaughtered. The fishermen who try to block the film crew are presented as rough goons.
Sangen and other officials say that during hunts, the cove is the equivalent of a slaughterhouse, a gory place by nature and usually closed off from public view anywhere in the world.
“We just hope that this issue can be viewed in a more realistic way,” says Katsutoshi Mihara, head of the town council.
Taiji’s pride was on display this month at its annual whaling festival, when two sleek rowboats full of men in red loincloths chased a 30-foot (nine-meter) mechanized whale around the main bay, its artificial blowhole shooting up jets of water. It is a re-creation of the old hunts, when 200 men in dozens of boats would set out with knives and harpoons to kill a whale, young daredevils diving into the sea to prove themselves against an angry leviathan 1,000 times their weight.
Crowds line the dock to watch the “hunt,” then everyone settles in for a night of fireworks, which include giant sparkly whale and dolphin outlines.
Hayato Sakurai, a history curator at the local whale museum, says the town’s past links the issue to its pride and sense of duty, although few are directly involved today.
Taiji residents also carry their history in their last names, which many Japanese adopted in the 1870s, usually based on their occupation. Twenty-five percent of the townspeople still are named Ryono, which means “sea field” and was often taken by whaleboat rowers. Descendants of harpooners are named Seiko, after their pursuit boats, and lookouts became Tomi, literally “far seeing.”
The Japanese debut of “The Cove” a few months ago turned into a battle over free speech, with nationalist groups intimidating cinemas into canceling showings even while intellectuals urged them not to back down.
The accuracy of the documentary, and the context under which people agreed to appear in it, have been hotly debated in Japan. Unlike the U.S. version, most faces are blurred out, with disclaimers added that those interviewed are not protesting or supporting dolphin issues.
Many in the town say they are unhappy with how they were portrayed. Councilman Hisato Ryono, who talks about mercury levels in the dolphins, says he was deceived about the film’s content beforehand.
Louie Psihoyos, the American director, said that he was open about the subject of the film with those he interviewed, and complaints have only come after its success and the accompanying backlash against the town.
“It wasn’t a film on dog walking. There is only one reason you go to Taiji — that’s to film dolphin hunting. That’s what we were doing,” he told The Associated Press.
The success of the movie has emboldened activists and deepened their pockets. This year, the usual motley assortment of local English teachers, surfers and save-the-dolphin activists are likely to turn out in bigger numbers than normal to protest the hunts and perhaps scuffle with local fishermen. But a major nationalist organization also says it will go to “stop disturbances by Western white people,” while a more liberal group is planning a “Peace Walk” in honor of Taiji.
Even the more sympathetic in the town government say protests are unlikely to cause any change.
“They’re not going to stop the hunts,” says Ryono.
Several years ago he helped raise the issue of high mercury levels in local dolphins, the meat of which was being fed to school children, an issue later covered in the movie. That practice was stopped and a national lab was called in to conduct continuing mercury tests on Taiji residents. The results showed some abnormally high mercury levels in the villagers, but no ill effects have been found.
Local residents mostly roll their eyes when asked about the film. Many, such as Sen Morimoto, 61, a former firefighter, are more worried about the future of the town as its younger generations leave for broader pastures; two of his three children have moved away, and the third says business at the local auto company where he works is worsening.
Mayor Sangen says that most people in Taiji are unconcerned about “The Cove” or the protests.
“People here really don’t care about this,” he said. “They’ve been living the slow life for 400 years. Even if foreigners suddenly appear, and Japanese, waving flags and saying ‘it’s terrible, it’s terrible,’ we’ve always eaten this way.”
(Mainichi Japan) August 23, 2010

SHIZUOKA — A bus hit a trailer truck on the Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture early Monday morning, injuring 26 passengers and the driver of the bus, police said. The 51-year old driver of the trailer truck was not injured in the 3:05 a.m. accident, they said.

Among the 27 wounded, the 51-year old bus driver and eight passengers were severely injured, fracturing their legs or faces, according to police.

The accident took place on a straight two-lane highway. The bus, which had been traveling at high speed, crashed into the trailer truck which was trying to slowly enter the driving lane after pulling over at a bus stop, they said.

The bus was heading for Tokyo Disney Land in Chiba Prefecture from Mie Prefecture at the time. The truck, carrying frozen poultry, was en route to Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, from Miyazaki Prefecture.

The crash caused the highway to be shut down between the Fuji interchange and Numazu interchange on the Tomei Expressway bound for major cities for about three hours.

© 2010 Kyodo News.

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2010-07-28 19:40:38.781027

– in Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture Numazu City上香貫

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2010-07-28 19:29:37.472539

– in Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture Shizuoka City Aoi Ward長沼

 
No one likes to say goodbye, but did you know there are different ways to say goodbye in Japanese depending on when you’re planning on seeing a person again and who the person is?

Here are a few proper ways to say farewell in Japanese without sounding like a newbie or needlessly offending anyone.

Sayōnara

Sayōnara is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about saying goodbye in Japanese. But Sayōnara is probably not the proper term in most situations, especially if your planning on seeing the person again shortly.

Sayōnara is typically reserved for longer partings of a day or more. If you going to see the person later that day then Sayonara is not for you. Think of it like saying ‘farewell’ in English. You wouldn’t say ‘farewell’ when you leave the office for lunch would you?

Jā, shitsurei shimasu

Jā, shitsurei shimasu is a highly formal way of saying goodbye to a superior such as an employer or a teacher. You’re basically apologizing for the rudeness of having to leave.

Sore, dewa mata & Dewa, mata

Sore, dewa mata and Dewa, mata are formal ways of saying ’see you later’ in Japanese.

Jā, mata

Jā, mata is a much less formal goodbye and also basically means ’see you later.’ Use this is cases where you’ll likely to see the person later during the same day. You can also mix it up in a less formal way by using Jā, mata ne.

Jā, ne & Sore, Jā

Jā, ne and Sore, Jā are probably the least formal ways to say goodbye to close friends or equals. Think of it as a ’see ya’ or a ‘that’s it then’ in English.

 
 
If you’re coming to Japan, you will probably hear someone lamenting about the inability to find any “real” deodorant here. When I heard this before coming, I promptly bought a 4-pack of my favorite kind (which I still haven’t used up, two years later). Yet, for those trying to save luggage space, unless you are REALLY attached to your deodorant, let me reassure you, it IS possible to get deodorant in Japan. And no, I’m not even talking about typical Japanese stuff – I haven’t tried any of it (as everyone often says it doesn’t work as well).

So, before I lay out your options, you’ll need to know the Japanese word for deodorant when searching: デオドラント. This may also be shortened to: デオ. You may even see something with アンダーアーム (underarm).

A few other words to know:

stick:  スティック
mist:  ミスト
cream:  クリーム
spray:  スプレー
bar:  バー
gel:  ジェル

1. The Flying Pig (Costco) – I’ve mentioned it before (I feel like I should get some kind of commission for all the plugs they get…), but Costco has a few options, including familiar brands like Speed Stick and Secret. Not the greatest option, but better than nothing.

2. Amazon.jp – Mentioned these guys a lot too, but they carry some American brands like Speed Stick, Secret, Old Spice, Biore, etc. They also carry crystal body stones, similar to what I mention below in iHerb (though a bit more expensive). Huge selection.

3. 465.com – I just recently discovered this site. They have a wide selection of foreign products. (All in Japanese).

4. iHerb.com – If you are into natural deodorant products, or want to avoid potentially harmful chemicals like Aluminum (the active ingredient in antiperspirants), this is a great place to shop. (Although, most Japanese deodorants aren’t going to have aluminum in them anyway).

After realizing the possible hazards of aluminum, and other ingredients, I set out to find a more natural, yet effective, product. The product I found, and promptly ordered from iHerb, was the Crystal Body Deodorant. It’s a round crystal stone, made of natural mineral salts. You are probably wondering – HOW does salt make you smell fresh? Apparently it provides a barrier between you and odor-causing bacteria. Click the link to read more – but I can attest that it DOES keep me smelling clean all day long. Even during these incredibly humid summer days. *Note: this is NOT an antiperspirant, as you will still sweat. But for conquering odor in a safe way, this does the job. And, get 5% off your first order at iHerb by using this code: ACI278.

If you forgo the antiperspirant, there’s always other alternatives to hide your sweat.

So, contrary to what many may tell you, finding a decent product (in Japan) to combat your B.O. isn’t terribly difficult. Of course, you could always just ask your mom to send you some…

Fellow Japan residents, do you have any other ideas as to finding deodorant/antiperspirant in Japan? Tips?

Dictionary Entry

• 噛む
• かむ
• kamu

Definition(s)

   Grammar: Godan verb with ‘む’ ending, transitive verb

• to bite; to chew; to gnaw

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 開ける
• あける
• akeru

Definition(s)

   Grammar: Ichidan verb, transitive verb

• to open (a door, etc.); to unwrap (e.g. parcel, package)

• to open (for business, etc.)

Audio

Customers snap up iPads as Apple launches sales in Japan

Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computer went on sale in Japan on Friday morning, to the delight of throngs of customers who had formed long lines at stores starting the previous evening.

Many of the customers who rushed to Apple and Softbank shops had ordered their iPads in advance, but some customers without orders also snapped up the devices.

A ceremony marking the launch of sales was held at Softbank’s Omotesando Store in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward from 7:50 a.m. on Friday, with Softbank President Masayoshi Son in attendance, as well as some 250 people waiting for sales to begin.

Kazuki Miura, a freelance writer from Chiba Prefecture who was the first in line, quickly started up his new iPad to check it out.

“The screen looks good and it’s neat to use,” he said.

Meanwhile, at the Apple Store in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, some 1,200 people lined up waiting to get their hands on the device.

The iPad has a touchscreen, and it can be used to read electronic books, view images and browse the Internet. The model equipped with WiFi capability alone is priced at 48,800, while another model that can also connect to mobile 3G networks starts from 58,320 yen.

Over 1 million iPads have been sold in the United States since its release there on April 3. Stores in Japan started accepting orders on May 10, but halted reservations after just three days following a flood of customers.

Click here for the original Japanese story

Dictionary Entry

• 歯
• は
• ha

Definition(s)

   Grammar: noun (futsuumeishi)

• tooth

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 虫歯
• むしば
• mushiba

Definition(s)

   Grammar: noun (common) (futsuumeishi), nouns which may take the genitive case particle ‘の’

• cavity; tooth decay; decayed tooth; caries

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 予約
• よやく
• yoyaku

Definition(s)

   Grammar: noun (futsuumeishi), noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する, nouns which may take the genitive case particle ‘の’

• appointment; reservation; booking; advance order

• contract; subscription; pledge

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 歯医者
• はいしゃ
• haisha

Definition(s)

   Grammar: noun (futsuumeishi)

• dentist

Audio

Customers in Japan order iPads from U.S. only to receive empty boxes

Several customers in Japan have ordered Apple’s new iPad tablet computer, which went on sale in the United States in April, only to receive empty boxes, it has emerged.

Japan Post Service Co. officials believe that in all of the cases, the iPads went missing in the United States, and the company has asked the United States Postal Service to investigate.

Japan Post officials said that on April 12, the company’s Tokyo international branch received a complaint from a customer saying a package that had arrived was empty. The package was sent using the United States Postal Service’s EMS express mail service. Later, several similar complaints were received.

“In all of the cases the contents appeared to have been removed before the packages arrived in Japan as opposed to within Japan,” a Japan Post public relations representative said.

One of the victims was 49-year-old Kaoru Takeuchi, a science writer from Yokohama. He ordered an iPad from a company in Kentucky dealing in electrical goods for 599 dollars (about 56,000 yen) on April 15. On April 22, he received an A4-sized EMS package, but the moment he lifted it up he noticed it was too light.

When he opened the package he found pieces of what appeared to be polystyrene packing chips inside, and no iPad or product box. When he contacted Japan Post Service Co. he was reportedly told that there had been four similar cases.

When questioned by the Mainichi, the company in Kentucky said that the items had been posted to Japan, and had probably disappeared either in the United States or Japan, but the details remained unclear.

Takeuchi said that when he contacted the same company himself, it was arranged for another iPad to be sent to him with insurance coverage through a separate delivery company.

The iPad uses a touch panel and it has gained attention for its visual functions, including one that lets readers turn pages and hold them much as they would with a printed book or magazine. Less than one month after going on sale in the U.S., over 1 million of the devices had been sold. The iPad hits Japanese stores on May 28, starting from 48,800 yen. Large electronics retailers have already closed orders due to a flood of customers.

A 57-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly forging documents to marry his former wife’s teenage daughter, who apparently had not agreed to the marriage and could not legally marry him, police said Friday.

The man, a tax accountant in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, brought papers to the Akashi city office in April to file for marriage with the 16-year-old high school student the day after he divorced his wife, police said.

The man, suspected of forging a parental consent document required in the event of a marriage involving a minor as well as another document, has admitted to the allegation and said he did it because he liked the girl, police said.

The girl found out about the marriage filing after receiving a notice from the city office and has since sought to nullify it at a family court. Once the court recognizes the marriage as invalid, her registration will be restored to its original state.

Under the Civil Code, a person cannot marry the child of a former spouse.

© 2010 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

Newly minted: Sakamoto Ryoma is featured on a ¥1,000 commemorative coin to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Local Autonomy Law. KYODO PHOTO

But the craze over the Edo Period figure surged last month when Japan Mint announced that Sakamoto’s likeness would appear on commemorative ¥1,000 coins to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Local Autonomy Law. Each coin will be sold for ¥6,000 but are expected to trade for much more as fans try to get ahold of the limited edition collectibles.

Following are some questions and answers about Sakamoto Ryoma and his legacy, and how he continues to win over modern Japanese:

Who was Sakamoto Ryoma?

Born Jan. 3, 1836, Sakamoto was a key figure in Japan’s modernization and contributed to overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate. Spending his youth in what is now modern-day Kochi Prefecture, Sakamoto demonstrated exceptional talent as a swordsman, but he also had a flare for business.

He is known to have founded Kaientai, an entity that became one of the first modern Japanese trading companies but which also served as his private navy.

Sakamoto was a pro-Emperor, anti-Tokugawa activist who had a vision of ending feudal reign and swiftly modernizing a country that had isolated itself from the rest of the world. He played an important role in uniting what were then Japan’s two most powerful local governments: the Satsuma and the Choshu. The union eventually became the driving force that ended more than 260 years of Tokugawa reign.

How did he die?

Sakamoto was assassinated together with his close friend Nakaoka Shintaro in 1867 during their stay at an inn in Kyoto. Pro-Tokugawa assailants were believed behind the assassination, but the true killer remains a mystery to this day.

Sakamoto is among those enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

What was his biggest contribution?

Hiroki Ochiai, a professor of Japanese history at Meiji University, says Sakamoto played a pivotal role in uniting the Satsuma and Choshu governments, which were on bad terms. The two groups, which had gone to war at one point, formed an alliance after Sakamoto bridged the gap between them.

“Ryoma was able to coordinate a pact between the two powerful governments, because at the time he was not affiliated with any third party and was operating on his own,” Ochiai explains. “These two governments were on the verge of fighting each other and it would have been impossible for them to negotiate directly.”

Ochiai adds that Sakamoto was not working for personal gain but solely for Japan’s future.

How popular is he today?

Upon defecting from the Liberal Democratic Party last month, former Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama said he wanted to “play the role of Sakamoto Ryoma” in getting other lawmakers to unite in a new political party. He also went on TV to reveal he was distantly related to the historical figure. Apparently, Hatoyama’s cousin’s wife’s cousin is the great grandson of Sakamoto’s older sister.

Asked to comment on Hatoyama’s statement, land minister Seiji Maehara said he felt “extremely displeased” as he is a huge Sakamoto Ryoma fan.

But lawmakers claiming to be a fan of the Edo Period hero are ubiquitous in politics today.

During a Lower House session in February, Your Party chief Yoshimi Watanabe said his group “is playing the role of Sakamoto Ryoma,” telling lawmakers that those seeking the restoration of Japan should join forces with him.

Former LDP Secretary General Hidenao Nakagawa’s Web site used the catchphrase, “Let us all play the role of Ryoma,” while Ichiro Ozawa, the DPJ’s current secretary general, said in a 1996 speech that he would “like to follow Ryoma’s example” and work toward government restoration.

In a survey by the Mainichi Shimbun of 54 candidates who ran in the general election last August, Sakamoto was chosen as the second most respected political figure, trailing only Abraham Lincoln.

What kind of a future did he seek for Japan?

Sakamoto’s letters were often critical of the bureaucratic nature of the Tokugawa Shogunate. “I am strongly determined to fight the bureaucrats who are traitors to their country and clear them away. . . . I intend to wash down Japan once again,” he wrote to his older sister Otome in August 1863.

“Ryoma envisioned a country where the public can unite under an impartial power, hoping to create a state in which the opinion of the masses is stronger than a single figure,” Meiji University’s Ochiai says. “In other words, despite living under the shogunate, he already foresaw the prospect of creating a national assembly.”

What makes him so popular?

In a survey conducted by Lifenet Insurance Co. in January, 14.2 percent of the 1,000 people polled said Sakamoto Ryoma is most fit to be described as “Japan’s version of Barack Obama” because he was innovative and displayed strong leadership that changed the country.

Ochiai says Sakamoto’s passionate intent to build a new country and his free-spirited acts are what continue to resonate with young and old alike.

“Ryoma was acting mostly on his own without taking orders from his superiors. He also remained true to his beliefs, while never acting for personal gain or fame,” Ochiai says. “It’s unusual that a person can do that, and it is a characteristic that is very attractive to many modern Japanese.”

But the history expert also warns against taking away too much from the Ryotaro Shiba novel “Ryoma ga Yuku,” which fawned on Sakamoto’s achievements and omitted some key facts.

“The novel is a story about a lone wolf who single-handedly sets off a fundamental shift in Japan, but obviously things weren’t that simple,” Ochiai says, explaining that many of Sakamoto’s comrades also played key roles in the Meiji restoration.

By JUN HONGO at The Japan Times Online

Dictionary Entry

• 部屋
• へや
• heya

Definition(s)

   Grammar: noun (futsuumeishi)

• room

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 寒い
• さむい
• samui

Definition(s)

   Grammar: adjective (keiyoushi)

• cold (e.g. weather)

   also: お寒い

• dull; uninteresting; lame

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 少し
• すこし
• sukoshi

Definition(s)

   Grammar: adverb (fukushi), noun (futsuumeishi)

• small quantity; little; few; something

• little while

• short distance

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 人
• じん
• jin

Definition(s)

   Grammar: suffix

• a nationality suffix (e.g. Canadian, Irish, etc.); an occupation suffix (e.g. performer, etc.)
• man, person, people

Audio

Illustrator Saori (Mao Inoue) dreams of being a manga artist. Tony (Jonathan Sherr) is an American who’s come to Japan after becoming enamored with the language.
Pure chance brings the two together, and romance is in the air. But…It’s not long before Tony’s quirky questions begin to confound Saori.
‘Why do you say “Do this and do that” and not “Do that and do this”?’
‘And “Out of the blue.” Why is it ‘blue’ that things suddenly come out of?’
Is he like this because he’s a foreigner? or because he’s a language geek?
Will their relationship survive?

This is the plot for 「ダーリンは外国人」 or My darling is a foreigner.

Most Japanese movies come off as B movies for me but their is a few gems. Unfortunately this is not one of those gems. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the movie and it made me laugh at some points. I could really relate with Tony in many situations. There was touching scenes too, in fact the guy is 3 seats down from me was wiping his teary face constantly.

For the most part the Japanese actors were good. Mao Inoue is cute with those big eyes. Sometimes I felt Mao over played her cuteness. Now here’s the problem, the foreign actors were terrible. Jonathan Sherr’s Japanese scene were bad but at times he became to dry. His English scenes were way overacted. Truly I find most foreigners to overact in Asian films. His playboy friend, I wanted to punch. In the scene at the Sushi restaurant were he was talking about how easy Japanese girls are and flirting with all the girls in the room was disgusting. He was really degrading to Japanese women and embarrassing for other foreigners. He should of ended up on the cutting room floor. The only 2 foreigners that were any good were Patrick Harlan (Pakkun) and Dante Carver (Softbank CM), both of which had very few lines. Shinobu Otake and Jun Kunimura were great as Saori’s parents while these unknowns that played Tony’s family were horrendous.

The culture differences shown in this movie were funny and I could relate to. The movie theatre scene when Tony would laugh a couple seconds before everyone else I felt slipped by the Japanese audience but I found it funny and true. All the little differences were funny because they were true. I felt if they pushed more towards the differences and lass towards the love story between the two, this movie would of been a lot better. The scenes in the U.S. were terrible.

Having never read or even heard of the manga, I can’t compare it. However being in an International marriage, I found most to be true to life besides the bad acting. The whole point to this story is very true. International marriage or not has no factor on the relationship. All relationships have problems that can be worked out.

As you can see I’m very mixed feelings about this movie. If you go into this movie expecting the bad acting, it can be a good movie. Except for that moron playboy character, I enjoyed this movie and would go see the sequel.

Dictionary Entry

• ただ今
• ただいま
• tadaima

Definition(s)

   Grammar: interjection (kandoushi), Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.)

• I’m home!; Here I am

   Grammar: noun (temporal) (jisoumeishi), adverb (fukushi)

• presently; right away; right now; just now

Audio

Dictionary Entry

• 失礼
• しつれい
• shitsurei

Definition(s)

   Grammar: noun (futsuumeishi), noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する, adjectival nouns or quasi-adjectives (keiyodoshi)

• discourtesy; impoliteness

   Grammar: Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.)

• Excuse me; Goodbye

   Grammar: noun (futsuumeishi), noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する

• to leave
• to be rude

Audio

• 気分
• きぶん
• kibun

Meaning

• feeling; mood

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)

Konami Digital Entertainment released virtual dating simulation game Love Plus[J] for the iPhone/iPod touch on Monday. There is a series of three apps corresponding to three heroines starring in the game, which are Love Plus iM (Aika Takamine), Love Plus iR (Rinko Kobayakawa) and Love Plus iN (Nene Anegasaki).

Beside playing the game, it allows you to get a shot of you and the heroine as a couple by the iPhone-embedded camera. Now you can feel as if she were just next to you – but only in the picture unfortunately.

Some GPS-enabled virtual conversation features are expected to be added in the future app updates.

• 社会の窓
• しゃかいのまど
• shakainomado

Meaning

• trouser zipper (mainly for males) (lit: society window); fly

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)

FORMER WCW and WWE tag team champion Chris Kanyon has died.

The popular 40-year-old wrestler, real name Christopher Klucsaritis, is believed to have committed suicide.

His body was found yesterday at his apartment in New York.

Kanyon had overdosed on medication, with early reports indicating he had taken his own life after leaving a pill bottle and several notes close by.

The gay star suffered from bipolar disorder and had previously spoken about killing himself.

Jason Powell, of prowrestling.net, said: “Kanyon has battled severe depression issues over the years.

“He told one friend as recently as Monday that he was having problems and was contemplating suicide.

“The friend is said to have contacted one of Kanyon’s family members to express his concern — despite the fact that he and several of Kanyon’s friends have heard similar statements over the years.

“One friend said this morning that he’s expected this type of news for years, yet it was still surprising and clearly painful for this person.”

Kanyon was best known for his time in WCW in the late 90s, moving to WWE in the Invasion angle after Ted Turner’s company folded.

He came out as gay after leaving WWE in 2004 with the idea of using his homosexuality in a wrestling angle, although neither Vince McMahon’s company nor rivals TNA would hire him in that role.

The star began his WCW career as a jobber, being given a construction worker gimmick.

He was then placed under a mask and renamed Mortis, portraying a character similar to Reptile and Scorpion from the Mortal Kombat series of computer games.

Kanyon then had a spell in the Flock alongside Raven before becoming affiliated on screen with Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow in a stable called The Jersey Triad.

During his stint he used the nicknames Positively Kanyon and Chris ‘Champagne’ Kanyon, but was little more than a sporadically used midcarder. He also worked on the WCW-produced movie Ready to Rumble as stunt coordinator.

When WCW was purchased by McMahon, Kanyon’s contract was assumed by WWE and he became part of the Alliance Invasion team, enjoying a brief stint as United States champion and with the tag belts alongside Page.

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In late 2001, he tore a cruciate ligament in his left knee and his career took a downturn.

Upon returning from injury and going to OVW to restore fitness, Kanyon then severely injured his shoulder and suffered an allergic reaction to the medications used to treat him post-surgery, leading to a build-up of fluid on his lungs and an enforced stay in hospital.

He made a brief return to WWE in February 2003, but it was short-lived and he was relegated to working as a jobber on Velocity until being released.

Along with Raven and Mike Sanders, Kanyon attempted to sue WWE upon his release for “cheating us out of health care and other benefits”, but it was thrown out of court.

He wrestled a few independent matches after his sacking and made one appearance for TNA, losing to Raven at Turning Point 2005.

Fans and fellow wrestlers were today paying tribute to Kanyon on blogs and Twitter, with many repeating his famous catchphrase: “Who betta than Kanyon?”

• 天気
• てんき
• tenki

Meaning

• weather; the elements
• fair weather; fine weather

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)

• 臭い
• くさい
• kusai

Meaning

• stinking; smelly
• suspicious; fishy
• clumsy

Grammar

• adjective (keiyoushi)

• 態度
• たいど
• taido

Meaning

• attitude; manner; behaviour

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• nouns which may take the genitive case particle ‘の’

• 検査
• けんさ
• kensa

Meaning

• examination; inspection (e.g. customs, factory)

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する

• 万が一
• まんがいち
• mangaichi

Meaning

• if by any chance; just in case; in the worst case; lit: 10000 to 1

Grammar

• adverb (fukushi)
• noun (futsuumeishi)

• 変わり者
• かわりもの
• kawarimono

Meaning

• an eccentric

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• nouns which may take the genitive case particle ‘の’

• 無頓着
• むとんちゃく / むとんじゃく
• mutonchaku / mutonjaku

Meaning

• indifferent; do not care about

Grammar

• adjectival nouns or quasi-adjectives (keiyodoshi)
• noun (futsuumeishi)

• 決定
• けってい
• kettei

Meaning

• decision; determination

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する

• 口下手
• くちべた
• kuchibeta

Meaning

• poor talker; inarticulate; slowness of speech; tongue-tied person

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• adjectival nouns or quasi-adjectives (keiyodoshi)

• イカれた
• いかれた
• ikareta

Meaning

• crazy

Grammar

• adjectival nouns or quasi-adjectives (keiyodoshi)
• slang

• 体調
• たいちょう
• taichou

Meaning

• physical condition

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)

Kotoba 101 Contest!

From now until the end of March, you have a chance to be in the drawing for a Japanese miniature rock garden 3pc set. Read below for details. If you have any further questions please contact me on Twitter or at ryan@shoganaijapan.com. Good luck everyone.

Ways to win:

1. Posting a comment on the Kotoba will get you 1 ballot in the draw.
2. The first correct guess will earn 1  ballot in the draw.
3. If you ReTweet the original Kotoba 101 tweet will earn 1 ballot. (ex. RT @RyanSolberg Kotoba 101: 将来 Future http://goo.gl/fb/XWwS).
4. Maximum of 3 ballots per Kotoba(1 Comment 1 First Correct, 1 ReTweet).

Rules:

1. Guesses can be made on any Kotoba from the beginning of January to the end of March at any time.
2. ReTweets must be done within 72hrs of the original Tweet on Twitter.
3. Must not live in Japan.
4. Must not be born in Japan.
5. If there is less than 10 people(Not Ballots) in the draw, all ballots and prizes will be carried over to the next contest.
6. Entry Deadline is March 31st 11:59PM PST.
7. The winner will be notified with a week after the deadline.

• 実家
• じっか
• jikka

Meaning

• home (one’s parents’)

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する

• 素っぴん
• すっぴん
• suppin

Meaning

• face with no make-up

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• word usually written using kana alone

• 貸す
• かす
• kasu

Meaning

• to lend; to loan
• to rent out; to hire out

Grammar

• Godan verb with ‘す’ ending
• transitive verb

• 説明
• せつめい
• setsumei

Meaning

• explanation; exposition

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する
• nouns which may take the genitive case particle ‘の’

• 気難しい
• きむずかしい
• kimuzukashii

Meaning

• hard to please; moody; crusty; fastidious

Grammar

• adjective (keiyoushi)

• 分かる
• わかる
• wakaru

Meaning

• to be understood; to be comprehended; to be grasped
• to become clear; to be known; to be discovered; to be realized; to be found out

Grammar

• Godan verb with ‘る’ ending
• intransitive verb

After watching the latest episode of “Happy Hour Japan” podcast, it got me thinking. Kevin discussed cellphones and said that Docomo is the most popular brand in Japan.  That didn’t sound right to me so I decided to do some research. In the last month, I ask 124 people three questions. The people I asked included family, friends, students and parents of my younger students. Here are the questions I asked:

1.      What provider are they currently using? Docomo, Softbank, Au or Other.

2.      How much is their monthly fee?

Under 5000円, 5000-10000円, 10000-15000円 or above 15000円

3.      What is their age group? Under 20, 20-40 or above 40.

As for the results, I noticed a pattern. All the results were very close but I never had any say other. Sorry Willcom.

AU by KDDI

For the most part people under 20 were using AU and I found out why. From what I was told is AU has big discounts for students so their parents usually tend to go for the savings. A couple people in their 20-40s used AU and I didn’t have any over 40 people using AU.

NTT Docomo

I had a few under 20s using Docomo but only because their parents had family plans. As for 20-40s, Very few had used Docomo. Almost all the people I talked to over 40 used Docomo. From what I took on it is that since Docomo has been around the longest, they have many points and a kind of loyalty to Docomo.

Softbank

Amazingly I only had 1 under 20 that used Softbank. It was a landslide for people 20-40. Almost everyone I talked to in that age group used Softbank including me. Only a few people in the above 40 group used Softbank. The funny thing is that every foreigner I talked to uses Softbank and has an iPhone.

All in all, Softbank was the most used provider with Docomo a close second. The prices between providers were almost the same. It really depended on the person using the phone. Even though the iPhone is getting more popular, they are not dominating like in North America. I think the problem is that most Japanese phones are Feature Phones (Between a DumbPhone and a SmartPhone). For Japanese, the camera in the phones is important. The iPhone’s camera is just not up to par with other phones. They have some phones that are basically cameras with phones rather than phones with cameras.

A couple things I noticed is that Japanese in general are very dedicated to their provider and have no complaints. I also noticed that a few people that have more than one phone. The thing is that they were mostly young woman. When I asked why they need more than one, the usual answer was just in case their parents, boyfriend or husband checks their phone. I’m not exactly sure what they mean by that answer but I have an idea. It really shows that woman have changed a lot in Japan.

For more advice on Cell phones in Japan, check GaijinPot’s living info section. For me, I love my iPhone and wouldn’t give it up for anything. If you live in Japan and have a cellphone, please answer my three questions. I’m interested in the results on a bigger scale.

• 矛盾
• むじゅん
• mujun

Meaning

• contradiction; inconsistency

Grammar

• noun (futsuumeishi)
• noun or participle which takes the aux. verb する
• nouns which may take the genitive case particle ‘の’