http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/400980
Curry tainted by dead mouse sold at Tokyo noodle stand
Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 06:52 EST
TOKYO — A JR East-affiliated restaurant operator said Tuesday that curry
tainted by a dead mouse has been used in some of the food products sold at
a noodle stand inside JR Shinkoiwa Station in Tokyo.
Nippon Restaurant Enterprise Co said 18 meals sold at the noodle stand,
including “curry soba” (buckwheat noodle) and “curry rice,” for about two
hours since its opening at 6:30 a.m., were made with the tainted curry.
(c) 2007 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication
without written permission.
———————————–
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/400999
Hiroshima construction worker arrested for stealing 4,400 items of women’s
underwear
Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 09:02 EST
HIROSHIMA — A 54-year-old construction worker was arrested Tuesday on
suspicion of stealing some 4,400 pieces of women’s underwear, police said.
Hiroshima Prefectural Police arrested Shigeo Kodama after they raided his
home in Hiroshima’s Minami Ward and confiscated some 4,400 women’s
stockings and panties.
Kodama faces immediate specific charges over the February theft of six
pieces of women’s underwear from two homes in Minami Ward. Kodama told
police he had kept all the stolen underwear at his home. Police believe
Kodama’s lingerie collection dates back to around 2001, based on reports
from women in the area who said their underwear had been stolen. Kodama was
quoted as telling the investigators, “I’m very good at climbing to high
places,” citing his experience working on high-rises.
(c) 2007 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication
without written permission.
—————————
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/400853
Metal thefts soaring amid surging prices on China building boom
Monday, March 12, 2007 at 07:43 EST
TOKYO — Metal product thefts reached at least 1,756 cases in January and
February, costing more than 400 million yen and increasing faster than last
year when such cases rose notably, according to a recent Kyodo News survey.
The uptrend in thefts of metal products, such as electrical wires and even
stainless steel slides in parks, comes amid sharply rising prices,
especially for those metal products used in construction. That is due to
strong demand in China, where a building boom continues ahead of the 2008
summer Olympics in Beijing.
Also to blame for the trend, according to police, is the ease of stealing
the products as compared to other types of theft, because metal products
are often found outside. Stolen products also included bells, aluminum
fences, drain covers, and stainless steel plates attached to tombs for
burning incense sticks. According to the National Police Agency, theft
cases of metal products reached 5,701 last year, costing victims a total of
about 2 billion yen.
(c) 2007 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication
without written permission.
================
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/401126
Vietnamese trainees seek probe of unpaid wages by Japanese firm
Saturday, March 17, 2007 at 07:33 EST
MITO — Six Vietnamese women who worked at a sewing factory in Ibaraki
Prefecture told a news conference Friday they have asked a local labor
standards office to investigate what they say are unpaid wages totaling
around 4.6 million yen withheld from their salaries.
The Mito labor standards inspection office has started investigating the
case, suspecting a violation of the Basic Labor Law, following the request
by the six who came to Japan for training and internships under a program
sponsored by the Japanese government. The president of the company that
operated the factory was paying 60,000 yen to 65,000 yen net to each of the
trainees every month, depending on their experience, the union said. The
employer withheld 30,000 yen per month from each worker, saying it was
“savings.”
(c) 2007 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication
without written permission.
==============================
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/comment/1075
Why I am banned in Japan
Send to a friendPrint
Ben Hills
March 16, 2007
The effective banning of my book, “Princess Masako: Prisoner of the
Chrysanthemum Throne,” is just the latest example of Japan’s “censorship
by stealth.” While seeking to be considered a modern nation, the
unelected, unaccountable Japanese bureaucracy has merely confirmed that it
is “a stunted parody of democracy.” This phrase is one of the “many
errors” in my book to which they objected.
You only have to look at Japan’s high school history texts, one of which
dismisses the rape, torture and murder of 300,000 Chinese as “the
so-called Rape of Nanking,” to see this. Ten years ago, Iris Chang’s
acclaimed book about that subject provoked an almost identical furor as the
“Princess Masako” book is doing now. “The Rape of Nanking” was an
international bestseller, and a Japanese publisher agreed to translate and
publish it here. Then Japan’s ambassador to Washington called a press
conference to denounce the book for its “many errors” — errors that,
curiously enough, scholars in no other country could find. Nevertheless,
the publisher caved in to the bullying, and to this day the book has never
been published in Japan.
The Japanese people are not fooled by this smokescreen of “errors.” They
understand that the country’s largest publisher, Kodansha, which had
agreed to publish my book but then caved in under pressure, is part of the
Establishment and would never go against the wishes of the bureaucracy.
This is the type of censorship which nowadays you see only in countries
like North Korea or Myanmar.
So what was there in my book to provoke this reaction? It is true that in
the original edition there were a small number of very minor errors which
have been corrected in subsequent editions. For example, I was unaware of
Emperor Akihito’s deep interest in Japan’s disgraceful mistreatment of
people suffering from Hansen’s Disease, to which almost half of the
Imperial Household’s protest letter is devoted. Setting this straight
involved changing two words in a book of 80,000 — a figure that will give
you an idea of how desperately my critics are clutching at straws.
We have repeatedly asked the bureaucrats for the list of “more than 100
errors” that they claim to have found. There has been no response, other
than to state that the Empress Michiko is not a “stick-thin, grey-haired
wraith.” Now, while this may not be a flattering description, no one who
has seen a picture of the empress would describe her as a fat blonde.
I have now had the benefit of a bilingual scholar examining the changes
Kodansha made to my book in consultation with the Imperial Household
Agency. These changes reveal the real objections that the Japanese
establishment has to the text.
First, all references to Princess Masako’s giving birth to an IVF baby
have been removed — in spite of the fact that, since the London Times
broke the story four years ago, this has been reported in nearly every
country in the world except Japan. Second, the real nature of Princess
Masako’s illness — deep depression, rather than the “adjustment disorder
” that the Imperial Household Agency pretends she suffers from — has
been censored.
149 alterations and omissions have been made
These are just the start of the 149 alterations and omissions that have
been made to the book. All references to Yasukuni Shrine have been
censored; all references to Japan’s outdated pharmaceutical industry have
been censored; a reference to raunchy nightlife in Sapporo’s Susukino
district has been censored; a direct quote from Professor Kenneth Ruoff’s
award-winning biography of Akihito, in which he details the emperor’s
attempts to apologize for Japan’s role in World War II, has been censored;
a reference to “chikan” has been censored; all references to the yakuza
have been censored; a quote from a William Styron novel about depression
has been censored; a quote in a London Times article about frigid relations
between the emperor and Naruhito and Masako has been censored. And on and
on and on. These are the “errors” in my book — not “errors” at all,
obviously, but opinions and facts which the bureaucrats do not want the
Japanese people to know about.
When I became aware of the wholesale changes that were being made to my
book, I protested loudly about the bowdlerization to Kodansha. But I was in
a difficult position. The overseas rights to the book are held by Random
House, which had negotiated a contract with the Japanese publisher. I was
told that I could be personally liable if I refused permission to publish,
so I did the next best thing: I insisted that Kodansha insert a prominent
disclaimer in the preface, in which they took responsibility for all
changes to the original.
With the benefit of hindsight — and a better understanding of just how
and why my book was censored — I am now pleased that Kodansha decided not
to publish. Their version of my book was something I’d have been ashamed
to see my name on the cover of. We are in negotiations with another
Japanese publisher, and we are still hoping that something much closer to
my original version will eventually be released.
I should say that I don’t feel it’s important whether Japanese people
like or dislike the book. I have had reactions ranging from death threats
to praise for its honesty. Rather, what’s important is that they be
allowed to read it and make their own judgment. That is all I ask.
As always happens in censorship cases, the bureaucrats — by drawing
attention to the book and ensuring vastly increased sales — have
succeeded only in shooting themselves in the foot. Since the uproar, we’ve
been approached by publishers in half a dozen countries, including Korea
and Taiwan, who are rushing the book into print. Last week the top three
sellers on Amazon.co.jp’s list of foreign-language books were: 1. “
Princess Masako;” 2. the new “Harry Potter;” 3. the Sports Illustrated
swimsuit edition.
One would think that Japan’s ambassador to Australia, Hideaki Ueda, would
have better served the interests of the Japanese people if he had been
dealing with serious matters over the past few weeks, rather than wasting
everyone’s time trying to get a book banned. Japanese whaling in the
Southern Ocean has been in the headlines once again, and “comfort women”
— sex slaves of the Japanese Army in World War II, including one who was
Australian — are still demanding recognition and compensation after 60
years. If anyone deserves to make an apology, it is the Japanese government
that should be getting down on its knees and begging forgiveness from these
women, rather than arrogantly refusing to even acknowledge that they exist.
Ben Hills is one of Australia’s best-known investigative journalists and
authors and a former winner of the Walkley Award. He was Japan
correspondent for the Fairfax newspapers from 1993 to 1996.
============================
http://moora.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=international%20news&subclass=general&story_id=566922&category=General&m=&y=
Friday, 16 March 2007 View all news | Have your say | Send to a friend
| Print
Japan sex slave debate won’t die down
By Chisa Fujioka And Linda Sieg
A diplomatic furore over Japan’s wartime brothels is unlikely to fade after
Tokyo said a 14-year-old study had found no evidence the government or
military officials had kidnapped women to act as prostitutes.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s latest statement – which also reiterated that
Japan stood by a 1993 apology – came as the US ambassador to Japan said he
believed that the women were forced to act as sex slaves for Japanese
soldiers during World War II.
“I take the word of the women that testified,” US envoy Thomas Schieffer
told a group of journalists. Three former sex slaves testified to US
Congress last month.
“I think that they were coerced to engage in prostitution … that means
they were raped by Japanese military at that point in time,” he added. “I
think that happened and I think it was a regrettable, terrible thing that
it happened.
“I think the events speak for themselves.”
Abe sparked outrage overseas when he said early this month there was no
evidence that Japan’s government or army had forcibly brought the women,
mostly Asian and many of them Korean, to serve Japanese soldiers in the
brothels.
He has since sought to dampen the furore, which threatened to cloud summits
with Chinese and US leaders, by repeating that the 1993 apology stood and
expressing sympathy for the suffering of the “comfort women”, as they are
euphemistically known in Japan.
Abe is to visit Washington in late April after a summit with Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao in Tokyo earlier the same month.
Schieffer welcomed Abe’s backing for the apology and advised Japan to stick
to that stance.
“I think there is a sensitivity in the United States on this particular
issue, and I think the Japanese needed to be aware of that and I think they
are,” he said.
US Congressman Michael Honda has introduced a resolution seeking an
unambiguous apology for the suffering of the sex slaves at the hands of the
Japanese army, although the resolution is unlikely to be voted on until
after Abe’s US visit.
“I think the prime minister is going to have a very good visit in the
United States and I would hope this sort of thing would not detract from
it,” Schieffer said.
Abe’s original remarks have already sparked an irate reaction from South
Korea and a more restrained reaction from China, and this statement could
spark fresh anger abroad.
Echoing remarks by officials after the 1993 study was completed, Abe’s
statement said there had been no direct reference in documents found during
the research that either government or military officials had forcibly
hauled the women to the brothels.
Abe last week rejected a demand by a group of ruling party lawmakers for
the government to conduct a new probe on the topic, but said the government
would co-operate with a study by the party.
The head of the group – which denies victims’ accounts of being forced by
Japanese soldiers to work in the brothels – said that they would forge
ahead with the research.
Abe, 52, hails from the most conservative wing of his Liberal Democratic
Party, and with his ratings sagging, analysts had said his original remarks
were an attempt to woo his conservative base ahead of a July upper house
election.
Brought to you by REUTERS
© REUTERS 2007
———————————-
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1874207.htm
Last Updated 17/03/2007, 09:31:34
Select text size:
Large size textMedium size textNormal size text
The Japanese government says it doesn’t believe there’s proof Japan’s
imperial military forced women into sexual slavery during the Second World
War.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet issued the new statement on the matter
in parliament, responding to a question by an opposition member.
The statement says the government hasn’t found evidence showing forced
recruitment by Japanese military authorities or bureaucrats.
It says the cabinet won’t change a landmark 1993 apology that the Japanese
government issued to former sex slaves.
Historians say up to 200,000 young women, mostly from Korea but also from
China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, were forced to serve as sex
slaves in Japanese army brothels.
< back
————————————-
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/pm-stands-firm-on-japan-sex-slave-war-history/2007/03/12/1173548107149.html
PM stands firm on Japan sex slave war history
*
* Email
* Print
* Normal font
* Large font
Misha Schubert, Tokyo, and Penelope Debelle, Adelaide
March 13, 2007
Page 1 of 2 | Single page
Other related coverage
* Japanese PM dashes sex slaves’ hope of apology
* Japan PM denies WWII sex slavery
* Howard, Abe downplay concerns over pact
* Sex slave move to stir anger
* Japan PM may order new sex slaves study
AdvertisementAdvertisement
PRIME Minister John Howard has set himself on a collision course with his
Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, by declaring there should be no
“quibbling” over the degree of coercion used to force thousands of women to
act as sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II.
On the eve of their talks in Tokyo today, Mr Howard has made it clear he
will not tolerate an attempt by Japan to rewrite history. Heis expected to
raise the issue with Mr Abe this afternoon.
Mr Abe enraged surviving so-called “comfort women” two weeks ago when
??after the US Congress called on Japan to accept historical
responsibility for the sex slave practice ??he suggested there was no
evidence to prove that the Japanese Government or army had coerced women to
work in brothels.
He refused to issue an official apology to the women.
“There is no evidence to back up that there was coercion as defined
initially,” Mr Abe told reporters, referring to claims that the Imperial
Army had abducted women for use as sex slaves.
“It was not as though military police broke into people’s homes and took
them away like kidnappers.”
Mr Abe tried to quell the controversy last Sunday by reiterating his
support for the 1993 Kono statement of apology.
Mr Howard yesterday welcomed the reaffirmation of the 1993 statement, but
rejected any attempt to parse definitions.
“There can be no quibbling about what happened ??Any suggestion there was
not coercion is completely repudiated by me and it has been completely
repudiated by other Allied countries,” he said.
Adelaide woman Jan Ruff O’Herne, 84, who was seized from a prisoner of war
camp in Java and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese, has urged Mr
Howard to pursue the matter with Mr Abe.
Mrs O’Herne said she was relying on Japan’s culture of honour to force it
to acknowledge its wartime history.
She testified last month at a US House of Representatives hearing in
Washington that, at the age of 19, she was raped “day and night” for three
months by Japanese soldiers.
Mrs O’Herne said that on a recent visit to Japan she addressed high school
children about her experiences. “I was glad that I was there to be able to
tell them the truth,” she said. “I think the younger generation in Japan
wants Japan to take responsibility and own up to their wartime history.”
Mr Howard described the trauma suffered by Mrs O’Herne and up to 200,000
other comfort women as “an appalling episode in a tragic period in the
history of the world”.
Page 2 of 2
Other related coverage
* Japanese PM dashes sex slaves’ hope of apology
* Japan PM denies WWII sex slavery
* Howard, Abe downplay concerns over pact
* Sex slave move to stir anger
* Japan PM may order new sex slaves study
AdvertisementAdvertisement
PRIME Minister John Howard has set himself on a collision course with his
Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, by declaring there should be no
“quibbling” over the degree of coercion used to force thousands of women to
act as sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II.
On the eve of their talks in Tokyo today, Mr Howard has made it clear he
will not tolerate an attempt by Japan to rewrite history. Heis expected to
raise the issue with Mr Abe this afternoon.
Mr Abe enraged surviving so-called “comfort women” two weeks ago when
??after the US Congress called on Japan to accept historical
responsibility for the sex slave practice ??he suggested there was no
evidence to prove that the Japanese Government or army had coerced women to
work in brothels.
He refused to issue an official apology to the women.
“There is no evidence to back up that there was coercion as defined
initially,” Mr Abe told reporters, referring to claims that the Imperial
Army had abducted women for use as sex slaves.
“It was not as though military police broke into people’s homes and took
them away like kidnappers.”
Mr Abe tried to quell the controversy last Sunday by reiterating his
support for the 1993 Kono statement of apology.
Mr Howard yesterday welcomed the reaffirmation of the 1993 statement, but
rejected any attempt to parse definitions.
“There can be no quibbling about what happened ??Any suggestion there was
not coercion is completely repudiated by me and it has been completely
repudiated by other Allied countries,” he said.
Adelaide woman Jan Ruff O’Herne, 84, who was seized from a prisoner of war
camp in Java and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese, has urged Mr
Howard to pursue the matter with Mr Abe.
Mrs O’Herne said she was relying on Japan’s culture of honour to force it
to acknowledge its wartime history.
She testified last month at a US House of Representatives hearing in
Washington that, at the age of 19, she was raped “day and night” for three
months by Japanese soldiers.
Mrs O’Herne said that on a recent visit to Japan she addressed high school
children about her experiences. “I was glad that I was there to be able to
tell them the truth,” she said. “I think the younger generation in Japan
wants Japan to take responsibility and own up to their wartime history.”
Mr Howard described the trauma suffered by Mrs O’Herne and up to 200,000
other comfort women as “an appalling episode in a tragic period in the
history of the world”.
Yet Mr Howard, who has consistently rejected calls for an official apology
by the Australian Government after inquiries into the “stolen generations”
of indigenous people, sidestepped a question about the value of symbolic
apologies.
“I think the problem with this is an apology has been given and then some
doubt was raised as to whether there was a retreat from that apology,” he
said.
Mr Howard’s controversial comments came as Mr Abe last night said he felt a
“shared destiny” with Australia as he prepared to sign the first security
agreement that Japan has struck with any nation other than the US since
World War II.
The declaration will affirm a desire for closer security ties between Japan
and Australia, opening the door to greater intelligence sharing, joint
military training, peacekeeping co-operation and shared efforts to foil
regional people smugglers.
Mr Abe last night tried to reassure China and South Korea that it was not
the intention of Australia or Japan to “encircle” China.
And in a nod to the role that his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, played in
signing the 1957 Commerce Agreement that opened the trade door between
Australia and Japan, Mr Abe told the ABC: “I feel something like a shared
destiny here and ??we will be able to build a comprehensive security
relationship.”
======================
;){kind=link}