21 Nov 07:34
Anti-foreigner sentiment doesn't apply to dance contests sponsored by Lotte's Fit's brand of gum. Ale and Ciaela, two young foreigners, have won the Fit's dance contest by attracting the highest number of views on YouTube during the contest period. The announcement site is in Japanese but you d

Posted by InvisibleGaijin in Foreigners | Socs: 11

20 Nov 02:46
He was on my right side. I was holding a metal strap with my left hand. I switched to a strap on my right side and as I did my right elbow caught him squarely in the forehead. It didn't so much hurt him as it surprised him.
"Gomen nasai," I whispered and nodded. He ignored my apology probably sens

Posted by Locohama in Strange | Socs: 15

20 Nov 10:48

AFP - Japan's central bank left its super-low interest rates unchanged on Friday as the government declared for the first time in more than three years that Asia's biggest economy is in a phase of deflation.

20 Nov 07:08

AFP - Japan's finance minister voiced strong concern Friday about deflation in the world's number two economy, saying the price drops are a major challenge for policymakers.

19 Nov 15:40

AFP - A US-Japan row became more complicated Thursday when a junior partner in Japan's coalition government said an American airbase should be moved off southern Okinawa to a more remote islet or to Guam.

19 Nov 12:45
AP - Japanese police said Thursday that an American soldier is the prime suspect in a fatal-hit-and-run accident on the southern island of Okinawa and asked the U.S. Army to bring him in for further questioning.

19 Nov 06:25

AFP - Japanese whaling ships left port Thursday for Antarctic waters for their annual hunt of the ocean giants, Greenpeace said, setting the stage for high-seas confrontations with anti-whaling activists.

21 Nov 20:57
Regarding the Nov. 11 article "Ozawa lashes out with scathing remarks on Christianity": As a pastor of a local church, I would like to share some of my thoughts on Democratic Party of Japan secretary general Ichiro Ozawa's comments. Although I have great respect for Ozawa's political skills, I believe his scathing remarks about Christianity are untrue and unbefitting a man of his political stature.
As a politician, Ozawa has a responsibility to uphold Article 20 of the Japanese Constitution, which states: "No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the state or exercise any political authority. No person shall be compelled to take part in any religious acts. The state and its organs shall refrain from religious education or any other religious activity." Under this article, Ozawa as an influential member of state organs is obliged to refrain from religious activity, which includes a public denunciation of Christianity.

21 Nov 20:55
ATLANTA (AP) Josh Smith spent most of the fourth quarter cheering on his teammates from the bench.
He was on the court, though, for the biggest play of the game.

21 Nov 20:53
Neal Adams became a cult star as a graphic artist with DC and Marvel comics during the late 1960s and '70s through his work on series such as "The Spectre," "Batman," "Superman" and "Green Lantern" and also his contributions, at Marvel, to "X-Men" and "Conan the Barbarian."
Since then Adams, now 68, has in between designing high-tech theme-park rides brought his vision to bear in the world of cinema. He resurrected the old campy Batman, turning him into today's Dark Knight, and brought "X-Men" to the big screen. He will also be among the first people to thank when animatics-charged "motion" comics appear in the near future.

21 Nov 20:51

21 Nov 20:49
After being in Japan for a while, you get to know a place by its festivals.
See a gaggle of folk in a TV clip freezing their extremities off while gawping at vast, whimsical sculptures carved from snow and ice, and you recognize immediately they're in Sapporo.