FORWARD: ANGER IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

WHAT YOU HEARD:
1) YOUTUBED NHK: KEEP CRITICS AND PROTESTS OUT OF BROADCASTS
2) YOMIURI EDITORIAL: FP JUSTIFIED AS ANTI-FOREIGN-CRIME MEASURE
3) SANKEI ON FINGERPRINTING SNAFUS
4) YOMIURI & NIKKEI MISTAKENLY TRUMPET “FIVE CAUGHT IN NEW SYSTEM”,
SANKEI CONTRADICTS

WHAT GOT MUFFLED:
5) MAINICHI: REFUSERS TO BE INCARCERATED, FORCED TO BE FINGERPRINTED
6) ASAHI: 38% OF US-VISIT DATABASE IS MISTAKES
7) ASAHI: TOKYO & NARITA LOSE PERSONAL DATA FOR 432 NJ
8) YOMIURI: SDF & MOFA LOSE COMPUTER DATA IN JAPAN, BELGIUM

WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD:
9) MAINICHI ON AMNESTY/SMJ PUBLIC ACTION OUTSIDE MOJ
10) PROTESTS WITH PARODY POSTERS, T-SHIRTS, POSTCARDS, MULTILINGUAL BILLETS
11) FRANCE 24 TV INTERVIEW IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH: “JAPAN’S 1984″
12) NYT: FINGERPRINTING “A DISASTER FOR J BUSINESS”

…and finally…
13) ACCENTURE, MAKER OF THE FP MACHINES, NOW HIRING IN JAPAN,THRU TIGER WOODS!

CONCLUDING STATEMENT: PROGNOSTICATIONS FOR THE PRESENT COURSE:
A HASTENED ECONOMIC OBSCURITY FOR JAPAN

Listen Now:

 Debito.org 11/28/07: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome back to TPR’s Spotlight on Nippon Pro Baseball. In this edition we take a look at the recently concluded Japan Series that took place in Sapporo and Nagoya, Japan.

This year’s series included the same two teams as last year. From the Pacific league, defending Japan Series Champions, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters! And from the Central, the Chunichi Dragons!

This best-of-seven series was filled with the unexpected, and there were several jaw-dropping moments.

In this brief podcast, we do a game-by-game summary of the series and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of both teams throughout the series.

If you need to catch up on all that has been happening during the 2007 season, click here for some podcasts and additional background.

Otherwise, hit play down below to hear whether Nippon Ham went on to repeat as champions, or Chunichi grabbed their first Japan Series title since 1954!

Listen Now:

 NPB #5: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this edition of TPR News: Politicking and power struggles continue in the Diet as the LDP gets set to ram through the MSDF refueling bill over Upper House objections and the DPJ mulls over the possibility of censuring Prime Minister Fukuda; the US has a man in Pyongyang; the Yen hits a two-and-a-half year high against the dollar; the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare makes dire predictions for Japan’s future economic health; JAL increases fuel surcharges; Japanese whalers go after humpbacks; the Michelin guide to Tokyo is released; and Japan begins fingerprinting and photographing foreigners upon entry.

Politics

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. First, after offering to resign, then not doing so and returning to the head of the DPJ with some penitent remarks, Ichiro Ozawa quickly returned to form and his priority: getting the DPJ into power. In an interview with the Asahi Shimbun, Mr. Ozawa said the DPJ would consider forming a coalition with any party except the LDP, put to rest rumors that he would leave the party with enough Upper House members to tip things back the LDP’s way, and said that, while the DPJ wouldn’t compromise with the LDP on a permanent SDF dispatch law, it would seek to revise the Constitution to accomodate such activity.

(Read on …)

Listen Now:

 TPR News: 11/26/07: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this edition of the Debito.org Newsletter Podcast:

1) JAPAN TIMES: WORKPLACE GAIJIN CARD CHECKS, WALLET-SIZED LAWS
2) FINGERPRINTING UPDATE:
===OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM NARITA AIRPORT
=== KOBE REGATTA & ATHLETIC WANTS IN ON FP PROTEST
=== ACCJ OFFERS THEIR VIEW OF LOBBYING FOR “CONCESSIONS”
=== MORE PROTESTS: T-SHIRTS AT JALT, “WANTED” POSTERS
=== FORMER GIANTS PITCHER MIYAMOTO PROFITEERS, GETS FP FOR MONEY
=== OFFER YOUR FP EXPERIENCES AT IMMIG AFTER NOV 20 AT DEBITO.ORG

3) ECONOMIST: YOMIURI OWNER WATANABE INTERFERES WITH POLITICS, AS USUAL
4) OSAKA REALTOR HAS CATALOG WITH “GAIJIN OK” [sic!] APARTMENTS; WHAT TO DO
5) CRIES DU COEUR FROM INTL RESIDENTS RE POLICE GAIJIN CARD SHAKEDOWNS
6) UN REP DOUDOU DIENE WARNS RACISM INCREASINGLY VIOLENT WORLDWIDE
7) SPEECHES ON JOB SEARCHES, NOVA COLLAPSE AT JALT TOKYO THIS WEEKEND
8) VALENTINE CASE NEXT COURT HEARING TUES NOV 20 11AM
(SAME PLACE AS AMNESTY MOJ FP PROTEST AT NOON–SO DO BOTH!)

…and finally…
9) “NO BORDERS” MEETING NOV 18: KOKUSAIKA AND KEIDANREN LAID BARE

The full newsletter (and much, much more) is available at debito.org.

Listen Now:

 Debito.org 11/19/07: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

BizCast Japan is back with its ninth release. In this edition of the program, co-hosts Albrecht Stahmer and Ken Worsley start off by taking a look at the new marketing campaign launched in North America by Toto, Japan’s (and the world’s) largest manufacturer of toilets. After that, the discussion moves to a look at Muji and Uniqlo, two Japanese brands that are continuing their attempts to move into markets outside Japan. What can these two brands to to build synergy and market share in the US?

The third headline takes a look at mobile carriers DoCoMo and AU, who were recently warned by the Fair Trade Commission over misleading advertising practices. This leads into a discussion of the government’s role in regulation, and the problems caused by recent changes in construction regulations that have led to a huge drop in housing and condo construction.

In the Quick Picks, Albrecht elects to discuss the IPO of Sony Financial last month and speculates on what strategic direction Sony might take in the video game, television and personal music player markets.

For his Quick Pick, Ken brings up the issue of fingerprinting and photographing foreigners coming into Japan from this week. What sort of effects might this have on the business world? has the Japanese government contributed to making Hong Kong and Singapore even more attractive places to do business?

The Focus Issue, and final twenty minutes of this edition of BizCast Japan, are devoted to the English language teaching industry in Japan, which has been all over the news over the past few months. With industry leader Nova finally declaring bankruptcy on October 26, what will come of this market? Albrecht and Ken look at the direction of the industry and analyze the structural factors that led to the seeding and growth of the industry, and the reasons why those structural factors are now gone.

As always, thank you for listening.

Listen Now:

 BizCast #9: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Seijigiri is back with release #36, and co-hosts Garrett DeOrio and Ken Worsley jump straight into the latest news and discuss the situation surrounding Democratic Party of Japan president Ichiro Ozawa. Ozawa offered his resignation last Sunday and rescinded that offer a few days later, in response to internal party pressure that he stay on.

Our hosts consider what this means for the DPJ, what it says about the party itself, and how it might affect the DPJ’s relationship with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

After that, the talk turns to Japan’s mission in the Indian Ocean, where support for the US-led coalition forces ended on November 1. The current extraordinary Diet session, which has been extended by 35 days, will prove to be a test for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. Will he be able to get a new bill passed allowing Japan to take (symbolic) part in coalition actions?

Then, the discussion turns to revelations that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dropped his claims that there was no proof that the Japanese military had coerced (in the “narrow” sense) women into sexual servitude during the second world war in exchange for US support with regards to the North Korean abductee issue. Was Abe given a face-saving way out of his untenable stance?

Finally, our hosts take a look at a recent report by the Board of Audit that the government spent 31 billion yen in 451 wasteful and inappropriate accounting cases during fiscal 2006. Which ministry took the title of wasting the most taxpayer money? Who wasted the least? You’ll have to listen to find out…

As always, thank you for listening.
(Read on …)

Listen Now:

 Seijigiri #36: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As an addendum to the soon-to-be released Seijigiri #36, the ball has started rolling. It’s now up to the DPJ-controlled House of Councillors to decide whether they want to reject the bill or not. If they do, it is likely that the LDP-New Komeito coalition will use its supermajority in House of Representatives to ram it through, which will then leave the DPJ deciding whether or not they want to pass a censure motion against Prime Minister Fukuda. The possible scenarios are discussed in depth in Seijigiri #36.

From Kyodo:
(Read on …)

In this edition of the Debito.org Newsletter Podcast:

1) NEW JAPAN TIMES ARTICLE TUES NOV 13 ON NEW WORKPLACE GAIJIN CARDING

2) NJ FINGERPRINTING UPDATE:
A) PROTEST WORKS: NARITA INSTITUTES NEW SEPARATE LINES FOR RESIDENTS
B) RECENT MEDIA: FP “AN UNMITIGATED PR DISASTER FOR THE GOJ”, “INEFFECTIVE”
C) CUTE ANIMATION RE FINGERPRINTING: DOWNLOAD AND SPREAD AROUND
D) TUES NOV 20, NOON, ASSEMBLE AND PROTEST AT JUSTICE MINISTRY

3) JAPAN TIMES: US GOVT FORCED PM ABE TO BACK DOWN RE COMFORT WOMEN
4) LA TIMES: HOW J POLICE IGNORE CERTAIN CRIMES. LIKE MURDER.
5) IHT/ASAHI, METROPOLIS, NUGW ON EIKAIWA NOVA BANKRUPTCY AFTERMATH
6) NOV 17 FED OF BAR ASSOC (NICHIBENREN) MEETING RE DIVORCE AND JOINT CUSTODY

…and finally…
7) UPCOMING SPEECH TOKYO NOV 18, “NO BORDER” GROUP ANNUAL MEETING

The full newsletter (and much, much more) is available at debito.org.

Listen Now:

 Debito.org 11/12/07: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The playoffs are here! The playoffs are here!

Well, actually, the playoffs are over…my bad.

Spoiler: we’re going to be treated to a repeat of last year’s Japan Series, but it should be fun to watch just the same.

That’s right, the 2007 Japan Series Championships is another showdown between the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of the Pacific League and the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League.

You want to know why the Fighters will win? When they do something big, Sapporo Brewing Co. gives the team enough beer to fill the dome that the team plays in. What do Chunichi players get when they win? Actually, I don’t know. Newspapers?

You want to know why the Dragons will win? They’re due. The guys down in Nagoya have been playing top-shelf baseball for years, and after a strong run through the Central League Climax Series they are poised to finally win the whole thing.

Alright, I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. The Japan Series will be covered in a future podcast. This one is all about the Central and Pacific League versions of the Climax Series that were held in October 2007.

Listen Now:

 NPB #4: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If there’s one thing about Japan of which the Anglophone world can’t get enough, it’s probably anime.� If there’s a second, though, it’s TPR’s own Ken Worsley talking about the collapse of Nova.

Following his appearances on ABC Radio National’s Life Matters and Radio New Zealand National’s Morning Report, our� man was interviewed for #711 of the “MetPod,” Metropolis’s podcast (which also recently interviewed frequent TPR contributor Arudou Debito.)� Ken appears 11 minutes into Part 2.

In addition to the interview, Ken has� the cover story� in the current issue of Metropolis magazine, now under the ownerhsip of Japan Inc., for which Ken also writes.� This is in addition to his article� in the current issue of� Metropolis, his interview with the Japan Times, and of course his coverage of Nova’s decline over at Japan Economy News.