As Tobias Harris from Observing Japan will be in town next month, we have decided to hold a get-together for anyone interested in meeting up with other bloggers here in Tokyo. So, here’s the invitation:

A gathering for bloggers and blog enthusiasts is being planned in Tokyo for the evening of January 17, and we would like to extend the invitation to any and all visitors who may wish to come. Bloggers from Observing Japan, Shisaku, Global Talk 21, Mutant Frog, neojaponisme, Coming Anarchy, Our Man in Abiko, Trans-Pacific Radio, and more will be amongst the crowd.

All of us are hoping to meet with other bloggers and readers for an evening of food and drink. If you would like to attend, please send an email to transpacificradio@gmail.com before January 8th. Please let us know how many folks you would like to bring along with you. Although we have a place in mind for the get-together, we will wait to see what the final numbers are like before confirming. We expect that the gathering will be held in either Shibuya or Shinjuku. After we have confirmed the numbers and location, we will send you an email letting you know exactly where and when (probably about 6pm) we will be meeting up on the 17th.

We hope to see you all on the 17th of January!

Update, January 9th: It’s not too late. There’s been quite a response so far and we’re expecting a good-sized group, but there’s room for a few more. If you want to come, but haven’t e-mailed us yet, please do so as soon as possible.

On Christmas Eve, television personality Ai Iijima was found dead in her Shibuya condominium.  Known for moving into TV after starting her career as an adult video starlet, Iijima also wrote and autobiographical novel, Platonic Sex, which was turned into a successful movie and TV series.  Iijima had complained of ill health due to kidney disease since 2006, when she began reducing her public presence and retired from television.  She was 36.

Not knowing much about her aside from her name, I took little notice of the news until arriving at a Christmas party, where the hostess said she’d taken the news rather hard.  Instead of dredging up an amalgam of others’ thoughts on the passing of an icon, I present you with Emiko’s thoughts on the death of Ai Iijima. (Read on …)

Everyone knows the story of perhaps the best-known, best-loved Christmas film ever made. What would life have been like in Bedford Falls, New York if George Bailey had never been born.

Will Clarence the Apprentice Angel get his wings for stopping Bailey’s suicide? Will greedy old Mr. Potter get his hands on the Savings & Loan?  After his father’s death, his responsibilities at the S&L, and family life, will George Bailey ever get to see the world?  Will it matter?

You know, but it’s a great show anyway. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed star in Frank Capra’s classic It’s A Wonderful Life.  We even learn what happens if someone gets the moon.  Enjoy it with our best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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The Night Santa Stole Christmas: Created by a man with a mic, a Mac and a kitchen table. Answering those key questions such as “Who is Santa’s brother?” “How does he decide who’s naughty and nice?” “Does being Santa do his back any good?”

Here we have a story designed to delight, enthrall and give a warm Christmassy feeling. Whilst taking the piss out of everything.

Download it quick before it gets devalued and repossessed!

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 The Night Santa Stole Christmas: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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This edition of Seijigiri begins with co-hosts Garrett DeOrio and Ken Worsley considering three diplomatic issues. First, last Friday’s appearance by former US Undersecretary of State Richard Armitage at Keio University is discussed, especially as his comments related to the previous Seijigiri release. After that, talk turns to the upcoming session of the Six Party Talks and North Korea’s decisions to “ignore” the Japanese side at the talks. Finally, this portion of the discussion turns to Japan’s decision to cut off Overseas Development aid to Vietnam. Japan claims that Vietnamese politics is corrupt, while the incident in question involved bribery instigated by a Japanese firm. As Japan is the largest supplier of ODA to Vietnam, consequences of this decision are considered.

The second portion of the show turns to domestic politics. Prime Minister Aso Taro’s approval rating are in freefall. Although this comes as no surprise, the level of intra-party dissent has been somewhat surprising. Former candidate for prime minister Nobuteru Ishihara and former Reform Minister Yoshimi Watanabe have made waves with statements critical of Mr Aso, while Watanabe has been joined by former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki and Toshimitsu Motegi in forming an association of diet members who are pushing Mr Aso to get the second part of his economic stimulus package through the Diet.

Are they really looking to push economic stimulus? The reality of the matter is that Mr Aso said he would dissolve the Diet and call a general election after getting the second part of the stimulus package through the Diet. These fifty-something lawmakers - the ara fifu group as Shisaku refers to them - seem to have realized that an Aso premiership is not going to lead the LDP to victory in the next election, whenever it may come.

Will the fear of self-preservation lead to further turmoil in the LDP? Did Koizumi make good on his promise to destroy the LDP? This edition of Seijigiri holds that some answers to these questions may come in the following weeks.

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 Seijigiri #52: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download