Hydrogen sulfide is the new method these days for many Japanese wishing to end their own lives. A rash of deaths attributed to the gas has been reported over the past few weeks across Japan, and it seems like the problems have only just begun. For a more in-depth analysis of suicide in Japan, click here.
Hydrogen sulfide is normally a naturally occurring gas whose presence is commonly associated with the smell of rotten eggs. Exposure to the gas can cause minor health irritations when inhaled at low doses. Eye and throat irritation, and nausea are common symptoms. At higher levels of exposure humans lose their sense of smell and the strength of the odor disappears. It is believed that exposure to air with hydrogen sulfide concentrations above 800 ppm will be fatal for most people after five to ten minutes of breathing the gas. Anything above 1,000 ppm will cause a human being to lose respiratory functioning after only a single breath. (Read on …)

Tyrone Hadnott, the 38-year-old Marine that was arrested after allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in Okinawa on the night of February 10th, has been released.

The girl has apparently withdrawn the accusations that she leveled against Hadnott, so he has not been indicted and will not be prosecuted in a Japanese court of law.

The girl reportedly said she didn’t want the problem to grow, that she wanted the ordeal to be over, and asked to be left alone.

The alleged rape has caused the entire military establishment in and across Japan to impose tight curfews on all soldiers and their dependents during the past two and a half weeks, with service members and their families being confined to base or their quarters 24 hours a day.

Hadnott reportedly admitted that he forcibly tried to kiss the girl but denied raping her.

US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, took time to discuss the scandal when she visited this week. The alleged assault had fueled nationwide condemnation of the lack of discipline within the ranks of the US military forces.

Chris Parham, the director of the upcoming Black Stripe Theater production of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, sat down with me and had a short chat about the play and the Tokyo theater scene.

BST is planning to bring a couple more shows to the stage during the 2008 season, and Glengarry Glen Ross, brought to life by some of the Kanto region’s most dedicated actors, is likely a sign of big things to come.

Black Stripe Theater’s production of Glengarry Glen Ross hits Theatre Iwato this weekend, February 22nd through the 24th, and tickets are available at blackstripetheater@yahoo.com.

Update:
The Friday and Saturday evening performances (both at 7:30pm) are now sold out.

Tickets are still available for the Saturday and Sunday matinees (2:00pm) and the Sunday evening performance (6:30pm).

Listen Now:

 Chris Parham Interview: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Want free tickets to an event not to be missed? (Click “Read on” or the title for more info.) (Read on …)

The Black Stripe Theater, a Tokyo-based company, will be presenting David Mamet’s highly-acclaimed, award-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross the last weekend of this month (February 22-24) at Theater Iwato in central Tokyo. (Read on …)

Shame on us for not reporting this a bit sooner, but Japan’s Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, has apparently taken up vlogging as a hobby (Or, more properly put, his party, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has taken up vlogging as a PR campaign). Here is his most recent release, a New Year’s message recorded in English and released on January 1st:

Thus far, there have been 1,466 views of the English version and 2,837 views of the Japanese version of the Prime Minister’s video.

What’s more telling, however, is the presentation of the “LDP channel” on You Tube. In terms of public relations, this is a great move for the LDP. No, the videos really aren’t that exciting, and no - it doesn’t seem that many people are watching them yet. But, we hope that the LDP will be able to use the format to communicate better with the public. Unfortunately, LDP Secretary General Ibuki Bunmei doesn’t come across as too exciting in his most recent clip: (Read on …)

Over at one of our favorite blogs, What Japan Thinks, Ken Y-N has organized a contest to determine the best (or at least most voted-for) Japan Blogs of the Year in various categories. (Read on …)

On December 13, 1937, the ancient walled city of Nanjing fell to the Japanese Imperial Army, an event followed by what only be described as a massacre.

Last year on this day, TPR brought you what we think is a fair and balanced assessment of what happened and how it is being dealt with today.

As always, discussion and dissention are welcomed, preemptive insult-tossing is not.

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.

Do you find yourself reading the news, reading blogs, listening to podcasts, watching TV, and wishing someone would do something to right all the wrongs?

Do you want to help out, get involved?

Are you a generally socially concerned, helpful person?

Do you want to meet some activists and commentators?

Do you like an occasional tipple?

(Read on …)