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☆ Doburoku: once illegal, this Japanese alcohol is making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Jonathan Delise | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To distinguish this type of turbid Japanese alcohol from that of the ubiquitous and transparent sake, there are two distinct if slightly misleading categories: seishu (清酒), or clear sake, and doburoku (濁酒). However, when making doburoku, they are all simultaneously placed in with the yeast starter, causing the resulting mixture to be comparatively overflowing with sugars. For nearly as long as rice has been cultivated in Japan, doburoku has existed. In essence, all doburoku made from then on came to be called mitsuzoushu (密造酒), “secretly produced alcohol,” or moonshine. The state of doburoku todayOpened in 2015, Tokyo’s Sake Hotaru was the first legal spot to offer doburoku in Japan’s capital.

Persons: Heiwa, doburoku, homebrewing, Utsunomiya Hitoshi, Utsunomiya, “, Hotaru, Norimasa Yamamoto, it’s, ”, Kato, Shinobu Kato, ” Kato Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Makers Association Locations: Tokyo, Nihombashi, Wakayama prefecture, Japan, Edo, Borne, doburoku, Japan’s, Brooklyn

☆ Nobuyo Oyama, voice of beloved ‘Doraemon,’ dies aged 90
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Nobuyo Oyama, the voice of beloved Japanese anime “Doraemon” for a generation of children across Asia, has died at age 90, her agency confirmed on Friday. Oyama died on September 29 due to old age, according to the Actors 7 agency. Japanese voice actress Nobuyo Oyama during an interview in Tokyo on November 11, 1996. Hidetoshi Tanaka/The Yomiuri Shimbun/APOyama was born in Tokyo, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK. Another wrote: “Doraemon, I’ve loved you ever since I can remember, thanks to Nobuyo Oyama.”Others expressed grief that Oyama had died so shortly after the death in July of Noriko Ohara, the voice of Nobita.

Persons: Tokyo CNN — Nobuyo Oyama, Oyama, ”, –, Nobuyo Oyama, Hidetoshi Tanaka, AP Oyama, Boo Foo Woo, Ms, Nobuyo, Kazuhiko Inoue, Kakashi, I’ve, Noriko Ohara Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Yomiuri Shimbun, AP, NHK Locations: Asia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Tokyo

☆ Japan has made the world’s smallest Rubik’s Cube. And it actually works
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Chris Lau | Nodoka Katsura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Japanese toymaker MegaHouse has unveiled a miniature Rubik’s Cube — one so tiny that you might need a pair of tweezers to solve it. Each face of the cube, which is made from aluminum, measures about five millimeters (around 0.2 inches) across. “The 5-milimeter Rubik’s Cube is the result of the trinity of machines, cutting tools, and players’ passion,” said Kiyokazu Saito, president of Iriso Precision, the company brought in for the precision cutting, in a promotional video on the toymaker’s website. Guinness World Record confirmed the micro-cube as the world’s smallest rotating puzzle cube in August. The miniature cube in comparison to a standard one.

Persons: MegaHouse, “, ”, Kiyokazu Saito, Tony Fisher, Ernő Rubik, Max Park, Wang Yiheng, Luke Garrett, Aaron Huynh, China’s Du Yusheng Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Iriso, CNN, Guinness Locations: British, Long Beach , California, China

☆ Iwao Hakamata: He’s the world’s longest-serving death row inmate. A court ruling may soon clear his name
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Lex Harvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Tokyo CNN —A pair of blood-spattered trousers in a miso tank and an allegedly forced confession helped send Iwao Hakamata to death row more than five decades ago. Now, the world’s longest-serving death row convict has a chance to clear his name. During the retrial, Hakamata’s lawyers argued new information proved his innocence, while prosecutors claimed there was enough evidence to confirm he should be hanged for the crime. And some say it’s one of the reasons why the country should do away with the death penalty. “I’m against the death penalty,” Hideko said.

Persons: Iwao Hakamata, that’s, Hakamata, Hideko, ”, he’s, ” Hideko, “, Machiko Ino Japan, Hiroshi Ichikawa, Ichikawa, Hideyo Ogawa, ” Ogawa, Chiara Sangiorgio, Sangiorgio, “ Iwao, Hakamata “ Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Tokyo High Court, Japan’s, Ministry of Justice, Hakamata, CNN, “, Japan’s Ministry, Justice, exoneration, Amnesty International Locations: Shizuoka, Japan, Tokyo, United States

☆ Shenzhen, China: Schoolboy, 10, killed in new China stabbing attack near Japanese school
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The boy was attacked by a man about 200 meters (650 feet) from the gates of the Japanese school in Shenzhen, a tech-hub metropolis home to many Japanese businesses, according to China’s foreign ministry. But Japanese nationality is required for enrollment at the Shenzhen Japanese School, according to its website. Following that attack, Japan’s foreign ministry told Japanese schools to review their safety measures, Kamikawa said. At a regular news conference Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the case was being investigated. China’s foreign ministry has described both attacks as isolated incidents and did not release further information on the motives.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, “, Kamikawa, Lin Jian Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Shenzhen Japanese School Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, China, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Jilin

☆ Cape penguin found in Japan after two weeks missing at sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Lex Harvey | Nodoka Katsura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

African penguins can swim up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) a day, he said, but in captivity, their muscle mass decreases. But, amid the destruction, the typhoon was a boon for little Pen, Imai said. “She survived because of the typhoon,” Imai said. “It was almost miraculous timing.”Pen's keeper, Ryosuke Imai, rescued Pen after someone spotted her on a beach 45 kilometers from where she escaped. “When we first received the report, I couldn’t believe there was really a penguin,” Imai said.

Persons: Ryosuke Imai, Pen's, Gekidan, Pen, Imai, ” Imai, Gan, Penters wasn’t, ” Pen, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN Locations: Japan

Tokyo CNN —Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will not run for a second term as leader of the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) next month following a series of political scandals that have fueled calls for him to resign. The most obvious first step, to show that the LDP will change, is for me to step aside,” he said. Concerns about Japan’s economy, including the weakening of the yen against the US dollar, have also undermined confidence in Kishida’s economic policies. He had previously denied he would step down as party leader despite public criticism and sinking disapproval ratings. His decision to quit comes a month before LDP elections are slated, with the date in September yet to be announced.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, ”, “, Joe Biden’s Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japanese, Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, . Locations: Japan, Kishida, Ukraine

☆ Nankei Trough advisory: Japan is bracing for a once-in-a-century earthquake. Does it need to?
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Hanako Montgomery | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

A special committee warned that another “major earthquake” could hit in the coming week – the first time in its history the body had issued this type of nationwide advisory. Then there’s the looming threat of the Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake – the most powerful of its kind, with magnitudes that can exceed 9. Japan’s government has warned of the possible Nankai Trough quake for so many years that the possibility of it occurring has become common knowledge. The ‘big one’The Nankai Trough is a 700-kilometer long (435-mile) subduction zone, which refers to when tectonic plates slip beneath each other. “I tell (my students), the Nankai Trough earthquake will definitely come, whether it’s your generation or your children’s generation,” he said.

Persons: ”, Shoichi Yoshioka, ” Yoshioka, Kim Jae, it’s, “, Robert Geller, It’s, Yoshioka, Geller, ” Geller, Yota, Mashiro Ogawa, Megumi Sugimoto, “ It’s, Shuhei Yokoyama, there’s, Sugimoto Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan’s Kobe University, “, Residents, Getty, government’s Earthquake Research, Kobe University, University of Tokyo, Asahi Shimbun, Osaka University Locations: Japan, Europe, United States, Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, AFP, Nankai, Philippine, Tokyo, Noto Peninsula, Wajima City, Noto, Fukuoka, Kyushu, Kumamoto

Tokyo CNN —Israel will not be invited to this year’s peace ceremony commemorating the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki to promote a “peaceful and somber atmosphere” at the August 9 event, the city’s mayor told local media Wednesday. Nagasaki’s mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters Wednesday that Israel’s exclusion was due to security concerns and was not a political decision. Hiroshima’s annual peace ceremony is the larger of the two and representatives from 115 countries and the European Union are set to attend this year. Some local activists and peace advocates accused Hiroshima authorities of double standards for excluding Russia and Belarus but allowing Israel to take part. However, Russia and Belarus are exceptions due to the invasion of Ukraine,” a Hiroshima city government spokesperson told CNN last month.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Shiro Suzuki, “, ”, Gilad Cohen, Israel, Suzuki, don’t Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Hamas, European Union, Israel’s, Israel, Kyodo Locations: Tokyo CNN — Israel, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Israel, Gaza, Japan, Russia, Belarus, Moscow, Ukraine, ”

☆ Japanese restaurants say they’re not charging tourists more – they’re just charging locals less
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tokyo CNN —Kudos to you if you can speak perfect Japanese and order food at a neighborhood sushi bar in Tokyo. But overtourism – fueled by a combination of pent-up post-Covid demands (aka “revenge travel”) and the weak local currency – has recently prompted restaurants in the country to consider the merits of differential pricing. This year, spurred by a weak yen that has fallen to its lowest level against the dollar in decades, the tourists are back - in big numbers. “Some people say, ‘We don’t do this in our country.’ But think about how bad Japanese people’s English skills are. As the less-expensive resident prices are often written in the local language, foreign tourists may not even know they paid more.

Persons: –, ”, Shogo Yonemitsu, ” Yonemitsu, Elisa Chan, Tamatebako, Rinka Tonsho, CNN Yonemitsu, isn’t, That’s, CNN Shuji Miyake, Phoebe Lee Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Mount Fuji, UNESCO, Chinese University of Hong, CNN Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Shibuya, Mount, Hokkaido, Himeji, In Venice, Tokyo’s Tsukiji

However, Russia and Belarus are exceptions due to the invasion of Ukraine,” a Hiroshima city government spokesperson told CNN. Envoys from Russia and Belarus haven’t attended since Hiroshima excluded them in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Russia used Belarus as one of the launch pads for its assault and later moved some of its tactical nuclear weapons there. “As a city of international peace, Hiroshima city needs to invite all nations, regardless of whether they are at war or not,” said Kunihiko Sakuma, president of Hiroshima Hidankyo, an atomic bomb survivors’ advocacy group. Hiroshima authorities said they only send invitations to countries with embassies in Japan and have never invited Palestinian representatives to the ceremony.

Persons: haven’t, Israel, ”, Hiroshima’s, Belarus haven’t, Tetsuji Kumada, Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Fumio Kishida, Volodymyr Zelensky, Naoya Azuma, Kunihiko Sakuma, Yoko Kamikawa, Junko Ogura Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, CNN, “, ”, European Union, Hiroshima’s, Russia, Hamas, Reuters, AP Japan, Kyodo, ” Kyodo, Mission of Locations: Tokyo CNN — Hiroshima, Gaza, Hiroshima, Israel, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, ”, “ Russia, Nagasaki, Palestine, Japan, Israeli, Al, Khan, Reuters Japanese, Hiroshima Peace, Kyiv, Tokyo, Mission of Palestine

☆ Japan’s top general lauds closer South Korea military ties as mutual concerns grow over China, North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tokyo CNN —America’s two most powerful allies in the Pacific are taking their defense ties to new heights amid increasing concerns over China’s assertiveness in the region and North Korean threats, Japan’s top general said Thursday. Yoshida called on Japan, South Korea and the United States to “demonstrate our strong unity domestically and globally to ensure regional peace and stability.”But bilateral cooperation between Japan and South Korea is the most noteworthy result of this week’s meeting in Tokyo. Kim said he and Yoshida “share a lot of the same thoughts,” an acknowledgment of the mutual perspective on the regional threat posed by China and North Korea. Last month, Japan and South Korea joined the US in the inaugural Freedom Edge in the Pacific, a military exercise that focused on ballistic missile and air defense, anti-submarine warfare and more. “Domestic politics remain complicated in Seoul and Tokyo, but policymakers and military professionals want to lock in coordinated responses to North Korea, Russia, and China before any major political changes occur in Washington,” Easley said.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, China’s, CQ, Kim Myung, Yoshihide Yoshida, ”, Yoshida, South Korea’s Kim, Kim, Yoshida “, James Brown, Yoon Suk Yeol, Moon Jae, Brown, they’ve, Japan ”, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Camp David, Andrew Harnik, Lloyd Austin, “, ” Leif, Eric Easley, ” Easley Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Joint Chiefs, CQ Brown, South, East, ”, Temple University, Tokyo ., Japan's, Camp, US, Korean, Japanese Defense Ministry, NATO, CNN, Ewha Womans University Locations: China, East China, South China, North Korea, ”, Russia, Japan, South Korea, United States, Tokyo, South, Seoul, Pacific, Camp, Singapore, Washington, Europe

☆ Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apologizes to people forcibly sterilized under former eugenics law
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Tokyo CNN —Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has formally apologized to a group of plaintiffs who were forcibly sterilized under the country’s decades-long former eugenics law following their lengthy campaign for justice. At least 25,000 people were sterilized under the law, Kishida told a meeting at his official residence of about 130 survivors, many now elderly and in wheelchairs, public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apologizes during a meeting with the plaintiffs and their supporters at his official residence in Tokyo on July 17, 2024. Besides an official apology, the plaintiffs have also demanded a compensation law that would benefit all survivors, even those who haven’t filed lawsuits. “I heard the apology directly from the prime minister to the victims, but I think we could have heard it earlier,” said Koji Niisato, an attorney for plaintiffs, according to NHK.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, “, ” Kishida, Kikuo Kojima, ’, ” “, ”, JIJI Press, haven’t, Koji Niisato Organizations: Tokyo CNN — Japan’s, NHK, Protection, JIJI, Getty, Eugenics, “ Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan: One in 10 young people say they have been groped in public, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Chris Lau | Yumi Asada | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tokyo CNN —One in 10 young people in Japan – the vast majority women – have been groped on trains and in other public places, a government survey has found, highlighting an often unreported crime that has long plagued the country despite official efforts to fight it. Women accounted for nearly 90% of those who said they were assaulted, according to the survey released this month. “For some reason, I cry more now when I remember it than when it happened,” they told the survey. But some survey respondents urged authorities to do more. “We need to continue to educate people that molestation is a serious crime,” a Japanese government spokesperson told CNN, adding that public groping should always be reported.

Persons: –, “, ”, chikan, groped, Jeffrey Hall, Hall, haven’t Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Kanda University of International Studies Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Chiba

☆ Japan: Beachgoer swept away on floating ring survives 36-hour ordeal at sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Nodoko Katsura | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Tokyo CNN —A beachgoer who was swept 80 kilometers (50 miles) out to sea in a floating ring has been rescued off Japan’s east coast some 36 hours after she went missing, authorities said. She had been spotted earlier by a cargo ship crew, which radioed the tanker for help, the coast guard added. The coast guard flew the woman by helicopter to the city of Yokohama, where she was taken to the hospital for assessment following her overnight ordeal. There is no need for hospitalization,” the coast guard said. Authorities said the woman was likely swept away by currents and moderately strong winds, NHK reported.

Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan Coast Guard, CNN, NHK, Authorities Locations: Tokyo, Yokohama, Shimoda, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan

☆ Japan court orders government to pay damages for forced sterilizations under now-defunct eugenics law
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tokyo CNN —In a landmark decision, Japan’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to pay damages to people who were forcibly sterilized under a now-defunct eugenics law, ruling the practice was unconstitutional and had violated their rights. About 25,000 people were sterilized without consent during that period, according to the court ruling, citing ministry data. In the fifth case, the lower court had ruled against the plaintiffs and dismissed their case, citing the 20-year statute of limitations. The Supreme Court overturned this decision on Wednesday, calling the statute “unacceptable” and “extremely contrary to the principles of justice and fairness.”The case is now sent back to the lower court to determine how much the government should pay. In a press conference after the court ruling, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed the government’s remorse and apology to victims, NHK reported.

Persons: Wednesday’s, Yuichi Yamazaki, ”, Saburo Tokura, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Supreme, Getty, NHK, – Locations: Japan, Tokyo, AFP

“Without Nepal, Japan would not function.”The yellow flowers of the paperbush shrub seen in Dolakha, Nepal, in December 2023. Its bark has long, strong fibers that are perfect for making thin yet durable paper, according to the Kantou website. But as the shortage of Japanese paperbush became evident in the following years, Kanpou and the Nepali farmers ramped up production until they became the main source of the yen bill. It’s a protracted process, said Matsubara: farmers plant seedlings in early summer, harvest their branches in the fall, then spend several months processing the bark through steaming, peeling, washing and drying. The profits from the paperbush sales have provided a new revenue stream to Nepali communities, said Matsubara.

Persons: “, ”, Tadashi Matsubara, Matsubara, Tadashi Matsubara Kanpou, It’s, it’s, Eiichi Shibusawa, –, Kanpou Organizations: Tokyo CNN — Banks, Kanpou, “, National Printing Bureau, Kyodo, Bank of Japan, Observatory, Ministry of Economy, Trade, Industry, government’s Japan International Cooperation Agency, CNN Locations: Japan, Nepal, China, Dolakha, Everest, Tokyo, Farmers, Kathmandu, Indian, Kolkata, Yokohama, Odawara, Ilam, Nepal’s Ilam

Tokyo CNN —Japanese prosecutors have charged a US Air Force member with allegedly kidnapping and raping an underage girl just before Christmas last year, Okinawa police confirmed to CNN on Wednesday. Washington was released on bail and transferred to the Kadena US Air Base in Okinawa for custody, according to a government spokesperson. The court’s spokesperson told CNN they do not have any details regarding the airman’s legal representation. The embassy told CNN in a phone call to contact Kadena Air Base, where Washington was based, for information on the case. CNN has contacted Kadena Air Base for comment.

Persons: Brennon, ”, Denny Tamaki, “, Alvin G, Nelson III, ” Nelson, Masataka Okano, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, David, Biden Organizations: Tokyo CNN, US Air Force, Okinawa, CNN, Kadena US Air Base, Ospreys, Okinawa Gov, Kadena Air Base, Kadena, US Navy, Mount, Japan’s, Foreign Affairs, Washington, Japanese Foreign Ministry, Embassy, Japanese, South Locations: . Washington, Naha, Okinawa’s, Washington, Okinawa, Tokyo, China, North Korea, ” Washington, Japan, curfews, Beijing

☆ Japanese pufferfish: Cup Noodles serves up notoriously poisonous pufferfish
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Chris Lau | Rinka Tonsho | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tokyo CNN —Pufferfish is regarded as a luxury in Japan and a meal featuring the potentially poisonous delicacy can easily cost up to 20,000 yen ($125) at high-end restaurants. But now, adventurous foodies in Japan can get a taste of “fugu” for a fraction of the price, from a Cup Noodle. Japanese instant noodle giant Nissin Foods released the new pufferfish flavor on Monday, expanding its massive lineup. “In recent years … ramen shops specializing in fugu ramen have been popping up, grabbing the hearts of many ramen fans,” it said. An elderly couple in Malaysia died last year after eating pufferfish, prompting an appeal from their daughter for stricter regulations.

Persons: Pufferfish, Nissin, Momofuku Ando Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Western Australia’s Department of Fisheries, Chefs Locations: Japan, Colombia, Gamagori city, Japan’s, Aichi, Philippines, Malaysia

More than a year later, she is still in debt and resorting to sex work to pay her bills. But now she would have to repay him – with sex work the only way to raise the cash. Yu is one of hundreds of women coerced to sell their bodies after frequenting Japan’s so-called “host clubs,” experts told CNN. Of those detained, 40% told police they were soliciting to repay debts run up at host clubs, NHK reported. “It’s a romance scam, basically,” said Ayaka Shiomura, a member of Japan’s upper house of parliament, who has unsuccessfully pushed for better safeguards against exploitative host clubs.

Persons: Tokyo CNN — Yu, she’d, Yu, ’ ”, “, ” Yu, Daniel Campisi, Behrouz Meheri, ”, Ayaka Shiomura, Mikami Rui, ” Mikami Rui, Hidemori, Gen, Shiomura, “ let’s, ” –, ‘, ’ ” Yu, –, Rui, “ I’m Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Getty, Tokyo, NHK, Asahi Shimbun, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Locations: Japan’s, Kabukicho, Tokyo, AFP, Japan, Okinawa, Macao, Hong Kong

Tokyo CNN —Japanese officials descended on the headquarters of Toyota on Tuesday, after a safety test scandal at a number of automakers in the country widened this week. The ministry said five automakers — Toyota (TM), Mazda, Honda (HMC), Suzuki and Yamaha — had submitted incorrect or manipulated safety test data when they applied for certification of the vehicles. All five companies were told to review their safety certification processes. Kyodo/ReutersKoji Endo of SBI Securities said that Japan’s certification tests are very stringent and much stricter than in other countries. In January, Toyota announced it would suspend shipments of certain models after finding irregularities in certification tests for diesel engines developed by its affiliate, Toyota Industries.

Persons: —, Suzuki, Yamaha —, Koji Endo, ”, “, ” Endo, Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Toyota, Japan’s Ministry of Transport, CNN, — Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Yamaha, Corolla Fielder, Corolla, Kyodo, SBI Securities, Transport Ministry, Toyota Industries, Daihatsu Locations: Japan

☆ Japan is determined to keep hunting whales. And now it has a brand new ‘mothership’ to do that
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Heather Chen | Hanako Montgomery | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Demand for whale meat in JapanOver the years, Kyodo Senpaku has launched aggressive public relation campaigns to promote whale meat and win over new generations of young diners. We would react very badly to that.”The owner of a whale meat shop shows a block of whale meat at the Karato fish market in Shimonoseki city. Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty ImagesThis picture taken on May 20, 2024 shows whale meat sashimi at a 'Nisshinmaru' whale meat restaurant in Shimonoseki city, Yamaguchi prefecture. Located in deep waters surrounding the entire continent of Antarctica, the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary hosts dozens of whale species including humpbacks, blue whales and fin whales. “It’s called the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for a reason – you don’t kill whales there,” Watson said.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Hideki Tokoro, ”, ” Tokoro, Hideko Tokoro, Hanako Montgomery, Paul Watson, “, Daisuke Urakami, Ari Friedlaender, Sutton Hibbert, Shutterstock, ” Donald Rothwell, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Francois Gohier, ” WCA, Tokoro, Nobuhiro Kishigami, ” Kishigami, “ It’s, Yuichi Yamazaki, Mitsuhiro Kishimoto, Juan Barreto, Takaaki Sakamoto, Captain Paul Watson, aren’t, James Anderson, ” Rothwell, Watson, CNN he’s, ” Watson Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Kyodo, CNN, Yomiuri Shimbun, “, International Whaling Commission, IWC, International Convention, Whaling, Australian National University, ANU, Cetacean, Kyodo Senpaku, South Korea –, National Museum of Ethnology, Getty, Shimonoseki City University, Whale, Whaling Affairs, Japan’s Fisheries Agency, Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Whale Defense Agency Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kangei, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Nisshin, Gulf of Maine, North, Russia, Thailand, South, Osaka, Shimonoseki, AFP, Yamaguchi, Gerlache, Antarctica, …

☆ Pasco Japan: Rat parts found in sliced white bread, sparking recall
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Chris Lau | Himari Semans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tokyo CNN —A major Japanese food supplier has recalled more than 100,000 packs of a popular brand of sliced white bread after rat parts were found inside some loaves. They were found in a batch of white “chojuku” bread — or super fermented bread, known for its extra chewy texture — manufactured by a factory based in western Tokyo prefecture, according to the company. White bread is a staple for many Japanese people when they feel like a Western-style meal, or “yoshoku,” as an alternative to traditional Japanese food. Founded in 1920, Pasco is a major supplier of baked goods that employs more than 3,700 staff at 12 factories across the country. The 15-second commercial, released months ago, features a family excitingly declaring their love of good toast as breakfast, accompanied by a voice-over saying: “We put nothing unnecessary in it.”“⁠I love chojuku bread.

Persons: Warabeya Nichiyo, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Pasco Shikishima Corporation, CNN, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, Warabeya, Reuters Locations: Pasco, “, Tokyo, Japan, Saitama

☆ Japanese yen: How the currency’s record slump is squeezing the Japanese
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Higher interest rates in the United States and other countries mean investors can make bigger returns on investments there than they can in Japan. This encourages carry trades, in which investors borrow money in yen to invest it in higher-yielding assets priced in other currencies. That weakens the Japanese currency. A Big Mac costs 50% more in the next cheapest G10 currency, the New Zealand dollar, than it does in yen, he added. … and lots of drawbacksBut the falling yen has caused much pain at home and not just for small businesses like Japan Fraise.

Persons: hasn’t, Hiroko Ishikawa, “ It’s, ” Ishikawa, “, we’re, We’re, Himari Semans, That’s, ” Nigel Green, Kit Juckes, Warren Buffett, ” Sean Callow, ”, Sato Hitomi, Semans, I’ve, —, Laura He, Chris Lau Organizations: Tokyo CNN, US, Reserve, CNN, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, deVere, greenback, Labor, Societe Generale, New Zealand, Japan’s National Tourism Organization, Tokyo’s Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan, United States, Sydney, Hawaii

☆ Akebono: Pioneering US-born sumo wrestling champion dies aged 54
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Pioneering US-born former sumo wrestling champion Akebono has died, his family announced in a statement Thursday. Widely considered to have blazed a trail for other foreign sumo wrestlers, the 54-year-old died of heart failure at a hospital in Japan. Born Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan in Hawaii, Akebono became the first non-Japanese yokozuna – a sumo grand champion, the highest rank in the sport. According to the Japan Sumo Association, Akebono was rushed to hospital after a wrestling match in 2017 and had been unwell ever since. I was talking with him about meeting under a tree in Hawaii with all our fellow sumo wrestlers when we grew older.

Persons: Akebono, Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan, –, Akebono Taro, “, Akebono “, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Masaru Hanada, ” Hanada, I’m, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, Yokozuna, Japan Sumo Association, Twitter, Japanese Olympic Committee, Nagano, Japan’s Locations: Japan, Hawaii, Tokyo, United States, ”, Washington, I’ll

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