Sugiyama: Could Be Her Last Wimbledon

Tennis fans have flocked together at Wimbledon to witness perhaps the most important event in the sport. True tennis enthusiasts would recognize the name Ai Sugiyama, a Japanese tennis veteran. She made her debut in the All England Club scene way back in 1993 and has since then participated in the event 17 times.

Sugiyama, who is now 33 years old, says that she is now only playing for pleasure and not really to compete. Though she is still considered the number one woman tennis player in Japan, she is currently having a hard time keeping up physically. It is no wonder given her age, which can be considered a tad too old for the sport. AFP quotes her as saying:

I’m just thinking year by year now. I don’t know if I can come back next year. It is too far to think of for me. Each year I’m fighting every day to be fit and physically, mentally to be able to play at the top level. It’s difficult actually.

The older you get, it’s definitely tougher because physically, when you’re young, even though you play three or four matches, once you stretch well, eat well then sleep you will be fresh. But when you get to 33, recovering wise, it’s not that easy compared to before so you have to really take care of your body.

What she said is true enough but there is also no doubt that she can still deliver a very good game on the grass. More importantly, she is still well regarded in the tennis world.

Japan Mourns The Death Of The King Of Pop

If there is one country where Michael Jackson has always been welcome despite all the controversy he’s encountered, it is Japan. From unwavering loyalty from his fans to advertising deals, Japan has always lent its support to the King of Pop.

When news of his death spread like wildfire on Thursday, the Japanese nation was shaken like no other. If you thought that Hollywood was (is?) focusing too much on MJ’s death, you should have been in Japan on that day. Major TV stations switched to special programming to cover the news. Online stores were flooded with orders for albums by Michael Jackson, among other things. Even government officials had something to say!

The Associated Press writes:

The top government spokesman and other ministers expressed their condolences.

“He was a superstar. It is an extremely tragic loss. But it is fantastic he was able to give so many dreams and so much hope to the people of the world,” said Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe.

Japan has always been special to the star. According to the same news report:

Jackson chose Japan — the biggest pop music market in Asia — for his first public appearance after he was acquitted of molestation charges in 2005, a delicate period in his career when his marketability had started to tank elsewhere.

Appearing at a ceremony in Tokyo in 2006, Jackson choked up before fans screaming “I love you” as he accepted a Japan MTV “Legend Award.” He later visited an orphanage on a trip largely untarnished by the bad press he had received back home.

Indeed, MJ will be missed sorely by many, but perhaps more so in Japan.

No More Rape Games In Japan

Gamers who are into video games with adult content will know immediately what I am talking about. For the uninitiated, there is a genre of games which deal exclusively with adult content, and yes, there is a large market out there. While the origins of these games cannot really be attributed to a single location, a lot of them come from Japan.

One of the games which has garnered international attention is RapeLay. It is pretty obvious what the game is all about – players get to stalk girls – young or old – and rape them at will. Players get to earn points for each act of violence that they do. More so, they get additional points for forcing them to get abortions. In the US, this game caught the ire of human rights activists, forcing retail stores such as Amazon to pull the game out of their shelves.

Now, Japan is following suit. AFP has the story:

The Japanese industry group the Ethics Organisation of Computer Software said it had long mulled measures to control such content which it said “deviates extremely from social norms.”

The organisation will now ban all “sexual torture software” and set clear guidelines on what content should be blocked from circulating in the market, the group said in an announcement dated Thursday.

The group says it already screens almost all adult-content computer games made in Japan, and that some 90 percent of products carry its rating stickers.

The ban is a form of industry self-regulation and carries no legal weight, but it is expected to discourage most Japanese retailers from selling such games, said the spokesman.

While this not a legal move, it should serve to discourage the distribution of such material.

Green Tea Coke, Anyone?

Why not? Coke comes in various flavors, or versions if you want to call it that. We have the regular Coke, then we have Coke Light, and then there is Coke Zero. I personally prefer the regular (REAL) Coke, but hey, each to his own, right?

In Japan, they will soon get another option – Green Tea Coke. Katsuya Sato, the spokesman for Coca-Cola Japan Co., said late last week that they are going to launch a new product on June 8. This “new” Coke is going to have some tea antioxidants called catechins. Adding the catechins to the soda will not only give it the benefits that antioxidants normally give, but also provide a tea-like aftertaste.

And what is the rationale behind this? After all, most people I know drink Coke not because they want to stay healthy. We all know that it is NOT really a health drink, right? Well, Sato says that they are trying to target women who are in their 20s and 30s, who may be health-conscious. And while Coke is not really a health drink, providing the option of a somewhat healthy version will cater to people who want their soda and drink it too!

By the way, Coke is not the only soda company in Japan taking this route. In fact, fierce rival Pepsi is also coming up with their own exotic drink: basil-flavored Pepsi. Now I don’t know about that. I have always liked Coke but I don’t mind drinking Pepsi when I have to, but basil-flavored soda? I’ll pass.

Japanese Appetite For Whale Meat Declining?

Japanese cuisine is known all over the world for being one of the best. While not everyone has a liking for their more exotic dishes, staples such as tempura and sushi are well loved most everywhere that I’ve been to. One particularly exotic meat that the Japanese really love is whale meat, and it is by far the most controversial as well.

Japanese fleets regularly foray into the deep waters to hunt whales for meat. It used to be that up to 5000 tonnes of meat were consumed in the country each year. Today, however, it is reported that there are still at least 3000 tonnes left in cold storage. It is but logical to say that the Japanese population is not consuming as much whale meat as it used to.

What could be the reason behind this? The Sunday Herald reports:

Despite falling market prices, and regular government efforts to “educate” the population by way of academic lectures, food festivals, and compulsory school lunches, whale meat remains a dish that few modern Japanese have eaten more than twice. Not because it is scarce, they just don’t like it.

Daiki Fukuda is owner of a traditional izakaya restaurant called Paddock, in the northern coastal prefecture of Ishikawa. His reasons for not serving whale meat are purely culinary. “It doesn’t taste good,” he says. 

“I think it’s very strange to go hunting for whales near the South Pole when we have other meat and fish that are much more delicious. I tried whale meat once at school when I was a kid, and I hated it. We all did.”

It is pretty clear at this point that hunting whales down for profit might not last long as a practice. If no one buys it, who will continue to spend money on harvesting whale meat?

Japanese Seeing Poverty In A New Light

Eccentricities and peculiarities aside, the Japanese people are known to be among the hardest working in the world. As a result, they have been rewarded with wealth, especially when compared to other countries. For decades upon decades, poverty as other nations have experienced it was unknown to the Japanese people; and whatever poverty they had in their shores, they were able to deal with in their own way.

With the global economic problems that have been prevailing, however, it seems that Japan is now being forced to adapt a different perspective. Recession has hit the Japanese economy – something which was quite unthinkable for a lot of the people, I think.

The Japanese government has released figures regarding their unemployment rate: a rise of 0.4 percentage to 4.8%. This is the fastest increase since 1967.

In the past, the Japanese generally saw poverty as stemming from laziness and the lack of motivation. Today, however, with even the biggest companies letting go of so many employees, the general population are seeing that poverty can suddenly hit even the most hardworking person in the face.

The government is responding with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare at the helm. Activist Makoto Yuasa is finally being heard, as well. Yuasa has been lobbying for the government to work on providing safety nets against poverty for a long time, and it is only now that his efforts are paying off. While the situation is definitely not a happy thing, at least those that matter are paying attention now.

What’s Wrong With Going Naked?

Nothing, I think. Well, if you are inside the four walls of your home, or in your bathroom, or your bedroom; heck, even in a hotel or anywhere that is yours to call your private space. Or maybe a nudist colony.

Now going naked in a public park and being arrested at 3 in the morning – that’s a totally different story. And it is even worse when you are a public figure like Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. If you are not Japanese or you do not follow the Japanese entertainment scene, this name probably does not ring a bell. To those who are in the know, however, Kusanagi is one of the hottest and most popular singers and actors in the country today.

I suppose I should have said that he WAS one of the hottest, for after he was arrested by the police when he was found naked AND screaming in a Tokyo park, his followers seem to have deserted him. To make things worse for the celebrity, he is quoted to have pitched a question to the officers arresting him: “What’s wrong with going naked?”

While this may sound funny – I really think it is hilarious – Kusanagi’s critics and supporters do not think so. As a matter of fact, he has been dropped by his sponsors. TV shows have dropped him from their line ups. Even a movie that he is supposed to be part of has been thrown away.

Lesson for celebrities: don’t go naked in a public park and don’t ask what’s wrong with it when arrested.

Teenager May Be Japan’s First Swine Flu Case

The uproar over swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, has been going on for days now. As current strain of flu virus originates from Mexico, people in Asia are not as exposed to risk as our western brothers. However, due to the ease of travel from any part of the world today, there really is no guarantee that the virus will not reach the farthest corners of the world.

Japan, in particular, might have its first case of swine flu. Bloomberg reports:

Japan’s Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said a 17-year-old boy may be the country’s first swine-flu case.

The teenager, a high-school student from Yokohama, near Tokyo, visited the western Canadian province of British Columbia from April 10 to 25, according to public broadcaster NHK, which televised the news conference by Masuzoe this morning.

The youth underwent a medical checkup yesterday after coming down with a fever and cough. Preliminary tests suggested he may have swine flu, NHK reported.

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo is conducting additional tests to confirm the diagnosis, the report said.

With everyone as alert as they are at the moment, people arriving at international airports are scrutinized closely for any possible signs of flu. As a matter of fact, another woman arriving from Los Angeles was suspected to have the flu as well. After further tests, however, it turned out that she had another strain of flu.

While you are probably safe if you have not traveled to high risk areas or have no plans of traveling in the near future, it is always wise to employ good hygiene practices.

Japan Volcano Claimed US Poet?

I really hope not. No one likes hearing this kind of news and it will certainly have a negative effect on tourism in Japan. No matter how small this effect could be, no one still wants this kind of thing happening.

Anyhow, the news is that an American poet has been reported missing. Craig Arnold, a 41-year-old American poet went to Japan and went up the volcano on the island of Kuchinoerabu-jima in the northern Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. His intention was to do research on Japanese volcanoes as he is working on a book about these majestic peaks. Unfortunately, he has gone missing.

Japanese authorities were quick to respond and have already sent out search parties in an effort to find Arnold. He went missing on Monday and has not been found as of yet. By law, the Japanese authorities are required to search for a missing person for three days. In this particular case, however, they have extended the search until Sunday. As of this writing, there are no new developments yet. The BBC has this report:

Police said they had found Mr Arnold’s tracks on a trail up to the volcano, but they didn’t see any tracks coming down.

Chris Arnold said it was possible that after emerging at the top, his brother may have had difficulty finding the trail to get back down.

“I know my brother is tough and can survive in these conditions for many days, but I sincerely hope more manpower can be devoted to the search soon,” he told the university’s website.

Chris Arnold’s wife, Augusta Palmer, said dense vegetation on the slopes of the volcano made helicopter searches virtually useless.

For everyone’s sake, and most of all Arnold’s, I hope that he can be found today.

Japan Tourism To Experience A Boost

Japan lovers, here is some good news for you: the government is planning on focusing more attention on its tourism sector! It is no secret that Japan has not been exempt from the economic crisis that has been affecting even the richest countries in the world. As such, the government has decided that they will step up their efforts to boost their economy, and their plans give a major role to tourism.

This is really a no brainer as we all know that Japan is a major tourist destination for many people. Aside from the ever popular Japanese food (sushi!), the country has so much to offer in terms of culture and art. More so, Japan is quite modern, assuring visitors of the utmost comfort and convenience during their visit. It is a matter of fact thing to find an excellent Japan restaurant or a Japan hotel around the corner, especially in the major cities.

Part of the plan to boost the country’s tourism sector is the creation of the Japan Tourism Agency, which was established in October of last year. Headed by Yoshiaki Hompo, this agency is tasked with organizing the different sectors to contribute to the development of the tourism sector. While they are quick to acknowledge that the going won’t be as easy as one would like it to be, they are quite optimistic about their efforts.

For travelers, this means one thing: you are going to be in for a lot of wonderful experiences, great deals, and perhaps the best vacation of your life.