Category Archives: Media

The “comfort women” issue in 1997

Posted on May 21, 2013 by

Here is a column I wrote in 1997 about the “comfort women” issue, which was still relatively new at the time. In light of the controversy sparked by Mayor Toru Hashimoto’s comments, I thought it might be instructive to see … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, May 5, 2013

Posted on May 5, 2013 by

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about the government’s proposal to boost English language proficiency, mainly through utilization of TOEFL. Near the end of the column I mention the “parochial” nature of Japan’s world view, a stereotype I normally … Continue reading →

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The pursuit of happiest: Will and Jaden Smith in Tokyo

Posted on May 4, 2013 by

In his newest sci-fi blockbuster, After Earth, Will Smith plays a man who is incapacitated during a crash landing on earth some thousand years into the future and in order to survive he has to send his own son, played … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Apr. 7, 2013

Posted on April 7, 2013 by

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about the current administration’s attitude toward the constitution as demonstrated by its handling of the vote disparity issue. This attitude might have met with more criticism from the media if the judiciary were … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Mar. 31, 2013

Posted on March 31, 2013 by

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which along with another article we posted on our JT blog completes a double this week on public transportation. Though the two pieces address different news stories, both bring up the issue of what sort … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Mar. 24, 2013

Posted on March 24, 2013 by

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about coverage of a new prenatal screening test and the attendant discussion of abortion in Japan. The general opinion, both here and abroad, is that abortion is legal in Japan, but while it … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Mar. 17, 2013

Posted on March 17, 2013 by

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the Shinsai Big Data project, which endeavors to make sense of data recorded on March 11, 2011 in the areas of northeastern Japan that were hit the hardest by the tsunami caused by the … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 24, 2013

Posted on February 24, 2013 by

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about vegetarianism as an expression of conscience. The article is not meant to advocate meat-free diets. My point is that the moral imperative which informs vegetarianism is worth discussing and it is not … Continue reading →

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Getting it wrong on “bessei”

Posted on February 18, 2013 by

This weekend the Cabinet Office released the results of a survey showing that “fewer people” supported the idea of allowing married couples to use separate names. This issue has been simmering for at least a decade and every time a … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 17, 2013

Posted on February 17, 2013 by

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the judo scandal. Central to the issue, as far as the media is concerned, is judo’s relationship to the Olympics. In the column I say that organized judo is nothing without the Olympics, a … Continue reading →

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