Japanese

2022 - 9 - 21

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Japanese man 'sets himself on fire' to protest Shinzo Abe's state ... (CNN)

A Japanese man in his 70s has been taken to hospital in Tokyo after setting himself on fire near the prime minister's office, according to Japan's public ...

Despite his wins at the ballot box, Abe was no stranger to controversy. [reverberated across](https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/asia/shinzo-abe-legacy-china-japan-indo-pacific-intl-hnk/index.html) the world and [huge crowds gathered](https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/09/photos/gallery/shinzo-abe-react-070922/index.html) on the streets of Tokyo to pay their respects. [died](https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/asia/japan-shinzo-abe-dies-shooting-intl-hnk/index.html) from excessive bleeding in July at the age of 67 after being shot while giving a public campaign speech. [longest-serving prime minister](https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/asia/shinzo-abe-former-japan-pm-death-intl-hnk/index.html), holding office from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020 before resigning due to health reasons. [state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe](https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/asia/shinzo-abe-former-japan-pm-death-intl-hnk/index.html) later this month, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. A Japanese man in his 70s has been taken to hospital in Tokyo after setting himself on fire near the prime minister’s office, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

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Image courtesy of "Voice of America"

Japanese Man Sets Himself on Fire in Apparent Protest of State ... (Voice of America)

Police officers and firefighters investigate the site where a man protesting a state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set himself on fire, ...

Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was assassinated on July 8 while delivering a speech at a campaign rally in the western city of Nara. News reports say the man, believed to be in his 70s, sustained burns over a large part of his body but was conscious when he was taken to a hospital. A police officer who tried to put out the fire was reportedly injured.

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Image courtesy of "Bloomberg"

Why Young Japanese Are More Likely to Back Abe's State Funeral (Bloomberg)

In a country where voters are increasingly opposed to a state funeral for Shinzo Abe, support for the event remains high among younger Japanese who see ...

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Image courtesy of "The Japan Times"

Even as Japan's border creaks open, unmarried couples still ... (The Japan Times)

When the coronavirus pandemic first broke out, Stefano Volonte, an Italian teacher, translator and interpreter, was planning to move to Japan to start a ...

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A man sets himself on fire in an apparent protest of Japanese leader ... (NPR)

TOKYO — A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister's office in Tokyo on Wednesday in an apparent protest against the state funeral planned ...

The state funeral is scheduled for next Tuesday at the Budokan martial arts arena in Tokyo. The suspect in Abe's assassination reportedly believed his mother's large donations to the church ruined his family. They say Kishida decided to hold a state funeral to please Abe's party faction and buttress his own power. More protests are expected in coming days, including the day of the funeral next week. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is in New York for the annual U.N. Police called it an attempted suicide and refused to give further details because the case involved no criminal intent.

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Image courtesy of "Asia Times"

The resistant roots of Japan's digital dysfunction (Asia Times)

A city clerk in western prefecture of Yamaguchi carries a floppy disk containing account information for 463 residents to a local bank. He has every.

The Japanese government launched the Digital Agency in 2021 in the hope of accelerating digitalization. But Japan must understand that the opportunity costs of not going digital are already too expensive. The reasons behind resistance to digital transformation are embedded in Japanese organizations and In 2018, the shortage of ICT personnel in Japan totaled approximately 220,000. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) estimates that the After the asset price bubble burst in the 1990s, businesses took a more cautious approach that The [delay in digital transformation](https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/09/25/covid-19-and-japans-long-awaited-digital-transformation/) has been felt acutely during Covid-19 because much of Japan’s public health administration still relies on outdated record-keeping methods that could not keep up with cases. Once known as a technological powerhouse, Japan has lagged in the global wave of digital transformation. These figures underscore the differences in the human resources systems between each country. For Japanese workers in their twenties, average annual salaries were 4.1 million yen (US$31,300), while US workers earned 10.2 million yen annually ($77,900). Such a mishap may be understandable had it occurred in the 1980s, when personal computers and memory devices were just popping up. He has every intention of transferring payments to the residents.

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Japanese man 'sets himself ablaze' to protest Shinzo Abe's state ... (The Independent)

Japan's public largely opposes state funeral for Abe over public money expenses and his links to the Unification church.

[Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) It was, however, also done for former prime minister Shigeru Yoshida in 1967. The government is yet to confirm if the man burnt himself in protest. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our [between him and a religious group ](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/world/shinzo-abe-murder-tetsuya-yamagami-mother-religion-b2153585.html)that began in South Korea after the suspected shooter, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested. [state funeral](/news/shinzo-abe-ap-cabinet-japan-tokyo-b2128865.html) at [a projected cost of up to $12m to the public](https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/japan/shinzo-abe-state-funeral-costs-b2160743.html) because of hefty security and reception fees to host foreign dignitaries. [mourned and condemned his death](/asia/japan/shinzo-abe-funeral-japan-tokyo-b2121065.html) in a country with [a minimal record of political violence and gun crime](https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/japan/shinzo-abe-dead-japan-gun-laws-b2118776.html) but many have called for authorities to be lenient on [the man suspected of the assassination](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/world/shinzo-abe-murder-tetsuya-yamagami-mother-religion-b2153585.html). [Japan](/topic/japan) was rushed to a hospital after he set himself on fire near the [prime minister](/topic/prime-minister)’s office to oppose [Shinzo Abe](/topic/shinzo-abe)’s state funeral, said public broadcaster [NHK](/topic/nhk) news.

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Image courtesy of "Global Times"

Japanese man sets himself on fire - Global Times (Global Times)

A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister's office on Wednesday after expressing opposition to a state funeral for assassinated ex-premier ...

A man set himself on fire near the Japanese prime minister's office on September 21 after expressing opposition to a state funeral for assassinated ex-premier Shinzo Abe, local media said. State funerals are rare in Japan, and the decision has been controversial. Police stand guard at the street leading to the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on September 21, 2022.

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Image courtesy of "TheTravel"

10 Tranquil Japanese Gardens To Visit In The U.S. In Spring (TheTravel)

There's no need to go to Japan to experience its splendor. The botanical beauty of traditional Japanese gardens is closer than one might think.

The park is also home to a genuine, bright crimson Byodo-In Temple, which was built in 1968 to mark 100 years of Japanese immigration to Hawaii and is a smaller reconstruction of its namesake in Japan. The Japanese Garden of Peace was a gift from Japan to the U.S, one that symbolizes 'the complicated but firm friendship between the two countries, as the museum explains. Not merely a Japanese zen garden in Hawaii, but one in a cemetery? San Fernando Valley's Japanese Garden named 'Suihoen' boasts a trio of gardens 'of water and fragrance.' Set over six-and-a-half acres, the gardens, 'dry meditation,' 'wet-strolling,' and 'tea' were designed by Dr. Showcasing a minimalist display inspired by hundreds-of-years-old Japanese customs and practices, Seiwa-en brings the Land of the Rising sun's historic enchantment to Missouri. The site offers tons of tradition, boasting a tiered waterfall, an island, a koi fish pond, a tea garden with an old-style tea house, and a courtyard garden that leads to a Japanese bathhouse. This garden's official name is 'Rohouen,' which combines three Japanese words: 'ro' for heron, 'ho' is the word for the mythical phoenix, and 'en' for garden - a befitting name for a true Japanese garden in Phoenix. The seventeenth-century Japanese house - Shofuso (meaning Pine Breeze Villa) - first began its exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In the modern day, the United States intrigue with Japanese gardens continues, and, thanks to a long relationship with these horticultural and architectural wonders from across the Pacific, many sublime samples exist for people to enjoy today - some of which may be closer to home than Americans realize. Japanese gardens are one of the Lands of the Rising Sun's most splendid experiences, offering a collective taste of the nation's natural beauty sculpted into an artistic format - one that is instantly recognizable as authentic Japanese landscaping botany and architecture. Boasting a tea house and koi pond within its enchanting spaces, this dot on Arizona's map offers a sense of old Japan's calming outdoor aura that made the country's signature curated gardens a place of rest and retreat. While WWII distracted the enthusiasm for Japanese gardens in the country for a time, the public eventually resumed its preoccupation with these stunning masterpieces, with hobbyists continuing their pastime procuring the Land of the Rising Sun's lawns across the 50 states once again.

Alice Technologies partners with Japanese giant Shimizu (Construction Dive)

The deal comes after a summer filled with action for Alice, which recently landed partnerships with massive firms such as Osaka-based contractor Takenaka ...

“With Alice, we can simulate thousands of ways in which we could build a complex project,” said Shuntaro Kano, a representative of Shimizu’s Silicon Valley Innovation Center, in the press release. - Alice’s software is an “optioneering” platform that allows contractors to utilize data and compare their plans to construction options during different phases such as bidding, preconstruction and more. “It makes junior people way more able to perform like senior people.” Other contech companies recently [announced strong funding rounds](https://www.constructiondive.com/news/6-summer-top-contech-funding-rounds/630276/), and [software companies are upping the offerings](https://www.constructiondive.com/news/new-and-updated-software-that-contractors-should-know-about/631167/) available to contractors. Both companies will use Alice’s products on their jobsites.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Mama, just killed a samurai! How Japan used Queen to liven up ... (The Guardian)

How do you give the star-cross'd lovers a lift? Drop them in 12th-century Japan and add a classic Queen album. As it opens in Britain, A Night at the Kabuki ...

There is subversion and bawdiness too, in keeping with the essence of kabuki, which arose as the antithesis of the sobriety and spirituality in noh theatre – historically the sole preserve of aristocratic audiences. A Night at the Kabuki incorporates some elements of kabuki, a tradition dating to the early 17th century. The auditorium is enormous, seating 2,000 with a massive stage and a ramp called the flower road (hanamichi) through which the actors enter and exit wearing traditional kimonos, wigs and powdered faces. But these medieval-era characters – court nobles, samurai and commoners – share the stage with an AI actor on screen and a well-known virtual manga character called Miku Hatsune, who has a flame of blue hair and is masterfully spliced into the live action. The show gives the illusion of a production even larger than its cast of 26. The production has a deliberate mutability of tone that takes the action from tragedy to slapstick, then back to conflict and death with reflections on time, love and unreliable memory. A second act jumps in time to mark a dark chapter of 20th-century history when Japanese troops in the Soviet Union were interned to work in labour camps in Siberia as prisoners of war, and where a significant proportion died. His version of Much Ado About Nothing transposed the court to a sumo wrestling ring. Queen’s song ’39 covers the idea of homecoming, which he took out of its science fiction context and applied to men’s return from war, and there was a bank of romantic songs too, such as Love of My Life, that were a good fit for the story. The comedy and satire undercut the central romance – the famous balcony scene, for example, becomes almost absurd with the young Juliet being advised: “Don’t throw yourself at him.” Romeo and Juliet only have a few days of love in Shakespeare’s play, the script reminds us, and in Noda’s production the pair even come back as older, wiser advisers trying to rescue their younger selves, 30 years on. It is directed by Hideki Noda, who has written more than 50 plays and is also an actor and artistic director of Tokyo Metropolitan theatre, where we meet in a back office. [A Night at the Kabuki](https://anightatthekabuki.com/), which sets their rock sounds against Japanese history and Shakespearean tragedy.

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Image courtesy of "The Stage"

Hideki Noda: the Japanese theatremaker on his kabuki Romeo and ... (The Stage)

Acclaimed Japanese theatremaker Hideki Noda tells us about bringing his Japan-set retelling of Romeo and Juliet to Sadler's Wells and the influences behind ...

Acclaimed Japanese theatremaker Hideki Noda tells us about bringing his Japan-set retelling of Romeo and Juliet to Sadler’s Wells and the influences behind his reimagining of the play – from kabuki drama to a soundtrack by Queen Hideki Noda: the Japanese theatremaker on his kabuki Romeo and Juliet set to the music of Queen [Register](https://www.thestage.co.uk/registration?utm_source=thestage&utm_medium=paywall&utm_campaign=anon+user+paywall) or [login](https://www.thestage.co.uk/login?utm_source=thestage&utm_medium=paywall&utm_campaign=anon+user+paywall) to unlock 3 free articles every month.

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Image courtesy of "Syracuse University News"

Will China and Japan Ever Fully Reopen? | Syracuse University News (Syracuse University News)

China's re-opening schedule highly depends on what transpires over the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party on October 16th, of which the Covid ...

The Rev. population in the near future. Many reports, including this one from the Pew Research Center, say Christians could make up less than half of the U.S.

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Meet Japan's cyborg cockroach, coming to disaster area near you (Reuters)

If an earthquake strikes in the not too distant future and survivors are trapped under tonnes of rubble, the first responders to locate them could be swarms ...

The film could be built into clothing or skin patches for use in monitoring vital signs. The insects mature in four months and have been known to live up to five years in captivity. In a recent demonstration, Riken researcher Yujiro Kakei used a specialized computer and wireless Bluetooth signal to tell the cyborg roach to turn left, causing it to scramble in that general direction. The research still has a long way to go. Even when the backpack and film are glued to their backs, the bugs can traverse small obstacles or right themselves when flipped over. "The batteries inside small robots run out quickly, so the time for exploration becomes shorter," Fukuda said.

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Image courtesy of "The Japan Times"

Why young Japanese are more likely to back Abe's state funeral (The Japan Times)

For many voters in their 20s, Abe's name is synonymous with a soaring Nikkei stock average and almost full employment under his Abenomics program.

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Image courtesy of "NME.com"

The 1975 announce Japan tour dates for April 2023 (NME.com)

The 1975 have announced a slew of tour dates in Japan as part of their upcoming 'At Their Very Best' world tour.

[North American leg](https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/listen-the-1975-new-single-release-happiness-3282960) which begins on November 3, 2022, in Uncasville, Connecticut, and concludes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 17. [‘All I Need To Hear’](https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/the-1975-release-new-single-all-i-need-to-hear-listen-3314694), which was accompanied by a reflective video featuring extended dialogue from frontman Matty Healy and a live version of the track performed in Bath’s Real World Studios. The track follows prior singles [‘Part Of The Band’](https://www.nme.com/en_asia/reviews/track/the-1975-new-song-part-of-the-band-3266027), [‘Happiness’](https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/listen-the-1975-new-single-release-happiness-3282960) and [‘I’m In Love With You’](https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/the-1975-drop-new-track-im-in-love-with-you-announce-uk-and-ireland-tour-dates-3302917). The quartet will then embark on a tour of the [UK and Ireland](https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/the-1975-drop-new-track-im-in-love-with-you-announce-uk-and-ireland-tour-dates-3302917), which begins in Brighton, UK on January 8 and concludes on January 30 in Belfast, UK, before arriving in Japan. Additional ticketing information has yet to be confirmed as of the time of writing. [‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’](https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/the-1975-announce-release-date-for-being-funny-in-a-foreign-language-3263429) – were announced via the quartet’s Instagram account yesterday.

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Image courtesy of "IZANAU"

Japanese Bathrooms: Why are they Different? (IZANAU)

When one thinks of a standard bathroom most would assume that a bathing area (either bathtub or shower stall) toilet and sink/basin are all compactly ...

With the setup for a Japanese bathroom one-third of the space is constantly wet and humid. At the end of the day, everyone in the family takes turns bathing and then soaking in the tub. One washes their body outside the tub and then soaks in the tub to relax. In a recent real estate survey, 80% of people looking for a new apartment said that they wanted their bathing area and toilet to be separate. In Japanese homes, the toilet, sink, and shower/bathtub are all in separate designated areas. For most, it may seem obvious and convenient for the bath/shower sink and toilet to be all in one space but there is a different logic to this in Japan.

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Image courtesy of "Financial Times"

Why the weak yen no longer means what it once did for Japan Inc (Financial Times)

Japanese companies had long struggled to match the cost competitiveness of rivals in China and South Korea when manufacturing products in their home market, ...

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