The only giant panda in Ueno Zoo is dead. It is possible that it’s out of old age but pandas should never be kept in a glass box for the world to see anyway. They’re not fishes. Not that it’s right for fishes.
I have a very soft spot for all mammals, I guess it must be a very dark day for the workers who works with Rin Rin.
Rin Rin, the sole giant panda at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, died in the early hours of Wednesday only one day after he was taken off display for veterinary treatment, officials said.
Veterinarians at the zoo in Taito-ku are poised to conduct an autopsy on his body in a bid to determine the cause of his death.
A worker came to the zoo on Wednesday morning to find 22-year-old Rin Rin dead in its viewing pen. After examining video surveillance footage, zoo officials concluded that he died at around 2 a.m.
Rin Rin, which is the equivalent of 70 years old in human terms, became less active at the beginning of this year. The zoo took him off display on Tuesday for veterinary treatment.
Rin Rin was born at Beijing Zoo in September 1985, and was sent to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo in 1992. He was the only giant panda for which Japan holds ownership rights.
Japanese Christian relics - including the Holy Grail - have been brutally demolished “by a government no better than a terrorist organization,” outraged Christian activists tell Shukan Asahi (4/18).
Pork barrel projects in the Amagusa district of Kumamoto Prefecture known for its strong links to feudal era Christianity and the greatest Christian rebellion this country has known have destroyed some of the religion’s most prized artifacts.
“The Amagusa Kurishitankan (Christian Building) was demolished as part of a restoration project funded by the special road maintenance taxes and the Christians’ Holy Grail was obliterated,” Christian activist and Amagusa citizens’ ombudsman Osamu Nakata tells Shukan Asahi. “We want to spread this message worldwide through the Vatican, the Pope and foreign media.”
Demolition of the building housing examples of Amagusa’s valuable Christian heritage took place in January this year. The work was part of about 800 million yen the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will devote to projects in about 1,300 districts across Japan, including Amagusa, over a four-year period. The demolition went ahead despite not having the required local residents’ permission.
“The government said the Kurishitankan had become too old and they would re-build it, so it had to come down. But tests on the building’s age showed no problem with its durability,” Nakata says. “They’ve spent 2.7 billion yen building white elephants in Amagusa. It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
I can understand the anger but really, if they’ve demolished the building for whatever reasons, just build a new one. There’s no value in being attached to an inanimated object if faith is suppose to transcend all these materialistic things. With this, I have a quote I would like to share because some people just place too much emphasis on buildings and materials dedicated to their faith that without it, it’s almost like the end of the world with them.
“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than going to a garage makes you a mechanic” - Laurence J. Peter
The Izakaya: the Japanese Pub Cookbook review done by Metropolis has me itching to get a copy. While the title may seem a little misguiding, the book is not just about recipes. It’s also a guide to fine watering holes and good eats around Japan.
Neither restaurant nor bar, the izakaya is more than a place where you can share delicious food and relaxing drinks—though it is certainly that. In many neighborhoods, it is a community hub with a cast of characters and ongoing narratives. The customers will range from locals and regulars to office workers, academics or day-laborers. They will order small-dish delicacies throughout the evening, perhaps in the beginning sharing just a couple of items. The menu is like a road map and the diners are at the wheel, calling out orders as the mood takes them. All dishes are inexpensive, and as the “scenery” and conversation changes, items that initially escaped notice acquire new appeal. No inquisitive diner can fail to broaden his or her horizons, wandering side routes into exciting new food avenues. And as the evening progresses and energy levels rise, you will hear straight talk and the uttering of hard truths that won’t ordinarily be spoken. In short, at the izakaya, people are more themselves.
As ghetto cool and hip hop reign grows over the years in Japan, break dancing amongst the youthful enthusiast is unavoidable. BBC had a piece written about it 5 years ago about the hip hop culture in Japan, but today all things synonymous to hip hop, break dance especially, have taken many Japanese break dancers across the world in competitions.
April 1st, exactly 50 years ago, was the day Japan imposed a ban on the centuries old sex trade. I am sure the regular patrons then went like “yea right, an April Fool’s joke by the government”. But the joke was on them alright, no more bunky bunky at the local brothel lest they wanted a night or 2 years with a heavy slap of fines in their faces.
BUT i won’t say that the sex trade has gone stale since then. If anything, ingenuity has brought sex to a whole new level in Japanese culture. Ahem…you guys (and girls) probably know what I mean, eh?
Anyway, read this article from Mainichi:
Exactly 50 years ago today (April 1), Japan’s formal ban on the centuries old act of prostitution came into effect.
The Prostitution Prevention Law outlawed the world’s oldest profession even though it had long been one of Japan’s most lucrative.
But the law was filled with loopholes and even today the sex business remains one of Japan’s biggest industries.
The fight to end prostitution began in earnest following Japan’s defeat in World War II, with newly liberated women Diet members in the vanguard of the fight.
Forrest Gump would have had a field trip with this treadmill. I laughed me ass off when i saw that black guy with pink protective gears on, trying to run ROFL!
Ignore the first few seconds of the video. Someone thought it’d be cool to slip in a community message. But watch this guy, he’s like the best straight shooter there is. The NY Yankees could do well with him heh…if and only if they can get him on their team. :P
Smoking should be banned. At least, that’s what I feel anyway. Smoking kills not only the smoker but also the people around them. It’s crazy to be smoking these days when you have other cooler and more addictive activity to do like videogames. :P Just kidding. I know that for smokers, the addiction takes over their lives - I see friends going out every now and then to take a puff, which i find rather distasteful. And I don’t hold back too with my opinion. Thankfully, my smoker friends do not hold it against me - in fact, they’re fine with it because they know what a disgusting habit it is.
Now, the Science Council in Japan are looking to double cigarette taxes, which i Think is a great thing. Since tobacco cannot be banned, why not make smokers pay until it gets too expensive to maintain that sort of lifestyle. Maybe tobacco companies will die off by themselves from bankruptcy. Wishful thinking, I know.
The Science Council of Japan has proposed tough new measures against smoking including doubling tobacco tax in a bid to protect the environment and people’s health, it has been learned.
The council submitted a suggestion to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on Tuesday to introduce tightened regulations in seven areas, including a major increase in tobacco tax. The council had been considering measures since June 2006.
Under tobacco regulation criteria produced by scientists in Europe, Japan was found to score only 25.5 points in its smoking countermeasures, placing the nation last when compared to 30 other countries in Europe. Ireland had the strongest measures against smoking, scoring 71 points.
The science council’s proposal to the ministry includes banning cigarette vending machines, setting numerical targets to reduce smoking rates, and doubling tobacco tax, which currently stands at 189 yen per packet. Under the suggestions, yearly consumption — now standing at about 27 billion cigarettes — would fall by one quarter and at least 2 million people would stop smoking, calculations showed. Tax proceeds would increase by about 1.2 trillion yen from the current 2.3 trillion yen under the measures.
You’re at home and suddenly you received an email that your pet goldfish, Desdemona, has died. Clutched by sadness, shock and a morbid sense of indulgence, you’ve decided to call home and “speak” to its body before it’s final flush down the toilet. Thing is, you just arrived in Japan and you have no bloody idea how to use the phone or what buttons to push. So what do you do? Every second counts because in the hot Saharian weather where your fish lives, it wouldn’t be long that Desdemona, may gott bless his/her soul (cos you weren’t sure of it’s sex), becomes a dried up crust.
To call from Japan to an Int’l destination:
1. You need to dial the access code of 010, first.
2. Followed by the country code you’re calling: Very useful list here.
3. If your country code starts with a “0″, drop it and dial the rest of the code + your phone number (including its area code).
Other options, buy a phone card for cheaper rates or register for an international calling program if you have more than one pet fish.
To call within Japan (landline to landline; cellphone to landline; landline to cellphone):
1. If you live in the same area, you may omit the area code. Although if you dialed the area code in, you’ll still get connected.
2. With a cellphone, you’ll have to dial the area code in. If you’re calling a cellphone you’ll have to dial the cell number’s area code in.
3. Cellphones cannot call tollfree numbers ( numbers that starts with 0120), you’ll have to use a landline for that.
To call Japan from abroad:
1. Dial Japan’s International access code first ( there are three options, try ALL of them till it works: 00, 011, 0011)
2. Then dial Japan’s country code (81)
3. If the number you want to reach starts with a “0″, omit it and dial the rest of the numbers.
For more information of the various calls and call back services, go here.
All art buffs should put this on their calender as the Tokyo International Arts Festival 2008 will be held throughout March 2008. This year’s lined up will include artists from Argentina, Belgium and Switzerland among the other Japanese artist who will be showcasing their art during the month of March. Now, art is a pretty subjective topic where what’s art to one may not be art to another. But nonetheless, The Tokyo International Arts Festival is a much anticipated event.
Check out a cool video from the event from past years:
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