escape_artist said...

escape_artist at 10:48 PM JST - 2nd October

The powers that be in Japan won't like this...

Cannabis less harmful than drinking, smoking: report

Agence France-Presse, Thursday October 2, 2008

http://tinyurl.com/4uepvh

Posted in 5 Hosei University students arrested for possessing marijuana at 10:48 PM JST - 2nd October
escape_artist at 04:21 AM JST - 26th September

I remember when going to a department store in Japan used to be a rather enjoyable adventure, as places where one could wander floor to floor wiling away the time checking out a wide variety of goods at not so unreasonable prices (except maybe for the traditional Japanese items). I…

Posted in Isetan Mitsukoshi to close 6 department stores next spring at 04:21 AM JST - 26th September
escape_artist at 11:30 AM JST - 24th September

The Japan Times article this quote is from is here... http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080919f1.html

I think Yohan's demise was just the biggest and latest of Japan's sucking in toward itself in recent years. The foreign book sections at all major bookstores in Kansai have been shrinking for years, now catering mainly only to…

Posted in Yohan's bankruptcy was too sudden and it is taking a long time for other book distributors to establish a supply system. They do not have the knowhow for handling large volumes of foreign magazines and books. at 11:30 AM JST - 24th September
escape_artist at 01:12 PM JST - 21st September

A French friend told me once that Beaujolais is considered a substandard wine in France and often used for cooking, not drinking. I suppose there could be various types of Beaujolais, good and bad, but if true, don't the Japanese people who go gaga over this stuff care about quality?…

Posted in Becky named Beaujolais goodwill ambassador at 01:12 PM JST - 21st September
escape_artist at 04:01 PM JST - 19th September

Below are links to get the MAFF interim report (in Japanese) thus far of the companies affected by the Mikasa Foods contaminated rice scandal. Nothing related to the scandal on the English MAFF site that I could find (not that there would be, though).

http://www.maff.go.jp/j/press/

** For updated reports, addendums…

Posted in Agriculture minister Ota resigns over handling of tainted rice issue at 04:01 PM JST - 19th September
escape_artist at 03:58 PM JST - 17th September

Where can we get the list of companies online? I'm looking now, but if someone else posts a link here, great! Thx.

What angers me most are those industrial firms legally buying the tainted rice (supposedly for industrial purposes as the law dictates) and then KNOWINGLY selling it to food…

Posted in Rice retailer hangs himself over tainted rice scandal at 03:58 PM JST - 17th September
escape_artist at 03:40 PM JST - 17th September

Gov't to stop selling tainted rice...

Duh! About time.

If the govt wouldn't so often put making money before ensuring its citizens' (and residents') health, then this seems like a no-brainer thing to have done form the very beginning, no? Why are these kinds of common-sense things seemingly always done…

Posted in Gov't to stop selling tainted rice as preventive step at 03:40 PM JST - 17th September
escape_artist at 02:52 PM JST - 17th September

Police? Well, this is fine, but I sure hope the Health Ministry gets involved. No mention of that here at all (but then with Kyodo we can't expect very many details). Sounds like things the police will do to protect themselves more than those who have it.

The headline is…

Posted in NPA releases action plan against new type of influenza at 02:52 PM JST - 17th September
escape_artist at 10:49 AM JST - 16th September

RIP

Posted in Pink Floyd member Richard Wright dies age 65 at 10:49 AM JST - 16th September
escape_artist at 02:56 PM JST - 14th September

My guess is that most people in Japan won't change unless forced to change, and I mean a WHOLE lot more than just the consumption tax being raised to 10% or more. Why else, for instance, would the Japanese government only act AFTER the fact (yet again) to block any…

Posted in The LDP is merely changing its wrapping paper while leaving its contents unchanged. at 02:56 PM JST - 14th September