[Via the Japan Times]  “The most recent UNAIDS data show there were 33.4 million people in the world infected with HIV in 2008, of which an estimated 2.7 million were new cases. UNAIDS says new HIV infections were down 30 percent from the peak in 1996, when the figure reached 3.5 million.
In Japan, on the other hand, the rate of new HIV infections was on an almost steady increase until 2009, when it dropped for the first time in about a decade.
According to the health ministry, 368 Japanese were newly …

Known as Oyatoi Gaikokujin (hired foreigners), these outside adviser were well compensated for consulting on matters of engineering, architecture, medical and legal affairs. Breaking with Japanese business tradition Ghosn began to slash thousands of jobs and sold off assets, which made him not so popular in the public’s eye. Relatively low salaries offered by many companies in Japan. In addition, foreigners in Japan should not expect much in compensation when it comes to your educational background and experience.

There can be fewer places more amenable to nicotine addiction than Japan. The idea of smoking as a socially unacceptable habit has yet to gain currency, smoke-free bars and restaurants are a rarity and cigarettes, at around 300 yen (about $3.45) a pack, are surprisingly cheap.
But Japan’s reputation as a smokers’ paradise faces its toughest challenge for decades with the introduction this autumn of a price hike that will take the price to above 400 yen.
The increase, which comes into effect Oct. 1, is a sign of a shift in …

Yokota Air Force Base Friendship Festival 2010
Posted Printable Fact Sheet

Yokota Air Base
Japanese – American Friendship Festival 2010
横 田基地日米友好祭２０１０
障 害者手帳をお持ちの方の車両入場手続きについて
DATE: Saturday, 21 August and Sunday, 22 August 2010
Gate Open Hours: 0900-2000
Entertainment schedule
エンターテイメント　スケジュール

Via the Hafu website:
Our events are designed to create opportunities to instigate fruitful discussions on cultural diversity, identity and ‘race’ in a profound and thoughtful way.
Typically, our talks are 30-45 minutes long with plenty of images and quotes from interviews, followed by a discussion.
Our exhibition can also be booked, usually for a period of at least one week, with the option of a programme of events.
The Hafu Project presents – Exhibition: Photography and Interviews
Natalie Maya Willer (Photographer) & Marcia Yumi Lise (Researcher)
7 Aug – 29 Aug …

Via the Japan Subculture Research Center:
After decades of unspoken agreements between police and yakuza that have allowed organized crime to operate with relative impunity in everything from gambling on sport and illegal casinos to human trafficking and prostitution, the national police are cracking down on Japan’s top yakuza gang, energized not only by the embarrassment over the sumo debacle but also by the emergence of a dynamic new National Police Agency (NPA) chief last year who wants to curtail the broad influence of yakuza …

The “Strange Phenomenon and Yokai Legend Image Database is big news for yokai lovers. Loaded with close to 2,000 images taken from scrolls, woodblock prints, and other vintage yokai material, this represents the first time so many yokai illustrations have been collected online in one place. Go ahead and give it a try! Kappa! Tengu! Tsukumo-gami! Tesso! A spectacular Nue by Yoshitoshi, who influenced Frank Miller! Even offbeat characters like good ol’ Tofu Kozo!

I recently attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center and observed a disturbing yet interesting marketing ploy. THQ Games teamed up with “Pyongyang Express” (a mobile Korean/Mexican fusion kitchen that cruises around LA) in order to promote the new game “Homefront,” which envisions a fictitious not so distant future in which a unified Korea controls most of the world. As I made my way to the Convention Hall I began to notice signs that read “check point ahead” and North Korean flags on vehicles in …

(Global Immigration Counsel)
With allegation of abuse and poor living conditions at immigration detention centers in Japan, several detainees have begun a hunger strike in protest. Roughly 60 detainees housed at the East Japan Immigration Control Center located in Ushiku have been on a hunger strike in protest of poor conditions at the facility. The Japan Times online has stated that a spokesman for the detention center says that about 30 detainees, not 60 have refused meals since Monday. Many of the detainees claim to be political refugees and can not …

(Kyodo Photo).
As discussions continue regarding the fate of U.S. bases in Okinawa dominate the headlines in Japan, some may wonder whether or not the presence of the US in Japan hinders or helps the people of this Island nation. Some may debate if Japan’s Prime Minister Hatoyama is handling the situation properly, while other may wonder if the U.S. is simply bulling Japan to continue to allow the U.S. presence in Okinawa. A new documentary may give a bit more incite into the training and day to day life …