[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.

Hi!
My wife and I have made eight micro loans via Kiva to various individuals around the world that need assistance in establishing and growing their business. Five of the loans have been repaid. My loans have supported two retail businesses in the Philippines, weaving and pig farming businesses in Cambodia, a used clothing store in Kenya, cosmetics sales and a soft drink business in Tanzania and farming in Sierra Leone.
I want to recruit you to my lending team, Black Tokyo, on Kiva, a non-profit website that allows you to …

A very interesting post on the “jimusho” in Japan by Neo Japon Is Me (neojaponisme). I belonged to several jimushos while etching a living from television, print and film (one). Mostly the experience was good until the money started rolling in and the jimusho did not dole it out. When I was relegated to earning some cold, fast Yen as an extra on television shows or commercials, the transaction was straight forward… show your foreign face for X amount of time and receive X amount of yen.
When I regularly appeared …

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 …

Wow! It seems that fuzzy logic, new math, a broken calculator or maybe even smoke and mirrors are used to push a different agenda, and it has nothing to do with crime!
According to the data compiled by the ministry and its Defense Facilities Administration Agency, obtained by a group linked to victims of such incidents, 1,059 crimes and accidents involving U.S. service personnel in Okinawa, or 54 percent of the nationwide total linked to members of the U.S. military, were recorded in fiscal 2002, 1,159 cases, or about 55 percent, …

Nike’s plan to develop Miyashita park in Shibuya and turn it into a recreational facility has apparently hit a snag. Nike is no stranger to controversy with allegations of abuse, underage workers, low wages and long working hours in its Asian factories.

(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 …

A very interesting post by Gakuranman on the art of verbal warfare in Japan. As he correctly points out, politics is one subject that may not be an advised topic of discussion in Japan, especially if it deals with the US military bases or the lack of (and I mean, nil, zilch, nada, nothing) information on Japan’s plan to build a base in Africa. Anyway, mix in cultural differences when arguing and Gakuranman says that you have a recipe for disaster. He writes:
In a recent scuffle over the controversial whaling …

In a previous post on “Africa: Is Black back for Japan, China and the USA?” I looked at the “renewed” interest in Africa and its resources. With the news that Japan will build a base in Djibouti to protect cargo and other ships from pirates, it seems that Japan’s interest has peaked and I bet this will turn into a great opportunity for Japan to spread the love via increased ODA to counter what China is doing in Africa.
Looking back at a previous article on Piracy and Japan’s Constitution, Craig …