Despite years of tantrum throwing by Korea, the 9th Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names has ruled that the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan shall continue to be called the Sea of Japan, just as it has been for centuries.
“I encourage the three countries concerned to find a solution acceptable […]

Another government is taking issue with Japanese revision of World War II history, but this time it’s not Korea or China, but the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly. Okinawa is opposing the national government’s orders to textbook publishers to delete references to the fact that the Japanese Imperial Army forced Okinawan civilians to commit suicide during the […]

There are many theories out there concerning the origins of mankind, some more plausible than others. And I don’t know which one you were taught, but I bet it wasn’t this one.
“The Black Mountain Grape Homonids”

A small Japanese Castle Town with a rich history
Related article: Often Overlooked Odawara - Part 2

Odawara Castle - once the seat of power for one of Japan’s greatest samurai families
Many tourists in Japan, whether foreign or Japanese, tend to zoom past the little city of Odawara on their way to and from Tokyo, paying […]

South Korea has sent a special delegation this week to Monaco to lobby the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) on the question of the use of the name “Sea of Japan”, which as you may know the Korean government wants changed to “East Sea”.
The goal of the delegation is to “make efforts to prevent the IHO […]

Mike Honda, who is sponsor of the resolution telling Japan to apologize formally for the “comfort woman” brothels its military set up during WWII now is asking the Congressional Research Service to look into allegations that Japanese officials set up brothels for U.S. soldiers after Japan’s surrender.
Honda rejected comparisons between the actions of the Japanese […]

The Mainichi is reporting that traces of fossilized dinosaur skin have been found in Japan. This is the first time that such a find has been done in Japan. Exciting! Maybe Spielberg and company will see that a Jurassic Park Park 4 could be done about it? We’ll call it “Jurassic Japan: Jurassic Park […]

Can’t say I’ve ever seen this ad on Japanese tele but I swear I hear the Sakura song playing in the background in the opening sequence.

WPvideo 1.10

Wen Jiabao this morning became the first Chinese Prime Minister ever to address the Japanese parliament during his visit aimed at further improving Sino-Japanese diplomatic ties.
Reciprocating PM Abe’s visit to China last year, it’s a significant move from China. Japan last received such a visitor 7 years ago, and the troubles of the intervening period […]

Well did he, or didn’t he?
Some were reporting yesterday that PM Abe issued an official apology in parliament for Japan’s wartime use of sex slaves. A lot of other news sources flatly ignored it.
On the BBC, he was reported as saying
I apologise here and now as prime minister. As I frequently say, I feel […]

All countries have foreigners living in their midst, whether its a Swedish college student working for a season at a ski resort in Arizona or an Iranian assembling windshield washer motors at a factory in Nagoya. Japan’s 1.6 million foreigners currently make up around 1.5% of the population here, which sounds like a lot until […]

No Indiana Jones here. But a Japanese archaeological team has discovered three painted wooden coffins that according to the Middle East Times, are roughly four thousand years old. Nice !
“It is significant because of the discovery of two sarcophagi from the Middle Kingdom,” said Japanese team leader Sakuji Yoshimori.
Click HERE for the full article.

If the Chinese Government is angry or displeased with the Japanese film being released this year called ‘The Truth about Nanjing”, then they are hiding it very well. This morning I read in Kyodo News and on Japan Today that the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that there was plenty of evidence of […]