Vox Populi

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Vox Populi

VOX POPULI: Does Facebook’s Libra spell end for some nations’ own currencies?July 18, 2019There are times when money is replaced by something else as a means of payment for goods and services. American tobacco became that “something else” in the final years of the former Soviet Union, when dire
VOX POPULI: Racist rants from a sitting U.S. president are a tragic sight to seeJuly 17, 2019Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, 36, became a refugee at age 8. She and her family fled their civil war-torn native Somalia and arrived at a refugee camp. According to U. S. media reports, she spoke only Somali
VOX POPULI: Ban single-use plastic shopping bags, straws to save our oceansJuly 16, 2019July 15 was "Umi no Hi" (Ocean Day), a Japanese national holiday that falls on the third Monday in July. Beaches and ocean waves are common enough poetic themes, but the sentimentalism of "Yashi no Mi" (Coconut),
VOX POPULI: Insurance arm of Japan Post must work extra hard to regain trustJuly 15, 2019An old trick used by dodgy door-to-door vendors in Japan is to use the somewhat vague phrase “no ho kara,” which usually means simply “from” but could also mean “from the direction of. ” So if some say something
VOX POPULI: ‘Udon Taxi’ service a smart way to serve the hungry hordesJuly 13, 2019While visiting the town of Kotohira, Kagawa Prefecture, home of the well-known Kotohira-gu shrine, I came across a service called “Udon Taxi. ”As the name suggests, the cabs take customers to any number
VOX POPULI: Chilly summer leaves ‘senbei’ makers yearning for more sunJuly 12, 2019For some time now, the skies have remained overcast above the greater Tokyo area. Not a day passes here without hearing somebody complain about laundry that doesn’t dry or a clear sky on standby for a little
VOX POPULI: Johnny showbiz empire shaped pop music scene for decadesJuly 11, 2019If I were to pick out a celebrity whose name was a household word but who died virtually "faceless," Johnny Kitagawa would be about the only one who fits the bill. The iconic founder of Japan's top talent
VOX POPULI: 50 years ago, lunar landing instilled dreams across EarthJuly 10, 2019Humans first landed on the moon half a century ago in July 1969. Newspaper reports of U. S. Apollo 11’s successful mission were palpably euphoric, with headlines such as “Grand feat in the history of space
VOX POPULI: 11-year-old offers precious lesson in being kind to aged loved oneJuly 9, 2019Three years ago, Miyu Miwa was being driven to distraction by her great-grandmother, who would keep asking the same question over and over, such as, “What day of the week is it today?”Kiyo Baachan (Grandma
VOX POPULI: Maverick creator of Calpis had a natural instinct for new projectsJuly 8, 2019A century ago, in 1919, Calpis, a popular Japanese lactic acid beverage, came into this world on July 7, the day to celebrate the traditional “Tanabata” celestial romance and wish-making festival. The milk-based
VOX POPULI: Amateur Kyoto sleuth saves historic tea hut from destructionJuly 6, 2019Strolling along the streets of Kyoto, one notices quite a number of sites marked with a plaque that says "Sonan no chi," which translates literally as "place of disaster. "What each marker indicates is the
VOX POPULI: Heavy rain in Kyushu evokes deja vu of 1993 flood disasterJuly 5, 2019The torrential rain that hit the city of Kagoshima on Aug. 6, 1993, known as the "8. 6 Suigai" (flood disaster), killed 48 and left one missing. I was stationed at The Asahi Shimbun's Kagoshima Bureau at
VOX POPULI: Japan can’t cure political apathy when there’s no one to root forJuly 4, 2019Every Nippon Professional Baseball team has a fanatical following, but the passion with which fans of the Hanshin Tigers root for their beloved team makes them quite special. Or, perhaps I should say that
VOX POPULI: Curb of S. Korea exports reeks of Trump ‘trade war contagion’July 3, 2019When someone you are with yawns, you do, too. That yawning is contagious is apparently a fact that can be explained. One widely accepted theory is that the phenomenon owes to the human capacity for empathy. Seeing
VOX POPULI: Trump-Kim meeting at DMZ was all show, no substanceJuly 2, 2019Shuntaro Tanikawa’s poem “Goaisatsu” (Greetings) consists of empty, formulaic greetings such as “Domo, domo” (How’s it going?) and “Ya domo” (What’s up?). One wonders if Tanikawa meant this piece, put to
VOX POPULI: Accept ruling in favor of families of former leprosy patientsJuly 1, 2019In a tanka-style short poem, a female physician who worked at a leprosy sanatorium in prewar Japan captured the acute grief felt by families who were torn apart by the stigmatized disease. "The cruel disease
VOX POPULI: Where does Japan fit in China's ‘100-year marathon’?June 29, 2019Michael Pillsbury, one of the U. S. government's top China experts, is the author of "The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower. "The title of this 2015
VOX POPULI: Asahi reporter Tabata helped bring 1964 Games to TokyoJune 28, 2019Masaji Tabata (1898-1984), known as the father of Japan’s swimming circles, was a key figure in the efforts to bring the 1964 Summer Olympics to Tokyo. Tabata is the main protagonist in the second half of
VOX POPULI: G-20 summit a chance to shine for Osaka-style griddle snacksJune 27, 2019Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), arguably one of the most prominent masters of the Japanese tea ceremony, sometimes served thin, crepe-like griddle cakes to his guests. Called "funoyaki" according to records, they
VOX POPULI: One chemist was world-famous, the other is now long forgottenJune 26, 2019You are a bona fide science buff if you know Julius Lothar Meyer (1830-1895) was the German chemist who discovered the periodicity of elements in the latter half of the 19th century, only to see the credit
VOX POPULI: School uniforms in past century reflect society in constant changeJune 25, 2019
VOX POPULI: Hachimura is weaving an inspiring tale in rise to the NBAJune 24, 2019
VOX POPULI: Keeping the public in the dark a risky ploy and bound to backfireJune 22, 2019
VOX POPULI: Vendors shout no more, but plums still a charm of early summerJune 21, 2019
VOX POPULI: Officer’s swindle of man in 70s raises troubling question of trustJune 20, 2019
VOX POPULI: Overburdened parents must call for help to avert tragic outcomeJune 19, 2019
VOX POPULI: Officer who was stabbed had gun stolen, not issued ‘secure’ holsterJune 18, 2019

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