Vox Populi

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Vox Populi

VOX POPULI: Hanshin quake anniversary a time for prayer and vigilanceJanuary 17, 2019The day after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, Tsutomu Korenaga rushed to Nishinomiya City Hall in Hyogo Prefecture as a disaster relief volunteer. “Upon arrival, the scene that unfolded before my eyes was
VOX POPULI: Soothing sounds of ‘waka’ poetry emanate from Imperial PalaceJanuary 16, 2019When the New Year’s holiday spirit has finally receded in mid-January and people suddenly find themselves busy again, an annual ceremony called Utakai Hajime, or New Year Poetry Reading, is held at the
VOX POPULI: Civilization bent toward disaster, warned radical thinker UmeharaJanuary 15, 2019As a boy, philosopher Takeshi Umehara, who died on Jan. 12 at age 93, often remained cooped up in his room, absorbed in solitary play. The game he loved above all else was "yakyu shogi" (baseball shogi),
VOX POPULI: Erroneous stats are multiplying the problems in governmentJanuary 14, 2019Shigenobu Okuma (1838-1922) earned the sobriquet of “Tokei-haku” (Count Statistics) for his emphasis on the importance of statistics in the Meiji government. The prominent politician was instrumental in
VOX POPULI: Corruption seems to be endemic to the Olympic processJanuary 12, 2019The job of Olympic consultants is said to gather--and sell--accurate information concerning members of the International Olympic Committee to the cities bidding for the Olympic Games. The process of information
VOX POPULI: Travel reporter Kaoru Kanetaka took Japan out of comfort zoneJanuary 11, 2019Kaoru Kanetaka, the trailblazing Japanese travel reporter who died on Jan. 5 at age 90, was known for her always classy, elegant language. "Did you know there's an 'onsen' hot spring resort even in a desert
VOX POPULI: Three-time gold medalist Saori Yoshida to retire from wrestlingJanuary 10, 2019I saw a beautiful backflip 15 years ago at the Athens Olympics wrestling venue. High, fast and smooth, it was executed by Saori Yoshida, who had just won the gold medal in the women's freestyle 55-kg event
VOX POPULI: Interpreters at court hearings deserve much better treatmentJanuary 9, 2019In a voice that carried well, former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn firmly professed his “love for Nissan” during his first appearance in the Tokyo District Court on Jan. 8. In the courtroom where
VOX POPULI: Munch lived a happy life, belying image as a tortured soulJanuary 8, 2019A man resting his chin in his hands. A vampire embracing a man’s neck. The paintings by Edvard Munch (1863-1944) are depressing to see, suggesting the inner conflict and loneliness that must have plagued
VOX POPULI: Town braces for tourist boom from TV drama about runnerJanuary 7, 2019Japan first took part in the Summer Olympics in 1912, when the event was held in Stockholm. Japanese marathon runner Shizo Kanakuri went missing during the race as unusually high heat forced half the competitors
VOX POPULI: In Year of Boar, let's all be just a little bit kinder to each otherJanuary 5, 2019I should apologize to all who are already back at work after the year-end and New Year's break, but I wanted to keep luxuriating in the festive spirit a bit longer, so I visited a "yose" traditional Japanese
VOX POPULI: NASA captures images of object that look like space snowmanJanuary 4, 2019It must have been a day of heavy snowfall when poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) had one of his disciples over at his home and welcomed him with a haiku that went like this: "You make the fire/ And I’ll show
VOX POPULI: Never judge a book by its cover as all sort of surprises awaitJanuary 3, 2019I always thought that the biggest thrill of buying "fukubukuro" (grab bags sold at stores during the New Year's holidays in Japan) lay in guessing what the contents would be like. But this seems to have
VOX POPULI: Humanity’s path of progress is not straight, but it must go onJanuary 2, 2019Of all technologies that were invented during the 20th century, which was the most important? Computer? Aviation?Neither, according to Johan Norberg’s “Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future. ”
VOX POPULI: Aso, Sugita vie for abusive language of the year awardDecember 31, 2018It would be a tough choice for a “bogen taisho” (abusive language award) this year. The two leading candidates should be Finance Minister Taro Aso, who said, “There is no crime called sexual harassment,”
VOX POPULI: Support House more than a refuge, a place to open your heartDecember 29, 2018A modest two-story home, looking no younger than 75 years old, has external walls of reddish-brown galvanized iron. On the second floor, hanging laundry sways in the breeze. A tiny signboard by the front
VOX POPULI: New Year cards are a tradition that won’t easily die outDecember 28, 2018In a nationwide academic aptitude survey of schoolchildren nine years ago, one of the questions asked was, "Where on a postcard do you write the addresses of the recipient and the sender?"One of every three
VOX POPULI: Clever use of first person gives classic tales an intriguing twistDecember 27, 2018"Ogres are so big, there's no way I can defeat them," mutters Momotaro (Peach Boy), getting cold feet. But observing the dauntlessness of his attendants--Dog, Monkey and Pheasant--he overcomes the jitters
VOX POPULI: Pickled bamboo shoots deserve to rise beyond the ramen bowlDecember 26, 2018“Menma” is a classic Japanese ramen topping made of pickled bamboo shoots. One can do without it, but its humble presence in the bowl is somehow quite reassuring. There is nothing fancy about menma's taste
VOX POPULI: The Christmas spirit that keeps on giving, year after yearDecember 25, 2018Every December, Hiromi Tanaka’s home is transformed into something like Santa Claus’ workshop. The 37-year-old homemaker in Kodaira, western Tokyo, sorts and wraps piles of hand-made toys for children around
VOX POPULI: School rugby team tackles a new opponent: global warmingDecember 24, 2018
VOX POPULI: Is Carlos Ghosn a ‘hostage’ of Japan’s judicial system?December 22, 2018
VOX POPULI: Petition grows to halt landfill work for U.S. air base in GinowanDecember 21, 2018
VOX POPULI: ‘Healthy fear’ essential in approach to cyber threatsDecember 20, 2018
VOX POPULI: Saving abused kids more vital than protecting ‘brand image’December 19, 2018

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