Vox Populi

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Vox Populi

VOX POPULI: Train stations, some curiously named, signal ’11 quake recoveryMarch 25, 2019When Japan started building its railway networks in the Meiji Era (1868-1912), train stations, or “eki” in Japanese, were called by various names. They were called, for example, “sutensho” from the English
VOX POPULI: Anxiety over moving house may feel acute, but it'll go awayMarch 23, 2019There once was a male black rhinoceros, named Rai, that developed a "phobia" to urban living. Human voices, raised in merriment, terrified him. Construction noises upset him, and he flinched at the sound
VOX POPULI: Ichiro fans filled with sorrow over star's retirement announcementMarch 22, 2019During my reporting stint in the United States years ago, I chased Ichiro Suzuki, who had just started playing his first season with the Seattle Mariners. Always taciturn, he was never available for post-game
VOX POPULI: Despite early death, poet’s dream home built 65 years laterMarch 21, 2019Michizo Tachihara (1914-1939), a poet of the early Showa Era (1926-1989), also had a promising future as an architect. He had been a brilliant student of architecture at Tokyo Imperial University (present-day
VOX POPULI: Pop songs bring back bittersweet feelings related to graduationMarch 20, 2019I am immediately transported back to my teenage years when I hear on the radio or the Internet songs such as Hi-Fi Set's "Sotsugyo Shashin" (Graduation photo) and Kaientai's "Okuru Kotoba" (Message). These
VOX POPULI: Kiki-Uchida marriage was unconventional but worked fineMarch 19, 2019A portrait of seven happy-looking family members of three generations graced The Asahi Shimbun last autumn. It showed actress Kirin Kiki and her husband, rock musician Yuya Uchida, their essayist daughter,
VOX POPULI: Eastwood's film on Iwojima reflects lingering pain of islandersMarch 18, 2019Some people possess more finely attuned visual and audio senses that let them catch what others miss when analyzing the same information. As a newspaper reporter, I have learned the importance and difficulty
VOX POPULI: Utterly senseless carnage in New Zealand requires cool objectivityMarch 16, 2019Christchurch, the third largest city in New Zealand and home to the sprawling Botanic Gardens, is said to be the "most British city" outside of the United Kingdom. But it took a major earthquake to make
VOX POPULI: Taki should pay for drug abuse, but axing all his works is overkillMarch 15, 2019Musician and actor Masanori Taki, better known by his stage name of Pierre Taki, was arrested on March 12 on suspicion of cocaine use in violation of the Narcotics Control Law. Taki's is the latest case
VOX POPULI: Quandary in Britain deepens as no-deal Brexit possibility loomsMarch 14, 2019The British government has plans to evacuate Queen Elizabeth from London to a secret location in the event of social unrest in the wake of a no-deal Brexit, the Sunday Times (and the Sunday Mail) reported
VOX POPULI: Egg of Columbus moment with new theory on zebra stripesMarch 13, 2019In Japan of old, the color red was believed to possess the power of warding off evil, including contagious smallpox. During the Edo Period (1603-1867), a red garment was draped over "byobu" folding screens
VOX POPULI: Monuments to 2011 disaster warn us to remain vigilantMarch 12, 2019An abandoned school building is the only structure standing on a vast expanse of flat ground in one part of Sendai. Arahama Elementary School is a silent reminder of the town that was once there and the
VOX POPULI: Job-switching election trick in Osaka could invite backlashMarch 11, 2019For a while after the end of World War II, governors and mayors were allowed to move up their own election at their discretion. They could resign before their rivals became prepared to gain an advantage
VOX POPULI: Ghosn's disguise didn't work, but it provided some comic reliefMarch 9, 2019The French clearly have not forgotten a dramatic jailbreak stunt pulled by Emperor Napoleon III (1808-1873) in 1846. That was when he literally walked out of prison--where he had been incarcerated for five
VOX POPULI: Miniature model of pre-tsunami town brings it back to lifeMarch 8, 2019In the Okawa district of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, the banks of the brimming Kitakami River are lined with colorful homes in red, blue and other colors, their charm enhanced by flower beds and roadside
VOX POPULI: Curtain rises on husband-wife flower trial of the KagoikesMarch 7, 2019Former Moritomo Gakuen President Yasunori Kagoike, who has been indicted with his wife, Junko, has a habit of marking his life’s “landmark occasions” by reciting haiku poems of his own composition. Here
VOX POPULI: What's next now that Carlos Ghosn has been granted bail?March 6, 2019During my stint as a legal affairs reporter, I made frequent trips to the Tokyo Detention House in the Kosuge district of Katsushika Ward. The facility's overpowering presence, with its intimidating watchtower,
VOX POPULI: Classic Japanese primary school backpacks catch up with the timesMarch 5, 2019The Japanese word "randoseru," borrowed from the Dutch "ransel," meaning backpack, is used by primary schoolchildren in Japan. Before a child starts school in April, he or she would be given a randoseru,
VOX POPULI: Masks abound as much-dreaded pollen season hits archipelagoMarch 4, 2019Cedar pollen is not clearly visible, but it can cause fiercely annoying nose and throat problems for many people at this time of the year. Those who are allergic to cedar pollen are unwilling to go out
VOX POPULI: How a sedentary lifestyle is at odds with human evolutionMarch 2, 2019For the first time in a while, I experienced a severe flareup of lower back pain the other day. It must have been caused by my lack of exercise. I'd taken a break from my daily walk to avoid exposure to
VOX POPULI: Trump deserves Razzie for worst diplomacy after Hanoi summitMarch 1, 2019
VOX POPULI: Smallest baby to make it home an exemplar of the miracle of lifeFebruary 28, 2019
VOX POPULI: This year’s Oscar winners a sign of resilience in U.S. ahead of ’20 voteFebruary 27, 2019
VOX POPULI: Donald Keene a tireless explorer of Japanese literatureFebruary 26, 2019
VOX POPULI: Just a little more inconvenience in our lives could be beneficialFebruary 25, 2019

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