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Nuclear power: No consensus in Asia or the West

By Graham Land Thu, May 24, 2012 9:02AM UTC View Comments

The Fukushima disaster put nuclear power under the microscope throughout the world. But in the aftermath of the worst nuclear incident in 25 years, countries acted differently. Some stopped to reconsider their nuclear programs, while others pushed on with vigor. A few nations reacted sharply against nuclear, especially Japan, where the disaster occurred. As of...

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Japan: An unhappy country or just asking for too much?

By Anna Watanabe Wed, May 23, 2012 10:08PM UTC View Comments

The results of the OECD Better Life Index have revealed that Australia is the “happiest” industrialized country in the world – even trumping the likes of Norway and Sweden – while Japan ranks 16th. But is Japan really that bad a place to live, or are Japanese people just complaining too much? The OECD Better...

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A tatt too far: Osaka Mayor tells inked workers to cover up

By Anna Watanabe Sun, May 20, 2012 10:18PM UTC View Comments

Osaka's Mayor has told over 100 city workers to cover their tattoos. Picture: Flickr

Osaka’s outspoken mayor, Toru Hashimoto, has ruffled some feathers, saying tattooed city workers are not welcome in Osaka City Hall. The Japan Times reports that the usually casual and charismatic Hashimoto had the city council ask over 33,000 of its employees if they had tattoos and told the 110 employees who answered in the positive...

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Homosexuality and Japan

By Anna Watanabe Thu, May 17, 2012 9:43PM UTC View Comments

President Obama’s decision to support same sex marriage may have been a big move for American politics, but it seems Mickey and Minnie Mouse are one step ahead. Yesterday, Japan Today reported that a lesbian couple have been allowed to hold their wedding Tokyo Disney Land. Koyuki Higashi, who has been documenting her and her...

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Fukushima fallout: Not just radiation

By Graham Land Tue, May 15, 2012 9:05AM UTC View Comments

14 months on, residents of Fukushima prefecture are still coping with a variety of problems. In the wake of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and resultant meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, those who live near Fukushima face compounded difficulties rebuilding their lives. Many areas in Fukushima Prefecture were no-go for a year after...

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