Text: “Death-row inmate sues Japan gov’t over ban on colored pencils at detention centers” The Mainichi. Extract: “A death-row inmate convicted of murder who has been drawing pictures using colored pencils and selling them to recompense bereaved relatives has filed a lawsuit demanding that the national government revoke revision to Read more
Text: “Controversial father of Pakistan nuclear bomb dies at age 85.” The Japan News / Associated Press. Extract: “Abdul Qadeer Khan, a controversial figure known as the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb, died Sunday after a lengthy illness, the country’s interior minister said. He was 85. Khan launched Pakistan on Read more
The outcome of a professional wrestling match is decided ahead of time and many of the individual moves in a match are rehearsed and practiced in advance. The “facts” clearly indicate that there is no real competition where each participant has a chance to win. To what extent though, can Read more
Text: “These Century-Old Stone “Tsunami Stones” Dot Japan’s Coastline.” Extract: “At the edge of Aneyoshi, a small village on Japan’s northeastern coast, a 10-foot-tall stone tablet stands, carved with a dire warning to locals. “High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants,” the rock slab says. “Remember the Read more
Text: As revised laws squeeze yakuza, gang rosters slowly shrink.” Asahi Shinbun. Extract: “Tougher laws and prefectural rules have made life increasingly difficult for yakuza gangs in Japan, leading to a gradual exodus of members over the past decade, sources said.” https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14456883 The news article (and the broader topic of Read more
Text: “To raise Japan’s tepid birthrate, get men off the couch.” Nikkei Asia. Excerpt: “Fathers doing less housework translates to sub-replacement fertility, study shows… One important step is to encourage men to do more child care and housework, according to an analysis by Nikkei.” https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Datawatch/To-raise-Japan-s-tepid-birthrate-get-men-off-the-couch Japan’s falling population problem is Read more
Text: Say No to the Death Penalty. Erik Sorlie / Amnesty International. Human rights NGOs like Amnesty International frequently have campaigns opposing the death penalty. They argue that the death penalty is cruel and necessary, that it is not a deterrent, and innocent people are sometimes put to death. How Read more
Text: “Make something up’ threat Lancashire Police officer suspended” Extract: “A police officer who threatened to “make something up” in order to arrest a man has been suspended from duty. A clip of the incident, which happened in Accrington, Lancashire, on Friday, had been widely shared on social media. In Read more
Text “Iroha” (The author unknown but the poem has links to Kukai AKA Kobo Daishi) Iroha is an well-known Japanese poem that can be interpreted in many ways and some of those ways depend on whether it is read in the ancient Japanese text, in modern Japanese, or in English. Read more
Text: “A Scientist’s Gender Biases Mouse Research” Extract: “Mice are scared of male researchers, but not female researchers, which could affect a huge chunk of biological research” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-gender-biases-mouse-research-180951240/ This article show one what in which human scientists “give knowledge through the telling of stories” – by publishing scientific research results. Read more