Daily Japan Headlines: Thursday, May 19, 2011

Written By: guyjin on May 19, 2011 No Comment

20110519
Photo Source: The Guardian

The Australian: Japan’s workers have been asked to wear light clothing, to cut down on power used by air conditioners post-Fukushima

For the past five years Japanese office workers have been encouraged to remove their ties and jackets in the hottest months of the summer – June to September – to help the country to reach its targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases.
Now Ryu Matsumoto, the Environment Minister, has announced a more ambitious policy to relieve the pressure on the electricity grid after the multiple reactor meltdowns at Fukushima and the closure of another power station built on a seismic fault line. Bureaucrats will set an example by wearing polo shirts, plain T-shirts and even Aloha shirts, along with jeans, trainers and sandals.

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Wall Street Journal: Japan Ruling Party Upper House Chief Calls For PM To Resign

“You have continued to abandon your duties as prime minister since the March 11 disaster,” [DPJ member and Upper House President] Nishioka wrote in a half-page letter to his party president.
“You have neither the passion, determination nor skill” to lead Japan through the “grave consequences of the nuclear accident,” he wrote. “It is gut-wrenching for me to know that I took part in bringing the Kan administration to fruition.”

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AFP: Japan disaster not similar to Chernobyl: officials

Japanese authorities estimate that the amount of radioactive material released into the atmosphere at Fukushima, around 250 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, represents around one tenth of the emissions at Chernobyl.

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Wall Street Journal Video: The Costs of Recovery for Japan

Japanese economy minister Kaoru Yosano speaks with Dow Jones Newswires about the economic effects of the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

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Korea JoongAng Daily: Leaders of 3 countries set to visit Fukushima

Leaders of Korea, China and Japan will pay a visit to the disaster-hit area of northeastern Japan on the sidelines of their trilateral summit this weekend.

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China Daily: China resumes tourism to Japan after quake

China’s National Tourism Administration issued warnings to Chinese tourists after the massive earthquake, saying that tourists should be “prudent” about their travel choices and should avoid traveling to disaster-struck areas. Tourism from China to Japan has stagnated since then.

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Jerusalem Post: Japan doctors used Twitter to save lives after quake

In a letter published in The Lancet on Friday, doctors Yuichi Tamura and Keiichi Fukuda said they sent tweets to 60 patients to tell them where to obtain crucial daily refills of a drug to prevent heart failure when they realized they couldn’t reach them by phone due to congestion or damage.

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Business Week: Pfizer seeks US, Japan approval of cancer drug

Pfizer said it also filed for approval in Japan, meaning it is now seeking approval in the world’s two largest pharmaceutical markets. Last year the FDA agreed to conduct a priority review of the drug, which would return a decision within six months instead of the usual 10 months. Pfizer is seeking approval of crizotinib as a treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Crizotinib is a pill, and it is the first of a new class of cancer drugs that appears to be less toxic than most chemotherapy.

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Wall Street Journal: Asahi Is 1st General Paper to Charge for Online Content

At an estimated 11 million copies or so a day, the left-leaning Asahi is beaten only by the conservative Yomiuri, with a daily circulation it estimates at well over 13 million.
But as of Wednesday, the Asahi’s ahead of the Yomiuri in one respect: It has become the first large general national newspaper in Japan to start charging consumers for online content.

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Digital Spy: Justin Bieber donates Japan concert proceeds

Responding to a tweet by Adam Levine wherein the Maroon 5 frontman pledged funds from the band’s own recent Japanese shows, Bieber wrote: “sounds like a good idea..im in. gonna donate a portion of my show to Japanese Red Cross too.

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