Photo Source: Wall Street Journal.

Wall Street Journal: Noda Favored to Succeed Kan as Japan’s Premier

Yoshihiko Noda is hardly a household name in Japan, but that may be about to change as the lawmaker is increasingly seen as a party front-runner to succeed the prime minister.

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ABC News: Reports: Japan PM Pushed to Set [...]

3-D Animation Hatsune Miku. Photo Source: AFP

AFP: Japan 3-D pop avatar a real-world hit

She doesn’t demand six-figure recording contracts, always shows up on time, never throws tantrums and won’t break a sweat during a two-hour live show in a concert hall packed with thousands of adoring followers.

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Asahi: EDITORIAL: Kan needs to announce [...]

Wall Street Journal: Mutant Japanese Bunny Video Goes Viral

So, as a certain cartoon rabbit might say, what’s up doc? The clip doesn’t offer a birth certificate for the rabbit, there’s no evidence of where it was shot, and we have no idea why the rabbit has no ears–so basically take this one with [...]

Photo Source: CNN

The Age: Manga fans can collect something new: a doctorate

Japan’s Kyoto Seika University said Tuesday it will launch the country’s first doctoral program in manga studies next year.
The private university in western Japan is well known for its manga and anime programs and established a master’s degree course in manga last [...]

Fiona Graham (‘Sayuki’). Photo Source: The Telegraph.

The Telegraph: First ever Western geisha leaves the ‘sisterhood’

“She was in the association for more than three years, but she did not take part in lessons and she did not follow our rules,” another geisha, who asked not to be named, told The Sunday Telegraph. “And she [...]

Photo Source: Digital Trends.

Digital Trends: Panasonic developing an eco-harmonious Japan ‘Smart Town’ for 2014

The plan is to turn a piece of Fujisawa city into a “sustainable smart town” of 1000 houses all built to be energy-conscious and eco-harmonious. Each of the nine companies has their own responsibility from creating the town concept and [...]

Wall Street Journal: Tsunami Zone Residents Scorn Tokyo Jockeying

“It’s one thing to clean up a town. But to rebuild it is something different altogether. It’s difficult to do that when the country’s direction isn’t settled,” said Rikuzentakata Mayor Futoshi Toba. “Under normal conditions, I don’t have a problem with playing these types of games, [...]

Photo Source: Asahi Shimbun.

Facing a vote of no-confidence in the Japanese Diet today, which it appeared he was set to lose with a large chunk of his own party joining with the opposition, Prime Minister Kan Naoto has announced that he will resign from his position at a future date. Just when this will [...]

Prime Minister Kan Naoto. Photo Source: CNN

CNN: Japanese PM faces no-confidence vote in parliament

The opposition Liberal Democratic Party filed a no-confidence motion Wednesday, and needs a total of 240 votes for it to pass in parliament. It cited his handling of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis as a reason [...]

Photo Source: The Telegraph

The Telegraph: Japan fails in promise to rehouse 30,000 victims

A maximum of 27,200 units will be completed by the end of May, Akihiro Ohata, the infrastructure minister, told parliament on Monday The government is sticking to its pledge, however, to provide temporary housing to the 110,000 people who are living [...]