theTokyoBill Japan news brief

theTokyoBill Japan news brief, November 15 2024

In this episode: Meiwaku gaikokujin (nuisance foreigners) continue: American man arrested; Price pressure allows for Taiwanese rice sales at Seiyu; Musical event to mark 47th anniversary of Japanese abduction; Japan’s English ranking continues to slip; Japan government sued for ordering court attendees to cover up clothing; Sake-making to be added to UNESCO intangible heritage list

Duration:: 5m
Broadcast on:: 15 Nov 2024
Audio Format:: other

A short (3-5 min.) English language news brief; stories from in and around Japan.

Music is Motivate by Wavecont, care of Pixabay.com.

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[Music] Welcome to the Tokyo Film, a short news brief on recent events in and around Japan. [Music] On Wednesday, 65-year-old American tourist Steve Hayes was arrested for vandalizing a Tory gate at Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo. Dedicated to Emperor Meiji, it is one of Japan's most visited shrines. He apparently carved the name of one of his family into the gate with his fingernails, claiming it was just for fun. The police used security camera footage to track him to his hotel, and he admitted to the charges. The incident is one of a number of recent vandalism cases at various shrines in Tokyo, including graffiti and urination. In another incident, a Chilean social media influencer faced backlash toward performing a pull-up on a shrine gate. Needless to say, Japanese citizens have been unimpressed, but the disrespect these visitors have shown to their culture. Major Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu began selling Taiwanese rice brand Musubi Osato due to soaring rice prices in Japan. The Japonica rice is about 20% cheaper than domestically harvested varieties, but closely resembles the flavor and texture of Japan's grown rice. Priced at nearly 2,800 yen per 5 kilograms, the product is available at 138 department stores in East Japan. Prices of domestic rice remain high, prompting Seiyu to offer a more affordable option for customers. The decision to sell Taiwanese rice was made in response to the serious rice shortage in Japan. A musical gathering was held to pray for the return of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korean agents 47 years ago Friday. The event took place at Niigata Elementary School, where Megumi graduated. Megumi's former classmates played a piece by Vibaldi, and a student of the school performed a song she composed, urging people to empathize with the victims of abductions and their families. Megumi's mother, Seiyu Yokota, joined the event by phone and expressed gratitude for the support. She also expressed hope that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba would work to repatriating the abductees. Three individuals, including Meiji University law professor Ken Suzuki, filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government alleging unfair restriction by the courts. During separate trials, the plaintiffs had attempted to sit in on proceedings but were required to cover certain patterns and writings on their clothing prior to entering. plaintiffs questioned the legitimacy of such actions by judges using so-called court police powers to maintain order. The lawsuit seeks 3.3 million yen in compensation. The plaintiffs argued that their clothing items did not, in fact, disrupt courtroom proceedings, and that the insistence on covering up constituted an illegal exercise of public authority. Professor Suzuki highlighted inconsistencies in courtroom practices and called for clear standards in enforcing such restrictions. Japan has ranked a record low of 92nd in the 2024 English proficiency ranking out of 116 countries and regions where English is not the native language. The ranking is the lowest on record, indicating stagnant English proficiency among younger people in Japan compared to other countries. The EF English Proficiency Index is based on tests taken by 2.1 million people in 2023, with Japan scoring five places lower than the previous year. The decline in Japan's ranking has been consistent since 2011, with a decrease in motivation due to the pandemic being one possible reason. An advisory panel to UNESCO has recommended adding Japan's traditional knowledge and skills for making sake and shochu distilled spirits to its intangible cultural heritage list. Once formally adopted in December, this would make Japan's 23rd entry on the list. General sake brewing involves fermenting rice using a type of mold known as koji. The move has been welcomed by industry members with hopes that it will draw attention to traditional drinks and production methods. The Japanese government had also nominated sake making for the UNESCO listing in 2022, following previous listings of no and kabuki performing arts and waschoku traditional cuisine. Other intangible cultural heritage proposals are planned for future consideration. This has been the Tokyo Bill. These stories and more you can read at thetokobill.com, I've been and remain Tokyo Bill. Thank you for listening and take care. [MUSIC PLAYING]