DOCSLIB.ORG

Weekly News from Tokyo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Weekly News from Tokyo TOKYO SKY TREE DITP TOKYO (2013 April13 – April19) Weekly News From Tokyo 29 June – 5 July 2013 Japan Mulls Cutting Tariffs On Rice For Processing TOKYO (Nikkei)--The government may agree to reduce import tariffs on rice used for processing in exchange for preserving current rates on staple-food varieties under the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks, The Nikkei learned Tuesday. The compromise will be presented to the U.S. and other trade partners in bilateral talks slated to begin as early as August once Japan officially joins the negotiations. Japan consumes roughly 7.15 million tons of rice a year as a staple food, while rice processed into crackers, sake and other products accounts for just 600,000 tons. There are 58 tariff categories for rice. But those targeting staple-food varieties, such as brown rice and polished white rice, total about six to eight, with the rest covering rice for processing. The government has long excluded rice as a whole from trade negotiations and has not looked into making distinctions between the tariff categories. The types of rice subject to possible tariff cuts under the new policy will be chosen carefully by weighing the impact on producers and processors. Rice distributed on the market for processing includes domestic crops grown for such purposes, varieties that do not meet standards for staple consumption, and foreign-grown imports bought through the minimum-access trade arrangement. Some processed-food firms are being forced to pay high tariffs for imports. Banner rice crops last year meant smaller portions diverted for processing, leading to higher prices. Lower tariffs would thus be welcomed by food processors but likely draw protests from domestic farmers. One government official sees a compromise as inevitable. "The 11 countries have already begun full negotiations," this source says. "Japan cannot insist on not cutting tariffs on farm products even by 1% after coming to the negotiating table late." By offering a concession on rice, Japan hopes to extract tariff cuts on industrial products and secure better protection of intellectual property. The TPP aims to eliminate tariffs on all trade products. But with the U.S. and Canada also intent on keeping import taxes on sugar and dairy products, some experts say tariffs will be eliminated on 98% of all product categories. 1 TOKYO SKY TREE DITP TOKYO (2013 April13 – April19) Weekly News From Tokyo 29 June – 5 July 2013 The rate comes to around 98% for other recently signed free trade agreements, such as those between South Korea and the European Union, and between South Korea and the U.S. (The Nikkei, July 3 morning edition) DJ: BOJ Survey Of Consumers Shows Prices Strongly Expected To Rise TOKYO--A Bank of Japan survey showed the general public overwhelmingly expect prices to rise over the coming year, and well beyond what the central bank currently projects, as the economic policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe take hold with consumers. Helping fuel this optimism, an index of data most reflective of the current state of Japan's economy rose in May, in a sign the world's third-largest economy has escaped its downturn phase and is heading for an expansion. Three months after the BOJ launched drastic monetary easing steps to overcome deflation, Japan's economic recovery is gaining momentum as exports improve on the yen's weakness and consumers loosen their purse strings amid high hopes for better economic times ahead. According to the BOJ's June survey of 2,273 consumers released Friday, 80.2% of the respondents said they expect the prices of goods and services to rise over the coming year. The reading is the highest since 81.2% in September 2008 and up from 74.2% in the previous March survey, the BOJ said. The quarterly poll excludes the effects of a planned three-percentage-point sales tax hike in April next year. The survey also showed that the respondents expect prices to rise 5.1% on average in a year's time compared with a 4.0% increase in the previous poll. That figure is the highest since a 5.7% increase in December 2008. "Inflation expectations are starting to strengthen among households," said Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. One reason is the rising costs of imports due to the yen's weakness, a product of Mr. Abe's policy mix centering on bold monetary easing, he said. The strong expectations among the public for prices to increase along with another closely-watched survey pointing to rising inflation expectations among corporations may give a sense of relief to BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, who has made it a top policy priority to reverse what he calls the "deflationary mindset" of the Japanese. Once businesses and consumers 2 TOKYO SKY TREE DITP TOKYO (2013 April13 – April19) Weekly News From Tokyo 29 June – 5 July 2013 become convinced that inflation is around the corner, they will spend and invest more, thereby lessening the deflationary pressure that has gripped Japan's economy for 15 years, he has argued. But economists say the expected inflation rates in the survey of consumers often come in far above overall price levels, as the general public tends to be impressed more by products whose prices are increasing than those whose costs are stable or falling. Excluding volatile fresh food prices, Japan's nationwide consumer price index for May stood where it was a year earlier. Regardless of what consumers think about prices, a strong reading in the May coincident composite index, an index of 11 key indicators best used to gauge the current state of the economy, showed that Japan has hit what the Cabinet Office calls a "turning point" toward an upturn. The wording means that the government, like many private-sector economists, now view the economy to be in an expansion stage. The index, which includes barometers such as industrial output and retail sales, rose 0.8 points on month to 105.9. "The economy has been in an expansionary phase since last December after bottoming out" in November, said Akiyoshi Takumori, chief economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management. The government's move comes as BOJ officials weigh putting back the term "recovery" in their latest monthly economic assessment due out next week, people familiar with the central bank's thinking have told Dow Jones Newswires. The bank last used that word in January 2011. But analysts warned that even if inflation returns to Japan, bringing the BOJ a step closer to meeting its 2% inflation target, consumers would suffer unless wages grow in tandem. The BOJ's findings on wages are indeed mixed. The percentage of respondents seeing income growth over the coming year declined to 9.2% from 9.5%. But those predicting falls in income slid to 32.3% from 37.0%--the lowest since 32.2% in March 2006. (The Nikkei, July 5) June Tankan Shows Signs That Corp Prices Are Rising TOKYO (NQN)--The June tankan quarterly survey of business sentiment, released Monday, showed solid results. Business sentiment among large companies and capital-investment plans by such firms surpassed market expectations. Pricing by companies and the pricing outlook will depend on how deeply easing measures by the central bank penetrate now that the BOJ has set a 2% 3 TOKYO SKY TREE DITP TOKYO (2013 April13 – April19) Weekly News From Tokyo 29 June – 5 July 2013 inflation target over the next two years. The latest tankan survey shows signs that prices are rising. The diffusion index for the change in output prices among large manufacturers stood at minus 4 in the June survey, up six points from the previous quarter and matching the level seen in the quarter ended December 2008. The DI among large nonmanufacturers came in at minus 2, the highest since the quarter ended September 2008, when the index stood at 5. The index is the key to gauging the outlook for corporate prices, and it is clear that companies are beginning to hike prices instead of cutting them. Meanwhile, the DI for the change in interest rates on loans rose across the board. The DI is obtained by subtracting the number of companies that said interest rates on loans fell from the number of those that said the opposite. Given the growing perception that the DI for several months down the road will rise, positive effects from the BOJ's easing steps may not thoroughly penetrate. The DI for employment conditions also showed different results depending on the size of the companies and type of industry. According to a survey conducted every six months on corporate plans for hiring new graduates, employment of new graduates by all companies across all industries will likely rise 5.3% on the year in fiscal 2013. However, such hiring is expected to drop 2.6% in fiscal 2014, indicating that companies remain cautious about the future. It will likely take more time until prices rise and employment and income improve to the degree assumed under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policy. FT: Japan Is Not Ready For 4th Of Shinzo Abe's Arrows A tax rise now means hitting the fiscal brake while stepping on the monetary accelerator Is it the right time to fire Shinzo Abe's fourth arrow? There has been so much emphasis on arrows number one to three that many have forgotten about the fourth altogether. This entails doubling the consumption tax in two stages, starting in April next year, to 10 per cent. By some accounts, the fourth arrow, the opening shot in an effort to repair Japan's finances after years of deficits, is the most important of all.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Implications of Abenomics on Gender Equality in Japan and Its Conformity with CEDAW
    TUCKER (DO NOT DELETE) 4/24/2017 6:16 PM RICKY TUCKER* Implications of Abenomics on Gender Equality in Japan and Its Conformity with CEDAW Introduction ....................................................................................... 544 A. Abenomics ...................................................................... 545 B. Female Workforce Participation ..................................... 546 C. History of Japanese Gender Equality Laws .................... 549 I. The Purpose of the Third Arrow Casts Doubt on its Ability to Accomplish Its Goals ............................................. 551 A. Addressing Financial Insecurity ..................................... 551 B. Addressing Gender Equality ........................................... 552 II. The Third Arrow Does Not Conform to the Strict Mandates Imposed Upon Member Countries to CEDAW ..... 554 A. Leadership ......................................................................... 555 1. CEDAW Article II .................................................... 556 2. CEDAW Article XI ................................................... 558 B. Childcare Waiting Lists .................................................. 559 C. Support for a Return to Work ......................................... 561 D. Assistance for Reentering the Workforce ....................... 563 III. Abenomics’ Conformity with CEDAW and the Overall Goal of Boosting the Economy Are Not Mutually Exclusive ................................................................................ 564 IV. A Counterpoint:
    [Show full text]
  • Pokémon, Cultural Practice and Object Networks Jason Bainbridge
    iafor The IAFOR Journal of Asian Studies Volume I – Issue I – Winter 2014 IAFOR Publications Executive Editor: Joseph Haldane The International Academic Forum The IAFOR Journal of Asian Studies Editor Seiko Yasumoto, University of Sydney, Australia Associate Editor Jason Bainbridge, Swinburne University, Australia Advisory Editors Michael Curtin, University of California, Santa Barbara, United States Terry Flew, Queensland University of Technology, Australia Michael Keane, Queensland University of Technology, Australia Editorial Board Robert Hyland, BISC, Queens University Canada, United Kingdom Dong Hoo Lee, Incheon University, Korea Ian D. McArthur, The University of Sydney, Australia Paul Mountfort, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand Jin Nakamura, Tokyo University, Japan Tetsuya Suzuki, Meiji University, Japan Yoko Sasagawa, Kobe Shinwa Womens University, Japan Fang Chih Irene Yang, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Published by the International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan Executive Editor, IAFOR Publications: Joseph Haldane Editorial Assistance: Lindsay Lafreniere IAFOR Publications, Sakae 1-16-26-201, Naka-ward, Aichi, Japan 460-0008 The IAFOR Journal of Asian Studies Volume I – Issue I – Winter 2014 IAFOR Publications © Copyright 2014 ISSN: 2187-6037 Online: http://iafor.org/iafor/publications/iafor-journals/iafor-journal-of-asian-studies/ Cover image by: Norio NAKAYAMA/Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/norio-nakayama/11153303693 The IAFOR Journal of Asian Studies Volume I – Issue I – Winter 2014 Edited by
    [Show full text]
  • Japan Analysis 34 EN
    Japan Analysis La lettre du Japon 34 July 2014 Perspectives on Japan’s openness to the world in 2014 CLOSE UP ON THE NEWS 1. The Abe government and the gender equality issue: “towards a society where women shine” – AMÉLIE CORBEL 3 2. Japan’s Revitalized Engagement with Africa: Key Issues and Challenges – YUKO KAWATO 11 POINT OF NEWS 3. Nishikawa Shūichi, “What anglicization is bringing to business: points of views of employees of Uniqlo and Rakuten”, Chūō Kōron, November 2013. (Translated from the Japanese source by Sophie Buhnik) 20 4. Yoshikuni Shin’ichi’s, “Reflections on the ‘third arrow’ of Abenomics: towards a diverse society more open to female employment”, Kin.yūzaiseibijinesu, March 2014. (Translated from the Japanese source by Arnaud Grivaud) 26 ÉDITORIAL The number and nature of published in But these comparative indexes also suggest large-circulation magazines have grown that Japan’s “decline” is far from being a significantly in importance in the last fifteen homogeneous process: depending on the years. They now cover a multiplicity of topics topic, the country’s position in the various and are structured around criteria ranging international rankings is either falling, rising1, from gross domestic product and the quality or staying the same (in absolute or relative of education dispensed by the leading higher terms). For instance, the number of Japanese education establishments (the Shanghai students spending a year abroad has been Ranking) to more abstract notions such as falling, in absolute terms, for the last ten years. competitiveness and urban standards of But Japan’s slippage in the annual ranking living (e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • Cool Japan Fund Launched to Aid Global Promotion of Japanese Culture by Japan SPOTLIGHT Editorial Section
    Column Cool Japan Fund Launched to Aid Global Promotion of Japanese Culture By Japan SPOTLIGHT Editorial Section Japanese culture, from animation to fashion and the broader that their popularity will become a driving force for Japan’s economic notion of “Japanese hospitality”, is now a new target for export growth. promotion for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in You can learn about the targets and projects below. If you are the 21st century. interested in the Cool Japan Fund, you can contact us (tel:03-5565- Prior to our next issue highlighting “the role of Japanese culture in 4822 or [email protected]) and we will connect you with the foreign policy”, we introduce our readers to METI’s new policy to relevant person in the fund. promote exports of Japanese cultural goods. This is considered one of the important policy measures presented as “the third arrow of Abenomics”, the growth strategy, and thus culture in our postindustrial society has economic policy implications as well. In Photo: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Japan reading both this short article and our next issue we hope you will enjoy learning about the wide range of these implications. On Nov. 25, 2013, at Toyko’s Roppongi Hills, Japanese business people and bureaucrats celebrated the office opening of the Cool Japan Fund, financed to the tune of 60 billion yen by the government and the private sector. This fund aims to invest money in companies and projects selling Japanese cultural products (the basic scheme is shown in the Charts below).
    [Show full text]
  • ECFG-Japan-2020R.Pdf
    About this Guide This guide is designed to prepare you to deploy to culturally complex environments and successfully achieve mission objectives. The fundamental information it contains will help you understand the decisive cultural dimension of your assigned location and gain skills necessary for achieving mission success (Photo: US Japan Forces member discusses an explosive device with Japanese Maritime Self- Defense Force Petty Officer). The guide consists of 2 parts: C Part 1 is the “Culture General” section, which provides the foundational knowledge you need to operate effectively in any ul global environment with a focus on East Asia. t u Part 2 is the “Culture Specific” section, which describes unique cultural features of Japanese society. It applies re culture-general concepts to help increase your Guid knowledge of your assigned deployment location. This section is meant to complement other pre- deployment training. (Photo: e Sushi restaurant in historic city of Kamakura, Japan). For more information, visit the Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC) website at www.airuniversity.af.edu/AFCLC/ or contact the AFCLC Region Team at [email protected]. Disclaimer: All text is the property of the AFCLC and may not be modified by a change in title, content, or labeling. It may be reproduced in its current format with the express permission of the AFCLC. All photography is provided as a courtesy of the US government, Wikimedia, and other sources as indicated. GENERAL CULTURE PART 1 – CULTURE GENERAL What is Culture? Fundamental to all aspects of human existence, culture shapes the way humans view life and functions as a tool we use to adapt to our social and physical environments.
    [Show full text]
  • Abenomicspublished in May 2017 for Future Growth, for Future Generations, and for a Future Japan That Is Robust
    ABENOMICSPublished in May 2017 For future growth, for future generations, and for a future Japan that is robust. We should look to the future, rather than worry about the present. Japan may be aging. Japan may be losing its population. But, these are incentives for us. – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe INTRODUCTION About Abenomics Setting the economy on course to (%) Nominal GDP and growth rate2 (JPY tril) 3.0 700 overcome deflation and make a steady 2.8 2.6 BEFORE ABENOMICS 2.5 recovery with the Three Arrows 2.5 2.1 In early 2013, after two decades of economic stagnation, Prime Minister 1.5 600 Shinzo Abe unveiled a comprehensive 1. 5 600 economic policy package to sustainably revive the Japanese economy while 554 540 maintaining fiscal discipline. 532 0.5 518 This program became known as 0.2 507 0 500 Abenomics. 494 495 -0.5 The centerpiece of Abenomics has been GDP (Expenditure Approach) the three “policy arrows” targeted at -1.1 (Right scale) aggressive monetary policy, flexible fiscal Nominal GDP growth rate policy and growth strategy including -1.5 400 (Left scale) structural reform. FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 TARGET (Estimate) (Forecast) Since then, Abenomics has achieved Jobs to applicants ratio Dependency ratio on remarkable progress. (JPY tril) Corporate ordinary profits3 (X) and unemployment rate4 (%) (JPY tril) Japanese Government Bonds6 (%) For example: 80 1.75 5.0 60 57.6 57.7 50 68.2 4.5 • Nominal GDP grew from 495 to 532 1.43 4.5 47.9 1.50 50 1 4.0 44.3 35.6 trillion yen between the fiscal years of 60 35.3 1.25 3.5 40.9 2012 and 20152 2.8 40 45.3 3.0 34.4 34.4 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploitation and Social Reproduction in the Japanese Animation Industry
    California State University, Monterey Bay Digital Commons @ CSUMB Capstone Projects and Master's Theses Capstone Projects and Master's Theses 5-2018 Exploitation and Social Reproduction in the Japanese Animation Industry James Garrett California State University, Monterey Bay Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all Part of the Asian Studies Commons, Behavioral Economics Commons, Labor Economics Commons, Labor History Commons, and the Other History Commons Recommended Citation Garrett, James, "Exploitation and Social Reproduction in the Japanese Animation Industry" (2018). Capstone Projects and Master's Theses. 329. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all/329 This Capstone Project (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Capstone Projects and Master's Theses at Digital Commons @ CSUMB. It has been accepted for inclusion in Capstone Projects and Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ CSUMB. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Exploitation and Social Reproduction in the Japanese Animation Industry James Garrett Senior Capstone School of Social, Behavior & Global Studies: Global Studies Major Capstone Advisors: Ajit Abraham & Richard Harris 1 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Global Studies department and faculty of California State University, Monterey Bay, for the dedication of their pursuit of understanding and acknowledging the complexities of global changes and shifts through an interdisciplinary curriculum. In particular, I would like to thank Dr. Angie Tran and Dr. Robina Bhatti for helping me to develop a more complex understanding of advanced capitalist societies and the place of labor within those societies. I would also like to thank Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Japan's Abenomics Bumps Along
    CENTER ON JAPANESE ECONOMY AND BUSINESS Occasional Paper Series January 2016, No. 74 Japan’s Abenomics Bumps Along Hugh Patrick This paper is available online at www.gsb.columbia.edu/cjeb/research COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK Japan’s Abenomics Bumps Along Hugh Patrick Center on Japanese Economy and Business Columbia Business School October 9, 2015 Abstract Japan again seems to be breaking out of the doldrums it has been in since the early 1990s. In this paper, I begin by assessing the past year ending in summer 2015. I first consider the economic situation; Japanese trade policy, specifically its involvement in the TPP and AIIB; and the latest political developments, particularly the results of Abe’s snap election of December 2014. I then examine the international and regional financial context, with China and India leading regional economic growth. Following this overview, I delve into the goals and progress of Abenomics: ending deflation and achieving 2 percent inflation; achieving 2 percent growth by increasing productivity; dealing with Japan’s huge debt with flexible fiscal policy; and addressing Japan’s low birth rate by increasing fertility and promoting women’s rights. I focus especially on the third arrow of Abenomics – achieving sustained growth – by making difficult structural changes, notably opening up markets in historically-protected sectors such as agriculture and healthcare, as well as more modest initiatives in corporate management and governance, promoting information technology, opening Japan to 60,000 foreign skilled workers a year, and strengthening the university system by creating distinguished graduate schools and special research institutions.
    [Show full text]
  • Civil Society and the State in Democratic East Asia
    PROTEST AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS Chiavacci, (eds) Grano & Obinger Civil Society and the State in Democratic East Asia East Democratic in State the and Society Civil Edited by David Chiavacci, Simona Grano, and Julia Obinger Civil Society and the State in Democratic East Asia Between Entanglement and Contention in Post High Growth Civil Society and the State in Democratic East Asia Protest and Social Movements Recent years have seen an explosion of protest movements around the world, and academic theories are racing to catch up with them. This series aims to further our understanding of the origins, dealings, decisions, and outcomes of social movements by fostering dialogue among many traditions of thought, across European nations and across continents. All theoretical perspectives are welcome. Books in the series typically combine theory with empirical research, dealing with various types of mobilization, from neighborhood groups to revolutions. We especially welcome work that synthesizes or compares different approaches to social movements, such as cultural and structural traditions, micro- and macro-social, economic and ideal, or qualitative and quantitative. Books in the series will be published in English. One goal is to encourage non- native speakers to introduce their work to Anglophone audiences. Another is to maximize accessibility: all books will be available in open access within a year after printed publication. Series Editors Jan Willem Duyvendak is professor of Sociology at the University of Amsterdam. James M. Jasper teaches at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Civil Society and the State in Democratic East Asia Between Entanglement and Contention in Post High Growth Edited by David Chiavacci, Simona Grano, and Julia Obinger Amsterdam University Press Published with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation.
    [Show full text]
  • CJEB Annual Report 2014-2015
    Center on Japanese Economy and Business ANNUAL REPORT 2014–2015 Table of Contents Letter from the Directors 2 Gyoza, Rice and Noodles for the U.S. Mainstream Market 38 CJEB Team Resources 39 Leadership and Staff 4 Faculty Advisory Committee 39 Core Faculty 6 Visiting Fellows 40 Research and Faculty Engagement 9 2015 CJEB Visiting Fellow Reunion Reception 41 2015 Annual Visiting Fellow Business Field Trip 41 “Japan’s Abenomics Bumps Along” by Hugh Patrick 9 Research Associates 42 Current Research Highlights 21 Professional Fellows 43 Faculty Engagement 23 International Advisory Board 44 Research Paper Series 24 Promoting Exchange of Ideas 45 The New Global Financial Architecture 28 CJEB in the News 45 His Excellency Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, 29 Enhancing the MBA Experience 46 Addresses the World Leaders Forum Enhancing the Columbia Experience 47 Events 30 Fellowship and Scholarship Programs 48 Conferences 30 Visits from Japan to Columbia 48 Challenges Facing the World Trade System 30 Library and Data Resources 49 Japan’s Changing Corporate Governance 30 Discussion Groups 50 The Japan Project Meeting with Joint ESRI Japan Economic Seminar 50 International Conference 31 James Nakamura Fund 50 Symposia 33 Monetary Policy Discussion Group 50 Abenomics, TPP, and the Future of Japan’s Agriculture 33 U.S.-Japan Discussion Group 50 “The Revival of Japan in the Global Economy,” Financial Support 51 Columbia Business School’s Pan-Asian Reunion 2014 in Singapore 33 Corporate Sponsorship Program 51 M&A in Japan: Reenergized 33 Letter from
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Robot Visions
    1 Robot Visions Our dream is to create a society where it is nothing special for people to live together with robots. Akifumi Tamaoki beginnings For much of my childhood in Kodaira, a suburban community west of Tokyo,1 I had to watch television at our neighbors’ homes. We only acquired a black-and-white set in 1964 to watch the Summer Olympics, by which time the fields and chestnut orchards surrounding our house were being razed by tract-home developers and the gravel roads paved. Our neighbors had bought their sets to watch the wedding of Crown Prince (now Emperor) Akihito (b. 1933) and Sho–da Michiko (b. 1934) in April 1959. By 1964, nearly half of the roughly 25 million households in Japan owned a television, the wealthier among them a color model.2 Once we had a TV, I began to watch two cartoons that starred robots: Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy) and Tetsujin 28 [Niju–hachi]-go (Ironman 28, aka Gigantor) (figure 1).3 Both were preceded by comic book versions and broadcast on Fuji TV from 1963 to 1966. Gigantor is remotely con- trolled by a ten-year-old boy detective whose father created the robot. The boy and the robot share a deep emotional bond that underscores the familial aspects of real-world human–robot relations in Japan, a theme I will reiterate in each chapter. I discuss Astro Boy at length in chapters 4 1 Robertson-Robo Sapiens japanicus.indd 1 17/07/17 3:54 PM 2 robot visions Figure 1. Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy).
    [Show full text]
  • Culturegramstm World Edition 2019 Japan
    CultureGramsTM World Edition 2019 Japan until the late 19th century, however, feudal lords (or shoguns) BACKGROUND held political control. Japan adopted a policy of strict isolation and remained closed to nearly all foreign trade until Land and Climate 1853, when Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy sailed into the Japan is slightly larger than Germany, or just smaller than the harbor of Edo (now Tokyo) to demand a treaty. The shoguns U.S. state of Montana. It consists of four main islands: lost power in the 1860s, and the emperor again took control. Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. These are Hirohito ruled as emperor from 1926 to 1989. His reign surrounded by more than four thousand smaller islands. was called Shōwa, which means “enlightened peace,” and the Japan's terrain is largely mountainous, and most large cities deceased Hirohito is now properly referred to as Shōwa. He are positioned along the coasts. The country's wildlife is was succeeded by his eldest son, Akihito, in 1989. Akihito's diverse and includes animals such as bears, foxes, snow reign was called Heisei, meaning “achievement of universal monkeys, rabbits, deer, and red-crowned cranes. peace.” In 2019, due to the state of his health, Akihito stepped The nation has a few active and many dormant volcanoes. down as emperor, passing the throne to his eldest son, Mount Fuji, located west of Tokyo, on Honshu Island, is Naruhito, in Japan's first abdication since 1817. Japan's Japan's highest point, with an elevation of 12,388 feet (3,776 government chose Reiwa, meaning “beautiful harmony,” as meters).
    [Show full text]