* FEATURE : Japans Ainu fight for their cultural survival Nov 16, 2009
The electoral seat of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is on Hokkaido island, part of the ancient homeland of the Ainu, which once stretched from northern Honshu island to the Kuril and Sakhalin islands now ruled by Russia. Hatoyama, in a recent parliamentary address, said he wants a society free of discrimination and prejudice, and hopes to promote cultural diversity, including by respecting the history and culture of the Ainu people. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Japan's new PM tests skills on world stage Sep 25, 2009
Such rhetoric has been criticized as vague _ he did not, for example, propose a plan to end the stalemate with Russia over the disputed islands, which are located north of Japan's Hokkaido Island and were occupied by Soviet troops just before Japan's 1945 surrender. Hatoyama's meeting with Obama, meanwhile, was watched very closely because he has said he intends to steer a more independent course from Washington, particularly on national security. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
* 80s pop tune of Japans next PM hot in online auction K~Nj Sep 14, 2009
The producer of the record, a 65-year-old dentist from northern Hokkaido island, home of Hatoyamas constituency, said he was surprised at the online auction site bidding war that broke out after the record started at 1,000 yen. I never imagined that there would be a day when this tune would come into the spotlight, Teruaki Asanuma was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Obsidian 'Trail' Provides Clues To How Humans Settled, Interacted In Kuril Islands Jul 11, 2009
Tiny obsidian flakes such as this found in the Kuril Islands have been traced to their source on Japan's Hokkaido Island and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. (Credit: Colby Phillips). (Science Daily)
Grinning Buddha with 'bulge' withdrawn from sale Jun 25, 2009
The Marimokkori character, which originated in northern Hokkaido island, is a word play on "marimo," a type of moss ball found in lakes, and "mokkori" which means bulge and is a slang term for an erection. HN and Associates produced the Buddha character under licence from the Hokkaido company Kyowa. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
The first Japanese Apr 11, 2009
Such is the case of the Ainu, the original settlers of Japans Hokkaido Island, now numbering around 25,000. Recognition of the Ainu as the indigenous people of Hokkaido came as late as June 2008, just before the G8 summit at Hokkaidos Lake Toya-ko. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Gazprom Considers Investing in Japanese Power Utilities, CFO Kruglov Says Mar 13, 2009
Russia, holder of the worlds largest natural gas reserves, last month opened its first liquefied natural gas plant on Sakhalin Island, allowing the gas export monopoly access to markets in Japan, South Korea and the U.S. The new LNG plant, part of the Sakhalin-2 project in the nations far east, is just 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the northern tip of Japans Hokkaido island. While Kruglov didnt identify utilities for potential investment, he said companies with the closest access... (Bloomberg -- Japan)
