The Head of Japan’s Opposition Party Resigns

Posted on May 11, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

Representative Ozawa of the Democratic Party of Japan announced his resignation today. The DPJ, or Democratic Party of Japan, has gained unprecedented political prominence in recent years. Just earlier this year it was highly rumored that the DPJ was going to unseat the ruling party, the LDP or Liberal Democratic Party, for the first time since the Second World War. Then, amidst a scandal where Ozawa’s secretary was accepting illegal campaign contributions, Ozawa and the DPJ abruptly started losing public favor. Each newspaper took a slightly different account of Ozawa’s resignation speech and how they viewed his departure from power.

Asahi A Political Soldier, “I did it for the Unification of my Party”. The Asahi reports that Ozawa’s main focus in his resignation was to unify his party, and continue the political battle. It’s almost made to seem as if a soldier has just retired from the battlefront. “Not only am I doing this to pave the way for a transition of power, but beyond that I’m doing this for sake of political solidarity.” The Asahi then adds that Ozawa still feels that “winning the snap election is of the utmost importance. I will continue along with my party to fight till the end.”

Nikkei A Vulnerable Threat, “The Party was Unstable”. The Nikkei focused on very different commentary than the Asahi for why Ozawa resigned. Their summary of the commentary states “I was the focus of attack from the media, and my departure will hopefully smooth things out and give the party the framework to work together to continue the political battle.” The Nikkei makes it seem as if Ozawa was the weakest link, rather than a strong soldier. The most interesting commentary is the words from Ozawa where he admits “My party was unstable. I couldn’t let this instability go on any longer.”

Yomiuri A Weathered Politician, “It was decided on vacation”. Interestingly enough, Yomiuri was the only newspaper that reported Ozawa’s commentary on when he decided to leave his position of power. “I decided to leave during my vacation, when I had time to sit down and think.” Although the Yomiuri also adds in comments about how Ozawa will continue to fight on within his own party, the nuance is slightly different. They add these comments after he states “I decided on my vacation”, making it seem as if his influence within the party might wane quickly.

Toyota’s Debt: The Biggest Japan Has Ever Seen

Posted on May 8, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

Car companies are part of the corporate identity of Japan, and at the head of the pack is Toyota. With car sales higher than GM, they’re the number one car company in the world. What the economic crisis has taught both America and Japan, however, is that being big isn’t necessarily always best. The newspapers released today the most dismal earnings forecasts that Toyota has had in its 70+ year history.

Yomiuri “850 billion yen for two years” Yomiuri states in their first paragraph that Toyota’s debt forecast will reach a whopping 850 billion yen (8.5 billion dollars), the largest debt on its balance sheet history. According to the Yomiuri, due to the economic slowdown in the world car market, next year’s debt will be twice as much as this year’s.

Nikkei “550 billion yen” The Nikkei paints a very different picture of Toyota, listing their losses as only 550 billion yen (5.5 billion dollars), instead of 850 billion yen. They then cleverly go on to state that if you add the taxes, the total adds up to 850 billion yen. Still, the Nikkei cites factors out of Toyota’s control such as the quick drop in car sales globally and the strong yen that have led it to have such dismal sales forecasts.

Asahi “The Whole Market will Freeze” Asahi also focuses on the 8.5 billion debt figure, and goes further to state that Toyota’s forecast for debt losses will have a ripple effect on the stock market as a whole. They then claim that for Japanese companies, 8.5 million dollars is the largest debt on record. The release of debt will be coupled with effects on the labor market and profits on Toyota’s auto part suppliers, leading to a ripple effect for all Toyota’s sphere of influence.

Baby Boy Found in Freezer

Posted on April 29, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

In Hyogo Prefecture, Ono City, Miyuki Otsuka was arrested yesterday on charges that she left her child’s body in the freezer. According to the police, Miyuki showed up the police station and said that she was hiding her baby’s body in the freezer. Both the Yomiuri and the Asahi Newspapers tell this gruesome tale differently, and interestingly enough neither paper speculates on how or why the baby was killed.

Yomiuri “He was already dead when I got home.” Miyuki claims that she made her son stay at home while she went out. After she returned home, she found her son dead. The Yomiuri mentions some interesting details surrounding this, like for example Miyuki is unemployed. Also, they point out that the body was found in a vanilla bag, wrapped up. They end their article saying the police are currently doing an autopsy to find the cause of death, but the scene they set makes you wonder how it couldn’t be Miyuki.

Asahi “This is my baby, who died years before” The Asahi’s first quote for Miyuki is that her baby had died years before. They then mention that the police are currently doing an autopsy, and at the same time they are questioning the husband. In their closing paragraph they claim that Miyuki is “testifying” that her son died a few months after they moved to the apartment in 2007. The Asahi’s focus on time and the husband hints at the fact that Miyuki might not have killed her baby.

Nikkei ”First American Killed in Texas by the Swine Flu” The Nikkei did not run a story on Miyuki this morning but instead focused on the first death in Texas supposedly from the Swine Flu. According to Routers they claim that a 23^rd month old baby was confirmed to have died of Swine Flu, the first death outside Mexico.

Ichiro Breaks Record

Posted on April 16, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

One of the inspirations of this blog entry is to translate directly Japanese news stories from Japanese to English. It is often interesting and enlightening to get the Japanese perspective. After reading an American paper’s account of Ichiro breaking the record and realizing there was no interviews with the man, it became necessary to write about what Ichiro himself said about his record breaking achievement.

Asahi (I was hitting “for dear life”) When Asahi asked Ichiro what it was like up at bat during the seventh inning, when the record could be broken, he exclaimed, “I had no time to think about what was actually going on, or that this was a special moment. It was like I was hitting for dear life.” Asahi then asked, “Can you explain what you mean by “dear life””? Ichiro replied, “Well basically I wanted to take advantage of the moment that my team was doing well. I wanted to add to the flow of the game.”

Asahi also asked if he felt good after playing the game. Ichiro replied “Well I actually had a bad feeling. It was that the current record holder would get upset, hearing cheers after the record was broken.”

Yomiuri (“Not bad at all.”) Ichiro’s feelings while he was at bat, according to Yomiuri, “I was thinking, not bad at all. I should take advantage of the flow of my team. Although I say take advantage, I don’t mean just the act of “taking”, but I think I was more wrapped up in the feeling of the moment.”

Nikkei (“I’ve surpassed the current record holder”) The Nikkei focused on the actual act of breaking the record. Ichiro in the seventh inning left a mark by getting the 3,085 hit of his career. It also went on to explain that Ichiro had stomach pains and was out for eight games last season, and he seems to have recovered well this season. Ichiro exclaimed “I’ve now passed the current record holder.”

The Release of the Mini Coop, in Japan

Posted on April 15, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

BMW has just released a new version of their convertible in Japan, the Mini Coop Convertible S and the Mini Coop Convertible. Each newspaper focused on different features that its readers would enjoy.

Nikkei (New Functionality) The Nikkei focused on the new engine and catchy functionalities that come with the “newly improved mini coop.” The car “employs an effective new engine, with gas consumption performance increased by 40%.” The roof is now able to close mid drive, in reaction to unexpected rain storms. Its closing time has also been decreased to 15 seconds; quick enough so it can close in the time it takes for a stoplight to turn green. Although both newspapers list the car has come out in two models, the Nikkei lists the models as a selection process, with the faster type “more equipped with a 1600cc engine”.

Asahi (New Comfort) The Asahi describes the car as a “new release” in Japan, with different characteristics than previous models. The Asahi talks about the space available in the car, both when driving with the top down and top up. Not only is there luggage space which exceeds 170 liters when the top is up, but it then goes on to elaborate how 2 people can fit in the back comfortably. The space overall has increased by 55 liters as compared to the last model.

NHK and Yomiuri (Crane Accident) Both the NHK and Yomiuri this morning did not run articles on the mini coop but instead focused on the tragic crane accident in Tokyo. 6 people were injured when a large crane suddenly collapsed on its work site and nearby sidewalk. The cause of the accident is currently being investigated.

North Korea Missile Launching: Different Reactions from Different Perspectives

Posted on April 6, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

Nikkei (Business Perspective) – The Ministry of Finance is discussing decreasing the maximum value of money allowed to be sent into North Korea. Currently transactions totaling over 1 million yen are prohibited. Businesses take note: if any transactions are not reported fully, financial penalties will incur.

NHK (Scientific Perspective)NHK this morning interviewed experts on missile behavior to analyze exactly what type of missile was launched by North Korea. If the missile was designed for launching satellites, as claimed by North Korea, then the missile would have to have gone much farther and straighter than had occurred.

Asahi (Comical Perspective) – Prime Minister Aso was asked “The long range missile fired from North Korea today traveled further than the one previously. Do you think this shows that North Korea’s ability to develop technologically is progressing? ” Aso replied: “You’re speaking to the wrong person. You should ask a technology expert.”

“Death in a Hole” 3 Takes on the Sad Story of Takae Gasho

Posted on April 2, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

(Background) While golfing in Rupetau Golf Course with her two sons and husband, Takae fell into a 5 meter deep, 1.5 meter around hole and died.

NHK Briefly Mentions – NHK News, after the G20 Summit and North Korea, mentioned the story of Taka e ¾ the way into their news broadcast. “We were walking behind Takae when she fell, but we did not see any hole” as reported by a policeman who spoke with the family.>

Yomiuri Dramatizes –Yomiuri’s title tells it all: “Woman falls into deep hole and dies before her husband and children’s eyes”. Add the grizzly detail of “when her body was found it was half covered in sand” and you feel like you’re reading a Stephen King novel.

Asahi Accuses – Asahi’s choice of words compared to Yomiuri’s made it clear who’s responsible. Yomiuri tells “workers that morning had surveyed the golf course and found nothing irregular” while Asahi claimed “the manager had surveyed the golf course and found nothing irregular.” Asahi’s closing paragraph stated the golf course could be investigated on “suspicion of professional negligence leading to death.”

The Economic Downturn and its Effects: Most Pessimistic to Most Optimistic

Posted on April 1, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

4 – NHK: The biggest news on economic glum came from the NHK news station today. Within the financial community the highly anticipated “Tankan Survey” done by the Bank of Japan stated record pessimism amongst company executives. 61% stated their companies were doing poorly, while only 3% stated they were doing well. This measure is the worst it’s been since the survey’s inception, about 30 years ago.

3 – Nikkei: Not to be outdone, the Nikkei then reported that bankruptcies from listed companies in 2008 had reached 45. This is the highest rate of bankruptcies since WWII. To underscore this point, the second worst year of bankruptcies in Japan was 2002, with only 22 bankruptcies.

2 – Asahi: The Asahi ran a headliner this morning about how lay offs and the economic downturn are good for some companies. Reporting from within the headquarters of a recruiting agency that hires part time workers (a company called あず) executives were rejoicing on how this is their chance to get more recruits for part time work than ever before. They referred to the “” the furi-ta- or “seasonal worker” spirit!

1 – Yomiuri: The headlines at Yomiuri this morning topped the optimism radar. They made no mention of an economic downturn, but instead decided to focus on North Korea. So you’re probably expecting some kind of article regarding missile launches accidently dropping missiles on Japan? Nope, the headliner read: Kim Jong Ill’s thinness is due to dieting, he’s getting thin due to health reasons.”

One of the Brains of Postal Privatization Charged with Theft

Posted on March 31, 2009 by learnjapanesehl

Youichi Takahashi, one of the brains of Koizumi’s postal privatization, was brought up on theft charges today. Apparently his political acumen did not translate into an ability to commit crime.

The security tape revealed a man, looking just like Youichi, opening up a fellow bather’s locker. He took both an expensive Italian 100,000 yen watch and a wallet with 50,000 yen in it.

When confronted by the authorities, he confessed, stating “I’m sorry. I saw the watch and was interested, like what kinda person would carry such a nice watch?”

Construction Projects for Fixing and Rebuilding Roads Freeze Across Nation