Last week reports surfaced that Prada Japan allegedly terminated workers they found unattractive, after ex-senior retail manager Rina Bovrisse filed a complaint against the label. On Saturday, after failing to reach a settlement with Prada Japan, Bovrisse told the Japan Times she had planned to collect more witnesses and file a lawsuit. Prada just issued thi
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Prada Responds to Discrimination Complaints in Japan
Japan may ease visa rules for Foreign Nurses and Dentists
Japan may lift work visa restrictions for foreign nurses and dentists, to help care for its fast-ageing and shrinking population, the government said Monday. The immigration bureau is considering a plan to abolish visa limits for hundreds of nurses from the Philippines and Indonesia that currently restrict them to working in Japan for only seven years.
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Japanese woman graduates from school at age of 91
A 91-year-old woman has graduated from evening school in southern Japan, the daily Mainichi Simbun paper reported on Wednesday.
The Kobe evening school is for people who failed to receive a secondary education because of difficult circumstances.
"I had to sacrifice a lot and give up a lot," Sidzue Hirai said.
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Japanese Phallic Festival - Yokote's Bonden Matsuri
At first glance, Yokote's Bondon Matsuri in Northern Japan may seem rather innocuous. Tall decorative pools are paraded through the streets where later they are taken up a mountain and offered to a Shrine for the sake of a good harvest.
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Disney High-Speed Train and JR Central’s bid for the bucks
Walt Disney World in Florida may be the next stop for bullet-train makers in Japan and China.
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Dead Pigs dumped in river threaten health of 3 million Chinese
More than 100 rotting pig carcasses discarded in the Qiantang River in China are threatening the health of 3 million locals, Chinese Global Times said on Monday.
Since last Wednesday, a salvage team has already removed 100 rotting pig corpses from the river, which provides drinking water for more than 3 million people living downstream.
Read more »Kim Jong-il 'Has $4 Billion in European Banks'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has US$4 billion hidden in secret accounts in European banks to continue his lavish way of life if he is forced to flee the country, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
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Chinese Woman Grows Big Horn on Her Head
Chinese woman Zhang Ruifang, aged 101, has become a star in her Linlou village, Henan province. The elderly woman grew a horn on her forehead, above her left eye a year ago. Now the woman grows another horn – above the right eye, Express Gazeta wrote.
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The Best Guide to Roppongi
Japanese-born panda returns to China
Japanese-born giant panda "Xingbang" is seen in the quarantine room at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 16, 2010. Giant panda "Xingbang", which was born by "Meimei" on Aug. 23, 2005 in Japan, returned to China on Tuesday.
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Through Eyes of Karl Marx
Human history and the future: as seen through the eyes of Karl Marx, father of communism - part 1
Read more »Best Friends (PIC)
Or perhaps brothers, twins even? Took this shot on my way back to Shibuya from Harajuku.
Read more »Japanese PM denies Futenma air base to be relocated to Tokunoshima
TOKYO, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday denied that his government was considering relocating the U.S. Futenma air base from Okinawa to Tokunoshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture.
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New high-speed rail network could trump air travel
Railway passengers will be able to travel from King's Cross to Beijing in just two days on a journey that would be almost as fast as by airplane under ambitious new plans from the Chinese.
Read more »Kerokuen Garden by Night - Lights and Sounds
Photos and a movie from our recent trip to this most famous Japanese garden. It was snowing and there was a flute concert. Unforgettable.
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Category: Living in Japan Tags:
The Look
They were dressed in street clothes and I realized that in three years I'd never seen them dressed so. Yuki looked the way I imagine Hello Kitty would look if she had a blue fairy like Pinocchio who turned her into a little girl. And, Midori had future Hostess written all over her outfit.
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How Korean Food Is Perceived Abroad
Korean food is unpopular and considered overpriced in the U.S., a survey shows. But it is widely popular in China and Japan, where it is seen as cheap.
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Japanese companies meet to establish standards for electric cars
On Monday, Japanese auto giants and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) joined forces to set up a common system to recharge electric cars, with the hopes to create a global standard.
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Mayday! (Competition Special)
In this post, you have the chance of winning some pretty nifty prizes by answering my JLPT mayday call. This jblog needs you!
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Category: Education Tags:
Hatoyama's brother submits letter to quit opposition LDP
"Former internal affairs minister Kunio Hatoyama, the younger brother of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, submitted a letter to the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party on Monday announcing that he is quitting the party, LDP officials said."
Read more »VN outlines Seven Scenarios for Third Child
Hanoi - Vietnam has officially allowed exceptions to its longstanding two-child policy under certain circumstances, a government official confirmed Wednesday. A new decree details seven scenarios in which couples are to have the right to a third child, Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, director of the Hanoi Population Department, said.
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K-pop band donates $10,000 to Phnom Penh orphanage
South Korean boy band Shinee performed a concert at Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on Tuesday, wrapping up a six-day visit that included a donation of US$10,000 to the Cambodia Children’s Fund..
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Japan Frustrated by Firm Yen
The yen's strength is "perplexing," says Pierre Gave, head of research at GaveKal, a Hong Kong-based analysis and investment firm. "If there's one thing everyone agreed upon, it was that 2010 would be the year of yen weakness."
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The 3 benefits of a post office savings account
Learn about the advantages and conveniences of opening a post office savings account in Japan, and start saving!
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Japan wins both in Ladies and Men's World Junior Figure Skating Championships
Kanako Murakami and Yuzuru Hanyu clinched the titles of Figure Skating Jr Worlds, showing the depths of Japan.
http://goldenskate.com/articles/2009/jw_ll.shtml
http://goldenskate.com/articles/2009/jw_ml.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2PzjGzheXQ
Japan must keep interests of children at center of deliberations on int'l custody treaty
A Mainichi editorial gives a Japanese perspective of the current pressure on Japan to sign up to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Read more »Yokohama, in living color: pt.1
The Cosmo Clock 21 is the largest Clock in the world. One rotation takes about 15 minutes. The one time I braved a ride all I could think the entire time was is there a worst place to be in the event of an earthquake (not exactly a rarity in Japan).
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Anime for Anime Haters: Try it - you just might like it!
Hate anime with the fire of 10,000 burning suns? Well so do we, yet we still managed to find a few that were good. Give it a second chance by checking out a few of these recommendations. With YouTube clips!
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World Rankings of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Ahaha, Australia IS THE MOST SINFUL NATION in the world according to news report. As sources say, they are the most likely to sin!!!
Additionally, South Korea has been ranked #1 for LUST!!!
And on the obvious rating, the good o'l USA is ranked #1 for gluttony...
Read more »Railways hope 'maids' attract riders
"Two Ibaraki Prefecture train lines will offer a special service next weekend that is rarely seen on rails: maids."
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