Kurashi - News From Japan

Prime Minister Abe has been busy with all kinds of arrows to promote Japan and its economy. One was the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, a deal that no one seemed to be able to define, and who would benefit? At least here in Japan, it was never made clear. The latest round of negotiations that I have been following - in Singapore - ended without a deal. That is Abe's man in Singapore, with his headphones on, and everyone seems to be having a laugh. Reuters says: UPDATE 2-No end in sight yet for Trans-Pacific trade pact Sticking points over intellectual property and the rules for state-owned enterprises and government procurement are also proving difficult. "If you ask whether all outstanding issues have been resolved, it is also a common recognition that they still remain," Japan's Economics Minister Akira Amari said ahead of the final part of the talks. Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Minister, Mustapa Mohamed, said part...

So I was just thinking, wouldn't it be great if Tokyo was more like Scotland, and wanted to be independent of the rest of Japan. And the UK wants to not be part of the EU? Much like Japan does not really want to be part of - Asia. I mean, you have all kinds of prefectures and lousy islands making trouble (much like Gibraltar or the Falklands) so Tokyo could just vote for "No" to all of the Senkakus and the Takeshima troubles, and whatever the Russians call the islands up north that Stalin grabbed back in August 1945... Tokyo could take a lesson. Scotland could be a model! Forget about Dai-Nippon and all that Imperial business ages ago. Go it on your own! Elect someone clever to start the process!? No problem. Tokyo and California, and what about Milan or Barcelona; who else? Quebec? Georgia? Palestine? Tibet? Could all become independent and get rid of all the baggage... Nathan Algren : Sergeant Gant, did you hear my order? Zebulon Gant : I did indeed, sir. Na...

February 9 is the date of the vote for a new mayor for Tokyo, and it has been called a "nuclear referendum" but I smell rat. The candidates may be for or against nuclear power. But the reality is that for Tokyo citizens, there is very little possibility of nuclear power plants to provide energy for the city's bright lights. Consumers, who vote, should know that only a handful of nuclear power plants that may provide energy to the metropolis are even candidates for restarts. A reminder: Currently, none of Japan's 48 nuclear power plants are online. Japan has completely gone off the nuclear "heroin" drug. But 16 are applying for restarts as of February 1, 2014 (pdf) . Of those, only two would be in any position to provide Tokyo with electricity. Those are reactors 6 and 7 in Kashiwasaki Kariwa in far away Niigata prefecture. Both were severely shaken by the earthquake back in 2007, so we know they are not yet confirmed to be safe as such. No other...

Exciting things happening over at UNU here in Japan. Established in 1973, this is the academic and research arm of the United Nations. Great place for your higher education, I'm told. UNU upcoming events here . More about Applications for their 2014 Fellowships here . The UNU Institute of Advanced Studies also has an archive of research papers here . And if you care about sustainable development, and have ideas from behind the camera, here is your chance. If you are in Japan and East Asia and everywhere else, do contribute. Let's do it in a different way. Mainstream media just wants war and conflict. We can do better. Water and energy? Good article here about a guy in LA who is trying to do something about the lack of water in that huge city and the rest of California. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2014-01/andy-lipkis-man-taking-la-s-water-system Andy recently convened a meeting of experts and government officials from Austra...

From Democracy Now : AMY GOODMAN : Can we end with "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" for the children? PETE SEEGER : No. You sing it. AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to end on a lovely note. PETE SEEGER : No. I’ve sung lots of songs. And the other day, a group of Japanese Americans remembered Hiroshima, and I sang four short verses. [singing] We come and stand at every door But none can hear my silent tread I knock and yet remain unseen For I am dead, for I am dead. I’m only seven, although I died In Hiroshima long ago. I’m seven now, as I was then. When children die, they do not grow. My hair was scorched by swirling flame; My eyes grew dim, my eyes grew blind. Death came and turned my bones to dust, And that was scattered by the wind. I need no fruit, I need no rice. I need no sweets, not even bread; I ask for nothing for myself, For I am dead, for I am dead. All that I ask is that for peace You fight today, you fight today. So that the children ...

Pete Seeger at the New York City Community Garden Coalition's "Stand for the Land" Forum, April 27, 2013 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union. Pete is presented the Hammer of Justice by Haja Worley. ( NYCCGC.org ) It’s hard to think Pete won’t be there–the Clearwater, the Strawberry Festival, the Corn Festival (he named it the “Buck-an-Ear” Festival), the Pumpkin Festival… .  Pete was a sage, a life-guide. Pete’s spirit reached into our souls and found our music.  We’ll miss his stories, his voice, his hugs.  But in his name we’ve got to ”Keep On!”  At the last Pumpkin Festival in Beacon, not only did Pete sing, but he handed out hand-written copies of the Emancipation Proclamation to the entire audience and we all recited it together–Pete himself knew it by heart. Then, at a memorial for Toshi last October, at the Center for Ethical Culture, Pete raised the roof with song. What can we say–the longer he was with u...