Kurashi - News From Japan

Climate change, heat, cold, we are all wondering what is going on. The Hamaoka nuclear reactors south west of Tokyo are a no-go as far as I am concerned. This was before the 2011 earthquake and tsunami hit Fukushima. I was working on this very topic back in 2005-2006 over at Japan Offspring Fund . Junichi Kowaka noted : Of all the 52 active nuclear reactors in Japan experts agree that the 5 reactors in Hamaoka are the most dangerous.  Hamaoka sits directly over a subduction zone near the junction of two tectonic plates. The ground is not solid rock, but sand.  This area is in fact overdue for a major earthquake. When the radioactivity is released, it will be much worse than if an atomic bomb was dropped in the region.   At Japan Offspring Fund, we are concerned with safety issues, and we would like to provide advice about what you can do to escape, when such earthquake happens. I like how the Calvin and Hobbes creator dealt with this issue, f...

Add one spoonful of Abe Shinzo's speech to Wall Street , including his weird reference to that 1980s movie character, Gordon Gekko: Ladies and gentlemen, I am grateful to have this opportunity to speak to you today. Wall Street, an entity that moves the global economy-- when I hear the name, my mind turns to Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas. In the original film in 1987, the words "Nikkei Index" appear. Japanese businessmen also take the screen and the film reminds us of the era in which the Japanese economy was regarded as a juggernaut. However, in the 2010 sequel, the investors that appear are Chinese and it is not Wall Street but London where Gordon amasses his wealth. Japan is conspicuous only in its absence. Just as the title, "Money Never Sleeps," indicates, the principle that money flows to wherever the profits are is decidedly severe. It is certainly true that after the bursting of its bubble, from the 1990's Japan was mired ...

MSF Urges Countries Not to Trade Away Health as Trans-Pacific Trade Pact Negotiations Intensify August 22, 2013, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam  - The far-reaching Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) should be a force for improving health outcomes for the more than half a billion people in twelve countries affected by the pact, but instead negotiators are moving towards finalizing a deal that in fact would restrict access to affordable medicines and constrain governments’ ability to protect the health of their citizens, warned Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). “Despite more than 18 months of persistent opposition from its trading partners, the U.S. government has refused to back down from its demands for intellectual property (IP) rules designed to impede timely access to affordable generic medicines,” said Leena Menghaney, MSF Access Campaign Manager, who is attending the negotiations.  “The U.S. is keen to block deve...

Japan Must Consider The Impact of Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement on Access To Medicines In Developing Countries Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) JP   The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement has the potential to greatly diminish access to affordable medicines for millions of people in parts of the developing world, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned today. As Japan nears a decision on joining the TPP negotiations, MSF is concerned that discussions in Japan have failed to take into account the impact that aggressive intellectual property provisions proposed by the US could have on access to medicines in countries where MSF works and beyond. “Our experience around the world shows that MSF's treatment programs – and our patients’ lives – depend on the availability of quality and affordable generic medicines,” explains Eric Ouannes, General Director of MSF-Japan. “If Japan does not properly conside...

Trade agreement threatens access to affordable medicines Access to affordable medicines is threatened by the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, according to the New Zealand-based leader of the Global Asthma Network, Professor Innes Asher. Media Release The University of Auckland 20th September 2013 Trade agreement threatens access to affordable medicines Access to affordable medicines is threatened by the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, according to the New Zealand-based leader of the Global Asthma Network, Professor Innes Asher. The US-driven trade agreement is designed to promote the interests of the pharmaceutical industry to the great detriment of public health, says Professor Asher from the University of Auckland. “A lobby group influenced by the pharmaceutical industry is seeking to eliminate therapeutic reference pricing and introduce appeals processes that will allow pharmaceutical companies to challenge formulary listing and pri...

Shitamachi Tokyo. This is one city where people do like to party. If you are thinking of going to Japan, late September is a great time. This weekend, we had the Nezu Shrine festival, and to the east of Nippori station, a full weekend of fun. Do get lost in this part of Tokyo, enjoy the small shops and cafes and shrines and temples... Yanaka is that kind of place. And there is so much going on! Here is a short video of the dance in Nippori on Sunday night:

This weekend the Nippori Marche will feature guests from Kyushu, who will perform their traditional Coal Mine Dance. The market is on the east side of Nippori station. The tankobushi dance is a chance for everyone to join a classic Kyushu event, right here in Tokyo. Saturday: 18:00 Sunday: 15:00 contest (best costume) and 18:00 (big final event) Plus lots of local foods from farmers who take this market seriously, for 3 years now (and counting). Details from Nippori Yume Donya (J)