Kurashi - News From Japan

Hikaru Utada I wonder where this wonderful video was made. Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean...

Excellent news: Russia has imposed a drift net ban in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) north of Hokkaido, Japan. Drift nets are the most devastating ways of fishing - if it can be called that. Stretching as far as 32 km, a single net is literally catching everything along that stretch - between just two boats. Large fish and even seals or dolphins get caught too. Seabirds that get in the way are other victims of this indiscriminate way of cheaply and indiscriminately serving the fishing industry with raw materials. Japan's response? Not a word about how the ban will help to protect the oceans. Not a word about the need to curb over-fishing. Not a word about the need for saving precious marine life. (Read more below about Sustainable Seafood Week!) The Russian ban will take effect January 1, 2016 according to NHK World: Hokkaido fishermen seek help over drift-net ban Fishermen in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido have visited Tokyo to ask for government h...

It's not journalism, not fiction, and certainly not your usual travel book. Patrick Sherriff has written an acute account of his recent trip to the coastal areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Add watercolours and you have a great little book that helped me remember that there is still a world up there, a couple of hours north of the comfort zone that is Tokyo, that hasn't recovered, but the people are doing their very best to cope. Children of the Tsunami is an e-book, easy to order for $0.99 or an oversize paperback at $6.99 from all Amazon sites including here at  Amazon.com .  Amazon.co.jp  and  Amazon.co.uk , or get the paperback directly from  CreateSpace . You can also sign up for Patrick's mailinglist (details below). Background - Patrick drove up in 2011 with emergency supplies, like many of us did, trying to help wherever we had contacts or the need was the greatest. Now, he went back on a more leisurely trip, with wife and tw...

It could still rear its ugly head but for now, US Congress voted down a package of bills that would have given the White House "Fast Track" authority. Without it, there is no way other countries will engage in serious negotiations with the US about trade. I watched the debate live and followed the live blogging, it was a great show. Having followed the TPP discussions closely, including Wikileaks and heard arguments for and against, it feels like a relief - for now. Japan and other countries need to have much more discussion about these massive trade negotiations and think hard about the impact on people's lives. But for now, the American "Asian Pivot" has largely failed. Not much is expected to happen during the rest of President Obama's term, and it will take time before another president can regain the momentum. Which is a good thing, as far as I am concerned! Politico:  http://www.politico.eu/article/house-casts-gloom-over-obama-trade-agenda/ Hou...

If you like anime and wish to know more about the hardships and creative trouble that go into making epic films, do enjoy this documentary about the Ghibli Studio. Anyone been the the museum? I like how anti-nuclear he is, and of course, anti-war. So,, what is Miya-san a proponent of...?

Have you heard of the plastic garbage in the oceans? Well, 20 year old Boyan Slat is trying to do something about it, and he is getting support to do it in Japan. May 20, 2015 he and his crew started a project near Tsushima Island, to try to capture some of the crap left by humans in our seas. If this works out, the plan is to scale it up. The ocean currents, passing the island towards the deposits around 30,000 m 3 of trash onto its shores every year. Currently, this garbage is manually collected, costing about US$5 million each year. The coastal pilot will be catching trash before it reaches the shoreline, potentially saving cost. This, combined with the suitable wave/current conditions and the local hospitality, makes Tsushima the perfect testing location. This will get interesting. Tsushima is part of Nagasaki, Kyushu and a major tourist destination. Go out on the beaches and you can't avoid seeing the plastic crap washed ashore. Very embarrassing then, if tha...

Quickly before it is too late... http://www.readthetpp.com/ ;)