Random Japan

BY THE NUMBERS　
For the first time since recordkeeping began in 1968, the number of Japanese reaching the legal age of 20 last year represented less than 1 percent of the total population.

At the same time, Japan’s net population decreased by 123,000—the first decline of more than 100,000 people in the postwar era.

It was reported that membership of Japan’s top three SNS sites—Gree, DeNA and Mixi—jumped 40 percent during the past year, to 65 million.

Japanese courts gave the death sentence to 14 people in 2010, the first time in 11 years the number dropped below 20.

It was reported that approximately 300 wild rabbits are living on Okuno Island in the Seto Inland Sea, the site of a former chemical weapons facility.

Stats
11,360
Number of “atrocious” crimes, including murder, robbery and rape, committed in Japan in 2005, according to the National Police Agency

6,989
Number of such crimes committed from January-November 2010

4,863
Traffic accidents in 2010, according to the National Police Agency

10
Consecutive years the number of traffic accidents has declined

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Surprising absolutely no one, the DPJ has indicated that it will retool its election manifesto and “scale back” popular programs like the “monthly child allowance and the elimination of expressway tolls.”

It was reported that Kota Matsuda of Your Party was the richest of the 121 legislators who won a seat in the July upper house elections. Matsuda, the founder of the Tully’s Coffee Japan chain, claims ¥486 million in assets.

Television stations around the country decided to extend the deadline for eliminating their analog broadcasts until late July. Which begs the questions: what’s analog TV?

The media flurry surrounding the successful Hayabusa mission wasn’t enough to save JAXAi, the Japan Space Agency’s information center, which shut its doors last month due to budget cuts.

Teaching

Doesn't Involve Groping

Even Though "It's Not Me"

I'll Take Your Money Just The Same

Prosecute Don't Prosecute

We'll Do What They Said

'K-pop' girl idols striking gold in Japan
Savvy Net blitz fueling success throughout Asia
By MAY MASANGKAY
Kyodo News
Thanks to the Internet and an already established fascination with South Korea's boy bands, young Japanese girls and women are shifting in droves to the latest pop idol sensation — the country's girl groups.
Rio Nagasaki, a 15-year-old junior high school student, is among a growing number of fans smitten by South Korean pop music — "K-pop" — performed by artists in her own age group.

"I learned about Kara a year ago before their debut via the Net," she said, referring to the five-member ensemble that is so far the most visible K-pop girl group in Japan.

Only 20% of English conversation teachers give classes in English

Saturday 22nd January　
Only 20% of English oral communication teachers at Japanese public high schools were giving classes in English in 2010, far short of the ‘‘100%’’ target three years from now, a governmental survey showed Friday.

The ratio was also low among teachers for cross-cultural understanding classes included in English language courses, with only 35% of them found to be using English, the survey by the education ministry suggested.

As Japan will introduce new high school education guidelines starting in the academic year beginning April 2013 that basically require all teachers to use English in teaching English classes, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said it intends to instruct schools to raise the percentages to realize a smooth transition.