Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Japan to play WBC. It was unfortunately about money. The MLB got 33% of the revenue while the two time Champions, Japan got only 13% of the ad revenue. “Japan’s professional baseball announced Tuesday it has decided to set up a new business structure that would bring in ¥4 billion ($51.1 million) in four years.” (WSJ – WBC)
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The elders of a company have value in Japan. Unlike in the US, where the youth are valued because they come cheap, have a shiny education and perhaps have higher cleavages, the elders know what they’re doing. As the population ages in Japan, this is what they’re faced with. ” In 2011, people age 65 and over made up 23.3 percent of the population. The ratio is projected to reach 31.6 percent by 2030 and 38.8 percent by 2050, government figures show. By contrast, in the United States, which faces its own aging demographic, the ratio is expected to hit 19.9 percent by 2030 and 21.2 percent by 2050.” (CS Monitor – Age) It’s not always smooth sailing, there’s an age where, you’re done. There’s a forced retirement age, probably in place to cover everyone’s behind…
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It looks like an island paradise, but it’s not. China says it’s been theirs since the 14th century, Japan says it’s been theirs since 1895. China and Japan are fighting over them, and here’s one breakdown by the Christian Science Monitor that explains some typical questions. (CSM – Senkaku)
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No one has cared that the Wagyu or Kobe beef they’ve been eating at Black Angus is really some bootleg beef from happy cows elsewhere, that isn’t Japan. But guess what? Japan beef imports will be lifted and now you can get more confused. Who’s to know which is the real Wagyu beef or the fake bootleg beef? Now the lines will be blurred. “I think it’s from Japan” will now be the answer to the “is it real?” questions. But really, will it be really from Japan and will anyone care? Probably not and it’ll still say Wagyu or Kobe when it’s just grocery store quality. As long as the beer is flowing, of course it’s “imported”.
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South Koreans want the world to know about Dokdo, aka Takeshima, aka Liancourt Rocks. Korean soccer player, Park Jong Woo scored the biggest audience so far for the Dokdo debate when Korea beat Japan for the Olympic bronze, but lost his chance to be a part of the medal ceremony. He may not get the medal awarded at all, but he does get out of having to do compulsory military service. Before Park held up his handmade sign on the world stage, Koreans in London were handing out flyers about Dokdo to the international tourists around the city. Korea really wants us to know what’s going on, because so far, no one seems to care, no matter how hard they flash mob for the cause. Dokdo is found in Korea’s written records as early as 512, during the Shilla Dynasty. The islands show up in Japanese written records in 1693, and are eventually known in the Japanese record as Takeshima. Korea promptly sent an emissary to Japan to let them know back then that the islands were Korean territory, and Japan backed off. In 1849 a French whaling ship charted the island, and in typical European fashion, made up their own name for it, Liancourt Rocks. Japan came back again in 1876, and once more Korea protested. Japan apologized, again, and left it alone until the peninsula and all its territories were under Japanese control during 35 years of occupation. The Japanese were stoked on the prime sea lion hunting location. After liberation in 1945, Dokdo was Korean territory again. The US used the islands as a bombing range in 1952 and stationed US troops there for a short time. The islands have been more than just a pile of rocks for a very long time. They are home to good fishing grounds, untapped gas deposits, and did I mention the sea lions? So, now what’s to be done? Takeshima has become a platform for Japanese conservatives to stand their ground against outside agencies telling Japan what to do, and it’s also been a talking point for holding on to dwindling natural resources close to home. Dokdo has long been a focal point of Korean efforts to right the wrongs of a traumatic past. Dokdo was the starting point for the annexation of the Korean peninsula in 1910, and represents much more. No one is actively campaigning for the recognition of “Liancourt Rocks”, but who really cares about “rocks” anyhow? How can all parties move forward? Japan doesn’t like to apologize for war crimes, and it doesn’t like to concede. Takeshima gives steady fodder to the conservatives who influence government, education, and foreign policy. Currently airing Korean television dramas about freedom fighters during the occupation are popular and get consistently high ratings. Dokdo makes regular appearances in Korean media and has become a focal point of national pride. If the closure Koreans need hasn’t been granted (if Han allows for any closure at all) then this, and other issues will...
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