This week was a busy one in news, so we thought that we’d give you a quick rundown of our top ten news stories from this week:
Researchers strive to discover whether dogs also like hot springs: In the cutest news story of this past week, Japanese scientists analyze if dogs think that hot springs are relaxing in the same way that people do. I hope that there’s a follow-up study determining whether dogs like their bellies rubbed, enjoy food from the table, or maybe even answer the biggest question of them all: “who’s a good boy?” [via News on Japan]
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It’s no ordinary sale. It’s a F%#@IN’ SALE!: What’s better than a regular-ol’-run-of-the-mill sale? A f%#@in’ sale. Last week a department store in Japan exhibited both its unbeatable prices and its poor grasp on the English language in one fell swoop with an unforgettable sale. [via Japan Subculture Research Center]
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Hiroshima ‘peace clock’ gets reset: One of the most powerful reminders of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is the Hiroshima peace clock, which records the time since the last time there were any nuclear tests in the world. This time around, the United States caused the clock to reset after almost a year of no incidents. Well, back to square one. [via The Japan Times]
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Néojaponisme Videocast #2 – Japanese Whiskey Highballs: Néojaponisme continues its video series of three j-bloggers reviewing cheap canned beverages. Last time it was so-called “third-category” beers, this time around they sample canned whiskey. I guarantee you that this is the only video you will ever see that talks about cheap Japanese liquor in the same breath as the Tarot of Marseilles. [via Néojaponisme]
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2channel Fights Police Pressure, So-Called “Viral Marketers”: 2channel has always been a bit of a magnet for controversy, but this week turned things got even more dicey for the infamous website. Police have begun investigating the 2channel for illegal activity and many 2channel users feel the walls closing in. Will 2channel ever be able to return to making memes and being a haven for lonely otaku? Time will tell. [via Japan Probe]
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Women with 80-cm girth could be ‘obese’: The Japanese standard for obesity in women was shrunken down this week to a mere 80cm, or a scant 31 inches. Why? The reasoning is a bit unclear, but this decision brings me squarely into the realm of obesity.. Heart disease, here I come! [via News on Japan]
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Japan last for police trust and legitimacy: A recent poll showed that Japan ranks dead last in the world for its trust and respect of police officers; it’s unclear if those polled were also 2channel users. [via What Japan Thinks]
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Japan’s oldest elephant turning 65: Japan’s oldest pachyderm, an elephant named Hanako, celebrated her 65th birthday recently. Given that Hanako was imported from Thailand, I’m still waiting for Tony Jaa to come to Japan to reclaim her. [via UPI]
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Emperor of Japan’s 2012 New Year Address (with English subtitles): The emperor’s annual speech isn’t especially interesting in and of itself, but it’s interesting to see the excitement and reverence in people as they listen to the man himself. Not to mention that the soft-spoken emperor is so adorable that you wanna just pinch his little imperial cheeks. [via Reddit]
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Not pictured: alcoholism.
Coming-of-Age Day ceremonies held across Japan: It’s that time of year again, when children become adults, and newly-minted adults drink themselves into a stupor. It’s no coincidence that a recent What Japan Thinks poll about embarrassing things Japanese people have done while drunk was posted on the same day as Coming-Of-Age Day. [via News On Japan]
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That wraps it up for this week’s news. Please let me know in the comments if I happened to miss any stories you thought were important from this week!
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