Visual Anthropology of Japan - 日本映像人類学

Stand! In the place where you work (as ordered)...

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:34:00 +0000

Stand in the place where you live
Now face north
Think about direction
Wonder why you haven't before

Now stand in the place where you work
Now face west
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before

If you are confused, check with the sun
Carry a compass to help you along
Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around

("Stand" by R.E.M. from the album Green released in 1988)

I doubt R.E.M. was thinking about Japan, the Hinomaru and Kimigayo when they wrote this song. Perhaps it is time for a re-make of the video featuring the Hinomaru flag in the background with Tokyo Govenor Ishihara Shintaro and Osaka Mayor Hashimoto Toru singing and dancing.

VAOJ has long been following the lawsuits of teachers who refused to stand for the national anthem and flag at school ceremonies. There have been a few updates recently.

Top court calls for care in punishing teachers over flag, anthem

(from The Mainichi Daily News,1/17/12)

The Supreme Court on Monday nullified some punishments meted out to current and former Tokyo public school teachers for refusing to stand for the hoisting of the Hinomaru national flag or to sing the "Kimigayo" anthem at school events, saying careful consideration is required.

"In choosing a punishment greater than a reprimand, such as a pay cut or a greater punishment, careful consideration is needed," Presiding Justice Seishi Kanetsuki of the top court's First Petty Bench said in delivering rulings on three lawsuits brought by around 170 plaintiffs seeking nullification of their punishments.

The court annulled the suspension from work of one plaintiff and the pay cut for another, saying such punishments amounted to an abuse of power and were therefore illegal.

However, the court found the suspension from work of one plaintiff and reprimands meted out to the remaining plaintiffs were appropriate.

The decision concerned three suits filed by current and former teachers and other staff members at public schools run by the Tokyo metropolitan government.

Last year, the Supreme Court found constitutional school principals' orders requiring teachers at school events to stand up for the raising of the national flag and to sing "Kimigayo," but said such orders indirectly restrict a person's freedom of belief and conscience.

Monday's ruling called for care when punishing teachers for not following those orders.

The ruling could also have an impact on debate in the Osaka prefectural assembly over a proposal calling for a "three strikes and you're out" rule to dismiss school teachers who repeatedly defy principals' orders to stand up and sing "Kimigayo." The proposal has been advocated by a regional political party, the Osaka Restoration Association, led by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto.

Link to entire story:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120117p2g00m0dm038000c.html

Japan Focus has an informative post about this recent development as well (1/22/12).

Japan's Supreme Court Limits National Anthem Punishments for Teachers

Link: http://japanfocus.org/events/view/125

And here's more...

Osaka mayor orders officials to bow to flag

(from The Daily Yomiuri Online, 1/23/12)

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto has instructed high-ranking officials of the city government to always bow to the Hinomaru national flag as they take a seat in the municipal assembly's main conference hall and when replying to questions when the assembly is session, it has been learned.

Hashimoto e-mailed the instruction earlier this month to bureau chiefs who sit on the platform of the conference hall during the assembly's deliberations.

Titled "Paying homage to the national flag at the conference hall," the mayor's e-mail read, "You are asked to bow to the flag when seating yourself on the platform," assembly sources said.

The e-mail also said senior city officials were required to bow their heads to the national flag every time they step on the hall's platform or respond to a question posed during assembly deliberations, they said.

Furthermore, the instructions said officials must bow to the flag again when deliberations are resumed after a recess, according to the sources.

Hashimoto has expressed his intention to present a draft ordinance in the coming assembly session in February that will call for the national flag to always be hoisted at the municipal government's facilities.

Link to story:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120122003982.htm

Mastering Manners

In today's Daily Yomiuri Online (1/27/12) there is a story about manners and the proper way to bow. Here is an interesting quote:

Japanese etiquette was developed during the era of the samurai, when strict relationships between superiors and subordinates were a key part of class-based societies. The tradition has been passed from generation to generation, but some people today may find its practice cumbersome.

"The idea behind Japanese etiquette is to use actions to express your deep feelings for other people," Kondo says. "As long as you acquire the basics, you can act with grace and confidence, while those around you will treat you with respect."

Link to entire story:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/T120119005653.htm

Manners and etiquette through the use of body movements are for showing respect to people. Such gestures should not be forced upon people to display patriotism or national pride.

"Yomiuri ties up with AFP for broader worldwide photo circulation"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:35:00 +0000

From NSK News Bulletin January 2012:

The Yomiuri Shimbun is to begin distributing its news photos on a subscription basis to foreign media via AFP, the French state-owned news agency, starting on Feb. 1.

The Yomiuri’s photos for overseas distribution via AFP include photos not appearing in the Yomiuri’s daily newspaper, various on-the-spot photos of disasters or incidents that have been provided by Yomiuri readers, and an archive of the paper’s past news photos.

The leading Japanese daily signed a distribution contract with AFP on Dec. 9.

The Yomiuri had earlier tied up with the Associated Press, the leading U.S. news agency. That August 2010 tie-up put Yomiuri photos into distribution in many markets overseas. In this latest tie-up, with AFP, the Yomiuri is targeting its Japan photo distribution at Europe, the Middle East and Africa, all of which are distribution strongholds for AFP, Yomiuri officials said.

Link to NSK News Bulletin: http://www.pressnet.or.jp/english/newsb/

Link to AFP - Photos: http://www.afp.com/afpcom/en/taglibrary/know-how/photo

Diversity in Place Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:15:00 +0000

Announcement from SSJ-Forum...

Diversity in Place Film Festival

(April, 2012, Honolulu, HI)

Seeking short films (under 30 minutes) in any style or genre (narrative, documentary, experimental, animated) on the theme of Urban Explorations: "stories about the existing, yet unseen places in or around the urban areas you've lived, visited, encountered." An intersection between film festival and conference, DIPFF explores the potential applications of film as a format through which we can understand our relations with place and promote awareness and a critical outlook on how we experience place.

Deadline: February 1, 2012

Diversity in Place Film Festival
c/o The ARTS at Marks Garage
1159 Nu'uanu Ave., Honolulu, HI
96817-5121
T: (808) 206-0848,
diversityinplace@gmail.com

Link: http://diversityinplace.org/

"Preparing for death while still healthy / Leaving memorial portraits, 'final wishes' can ease burden on loved ones"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:44:00 +0000

From the Daily Yomiuri Online, 1/15/12:

Activities to prepare for the final stage of life, including having photos taken to leave behind, writing down final thoughts and wishes in a special notebook, and attending workshops on how to write a will, are enjoying a quiet boom.

Experts say that behind the recent rise in popularity of these activities that take a candid approach to death is the emotional impact of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, in addition to uncertainty over the future, including life after retirement.

"Please smile. That's good," a female photographer said while taking photos of participants of a session held at a hotel in the city of Tachikawa, western Tokyo, in late November. The photos will be used for portraits after their death.

A total of 38 people in their 40s to 80s attended the session, including a couple who celebrated their golden anniversary and a woman in a hula dancing outfit. Before having their photos taken, they were done up by a makeup artist according to their request.

...

According to the publisher of a free paper in Tokyo that organized the photo session--its first session was held in May 2011--there were many requests to hold an additional session.

One of the staff members said: "There are plenty of people who said they had difficulty finding a photo of close relatives after they died to use as portraits. I assume the recent boom is a result of the fact that an increasing number of people don't want to cause their families unnecessary trouble after their deaths."

Link to whole story: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120111001983.htm

"Aichi director records the deaf's stories"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:39:00 +0000

Photo borrowed from Yomiuri Online.

From the Daily Yomiuri Online, 1/14/12:

Deaf director Ayako Imamura's filmography boasts movies about the lives of deaf and hearing-impaired people.

Imamura, 32, recently shot a documentary titled "Coffee and Pencil," whose main character is a deaf man who runs a surf shop.

The man offers customers coffee with a smile, shows them paper and a pencil, and starts communicating with them using gestures and writing.

"Did you surf today?" he writes.

Customers, puzzled at first, are soon drawn into a conversation with him.

"Even if we don't talk and people don't know sign language, we can enjoy conversations. I wanted everyone to know this," Imamura said.

The movie became the talk of Aichi Prefecture, her filming home base, and other areas. In March, the movie will be screened at a theater in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.

When she was a primary school student, Imamura felt quite lonely as she was not able to join conversations with her friends due to her hearing problem.

In those days, her father rented the movie "E.T." and Imamura was deeply moved by the movie's captioning.

Aspiring to be a director, she studied filmmaking in the United States at a university that provides lectures in sign language.

The consistent theme of her films is the lives of the deaf--such as their working environment at offices and the support provided to students with hearing problems.

Lately, she has been doing research in areas hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

"[In the disaster] many people were anxious as they were unable to obtain information because of their hearing problems. I'd like to convey their situation [in my films]," she said.

Link: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120113005054.htm

日本語: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/komachi/news/20111230-OYT8T00118.htm

Happy New Year 2012 from VAOJ!

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:52:00 +0000

We are always a little late with x-mas cards, nengajo and holiday greetings in general... Nonetheless VAOJ wishes all health, prosperity and happiness in 2012, the Year of the Dragon. Here are some shots from my annual new year's pilgrimage to Hozanji temple in Ikoma, Nara.

Last Day of the Year, Last Toshikoshi Soba...

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:51:00 +0000

On New Year's Eve in many parts of Japan it is traditional to eat soba noodles called toshikoshi soba, or "end of the year soba." We usually buy the noodles and soup mixing from a local shop and they are always busy selling soba at the end of the year. I went there today around 4:00 PM and was lucky to get the last package of soba. Must remember to get there earlier next year.

Please note that these photos were taken with my new iPhone 4s, the acquisition of which was one of the last big events of 2011 (and I'm still trying to learn how to use the thing...).

Thank you for your attention and efforts during 2011. Happy Holidays from VAOJ!

Cute "Subway Manners"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:57:00 +0000

A reminder to mind your manners on the train, even if you have been drinking...

Image from today's Japan Today's "Picture of the Day."
Link: http://www.japantoday.com/category/picture-of-the-day/view/subway-manners

"DR Congo election: Deaf anger at ban on texting "

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:46:00 +0000

It seems the importance of keitai mail isn't limited to the Japanese deaf... From BBC News, 12/14/11:

Deaf people in the Democratic Republic of Congo say a ban on texting threatens their lives because they no longer receive warnings of violence.

The government banned SMS messages more than a week ago to preserve "public order" following disputed elections.

President Joseph Kabila was declared the winner, but his main rival, Etienne Tshisekedi, rejected the result.

There are an estimated 1.4 million deaf people in DR Congo, which is recovering from years of conflict.

Last month's elections were the second since the 1998-2003 war which claimed about four million lives.

Four people were killed in the capital, Kinshasa, after Mr Kabila's victory was announced. He is due to be inaugurated for a second term next week.

The official results gave him 49% of the vote against 32% for Mr Tshisekedi.

The opposition says they plan to organise mass protests, alleging the polls had been rigged.

...

"Since 3 December, we've been unhappy," said Pastor Kisangala, the deaf community's religious minister in the capital, Kinshasa.

"We're finding it very hard to communicate. All our communications used to go through SMS messages," he says.

...

Interior Minister Adolphe Lumanu said he had been "forced to suspend all cellular [mobile phone] text messaging services to preserve public order" because they had been used to "incite ethnic hatred, insurrection and xenophobia" around the 28 November presidential and parliamentary elections.

The measure means deaf Congolese people have been condemned to indefinite isolation.

"Our members are scattered across the city, some are ill in hospital, others are dying. Without communication we don't even know about it," Mr Kisangala said.

Read the whole story.

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16187051

"Silent apps help creeps peep / Disabling camera shutter sound makes smartphones stealthy"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:32:00 +0000

From today's Daily Yomiuri On-line:

Cases of secretly photographing unsuspecting targets using smartphones have been on the rise as users exploit apps that disable the camera shutter sound, but there is no legal impediment to creating and selling these software programs.

Firms in the industry say the blame lies with people who misuse these apps rather than the programs themselves.

On Nov. 12, a man was arrested at a train station in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, after he took photos up the skirt of a female vocational school student with his smartphone as she stood on an escalator.

The man reportedly told police he used an app that silenced the shutter sound to prevent his target from noticing what he was doing.

A man arrested in September after he photographed a woman's underwear in Tokyo also reportedly told police he had used such an app to stealthily take photos about 20 times.

According to the National Police Agency, 1,741 cases of illicit photography were reported nationwide last year, a 1.6-fold increase from 2006.

The largest number of snap-happy camera voyeurs was reported in Kanagawa Prefecture.

"About 30 percent of cases involved the misuse of smartphone apps," a senior Kanagawa prefectural police investigator said.

The latest applications include "upgraded versions" that enable people to silently take photos while an e-mail or website is displayed on the phone's screen to provide cover for the surreptitious picture-taking.

"We can't help but think these apps are designed specifically for taking sneaky photos," another senior prefectural police investigator said.

The shutter sound emitted when a regular cell phone takes a photo is voluntarily installed by phone companies to deter users from taking photos without a subject's knowledge. It cannot be disabled.

However, the situation differs for smartphones.

According to major cell phone carriers NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp. and SoftBank Mobile Corp., smartphone cameras come equipped with a shutter sound. However, one main feature of smartphones is that users can customize the settings--including adjusting or neutralizing the shutter sound, according to the firms.

A search for the Japanese words "muon" (silence)" and "kamera" (camera) on app sites for Apple Inc. and Google Inc. smartphones turned up about 200 applications. Some boasted they enabled users to "take photos in silence without bothering others," and others said the function "was perfect for taking photos undetected." Some of these programs have been near the top of app ranking charts.

Apple Inc. developed the iPhone, and Google Inc. created the Android operating system.

A representative of Apple Japan defended the availability of the apps.

"There's no problem as long as the developer's stated purpose for the app doesn't go against social ethics," he said.

A Google Japan spokesman said: "A market is a place where developers respond to users' needs. It's up to users to follow etiquette when they use the apps."

The two companies do not plan to remove these apps from their sites.

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said it does not have the legal authority to regulate these apps or mobilize government offices to issue administrative guidance.

"Application markets aren't covered by the Telecommunications Business Law," an official of the ministry's information security section said.

However, Keio University Prof. Keiji Takeda, an expert on information security, said some rules were needed for these apps.

"There are limits to legally regulating smartphones whose settings can easily be changed," Takeda said. "However, from a corporate ethics viewpoint, we shouldn't ignore the fact that they're being misused for crimes. We need to consider guidelines for screening and putting apps on the market."

Link: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111213004953.htm

Fall 2011 KGU JSL Study Group - Junko's Party

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:11:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that the Fall 2011 semester is almost over. In many ways it seems as though it just begun. Time flies when you are having fun, and plenty of fun was had at the Japanese Sign Language Study Group this semester. We had a good turnout for the whole semester and were able to benefit from a new teaching approach used by local Deaf sign language instructors called the "natural approach." Deaf people from all over Osaka joined us during the semester, and of course Junko came every week to help us study. Tuesday was our last meeting of the semester and we used the occasion to have a thank you celebration for Junko.

Mark Tracy, the Asian Studies Program's Executive Director, presented Junko with a certificate of appreciation and thanks for her six years of volunteer service in the JSL Study group. She was also presented with flowers and other gifts (including some great home-made cookies from M.B.). We spent some time looking at photos of the study group through the years and then had a surprise video message from a former student now back in his own country of Czech.

It was another successful semester of JSL study. Thanks again to Junko, other Deaf visitors and of course to all participants. Keep on studying and spreading sign language in Japan and your own countries.

Click here for more photos from the last meeting. (An extended middle finger means "brother" in JSL...)

VAOJ Student Film Happening: "Tattoo is..."

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:31:00 +0000

BBC's "In pictures: Osaka seeks economic growth"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:24:00 +0000

Photos borrowed from BBC News.

Toru Hashimoto won the position of mayor of Osaka in the election on Sunday. Here is how the BBC reported it (11/28/11):

Japan 'gangster son' Toru Hashimoto wins Osaka ballot

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15913870

Previous story (11/24/11):

Gangster son takes on conservative Osaka mayor

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15786798

Hashimoto is quoted here as saying, "There is no other city as vulgar and obscene as Osaka."

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. I fear Hashimoto's eyesight...

And here is how the BBC represent Osaka in a 9-picture slide show with captions (11/24/11):

In pictures: Osaka seeks economic growth

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15867199

Personally, I feel slighted by this representation and Hashimoto's "vision" of Osaka. My frustration and disappointment with Japanese politics continues.

Related links on the Osaka election from Japanese newspapers:

Maverick pair claim mandate to unify city, prefecture
Hashimoto, Matsui win twin Osaka polls

Link: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111128a1.html

Editorial: Osaka elections mark beginning of full-fledged debate on 'double administration'

Link: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20111128p2a00m0na010000c.html

Hashimoto wins election / Vows to quickly press central govt on Osaka metropolis plan

Link: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111128005293.htm

"Health ministry warns of increasing rates of HIV, AIDS infection"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:39:00 +0000

Image borrowed from aids.immunodefense.com.

We were discussing this subject in "Deaf World Japan" class today (and a couple weeks ago in "Globalization" class) and it occurred to me that the increase of HIV/AIDS hasn't been in the news recently. But with World AIDS Day (December 1) it makes sense that we get a story.

From today's Japan Today:

Health Minister Yoko Komiyama made an appearance at an AIDS awareness event in Shibuya on Sunday to encourage Japanese people to take an HIV check ahead of the U.N.-designated World AIDS Day on Dec 1.

Komiyama said AIDS checks are available at public health centers across Japan and are free and anonymous, TV Asahi reported.

World AIDS Day aims to draw attention to the steadily increasing rates of AIDS infection around the world.

The ministry revealed that reported cases of HIV and AIDS infection in Japan last year surpassed 1,500 and that infection rates are increasing. The ministry also added that of those infected, around 70% were in their 20s and 30s, TV Asahi reported.

The ministry also said that it believes around 90% of those infected caught the disease through unprotected sex with an infected partner. A spokesperson urged people to use a condom for contraception and to visit a health center for a check.

Link: http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/health-ministry-warns-of-increasing-rates-of-hiv-aids-infection

Link to HIV/AIDS and Deaf People in Japan: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2007/08/hivaids-in-japan.html

Link to other HIV/AIDS posts at VAOJ: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/search/label/HIV%2FAIDS

"Motorcyclist flashes peace sign at cameras during series of speed violations"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:16:00 +0000

There's just no getting away from that peace sign when taking photos in Japan...

Story from today's Japan Today:

Police have arrested a motorcyclist in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, who they claim made peace signs at speed cameras while repeatedly breaking road traffic laws.

According to police, Junichi Wakayama, 36, a freight truck driver, is alleged to have committed a series of speed violations on Route 357 near Narashino between Aug 1 and 10, NTV reported. Police say he passed the speed cameras three times, occasionally driving 60km/p over the speed limit.

Police said Wakayama drove at speeds of over 100 km/h, although he showed signs that he was aware of the existence of the speed cameras, NTV reported.

Link: http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/motorcyclist-arrested-for-breaking-speed-limit-while-flashing-peace-sign

NMB3

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:22:00 +0000

Scary Mannequin in My Neighborhood

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:47:00 +0000

Adding to the collection of strange mannequins in Japan... Would you buy anything from this store?

Atom @ Atelier

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:09:00 +0000

Recently Atom Sunada came to Hirakata-shi to give a lecture at Japanese Sign Language「Atelier.」 Atom, born in 1977 in Ehime Prefecture, is Deaf and comes from a Deaf family. He is an actor, artist and sign language teacher and extremely entertaining (and popular). I first encountered Atom several years ago when he was performing with Akihiro Yonaiyama's R-Group (R stands for rou, or deaf), an exclusively deaf theater group.

Atom's lecture was mainly about his background and growing up deaf in Japan. He discussed his "allergy to hearing people" and how he was able to overcome it through his realization of Deaf culture while visiting Gallaudet University in the United States.

Atom's facial expression are especially rich and very much appreciated by Deaf people. I wonder if hearing people find his facial expressions odd? See more photos of Atom at the following link: https://picasaweb.google.com/112208031958020045910/AtomAtelier

See Atom's own web site: http://www.deaf-atom.com/

Check out his column (the コラム link on the left) to see his sign language.

"Honda unveils 'smarter' Asimo humanoid robot"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:13:00 +0000

Story from today's Japan Today:

Honda’s human-shaped robot can now run faster, balance itself on uneven surfaces, hop on one foot and pour a drink. Some of its technology may even be used to help out with clean-up operations at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.

Honda’s demonstration of the revamped Asimo on Tuesday at its Tokyo suburban research facility was not only to prove that the bubble-headed childlike machine was more limber and a bit smarter.

...

Asimo was also able to distinguish the voices of three people spoken at once, using face recognition and analyzing sound, to figure out that one woman wanted hot coffee, another orange juice, and still another milk tea.

The new Asimo got improved hands as well, allowing individual movement of each finger, so it could do sign language.

“My name is Asimo,” it said, making the signs of its words with stubby fingers.

It also opened a thermos bottle and gracefully poured juice into a paper cup.

Read the whole story: http://www.japantoday.com/category/technology/view/honda-unveils-smarter-asimo-humanoid-robot

"'Up-skirt' photos increasing / Advances in camera technology leading rise in voyeurism"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:06:00 +0000

From today's Daily Yomiuri On-Line:

An increasing number of cases of camera and video voyeurism using cell phones and spy cameras have been identified recently. According to the National Police Agency, the number of cases nationwide last year increased about 60 percent over five years ago.

Police have stepped up crackdowns against such crimes, but methods of illicit filming have become increasingly sophisticated due to smaller cameras and improved cell phone video capabilities.

Another factor behind the increase is believed to be the existence of Web sites sharing these photos and videos. Experts say it is necessary to take action against such sites.

According to the NPA, the total number of identified cases of up-skirt photos and videos taken in stations and on trains and illicit filming at public baths and bathrooms was 1,087 in 2006. The number jumped to 1,741 cases in 2010. Of those, 1,702 were cases of up-skirt photos and videos, accounting for about 98 percent.

Among prefectures, 266 cases were detected in Kanagawa Prefecture, followed by 201 cases in Tokyo, 131 cases in Hyogo Prefecture, 111 cases in Chiba Prefecture and 103 cases in Saitama Prefecture. About 40 percent of the cases were detected in the Tokyo metropolitan area--Tokyo and its surrounding three prefectures.

In Chiba Prefecture, cases are also increasing this year. According to the Chiba prefectural police, the number of cases from January through September was 60 percent higher than the corresponding period last year.

Especially noteworthy were videos taken using cell phones. Fifty percent of arrests made by the prefectural police on suspicion of violating the public nuisance ordinance involved filming using cell phone video cameras.

A man arrested by the prefectural police on suspicion of illicit filming in Chiba was quoted by the police as saying: "I used the video function as I cannot take still photos well with my cell phone. The still photo shutter sound is too noticeable."

A police officer explained why illicit video is increasing: "It's easier to shoot videos [than take photos] and it's possible to edit videos when the data is transferred to a computer. The video can be stopped anywhere and photos can be made from it," he said.

According to NTT Docomo, Inc., cell phones began to be equipped with video in about 2003. At first, maximum shooting time was short and images were poor quality. However, they have improved remarkably over the past few years and some current models are equipped with high resolution video capability, producing images as clear as those taken by full-sized video cameras.

Filming methods have also become more surreptitious. Some people hide small cameras in a bag or in their shoe. In Akita Prefecture, a doctor was arrested in September on suspicion of having taken a video of a patient while he was examining her with a video camera watch. The doctor told the police he had bought the camera on the Internet.

The number of cases of illicit filming is also increasing in the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police Department over the past few years. A senior MPD officer said, "One of the reasons is cameras have become smaller and quality has improved."

Experts say women using cell phones or wearing earphones are more likely to be targeted. A Chiba prefectural police officer warns women to be cautious of their surroundings, saying, "Please check behind yourself on trains or escalators without being totally absorbed in your cell phone or a music player."

===

Control of Web sites needed

Rissho University Prof. Nobuo Komiya, an expert on criminal sociology, pointed out the necessity of proactive Web site identification by police. "In Japan, measures against indecent images on the Internet are weak and providers aren't detecting Web sites containing illicit images," he said.

Komiya said if such images spread on the Internet, they may cause other problems for victimized women such as stalking. "These images might induce new sexual crimes. I think it's necessary to review current ways of controlling images on the Internet," he said.

Musashino Gakuin University Associate Prof. Yuichi Kogure, an expert on cell phones, said: "Almost everyone carries a cell phone with a camera capabilities, but moral guidance for users is needed. I think the government and cell phone companies need to educate users."

Link: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111107004615.htm

3/11 as covered in Contemporary Japan and Globalization class

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:37:00 +0000

We had our 3/11 class last week and here I want to give a report of what we did. Four students offered presentations and had different topics within the very broad theme of the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear accident disasters. I began the class with a brief overview of the disaster – the usual facts and statistics. I then recalled my own surreal experience of feeling the quake, seeing the tsunami on live TV but not really being directly affected in Osaka. Other students who were here on 3/11 gave similar accounts. The disaster was far away and didn’t really impact our lives at the moment other than people recalling their experiences with the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake and empathizing with the people of Tohoku.

MS gave his presentation on the media portrayal of the disasters in Japan and abroad. He had examples of perpetuations of Japanese stereotypes and reporting errors that made it difficult for viewers to have an understanding of the actual situation at the sites of the disasters and in other areas of Japan. The effect here at our university was exchange students being forced to leave Japan whether they wanted to or not.

We then turned to the Fukushima nuclear situation with a discussion of the Murakami speech questioning how Japan became so dependent on nuclear energy resulting in the current crisis, which he referred to as “our second massive nuclear disaster.”

http://japanfocus.org/-Murakami-Haruki/3571

We then watched the Nuclear Boy video clip from YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgEoRPsymkk

JM, a former member of the U.S. Navy who worked for 4 years on a nuclear powered submarine, was able to explain how the nuclear power plant works and questioned the extreme and scientifically unfounded concerns of the dangers of Fukushima. For him, the Nuclear Boy anime could not be more true.

JR gave an overview of the tsunami-affected area at the time of the disaster and how things have changed/improved in the last 7 months. DB discussed the disaster in terms of globalization – how a local area of 561 square kilometers resulted in the support and assistance of individuals, corporations and countries from all over the world.

I presented a sampling of the news from the previous 3 days: stories of nuclear decontamination, changing elections methods in Fukushima, donations for reconstruction, searching for missing victims, volunteer efforts in the affected areas, cesium detection on food, tsunami safety drills, protests of nuclear energy... The majority of Prime Minister Noda’s policy speech dealt with 3/11. So it seems as time goes on, the effect of 3/11 resonate all over Japan as well as abroad.

I was extremely happy with the presentations and the discussions they generated. What was missing, I feel, were personal and ethnographic accounts of victims and eye-witnesses. We were able to read about such experiences but to actually hear from people who were directly affected would have added so much more. We did what we could with our distanced experiences. 3/11 is a major influence in the changing Japanese society and culture. I congratulate my students for their desire to study this subject and their efforts to make sense of the disasters and the repercussions that follow.

Visual 3/11 Materials

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:46:00 +0000

Next week in the Globalization and Contemporary Issues course we will devote an entire class period to the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster of 3/11. That is not to say we have not been discussing the topic yet. 3/11 has impacted almost every subject we have taken up. Even the topic of Japanese baseball we covered today (the season was postponed - out of necessity and respect - and eventually modified - more day games to save power).

How will we try to take on 3/11 in the classroom? This is the concern of many teachers and anthropologists. David Slater at Sophia University has been active in organizing a workshop in Tokyo or Sendai next summer tentatively titled "Teaching the Crisis: Materials, Pedagogy and Research for 3.11." Announcements for this have been posted on many Japan-related listservs.

There is also a blog set up to assist in teaching 3/11 materials. From its own description:

Teach 3.11 is a participatory resource to help teachers and scholars locate and share educational resources about the historical contexts of scientific and technical issues related to the triple earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters in Japan.

Link: http://teach311.wordpress.com/

There is also the massive Harvard's Japan Disaster Archive. Its own description:

The Digital Archive of Japan's 2011 Disasters project is an initiative of the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University in collaboration with several partners. We aim to collect, preserve, and make accessible as much of the digital record of the disasters as possible, to enable scholarly research and analysis of the events and their effect. We hope that the records preserved will be useful both in the near term as a source of direct information about the disasters, as well as long into the future as scholars seek to understand the events of March 11, 2011 and their impact on Japan and on the world.

Link: http://www.jdarchive.org/?la=en

This post is a haphazard attempt to organize some of the material on 3/11. In doing so I find myself keep adding more and more. I fear I have lost any sense of structure. So I am going to stop with what I have now (even at the expense of mentioning the increase in sign language interpretation and news sources for the deaf as a result of 3/11 - remember seeing the sign language interpreter at the early press conferences? I'll save this for a future post...)

Here are sources that include photos, videos, first hand accounts, blogs, articles, etc. Please feel free to add more sources and/or comments/advice about the upcoming class session.

Japan Focus' Guide to Resources on Japan’s 3.11 Earthquake, Tsunami, Atomic Meltdown

Japan Focus has several articles on the 3/11 conveniently organized at the following link.

Link: http://japanfocus.org/Japans-3.11-Earthquake-Tsunami-Atomic-Meltdown

A Summary of News From Japan: After the Earthquake and Tsunami

Photo caption: Japan Burning After Earthquake 2011. This source is what is says - a summary.

Link: http://onemansblog.com/2011/03/16/a-summary-of-news-from-japan-after-the-earthquake-and-tsunami/

Japan marks 6 months since earthquake, tsunami

Here's an update as to how things have progresses in the last 6 months from The Frame at The Sacramento Bee.

This combo image, the initial destruction and progress of cleanup after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami is seen in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, in northeast Japan. The top photo, taken March 14, 2011, shows Japan Self-Defense Force personnel search for victims near stranded fishing boats and damage from the tsunami. The middle photo, taken June 3, 2011, shows a temporary dump set up in the same area, while the bottom photo taken Sept. 1, 2011 shows a stranded ship still sits in the area after the debris were removed. AP / Kyodo News

Read more: http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2011/09/japan-marks-6-months-since-ear.html

Colin Tyner's blog posts on The Great East Japan Disaster

[The posts] exhibit my series of posts on the Great East Japan Disaster (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai). I pasted together as one electronic document. All of the links to the articles and pictures appear as on the day that I wrote the piece.

Link: http://colintyner.wordpress.com/the-great-east-japan-disaster/

MSNBC Photoblog

A Japanese tsunami survivor stands in front of messages displayed on the wall of a relief center in Rikuzentakata, in Iwate prefecture on March 22. The twin quake and tsunami disaster, Japan's worst crisis since World War II, has now left at least 9,079 people dead and 12,645 missing, with entire communities along the northeast coast swept away.

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42144324#.TqdzMk8z9FQ

Conveying the Sadness in Japan’s Stoicism

Associated Press photographer David Guttenfelder lives in Japan and was able to capture some great shots to document the 311 disaster and after effects.

Link to a slideshow of his 311 photos: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/conveying-the-sadness-in-japans-stoicism/?emc=eta1

Japan Quake Shakes TV: The Media Response to Catastrophe

By Philip J Cunningham at Japan Focus: A discussion and description of the Japanese media coverage of the earthquake. Includes several interesting YouTube clips.

Link: http://japanfocus.org/-Philip_J_-Cunningham/3506

JPQuake: Journalist Wall of Shame

Lots of examples of how the foreign/western media has provided "sensationalist, overly speculative, and just plain bad reporting" of the events.

Link: http://www.jpquake.info/home

Debris from Japanese Tsunami Could Hit US

Video from NBC Nightly News via MSNBC.

Bringing Photography Into Life-- After 311 Japan Quake

Documentary: 311

Announcement from H-Japan:

311, Directed by Mori Tatsuya, Watai Takeharu, Matsubayashi Yojuu, and
Yasuoka Takaharu, 2011 / Japan / HD / 94 Minutes

311 is one of the first documentaries completed about the March 2011
disaster in Japan and focuses not just on the destruction and human toll,
but also, in a self-reflexive fashion, on the fundamental problems of
media attempting to report on such suffering.

See more information in the flyer below (click to expand):

VAOJ Posts on 311

A distant view from Osaka...

March 12

March 22

March 28

It seems we have more than enough to get started. I am looking forward with great anticipation to our class and how we will organize and discuss 3/11. Again, I beg for comments and advice.

New Japanese Technology in the News...

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:21:00 +0000

Tokyo tech fair opens with clapping robot

Story and photo above from Japan Today, 10/21/11.

From robotic hand-clapping arms to a device that could show tsunami alerts in the sky, Japanese technology researchers showcased their latest inventions in Tokyo Thursday.

Two pairs of artificial arms welcomed visitors as the Digital Content Expo opened for a three-day run, producing a realistic clapping sound due to the soft palms of the hands.

The arms, named Ondz, are made of white skin-like urethan “flesh” and aluminum “bone.” They create what the developer calls the “organic” sound of human hand clapping by the patting of soft palms.

“I want the the audience to enjoy the creepy and surreal feelings this product gives as entertainment,” said Masato Takahashi, researcher at the graduate school of media design at Keio University, who molded the design on his own body.

Ondz could be used in musical performances, to enhance the sound of real clapping. Or viewers watching a programme online could click a button to make hands at the broadcast site clap, Takahashi told AFP.

He also said he would like to produce a “spanking machine” to hit comedians, as well as stomping feet to complement the hand-clapping arms.

Read the whole story:
http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/tokyo-tech-fair-opens-with-clapping-robot

'Subtitle glasses' to debut at Tokyo film festival

Story from The Daily Yomiuri Online, 10/22/11.

Olympus Corp. and a nonprofit organization have jointly developed special eyeglasses that project subtitles on the lenses so the hearing impaired can enjoy Japanese movies.

A type of head-mounted display (HMD), the glasses will be unveiled at the Tokyo International Film Festival that runs through Oct. 30.

The device was developed by the Tokyo-based precision equipment maker and the non-profit Media Access Support Center (MASC), based in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture.

MASC has been working to provide better access to information for people with hearing difficulties by promoting captions for films and DVDs, and is providing captions from its Web site through the iPhone to the device.

According to MASC, subtitles for the hearing impaired need to include not only dialogue but also information on who is going to speak before actors deliver their lines. It also needs to explain to viewers about footsteps, honking horns and other sound effects.

As it costs at least 1 million yen per film to print these subtitles, few films provide them. Only 51 of 408 new releases in 2010 had the special subtitles.

Theaters showing these films are also limited, especially in rural areas. Since the subtitles may annoy non-impaired viewers, the films are generally shown only for about two days even in metropolitan areas.

Mitsuhiko Ogawa, 49, vice director of Tokyoto Chuto Shiccho Nanchosha Kyokai, an association for people with hearing disabilities, said films give people with hearing problems an important opportunity to relate to other people and society. "It would be great if we were able to go see a movie with anybody, anytime, anywhere," Ogawa said.

Even if the HMD comes into wide use, however, scripts for subtitles still have to be made for each film. MASC director Koji Kawano, 48, said making HMD subtitles costs less than one-fifth of usual subtitles as the HMD subtitles do not have to be printed on film. "The problem is who bears the cost," he said.

Kawano stressed films with HMD subtitles will also be good for seniors with hearing difficulties. He said demand could be increased by expanding the HMD's functions to allow the use of foreign-language subtitles.

Read the whole story:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111021004892.htm

"Japan - The Strange Country" English Version

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Japan Today recently ran a story about this video that VAOJ posted about last year. Here's the English version.

"Imperial Exposure: Early Photography and Royal Portraits across Asia"

noreply@blogger.com (visual gonthros) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:12:00 +0000

Symposium announcement from H-ASIA:

Coinciding with the Sackler exhibition Power/Play: China’s Empress Dowager, this symposium examines imperial portraiture during the advent of photography in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

While Power/Play addresses the unique circumstances and intentions behind photographs of Empress Dowager Cixi, the symposium is an opportunity for a broader comparative analysis of the engagement with photography in ruling courts across Asia. Among other topics, scholars consider how photographs of court figures were used to create images of power, to establish a sense of nationhood, and to express a religious identity, as well as the relationship between early photographic representations and more recent imperial images from the region.

Freer Gallery of Art
Meyer Auditorium
Monday, December 5–Tuesday, December 6, 2011

For more information: http://www.asia.si.edu/events/IESymposium/