Japanese Princess Aiko, 8, attended elementary school again March 8, the first time since she stopped going to school March 2 after complaining of being bullied by some boys at school. Princess Aiko is in the second grade at Gakushuin Primary School in Tokyo. Princess Aiko is the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako.

Princess Aiko has complained of an upset stomach and has showed deep anxiety since March 2.

The Imperial Household Agency said that Princess Aiko and several other students had been "treated harshly" by boys in another class. A school official said the incident may have been a misunderstanding.

Crown Princess Masako accompanied Princess Aiko to the school to attend the fourth period of morning classes. They then left the school together.

The outing was a rare public appearance for Crown Princess Masako, 46, who was diagnosed with an adjustment disorder in July 2004. Her condition is attributed to the difficulties of adjusting to palace life and the pressure to bear a son. Crown Princess Masako hasn’t attended most official duties for several years.

Doctors monitoring the health of Crown Princess Masako said March 5 her condition has vastly improved but she needs more time to reach a level that will allow her to expand the scope of her official duties.

Princess Masako "has gotten better and is now in a state incomparable to" five and a half years ago when she started to receive treatment, the doctors said in a statement issued through the IHA.

"However, considering her long battle with the illness and the stress she has been under, it will take more time for her to expand the scope of her activities," the statement said, noting that she "has made surprisingly great efforts" to overcome the illness.

In the statement, the doctors noted that the support of people close to her, especially members of her family, has played a key role in helping her to recover. "Watching Princess Aiko growing up and her increasing exchanges with her friends is a joy as well as a remedy for the crown princess," it said.

The doctors mentioned the crown princess’ presence last year at events commemorating the 20th anniversary of Emperor Akihito’s ascension to the throne as well as at a ceremony last month to mark the 15th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.

The visit to Kobe for the quake memorial ceremony was her first official trip outside Tokyo involving an overnight stay since January 2008.

The statement warned, however, that high expectations for more public appearances could hamper her recovery.

"Although expectations for her to perform more official duties are expected to grow as her recovery progresses, it is necessary to consider the workload that she would shoulder so that it would not impose a heavy burden," the doctors said.

Some medical experts outside of the imperial family are skeptical about the prospects for a full recovery being achieved quickly.

"Although the cause of her stress is not clearly shown in the report, I assume there may be a gap between the feelings of Crown Princess Masako, who is longing to live the way she wants to, and the Imperial Household Agency, which tends to put things in a mold," said Masaaki Noda, a professor at Kwansei Gakuin University. "It looks like her illness could last longer judging from the doctors’ opinions," he said.

(Above compiled from news reports)

Princess Masako’s condition could have an influence on her daughter. 

The reports about Princess Aiko’s experience at school seem to indicate nothing more than normal, temporary fears.

However, studies suggest that children or adolescents are more likely to have an anxiety disorder if they have a parent with anxiety disorder.
(more…)

Suicides increase in March in Japan so the government has begun an emergency 3-month suicide prevention campaign. National Police Agency statistics indicate the number of people who commit suicide is highest in March. The fiscal year ends on March 31 and it’s believed poor financial situations at companies cause managers to commit suicide. The NPA data also shows the number of annual suicides was over 30,000 for the past 12 years. There were 32,753 suicides in Japan in 2009.

The government suicide prevention website also attributes the high suicide rate to long working hours, severe unemployment, bankruptcies, and being liable for multiple consumer loans. As part of the stepped-up suicide prevention effort, consultation counters have been opened at all Hello Work public job-finding centers throughout Japan

Government-sponsored public service TV advertisements show a daughter expressing concern to her sleepy father. The ad advises people who have difficulty sleeping for two weeks or more to consult a doctor.

Japan Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama met with 10 parents and their kids in an informal gathering to discuss the government’s child allowance payments, child care and other child rearing issues. The  80-minute meeting Feb. 14 was held at the Prime Minister’s residence, in a room dubbed the "Pigeon Cafe". The Japanese word "hato" means pigeon.

Hatoyama’s goodwill notwithstanding, Lets Japan was quite impressed by his choice of shirt.

The top ten booms in Japan now.

Forest girl boom. Fashion inspired by Anne of Green Gables. For your fashion life in the forest.

(9)
Tokai region local government mascot character boom. More than 30 municipalities in Tokai have mascot characters.

Calligraphy boom
Influenced by "Tomehane Suzuri High School Calligraphy Club" TV show on NHK-TV. Click here to try NHK calligraphy.

Running boom
A survey by Sasakawa Sports Foundation indicates the number of runners who ran two times or more during the week increased from 2.15 million in 2006 (the previous survey year) to 2.48 million according to the 2008 survey.

(6)
Eco boom
Japanese follow the green theme, from carbon offset mindfulness, recycling clothes, and shorter showers, to eco-cars and eco-bags.

(5)
Castle boom
Influenced by "Taiga" historical stories TV series on NHK-TV.

Sakamoto Ryouma boom
Includes TV programs, books, movies, tours, fairs, restaurant menus, and ramen. The ronin Sakamoto led movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period.
 (3)
History boom
Inspired by television quiz programs featuring questions about Japan history.

(2)
Quiet life boom
Leading a slower-paced, low-stress life. Volunteerism, continuing education, personal growth, cultural pursuits, and contribution to society. Also includes leaving big cities to start a farm in rural Japan. (related:  Slow food life.)

(1)
Fried chicken boom
Started in Oita and is now spreading across Japan. More chicken is consumed in Oita Prefecture than any other prefecture in Japan.

The bow that US President Barack Obama made to Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in Tokyo Nov. 14, 2009 has been criticized by some US media pundits and news outlets. In the US the Obama bow debate has focused on whether the form of the bow was correct, if Obama should have only shaken hands instead of bowing, and the implication of the bow. In Japan, the bow was not critiqued in the media. The reports from abroad have become more interesting to Japanese media than the Obama bow itself.

The Obama bow-handshake combo, though not especially elegant, was appropriate given the situation and the hand-thrust maneuver presented by Emperor Akihito.

The US media has mostly taken only a superficial look at bowing in Japan. While reporting on Obama’s alleged bowing gaffes, the media has overlooked the tremendous number of bowing options available in Japan. President Obama could have selected from several bow versions. Here is the Lets Japan Guide to Bow.

The Ten Bows Obama Did Not Do

  photos Degrees man; woman. White shirt.

People who have lost their jobs and do not have money for food seem to be responsible for an increase in convenience store robberies in Tokyo.

The Metropolitan Police Department said food is being targeted instead of cash.

In September, a man armed with a knife stole onigiri (rice balls) and flavored carbonated alcoholic beverages (Chu-hai) valued at about JPY 2600 from a Tokyo convenience store. "I lost my job due to restructuring late last year. I was hungry," the 42-year-old man told the MPD.

In October, a man threatened a convenience store clerk with a box cutter and stole a cigarette lighter. The 26-year-old man told the MPD he wanted to get caught so he could have a bath and get food.

Police are calling food-snatching robberies "Life distress thefts".

According to the MPD official, there were 67 convenience store robberies in Tokyo as of the end of September. There were the 31 robberies during the same period in 2008.

 The MPD reports the number of convenience store robberies began to rise following the "Lehman shock" of October 2008 and the global recession. According to the MPD, in at least 4 robberies only food or drinks was stolen. The robbers only glanced at the cash. About 60 percent of the convenience store robbers were motivated by extreme hardship the MPD said.

photos: Chu hai; Onigiri; Hello Work; training white gloves, reporters; training blue shirt; training pink shirt; blackboard (Moka city); food handout Kansai, Tokyo. related: Homeless in Japan photo series.

Community bicycles intended for short distance travel are now available in downtown Tokyo. The Community Cycle program trial is sponsored by Japan Travel Bureau and the Japan Ministry of the Environment.

Five Eco-Port community bicycle lots will be set up about 300 meters apart in the experiment area that covers small parts of the Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho business districts in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. The route is between Tokyo station and the grounds of the Imperial Palace. Eighty-five bicycles are available for rental. The bicycles can be dropped off at any Eco-Port lot.

Riders must first register at the JTB branch in Marunouchi or at Travel Gate in Yurakucho. Registration requires the rider’s credit card number for purposes of preventing theft of the bicycles. If the bicycle is not returned within 24 hours, the user’s credit card will be charged for the cost of the bike. The registration fee is JPY1000.

The first 30 minutes of bike use is free. After 30 minutes, it costs JPY100 per 10 minutes. If bicycles are kept longer than 3 hours, the cost rises to JPY100 per 5 minutes.

To rent a bicycle, users swipe a contactless card over a terminal at each bike. When the card is verified, the parking port device releases the bicycle. The system utilitzes FeliCa contactless IC cards, FeliCa-equipped cellphones, or the special community bicycle contactless IC card issued by JTB.

Enrollment campaigns will target corporations located in the Otemachi and Marunouchi areas.

Bicycle helmets are not offered with the bike rental.

Sapporo conducted a 10-day community rental bicycle trial from Sept. 20-30. Over 100 users participated in the test. The event, nicknamed "Porokure", utilized 7 bicycle ports for Sapporo’s blue bicycles. There was no charge to participate.

Nagoya will conduct a community bicycle-lending trial Oct. 20 to Nov. 18. The experiment will use 300 bikes. Users must preregister and answer a questionnaire after the trial.

Edogawa ward in Tokyo began a short-term community bicycle rental trial on Sept. 1

photos Sankei; Okamot.com; Porokuru; Poro-cle

Singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi of SMAP arrested drunk and nude in downtown Tokyo park

Top 10 reasons SMAP’s Tsuyoshi Kusanagi Naked In Park

10. Hinokicho park looks like onsen.

9. Need cops’ blue plastic tarpaulin to save space for hanami viewing party.

8. Washing machine broken, wash jeans in creek.

7. Celebrate contract for 1,693rd TV commercial.

6. Romp in birthday suit in honor of Emperor Hirohito’s birthday holiday Showa Day – one week too early.

5. Visualize concept for new Japanese game show: "What’s wrong with being naked?"

4. Mark 6 month anniversary of Naked British Tourist in Japan Emperor’s Palace Moat.

3. Make special blue ray video for SMAP’s Shingo Katori.

2. Finally reveal he is the "A" in SMAP: "Ass"

1. Test his digital antenna.

"Locally grown for local consumption" is a common practice in many cities in Japan. Small plots of urban land dedicated to farming can be found in cities of all sizes. Kunio Tsubota of the Kyushu University Asia Centre writes in Urban Agriculture in Asia: Lessons from Japanese Experience "The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) estimates that about 1.1 million hectares of farmland exist in "urban-like areas" and are producing ¥2.6 trillion worth of products."

Tsubota states that municipalities desire some farmland in urbanized areas because the land provides open areas necessary for emergencies, residents don’t want buildings constructed on green spaces, and that it’s more cost effective to grow crops than to convert urban farm plots into parks, and then maintain the parks. 

Tsubota’s report  cites the efforts of Nerima ward, Tokyo as a typical example. Nerima’s Agricultural Promotion Plan consists of about 55 activities to promote agriculture. The plan includes using locally produced vegetables for school lunches, providing small subsidies and office space to citizen-farmers, and promotion of locally grown produce.

Kawasaki City began its "Reborn Agriculture Plan" in 2005. The campaign promotes the sale , freshness, and safety of city farm products. Kawasaki also organizes distribution of produce to schools for use in school lunches.

Some other cities and prefectures with "Locally grown for local consumption" efforts: Sagamihara; Himeji City; Kushiro; Nagoya; Nobeoka City; Hiroshima; Yokohama.

related: Kitchen gardens enjoy a comeback in Japan
photos: Hiroshima; Kanagawa; Kawasaki crops; Kawasaki sign; Nerima; Setagaya-ku.

Wild animals are being hunted by local government employees in an effort to reduce crop damage and the number of animals prowling populated areas.

The "civil service hunters" are targeting monkeys, bears, deer, wild boars, foxes, and other animals. The public servants are being trained in the use of rifles in order to obtain hunting licenses.

Uozu town, Toyama Prefecture, which has few licensed hunters, is purchasing guns and encouraging employees to learn how to hunt. The area experiences heavy crop damage from monkeys and bears. Nine city workers are studying to obtain a license. The city also plans to purchase a shotgun using subsidies from the central government.

The municipal government of Kami, Kochi Prefecture, has three hunter-workers who teach farmers how to prevent animal-related crop damage. The city government intends to send the three on deer-hunting missions.

A wild boar injured four people as the beast went on a rampage in a residential area in Iwade city, Wakayama Prefecture, Dec. 14, 2008. Two police officers struggled to control the boar for about 10 minutes before local hunters killed the boar. The attack ocurred several kilometers from the mountains.

In Saitama Prefecture, raccoons and masked palm civets are the primary cause of crop damage. The prefectural government has increased efforts to protect crops, which may include hunting of animals and birds considered to be pests as permitted by the Japan Law Concerning Protection of Wildlife and Game.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the total damage to Japanese farms caused by birds and animals amounted to JPY 18.5 billion in fiscal 2007. Wild boars were the chief cause of damage, accounting for JPY 5 billion of crop losses.

Takeo city, Saga prefecture, will establish in April an official "wild boar department" to focus on preventing crop damage by wild pigs, and to commercialize wild boar meat. The city estimates more than 30,000 wild boars roam near the city, and about 1000 are captured annually. The city has planted a patch of lemongrass with plans to extract lemongrass oil and use the oil in the fight against wild boars. The animals are averse to the strong scent of the tropical grass. The city hopes to market a lemongrass-oil anti-wild boar potion.

In 2004, some farmers in Misato, Shimane Prefecture, formed an association to process and sell wild boar meat. The meat is offered at an upscale hotel in Tokyo, and in restaurants in Hiroshima, Matsue, and Niigata. Those who catch a wild boar receive about JPY 5500 per animal. Misato wild boar meat retails for JPY 3000 to JPY 4000 per kilogram. Towns in Gunma, Chiba, Nagasaki, and other prefectures also capture, process, and sell wild boar meat.

Other areas affected by crop damage from wild boars are also researching the wild boar meat market. Kiyosawa a hamlet in Shizuoka will offer wild boar stew and wild boar roast at the Shizuoka cultural festival on Feb. 2. The town hopes to develop tasty recipes and market wild boar meat. Noro Kogen lodge in Kure city, Hiroshima prefecture has created a wild boar burger and a wild boar sandwich.

Fireworks are used to scare away marauding monkeys on farms in Higashine City, Yamagata prefecture. A local farmer created a launching device modeled after a shotgun. The 80-centimeter twin barrels of the launcher shoot fireworks 20 meters and can fire 16 times in rapid succession. The smell of smoke and the loud sound has been effective in scaring away monkeys. The monkey-repeller has been used about 50 times in remote areas. "It is easy to use and carry safely," the designer said. "Monkeys also seem to misunderstand and now run away when I have only a genuine gun."

photos: Hunter Tokushima; Boar on city street, NHK-TV; curry; lemongrass; recipe test; boar terrine; launcher; monkey zone; bear warning; Shibuya monkey -anonymous.