January
A letter a Kawasaki schoolgirl sent aloft by balloon in 1993 was found fastened to a fish by a fisherman off Choshi port,150 kilometers away from where the balloon was launched.

February
A 39-year-old man wearing a high school girl’s uniform and a long wig loitered near a Saitama high school and was arrested for trespassing and avoiding police by trying to blend into a group of teenagers on school grounds.

March
Cartoon robo-cat Doraemon named Japan’s "anime ambassador".

April
A city council employee in Kinokawa, Japan makes 780,000 hits on porn websites in nine months, on his office computer.

May
Homeless woman lived in man’s closet for year. Disappearing food leads to discovery in home of man who thought he lived alone.

June
Investigation finds "pub cabs" popular as hundreds of government bureaucrats routinely receive free beer, snacks and sometimes cash from taxi drivers competing for late-night business from public servants.

July
Dummy clown mascot "Kuidaore Taro" makes final appearance as 59-year-old Osaka restaurant goes out of business.

August
Wild macaque monkey causes chaos during morning rush hour at Tokyo’s Shibuya station.

September
(1) The Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare plans to set up counters in all prefectures and large cities to offer counseling to "hikikomori" – people who suffer from a kind of agoraphobia and who further isolate themselves from society.

(2) Fifteen officers all fail to realize "corpse" wrapped in plastic found in forest was actually a life-sized sex doll.

(3) Two employees of Japanese confectionery company open can of red-bean paste, notice paste has strange odor, decide to eat some to check the quality, then suffer numbness in limbs, and are rushed to hospital.

October
(1) British tourist swims naked in the moat of Imperial Palace then leads cops on foot chase around palace grounds.

(2) A camera-police-hotline-alarm-equipped Coca-Cola vending machine is installed in a park in Toyohashi, Japan, and is vandalized three days later.

November
Man releases hundreds of beetle larvae inside moving express train "to see women get scared and shake their legs.”
December
Japan police cancel plan to fine drivers aged 75 or older who fail to display a maple-leaf-shaped sticker that indicates to other drivers that they are elderly. Some elderly have said the sticker resembles a dead leaf, and police will also consider redesign of the sticker.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Ryu Kawaguchifujiyamasan, Jan. 1 - Feb 16. (Reason for resignation: health - "irritable atreporta syndrome".)

Taro Suzuki, March 2 - March 28. (Lack of support: public opinion rating falls below 1%.)

Jun Satoishikawa, April 1 - April 25. (Says: "I don’t know how to cook. There is no chef at official residence. I’m tired of making instant ramen." )

Daisuke Fukudabeda, May 5 - July 4. (To ease political gridlock and traffic gridlock.)

Mariko Makuharimashita, July 30 - Aug. 10. (Health - "rye sigureenan-moldi disease".)

Yasu Obamaramawada, Aug 11 - Aug. 28. (Defeated by LDP, JCP, PGA, LPGA, JCB, and JMLB.)

Jo "Hako" Hakowajima, Sept. 7 - Oct. 30. (Says: "I’m afraid of naked tourists swimming in moat at Parliament.") 

Ken Tamagochihama, Nov. 16. - Nov. 30. (Spend more time reading manga and going to expensive izakaya.)

Tomo Onomotapaya, Dec 2 - Dec. 9. (Health - "scandalitis fundingosis". )

Shinzo Tokodome, Dec. 20 - 26.  (Spend more time with family and at club.) 

related: Japan’s premiers doomed to failure; Japan’s global invisibility

Finding the perfect gift for the monkey in your life is always a challenge. It’s especially difficult when the monkey is on the Tokyo police department’s Most Wanted list. How are you going to get that gift to the monkey while the monkey is being chased by cops? It’s not like the simian safe houses are listed in the phonebook. But this cute little bundle of fur and speed who ran through Shibuya station last summer has brought us so much joy. We can’t forget our little macaque elf who is now all alone on the streets of Tokyo. So here’s our list of ideas for presents for "our" monkey, and yours…

"I suggest an "Omawari-san Navi", the latest police detector for monkeys."
From Nick at JapanSoc .

Keiko suggests "Three day trip to Nikko." Keiko adds "Watch this funny movie! Monkey attacks tourists in countryside." (Ed. - No relation to the kindly Shibuya monkey we’re sure).

"The monkey is in need of some direction and there is only one role model for him. For Christmas I would get him the following: ‘Monkey’." (What is "Monkey"? Watch the video.) submitted by Danielle from Narrative Disorder.

Yoko says: "Gift ne…staying at Onsen hotel. Escape from big city!!(???)"

"How about a map so he can find his way back to his forest?" Suggested by an englishman in osaka.

"A backpack in the form of a tiny, stuffed, Tokyo policeman to keep his yama imo in…" Suggested by Digital World Tokyo.

And from the staff (me) here at Lets Japan:
A gift card for a lifetime supply of bananas valid at all supermarkets and green grocers in Japan.

Lets Japan is a fan of MAD magazine, America’s longest-running humor magazine. MAD often jokes about Japan, because, you know, Japan is a funny place. The satire and parody magazine doesn’t publish a Japanese edtion. MAD doesn’t even know about Lets Japan. So don’t tell MAD. Now, here’s another in our continuing Japan in MAD series…

excerpt from "Up -and-Coming Mixed Martial Arts Fighters", MAD magazine number #494 Oct. 2008

Engines Off While Waiting
A campaign to get drivers to stop idling car engines has been underway for more than ten years in Japan. The Japan Ministry Of Environment started the effort in June 1997. Large quantities of "stop idling" stickers were distributed by the Environment office, to be posted on trucks and taxis. The agency also provide information about the effects of idling to concerned industry asscociations and local governments. Tokyo and Osaka have city ordinances that prohibit vehicle engine idling when parked.

Idle-Stop Devices Increasing Aftermarket devices that stop engine idling automatically are available now in Japan. Vehicle engine idle stopping devices are intended to cut air pollution, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and contribute to the effort to reduce global warming. The idle-stop systems also enable energy conservation and noise pollution reduction.

The sleek control box of the M-K Japan ITS-1200/2400 idle stopping unit perches on the steering column and retails for about JPY 57000.

The less-elegant EcoStarter dash-mounted idling-stopping button and installed box offered by Ecomotion retails for about JPY 40000.

A cloud-shaped license plate issued by Matsuyama City is the first non-rectangular vehicle number plate in Japan.

Rice-shaped license plates have been issued by Tome City, and Ueda City has produced a castle-shape number plate.

Mount Fuji, Japan’s most famous landmark, is represented in a new rectangular license plate for cars and a mountain-shaped number plate for smaller vehicles The 4 non-standard designs can be used for scooters with an engine displacement under 50cc, motorcycles of 125cc or less, and small-sized special vehicles such as tractors and combines.

The cloud number plate represents Matsuyama in the clouds on the top of a hill. Tome, a rice growing area in Miyagi Prefecture, began offering rice-shaped license plates in October. The rice shape was chosen by citizens’ votes on entries submitted in a city-sponsored design contest in April. The slogan on the plate is ""Mizu no Sato Tomeshi" (Water’s hometown: Tome city) The castle-shaped license plate that promotes Ueda Castle is issued from the Ueda city government. The white, yellow, and pink color options are dependent on the engine displacement of the registered vehicle.  

License plate regulations were modified in 2006 to allow themed "Place Number" license plates. Previously, only official car registration office locations – such as Shinagawa, Hachioji, and Tokyo – were imprinted on standard-sized plain plates.

Lady Guard Holds It In

Women can delay the need to use a toilet by using Lady Guard, a new non-prescription medication from Kowa Company Ltd.

Lady Guard is the first over-the-counter medicine in Japan for alleviating frequent urination. The drug contains Flavoxate, which has been available by physician prescription in Japan since 1978. Kowa markets Lady Guard to women as convenient for long outings, travel, to enable longer concentration on work, and relief from frequent use of the toilet after going to bed.

Kowa says its surveys indicate women named increased frequency of micturition as a major factor of stress and lowers their quality of life. Kowa says constant worry can cause a hypersensitive bladder. Kowa also states that due to the rising number of elderly in Japan, the number of patients experiencing increased frequency of micturition will increase.

Lady Guard instructions: take one with water, three times a day. For ages 15 and older.

photo: package

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Mobile phone signal-blocking at cash dispensers is the newest effort to fight fraud in Japan.
In October Japan police made a major nationwide effort to prevent citizens – especially the elderly – from becoming victims of various telephone scams. In many of the frauds, senior citizens were instructed by phone to go to banks and withdraw money. The con artists told the victims to bring a phone in order to receive continuous instructions. Police eventually were stationed at most ATM cash dispensers, and questioned folks using cell phones. (Timeline)

Chiba Bank installed phone signal-jamming devices at 4 unmanned ATMs at bank branches in the Tokyo metropolitan area Dec. 10. It is the first use of the device in a financial institution in Japan.

The ceiling-mounted electric wave control unit blocks cellular signals inside a sphere of 1-2 meters. Phones of customers waiting in line a few steps from the ATMs are not affected by the frequency blocker. The bank will phase-in the cell phone signal-blocking device at all its ATM locations.

Electric wave control devices that block mobile phone signals are currently installed in some concert venues and medical facilities in Japan.

A cell phone blocking license issued by The Japan Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications is required in order to legally install and operate the phone frequency blocker.

related: Fraud prevention tips for the elderly.
source, photos: 47News; Yomiuri Shimbun

Get the Flash Player to see this player.  

Holiday postcards sent at the end of the year are called "Nengajo". The cards are based on the Chinese Zodiac calendar and 2009 is the Year of The Ox.

Cards are typically mailed in late December but are held by the Japan post office and delivered to residents on January 1. In the days following, more cards are sent by people who received a card but had not sent one to the given party.

Towards the end of the year, people mail unassuming "mochu" (bereavement) post cards that indicate a person has died or misfortune has occurred and nengajo cards should not be sent to that household.

Nengajo cards purchased from Japan Post have a lottery number on each card. The cards can be purchased with a blank back or with printed designs. Winning lottery numbers are announced January 15.

The Japan Post nengajo lottery first prize selection for 2009 includes the winner’s choice of a Sharp Aquos 32-inch flat-panel LCD digital TV, a Canon EOS digital camera, a Toshiba vacuum-pressure rice cooker and bags of different varieties of rice, a trip in Japan, a selection of furniture and goods valued up to JPY200,000, and a massage chair. Nengajo card 2008 lottery prizes.

Nengajo card examples for 2009, the Year of the Ox
Order them from a printer, card shop, or the post office. Or, download templates from the web and print your own. Some download sites are free, some require a fee.
Homemade Nengajo-zukuri
Japanese New Years Card Writing Nengajo

"Happy New Year" phrases for 2009 in English and Japanese. Copy and paste the text to customize your card. (If you don’t have Japanese fonts installed in your computer: take a screen picture and use an image-editing application to make your card.)
Haradakun
Writing New Year’s Card

Free downloads (all sites Japanese)  Nenga.org; Nengajyousozai; Nengajyo;  Nengajyo;  Kumamis;  Brother;  Mihosozai

Oxen and various card parts - make your own design.
Nenga-sozai (menu is on right side of the page)
Designbank Wanpagu (menu is on left side of the page)
Cowzen. Cowzen parts ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 )

Free after registration
Templatebank

Cards for sale
Examples from the Japan Post Office: Japan Post;  DEX

Others sites selling Nengajo cards
Nengajoo; Aisatsujo; Synfront; Pret-E-Shop; Cardbox

Hello Kitty:  Card: MyPrint. By mobile phone in Japan: KeitaiPost

People are producing electricity by walking across a special panel on the plaza outside Shibuya train station in Tokyo.

The Shibuya Ward government installed the 90-square-centimeter 2.5-centimeter thick piezoelectric mat near the Hachiko dog statue at Shibuya station. Electricity is created when people step on the mat.

The people-power runs an electronic Light Emitting Diode display board in the plaza which continuously updates the total amount of electricity generated. A small holiday lights display is also powered by the footstep-generated electricity. The floor panel can withstand light rain but is not completely waterproof. The special mat will remain until Dec. 25.

The "power generation floor" was developed by Soundpower Corp. The Soundpower website indicates rental options for various sizes and versions of the panels for research and educational purposes. According to the website, the panels installed at Shibuya station can be rented for JPY 50000.  photos: ASCII; Soundpower