It is a daunting task. Contamination from the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl has spread far and wide, across fields and farms, rivers and forests. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes. But, shovelful by shovelful, one half-empty city on the edge of the evacuation zone is fighting to bring its future back. Feeling forgotten and left largely to fend for themselves by the central government, officials in Minami-Soma, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) away from the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility, have designated August as "Decontamination Month" in a campaign to woo spooked residents home. "We decided that we could not sit by and wait until Tokyo figured out what to do," said town official Yoshiaki Yokota. "It's an enormous task, but we have to start somewhere." 19 Aug
After picking up a ton of international awards in recent years, Japan is no longer "the hidden secret of the whisky world," according to Dave Broom, author of The World Atlas of Whisky. Instead, the country's distillers are now recognized masters in "just bloody good whisky." Experts say Japan's climate - sweltering humid summers and cold winters - both speeds and slows cask maturation, imparting unique tastes. Japanese water, which has fewer minerals than Europe's, also plays a crucial role. "There's a transparency about the flavors," says Broom. "In Scotch you get this wonderful jumble of complexities, so things are kind of flying out and nipping at you from all angles. In Japan, there's slightly more control on the palate." (Time)19 Aug An accomplished engineer from the township has admitted to federal prosecutors that he collected child pornography he downloaded from the Internet and bought from Japan, authorities said. Hakan Pekcan, 49, of the Basking Ridge section pleaded guilty Thursday to a count of possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said. He faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine when is sentenced Nov. 22 in federal court in Newark. Court documents say that Pekan had illegal, sexually explicit images and videos of children on computers, hard drives and disks in his home, Fishman said. During a search in July 2010, federal officials raided the dwelling and seized the hardware, along with hundreds of DVDs. (mycentraljersey.com)
19 Aug
The official climbing season for Mount Fuji is drawing to a close on Aug. 31, which means potential climbers should act fast. With 10 stations along the trails, most people begin their ascent to the summit of Japan's most famous mountain from the fifth station. Mount Fuji's crater is surrounded by eight peaks, and it usually takes around 90 minutes to circle the perimeter. Kengamine Peak is the highest point in Japan. (Japan Times)19 Aug A prizewinning Chinese film depicting the 1937 Nanjing Massacre from a Japanese perspective will be screened Sunday in Tokyo. Directed by Lu Chuan of China, the 2009 film "Nanjing! Nanjing!" features as its central character a Japanese soldier played by Japanese actor Hideo Nakaizumi. The film, known in English as "City of Life and Death," won the best cinematography award at the 2009 San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain. (Japan Times)
18 Aug
Authorities confirmed Thursday the death of a second woman in a tour boat accident a day earlier on the Tenryu River in Shizuoka Prefecture, while continuing the search for the missing - two men and a 2-year-old boy. Also Thursday, police searched the headquarters of the tour boat operator, Tenryu Hamanako RailRoad Co., and related sites on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. The investigators are questioning boatmen on other vessels that were near the site at the time and other people to help determine the cause of the accident. Tenryu Hamanako RailRoad said the boat with 23 people aboard crashed into riverside rocks and sank stern-first after control of the vessel was in whirlpools. (Japan Times)
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