Peter's Japan blog

The Tokaido road was the most important road in Japan since hundreds of years and it still is to this day, although in many different forms. It was the road between the ruling capital Edo (now Tokyo) and the imperial capital Kyoto.
The Belgian national TV's cultural channel CANVAS has made a documentary (called "Tokaido") focusing on the old Tokaido road and what is left of it. They are using old drawing made by famous artist Ando Hiroshige from 1832 and follow all the 53 stops on the Tokaido and compare his 53 drawings with the current situation. During the course of the documentary, they also show different aspects of Japanese society which may be unknown to western people.
It is a very interesting 10-part documentary which has just ended its broadcast but will likely be rerun again. But the makers would like to make a DVD release of this documetary and are looking to see if there is enough interest to make it. The DVD would probably have the original english voice in stead of the dutch voice which was shown on TV, making it easier for international distribution.

Official site: http://multiblog.vrt.be/canvasprogrammas/category/tokaido/tokaido-deze-week/
Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=140668917965

August has been a good month, yet more loot ;p
A short round-up of the latest 2 arrivals.

Last Monday got a big package from Amazon with some books:
- A Mah Jong Handbook: How to Play, Score, and Win
- A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present
- Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914: Engineering Triumphs That Transformed Meiji-era Japan (gorgeous book, more than I had expected, and yes I'm a bit of a train otaku ;p)
- The Penguin Book of Curious and Interesting Numbers: Revised Edition (this is a book I used to lend from the library often, now I finally have it ;p)
- Prime Numbers: The Most Mysterious Figures in Math (from the same author as the previous book)

The second package arrived today from CDJapan with Ayumi Hamasaki's latest single Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~, and Mizuki Nana's last album ULTIMATE DIAMOND and Starcamp EP single from last year.
I don't think I have anything arriving this month any more, but definitely next month has more to come ^^

Green Tea flavor zero calorie Coca-Cola Plus, Japan’s newest weird soft drink.

The new flavor will hit the stores across Japan on Monday, June 8th. Judging from Coke’s press release, the target demographic is women in their 20’s and 30’s who are concerned about health and beauty.

Expect a bitter battle to take place this month between this cola and Pepsi’s new shiso-flavored drink.

I'd sure like to taste it! I loved the green tea-flavored Kit-Kat, and green tea tastes good, so let's see how green tea coke goes ^^

Source: Japan Probe

The JLPT system has been unchanged since it started in 1984 and the number of participants still rises (last year being 524000 worldwide). There have been many requests for revision of certain issues.

One of the requests is to be able to takes the multiple times a year. As of 2009, Levels 1 & 2 will be held in July and December, and from 2010 this will also be the case for the other levels.

Another issue was the large gap between level 2 & 3. The difference between these levels quite large, being trippled between from level 3 to level 2, while from level 4 to level 3 is just a doubling. This has made it difficult for people to progress more easily. Therefore, the 4-level system will be changed to a 5-level system from July 2010. The new levels will be N1, N2, N3, N4 and N5. With old level 1 & 2 begin N1 & N2, the old levels 3 & 4 will become N4 & N5 respectively, and N3 will be the bridge level between the old level 3 & 2, making it easier for people to progress more gradually.

Another change is that the examinee will be given a more clear result of their exams. They will be given a more detailed list of what they can do with their current level.

Other changes will be less difference between tests in regard of difficulty, more effort will be done to make all the tests of the same difficulty. Also the test questions will not be published any more afterwards, only example questions will be published.

More info on: JEES (there is a PDF in the news section about the revisions).

I like this because I was actually planning to only go up to level 3, because of the fact that the jump to level 2 was so big. But now I could go up to the new level N3, which is inbetween the old level 3 & 2.

The beloved Tokyo Tower will soon be surpassed by a new communication tower: The Tokyo Sky Tree. To be finished in 2011 around Oshiage Station, it will have a height of 610m with 2 observation decks at 250m and 450m. When Tokyo Tower was built in the 1950s, its 333m was enough, but now there are more and more buildings higher then 200-300m and communication is getting more difficult.

Tokyo Sky Tree will be a joint project of 7 radio & tv broadcasting companies including NHK, with the tower being built on the land of Tobu Railways which will also fund the building of the tower. Together with the Guangzhou TV Tower, they will be the tallest structures in East Asia, both being 610m. There will also be two skyscrapers built next to it to accomodate offices and hotels.

Project ptrofile on Emporis

Last Sunday, a 25 year old male stabbed 17 people after driving into 3 of them with a 2 ton truck in Akihabara, Tokyo's otaku shopping district. The incident happened on the big crossroad in Akiba next to the new Sofmap building. Police caught up with him in an alley in the direction of the train station. He dropped to the floor when they threatened to shoot him.

Tomohiro Katou was born in Aomori but lived in Shizuoka where he worked. He allegedly rented a truck and drove all the way to Akiba, just to run over some people, and then stabbing them and in the process stab 14 others. Three people died on the spot, 4 others died of their injuries at the hospital. They were 6 men between 19 and 74 and 1 woman of 21 years old. I seriously hope that the rest will pull through.
The guy said he was tired of his life, but other people would be fine, and he wanted to commit suicide. Well, so much for a suicide, 7 people died and he lives...

Apparently they found some drawing that he made in his school yearbook of a character from some rpg game. I sure hope the media won't jinx otaku community again because he made a drawing in the past. Even I draw, and don't see me doing any of those things.

Honestly, my thoughts are with families of the victims. It should never have happened. So many young people involved...

Update: apparently, he liked watchinganime... so, here we go again... what about American action movies full of violence and shooting? I don't have anything against those movies, but you get my point.

Source: ANN, DannyChoo.com, Japan Probe