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Japan has had almost a year to improve security since the Abe assassination and will host world leaders at a G7 summit next month. Questions will be asked about whether enough was done to prevent this man from throwing an explosive device at the PM. twitter.com/mrjeffu/status…
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Sushi restaurant chain Sushiro is considering legal action against young people shown doing rude/disgusting stuff to their conveyer belt sushi in viral TikTok videos. You can see some examples of this under the hashtag #寿司テロ ("sushi terrorism"). news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/87be0…
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Former actress Otsu Ayaka, who was recently appointed head of the "Female Politicians 48 Party" (NHK Party) was asked about her position on tax cuts. Her response: "That's a hard question. Can I pass? hehe"
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Update: Yamamoto Miyuki tweeted yesterday that she was the "Asahara Shoko of the Reiwa Era" and would attack Funabashi station with Sarin nerve gas. She dared the police to stop her. Police then went to her house and arrested her. twitter.com/mrjeffu/status…
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From the alleged Twitter account of the man arrested for Saturday's pipe bomb attack on Prime Minister Kishida: Japan's election laws prevent ordinary citizens from running for office. Only hereditary politicians and "dogs" who obey political parties can be candidates.
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EDM musician/burlesque dancer DJ Tiara is running as a candidate in Tokyo's Minato ward assembly election. This is how she was campaigning today. twitter.com/nm__Masato/sta…
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Actor Orlando Bloom recently traveled to Ukraine as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. When he met with President Zelensky he produced a piece of paper and read the words of Ikeda Daisaku, the Japanese founder of the Soka Gakkai religious movement.
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Orzugul Babakhodjaeva (CDP) won a seat in Tokyo's Setagaya ward assembly election yesterday. She was born in Uzbekistan and later became a Japanese citizen. This is a historically significant case of an immigrant from Uzbekistan winning elected office in Japan. twitter.com/ninja_padrino/…
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Here is a slightly higher quality clip from NHK, which includes the police tackling the suspect.
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He says wanted to dress up as Zelensky because of the president's reputation as the manliest of men. His friends humorously interrupt to reveal that he struggled for 4 years before finally passing Kyoto University's notoriously difficult entry exam.
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The Japanese government actually produced a short Isekai anime movie in 2022 to promote their territorial claim to the Southern Kuril Islands. A girl gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1945, experiencing the Soviet invasion of the islands (24 minutes): youtube.com/watch?v=dJdjY_…
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Donald Trump has once again sent a message of praise to a Unification Church UPF event. Here is some footage filmed at a "Peace Summit" taking place this week in Korea. https://t.co/lPfCVZwqu4
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University of Chicago Press is going to publish a new Ramseyer book in November. From the official description it sounds like he will be blaming Korean, Okinawan, and Burakumin rights activists for the discrimination that exists against those groups in Japanese society.
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A new article about the LDP and the Unification Church from the Guardian: "How Shinzo Abe’s murder and his ties to Moonies blindsided Japanese politics" (featuring quotes from myself and @knakano1970): theguardian.com/world/2023/jan…
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Video of fans in Shibuya celebrating Japan's World Cup victory over Spain. It looked like Japan had very little chance to advance to the next round, but they once again surprised the world:
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A lot of Japanese apartment buildings have emergency evacuation ladders on their balconies, but very people have ever seen one used. Here is an NHK news video demonstrating the proper technique:
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More photos of the alleged shooter. One shows what looks like a gun in his hands, but the image quality is quite poor.
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CDPJ lawmaker Yoshida Harumi suggested that the government's policies to encourage more children should include allowing married couples the choice to choose separate surnames. As this video shows, LDP politicians jeered & heckled her:
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Meteors or space debris? Lots of videos taken in Okinawa tonight are showing something like this in the sky above.
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9/ The vague wording being used by police/media is probably meant to avoid discrimination against that group. However, this will also fuel conspiratorial beliefs that the group in question has power over the Japanese government and media, and is covering-up the truth.
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An "Orange Parade" was held in Tokyo today. Participants were calling for Japan legally recognize joint custody of children for divorced parents. A lot of the Ishin party social media accounts I follow were promoting this event.
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15/ On January 6, 2021 I filmed a "Stop the Steal" march in Tokyo. Organizers and participants in such marches were associated with several new religious organizations - including Falun Gong, Happy Science, and the Sanctuary Church. twitter.com/mrjeffu/status…
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Japan's Health Ministry will be classifying certain acts that force children to participate in religious activities as child abuse (for example, telling them they will burn in hell if they don't believe/participate): japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/polit…
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30/ A quote from the suspect: "I targeted Abe because he's friendly with the Unification Church" 「統一教会と安倍が親しいので狙った。」Also a quote from the suspect stating that the motive was "not political." This makes no sense because Abe's ties to the church were political.
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The Asahi Shimbun is running a photo that shows Abe soon after the shooting. Blood is visible on his shirt. asahi.com/articles/photo…
PhD. Special Lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies. Japan's Politics/Nationalist Activism/History Disputes/Pop Culture. RT/Likes ≠ endorsements