Strong winds buffet Japan

The environment

Strong wind blew across Japan on Sunday because of a low-pressure system. This situation had many injuring, and it affected rail and air services in Tokyo and other areas.

Japan Meteorological Agency warned of violent storms, high waves, lightning and tornadoes is similar to move toward northeastern Japan during the day. A cold front also passes through Japan’s island of Honshu.

Wind is maximum speeds about 140 kilometers per hours that were recorded in Chiba City, and it is nearly 130 kph in Tokyo’s Edogawa around 5 a.m. on Sunday.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9EIOL300&show_article=1

Photo credit: http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/80426.php

Japan to promote environment-friendly tourism

The environment

The ministers of Japan, China and South korea suggested a idea that tourism should help reduce carbon dioxide gas.

They adviced tourism authorities in the three nations to compile an action plan to promote tourism about global warming.

They said the tourism authorities are asked to plan specific measures to reduce CO2 gas in all activities including transportation, accommodation and shopping.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/travel/view/japan-china-s-korea-to-promote-environment-friendly-tourism

Photo credit: http://blog.mellowmonk.com/2008/06/green-enclave-in-japanese-metropolis.html

New mom Asaka Seto gets back to work

Entertainment

Actress Asaka Seto who gave birth her first child in March announced she have been dieting to return to work this week. She had to attend a product launch for the fashion brand.

In 2007, Seto married Yoshihiko Inohara, from boy band V6, and she left her work from TBS TV drama. After that, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child in September.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/entertainment/view/new-mom-asaka-seto-gets-back-to-work

Karina judges fashion contest

Entertainment

Fashion model, Karina worked as a judge in a cat-walk show for fashion magazine Nissen on the weekend. About 100 magazine readers entered the design contest that Karina judged the competition.

After the end of contest, reporter asked what perfect fashion for a date would be. She thought you should wear something that will catch partner’s eyes, but you still feel comfortable.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/entertainment/view/karina-judges-fashion-contest

Japan watching China's military closely

Politics

Japan would keep paying attention Beijing’s military, because China builds up to military. A US government report warning that China is becoming powerful defense is changing East Asia’s military balance. In addition, it will have a significant impact on security in the region that is Japan and the international community.

The comment of Japan ministry came after two unpleasant events on the seas in recent months that China helicopters buzzed Japanese destroyers who were watching their group of boats near Japanese islands.

http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-world/japan-watching-chinas-military-closely-20100817-128fn.html

Photo credit: http://chinadigitaltimes.net/china/u-s-military/

Politicians to return ¥48 million

Politics

All 59 elected members of the Upper House have suggested to give back section of their salaries in July before they to work as legislator.

All of them returned a sum of money about ¥48 million. The sequence of the enactment earlier this month of law revision changes that makes it possible for parliamentarians to voluntarily return part of their pay.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/new-upper-house-members-to-return-y48-mil-from-july-salary

Photo credit: http://www.international.ucla.edu/asia/article.asp?parentid=90692

Transports

Most of Japan’s biggest online electric retail shop had stopped shipping Apple products especially the Cupertino and California-based Company.

Yodobashi.com and Biccamera.com, the two of Japan’s largest electronics online shop, still have Apple products at their shop, but they advice customers should come into the store to pick it up.

Amazon Japan, another electronic online shop, continues to sell Apple products online. In the fact, Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/195018/japanese_online_stores_stop_shipping_apple_products.html

Photo credit :http://www.anonscope.com/

High-speed rail in Japan

Transports

There is the luxury of high-speed rail travel in Japan. The first bullet train, the shinkansen, was introduced after the end of the Second World War. Now the shinkansen network that operated by Japan Railways connects Japanese cities through almost 1,550 miles of road.

The early trains could drive with speed of 130 mph but the lastest version, the N70 series that was opened service in 2007 could drive with speed of 186 mph. The new E5 series will introduce in 2011. It can drive with 199 mph that possible to travel form Tokyo to Amori about 419 miles away in three hours.

More than 150 million people each year use the bullet train service between Tokyo and Osaka while Japan airlines(JAL) fly 3.9 million people from Tokyo to Osaka in the same time.

Japan plans to introduce the next generation of bullet trains in 2025. A service will connect Tokyo and Nagoya in around 40 minutes. It uses maglev train system called magnetic levitation which are faster than conventional trains.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/05/high-speed-rail-japan

high 69.3% want gov't to take more economic steps

Business

From annual poll, it showed 69.3 percent of people want the government to take further economic measures and 25.5 percent want the government to bring back financial status that it is the highest rate on record.

But the largest group at 69.6 percent called for medical, pension and other social security measures. Ranking after economic steps were called for measures to deal with the graying of society at 56.5 percent and labor issues at 49.4 percent.

Some 26.7 percent also said their lives are worse than last year, the against 4.0 percent who said they are better, and 68.8 percent who replied same answer.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/news/20100808p2g00m0bu009000c.html
Photo credit : http://jan.ocregister.com/2010/01/21/poll-who-thinks-california-economy-is-bad/29691/

Toyota's Japan hybrid sales top one million

Business

Toyota’s hybrid vehicle sales had topped in July. It was bought one million mark in Japan and 2.68 million in worldwide of the vehicles.

Toyota is the leader in hybrid cars that use two power sources. It is gasoline engine and another source. The first hybrid car in the world that Toyota produced was Prius in 1997. Currently, Toyota produced eight passenger hybrid models to sell overseas.

Sales of hybrids have been sold quickly in recent years because of high gasoline prices and increasing public awareness of global warming.

Last year, Toyota recalled 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles to repair a flaw in the breaking system worldwide that it made Toyota Dishonorable. However, the Prius remained the top car in sales in Japan.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jMHs0PYmaS7AbNNaoImRAlkNsFsA

Photo credit: http://www.itechnews.net/tag/car/

Strange texts for learning English

Education

The Japanese’s main problem in learning English is the terrible textbooks. “Eigo Note” and “Shogakusei no Eigo” are the textbooks for fifth and sixth graders that are full mistakes

The CDs for those two books are bad accents in English because it is translated by Japanese, so this is highly unnatural pronunciation in contemporary English. This does not help children learn or get used to correct pronunciation.

We should get rid of the government textbooks and get books written by native-speaking Engliah teachers who have a perfect grip of correct vocabulary, expressions and grammar. ”Nakama” and “Genki” are a good example japanese-language textbooks that were wriiten by Japanese professors working in the United States.

English is a global language. The mature will get a good job if they know how to use English effectively. Then children should learn English by perfect textbooks.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/rc20100711a8.html

Photo credit : http://www.tofugu.com/2008/02/28/japanese-textbook-review-genki-i/

2 Japanese students win gold medals

Education

Two Japaneses students won gold medals . There were 517 participants from 96 nations and areas in 51 st International Mathematical Olympiad for high school.

The two Japanese students were Shutaro Inoue and Akio Kishikawa. It was the second gold medal for Kishikawa. In addition, three other Japanese students, Genki shimizu, Takuma Kitamura and Hiroki Koshiyama also won silver medals.

In last year, five Japanese won gold medals and one Japanese won a bronze in the competition that held in Germany. I think Japanese students is intelligent, and I would like to congrat with them too for winning the gold medals.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9GTEJ281&show_article=1

Photo credit :http://www.tufsd.org/shms/news.html

Let's Smooch! iPhone application to be launched

Science and technology

The smooch Japan KK producer, who is the pioneer of market in Japan, announced that it will launch new iPhone application called Let’s Smooch! on July 23. Let’s Smooch will cut edge technology when you use it available on iPhone.

You can access to update information on Smooch such as latest promotion, location and drink. Let’s smooch also incorporates the world’s first stamp card for using bump technology which can be updated only at the Smooch store.

If you download the application, you can take advantage of special promotion. In addition, if you download the application, you will receive a point card that is pre-loaded with 9 points. It means when the next time you buy a Smooch, you will be given the right to another one free.

The application can be downloaded free at http://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/lets-smooch/id379447495?mt=8.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/technology/view/lets-smooch-iphone-application-to-be-launched

Japanese baby-bot to shed light on human learning

Science and technology

Lastweek, Japanese researchers have created and developed infant robot for better understanding how to human grows up.

The infant robot name Noby that it is derived from “nine-month-old baby” word. It can action like real infant. It has 600 sensors through its body to feel touch. Moreover, it has cameras and microphones for vision and hearing, and it is connected between computer and its body.

Noby is 71 centimeters tall and weighs 7.9 kilograms that it is very similar to a nine-month-old baby. It has soft skin like baby, and it has many joints that can move well.

This project is cooperation between Tokyo University professor, Yasuo Kuniyoshi and The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. They are using it to examine theories of human development.

It is set by computer software which the researchers can analyze its result about how it reacts to human actions and its surroundings, and compare it with the behaviour of real children.

I agree with the infant robot because it makes researchers know more about function of baby's body that will help learning human development.

http://www.physorg.com/news195797609.html

Japan Lost to Paraguay on Penalties in Round of 16

Sport

Japan's 2010 World Cup campaign ended in round of 16 on Tuesday night when they defeated on penalties to Paraguay with score 5-3 at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria, South africa.

Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe and Keisuke Honda, Japanese football players all made perfect their shots but Yuichi Komano, Japan's third kicker, kicked the shootout. All five Paraguay kickers were successful. Paraguay was one country in South America where passed into the quarterfinals for the first time

2010 World Cup was the second time that Japan passed into round of 16. The first was in Japan where was competitive place in 2002. In that time, Yuichi Komano made perfect start with a good strike, and he also got foward for an early shot at goal.

The two teams battled hard for tha ball. They tried to score the winning goal, but each goalkeeper sides could block well. They changed kicker completely. Both sides remained deadlocked at 0-0 after 120 minutes that sented the game into a penally shootout.

http://www.jfa.or.jp/eng/

credit photo :

http://www.hellofooty.com/japan-vs-paraguay-live-highlights-2010

Japanese Traditional Sport

Sport

There are many traditional sports in Japan such as Ju-do, Karate, Ken-do, Kyu-do and Su-mo. Today, I introduce one Japanese traditional sport which is Aikido. Akido is an acient martial art that uses fighting type techniques. The word "Aikido" is interpreted from "the Way of Unifying with Life Energy" or "the Way of Harmonious Spirit.

Morihei Ueshiba was founder of aikido during the late 1920s to the 1930s. He combined his martial studies, philisophy and religious to be Aikido. Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that the practitioners could use to protect themselves while also protect their attacker from injury. Moreover, he compounded training movement with weapons. Most of his technical structure derived from the art of swordsmanship.

It mainly gets from one kind of Japanese original martiral art called Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu. It is showing by blending with the movement of the attacker and redirection the force of the attack. Aikido practitioners need to be very little physical strong because it uses turning movement. The techniques are totalled either various throws or joint locks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido

Photo credit : http://www.lfsl.net/secondaire/college/site_troisieme/Broden_Arman/Accueil.htm

Welcome to my blog again !!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog. Now, I am in pc2. My name is Kingkarn Trakarnsakul. You can call me "kwangjung". I hope you enjoy when you see my blog. I love you all. Let you see !!*

Hunt on for militants over bombing near school

Date 16/06/2010

On yesterday morning, a school in Yala's Bannang Sata district was closed because terrorist set a bomb nearby. The bomb killed one paramilitary official and had injuring three people.

The witness said the bomb attack took place at 8 am on the road far away 300 metres from Ban Bacho School. Forensic officials doubts the bomb weighed about 3-5 kilograms, was planted in a metal box and was blasted by mobile phone. The bomb exploded while the eight paramilitary patroled the area on foot to secure the local where teachers passed.

Bannang Sata district chief said that Ban Bacho School was temporarily closed for the day to seek evidence around that place. The news sounds very bad for me. There are many victims in South of Thailand everyday. The killing was due to a personal conflict and a part of the ongoing violence in the region. I feel sympathetic the local people. I hope thais love each other and our country. The terrorist should stop attacking our country.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/06/16/national/Hunt-on-for-militants-over-bombing-near-school-30131691.html

Photo credit :http://www.chaoprayanews.com/tag/%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3/

Violence is over but the innocent still feel pain

Altough skirmishing between red-shirt demonstrators and government troops had ended in May, the innocent still feel pain.

The female victim, 40-year-old Chaluay Sainuk who lives in Ratchathewi district said I cannot sleep well as I still remember about the night that I was shot in the leg. On may 15, she was shot in the leg in the second floor of her home while crawling on my knees from the mosquito net. The bullet came from an unidentified source and hit her leg.

Her husband called the hospital to sent an ambulance to pick her up. Medical staff refused and laughed at him because situation around her home was too dangerous. Then her husband put her on a motorcycle and took her to nearby Praram 9 hospital. They were really afraid when rode to hospital as everything surrounding us. There was only us on the road.

She is a street fruit vendor who earns around Bt 1,000 to Bt 2,000 a day around Rajprasong intersection area. After being shot, she could not go outside her community to sell fruit on the street. So at present, she has no money to spend for her living and family. Now, she has to borrow Bt 20,000 from a creditor to start her new life.

When there was civil war in Bangkok, I prayed to Buddha and begged for peace and stopped to the violence. I hope Bangkok will return to normal soon. I think the civil war is bad memory for everybody in Bangkok. Everyone should help to protect here where is our hometown. The civil war dose not happen here again.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/06/15/national/Violence-is-over-but-the-innocent-still-feel-pain-30131588.html

credit photo :http://ballmdr.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%AD%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%87-%E0%B8%9B%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B2/

Dhaka blaze kills 114, toll set to rise

Date 04/06/2010

In Dhaka, Bangladeshi, there was on fire on late Thursday. This fire killed more than 110 people. The deadliest fire in Bangladeshi's 39-years history reged for three hours. The fire burned everything in Dhaka. For instance, it destroyed many apartment building, one of which was having wedding party, and it killed people who lives the local area.

The witness said the fire had been caused by an electrical fault. It engulfed at least seven building consisting of a bakery with several large gas and a small shop where sell chemicals plastic goods. It explored fervently when it was through the stored chemicals ant the other flammable materials. The chemical shops had explored like a bomb. Sometimes I thought it was like a volcanic eruption that was running down the street. Some people died before they had realized what was happening.

Firefighters carry out a victim from burning house and building. Rescuers still find bodies. They work hard to safe victim's life. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was scheduled to visit the injured, announced a full investigation into the blaze. This bad incidence influence with feel's Bengali people. I think if people are more careful to check their electric, it will not be on fire for sure. The situation causes to lose both of people life and property that makes them sad very much.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/world/180170/dhaka-blaze-kills-117-injures-hundreds

Photo credit :http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/dhaka-fire-bangladesh