The following are the top seven causes of death in Japan per 100,000 people: 1. Old age, 2. Suicide, 3. Accidents, 4. Pneumonia, 5. Cerebrovascular disease, 6. Heart diseases, 7. Cancer. . Thanks to Rising Sun of Nihon.

Though most Japanese people will insist that the Land of Wa is the most peaceful country in the world, a report by international businessman Steve Killelea in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit says it just ain’t so. According to Killelea, Japan ranks fifth in the world behind Norway, New Zealand, Denmark, and Ireland.

After Riyo Mori’s win in the Miss Universe pagent, and our subsequent discussion on Japundit, I became curious about the “behind the scenes” efforts that contributed to Mori’s win. It has been very clear over the past few years that the Japanese delegates have become less “kawaii” and more “fierce” in the manner in which a model and spokeswoman must be to appeal to an international or, ahem, western audience.

So, how did it happen? Take a look at the Miss Universe Japan site, and you’ll see that as an organization, it’s only been around for the past 9 years. That’s because someone finally decided that after 48 years of participating in the pagent, and only producing 1 winner and 3 finalists, drastic measures needed to be taken if Japan was ever going to place. So, the old Miss Japan machine was scrapped, and the new Miss Universe Japan organization was born. And who was placed at the head? One Ines Ligron, a Frenchwoman by birth who has single-handedly refashioned what it means to be beautiful in Japan.

An official of the government’s Social Insurance Agency has been arrested for a series of workplace locker room thefts that he committed in order to finance his hair growth treatments. The man apparently used the money for hair growth laser therapy and to purchase a scalp massage machine. No word on whether any of the treatments actually worked.

Another shallow post for you all.

I’m always looking for some sort of perfect fusion dress. This one, worn here by Eva Green, has taken the crown for now. Oh, if I could get my hands on something like this for a wedding dress! But it probably costs much more than I could reasonably ever justify. So, it’s going to just have to exist in pixelated form in my life.

The designer is Christian Dior, which is another way of saying that the brilliant John Galliano most likely put this ensemble together. I do so worship his creations.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says Yellow Sand was observed in wide areas across Japan last weekend. In several places in the Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu regions, visibility fell to around five kilometers due to the phenomenon, according to the agency.

It said more yellow sand was on the way for areas from Okinawa Prefecture to Tohoku region, northeastern Japan, and that it may affect traffic.

Yellow Sand? I had never heard of this and can’t see why it would be affecting visibility or traffic. In Canada we have Yellow Snow but it isn’t dangerous at all unless you eat it.

Fortunately, Wikipedia explained that Yellow Sand is just another name for Asian Dust–which appears to be more than a mere annoyance:

Asian Dust (also yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind, or China dust storms) is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects much of East Asia sporadically during the springtime months. The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia and northern China and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East.

According to the encyclopedia, in the last decade or so, it has become a serious problem due to industrial pollutants and intensified desertification in China. The dust storms, with specific reference to China, have been called “yellow dust terrorism” by some Korean groups. I doubt China is doing it on purpose, though, and they’re probably getting the worst of it there.

But the dust is known to cause a variety of health problems, not limited to sore throat and asthma in otherwise healthy people. For those already with asthma or respiratory infections, it can be fatal. The dust has been shown to increase the daily mortality rate in one affected region by 1.7%.

Kominato Hotel in Chiba was shocked to discover last Wednesday thieves had made off with one of their bathtubs. . . a golden bathtub worth some 120 million yen.

The bathtub, made of pure gold, measures 71 centimeters wide, 121 centimeters long and 65 centimeters high and weighs some 80 kilograms. It is estimated to be worth approximately 120 million yen at current market value.

My only question is what in the heck did the hotel need a solid gold bathtub for?

Ninja demonstration in Iga.

A government panel named the Intellectual Property Rights Policy Work Group is recommending that Japan change changes its laws in order to allow webcast of recorded works without requiring the OK of all rights holders.

According to the panel’s proposal, Internet distribs of previously broadcast TV shows will no longer need to get permissions from all rights holders, as is currently required. Instead they will only have to ensure royalty payments to all rights holders following webcasts of the shows. Given that, in Japan, right holders include talent as well as production companies and broadcasters, the search for permissions is frequently cumbersome or, in cases where rights holders have dropped out of the biz — or off the face of the earth — impossible.

One of the panel’s proposals is to include a clause in production contracts that gives permission for rebroadcast on the Internet.

Japan is adding environmental awareness and more creature comfort to the latest version of its celebrated bullet train. The new N700 model comes into service in July, according to AFP news. It is to be introduced gradually through 2010 on the line between Tokyo and western Japan–the world’s busiest passenger track.

The new shinkansen (the first one was introduced in 1964) cost 260 billion yen (2.1 billion dollars) to develop and build but has a top speed no greater than the current bullet trains, 300 kilometers per hour (185 miles per hour).

The N700’s was developed jointly by private companies Central Japan Railway and West Japan Railway. Instead of trying to beat France’s blisteringly fast TGV in speed (320 kph), the designers aimed to improve passenger comfort levels and the environmental performance of the train.

The N700 will use 19% less electricity than earlier models, the designers said as they showed the train to the press this week. “The substantial reduction in power consumpion and CO2 emissions,” a statement said, “contributes significantly to the effort to counter global warming.”

The N700 also features a first-class section said to approach the comfort level of business class on a plane, with large chairs that can recline back 120 degrees, adjustable foot-rests, 15-centimeter (six-inch) wide arm-rests, and an electric plug at every seat (two in first-class) along with a headphone jack.

And while the new bullet trains will lack the current shinkansen smoking sections, thankfully some of the cars will have sealed, ventilated rooms for passengers to light up in. That could be good or bad news depending on your point of view.