Caught a special on TV on Tuesday about The Candies, which was a female super group in Japan in the 1970s, and it reminded me of a time when girl groups in Japan were more than just the music.

A group of citizens at the Sukayu Hot Spring resort in Aomori has mobilized to counter what they see as a threat to mixed bathing in the area — men leering at naked women.

The Konyoku wo Mamoru Kai (Protect Mixed Bathing Association) is urging visitors to the Sukayu Hot Spring resort in Aomori not to stare at women bathers and make them feel uncomfortable.

“It’d be a real shame if we were deprived of the traditional practice of mixed bathing,” a spokesman for the association said.

Sukayu is a hot spring located in a secluded part of Mount Hakkoda and has been frequented by resort lovers for about 320 years. A huge bath of about 260 square meters is covered by a steaming mist brought about by the heat of its waters, whose acidity is said to have therapeutic effects and attracts bathers from across Japan.

Sukayu has signs for men’s and women’s bathing areas, but there is nothing to separate the sexes when they dip into the bath. However, there has recently been an increase in male bathers who have sneaked around to gaze at the naked women there, prompting complaints and putting the practice of mixed bathing under threat.

Spotted by JAPUNDIT reader Jacob in Shinjuku last summer.

Japan’s oldest “modern” robot — the 10-foot, 6-inch GakuTenSoku — has been awakened in Japan. Gone are the inflatable rubber tubes of the original 1928 android build by biologist Makoto Nishimura. The bot now tilts its head, moves his eyes, smiles, and puffs out his cheeks thanks to a $200,000, computer-controlled, pneumatic-servo makeover. While nothing compared to his modern offspring, GakuTenSoku still manages to creep us the hell out. On display at the renovated Osaka Science Museum starting July 18th.

japanese robot nostalgia from engadget.

If you thought that hanami season finished when the last of the cherry blossoms fell, think again. Even though Japan’s most famous blossoms are gone for another year, there are still chances to enjoy a hanami picnic before the sultry heat of summer kicks in.

Following signs off the beaten track to the Hiyoshi shrine in Tamana, Kumamoto prefecture, we found the Yamada wisteria (山田藤). The many vines, some of them reputedly over 200 years old, form a canopy over the shrine’s grounds - a pergola in purple.

Golden Week is a perfect time to see it, occuring as it does right around the start of wisteria’s flowering season, and I’d imagine that that has contributed to the Yamada wisteria’s huge popularity.

The lawns under the fragrant flowers were packed with picnicking folk, enjoying an al fresco lunch on blue sheets.

Thanks to Kurisu,.

As everyone living in Japan knows, this is the season of the koinobori carp streamers that can be seen flying outside the homes of families with male children.

I was surprised to find out via a news report today that some areas in Japan have modified koinobori to represent other fish that are local products.

Some locales in Miazaki Prefecture have taken to flying kujiranobori (whale streamers), because whale products are important to the local economy.

I wonder if Greenpeace plans to protest. . .

The news reports on the Japan leg of the Bejing Olympic torch (which some are calling the “flame of shame”) relay in Nagano made me wish I had been there with a camera.

Large numbers of Chinese “students” were on hand as were groups of free Tibeters, all of whom seemed to be carrying flags and placards. The Japanese right wing also showed up, ready to mix it up with just about anyone, especially the Chinese.

The whole thing reminded me of why I dislike nation-vs-nation sports of any kind so much.

I also had to wonder whether the Olympics might turn out to be a public relations disaster for China.

Any other thoughts on this?

Even dirty laundry can be cute!

Via Hello Kitty Hell

Now extinct Club Bitch in Kamata, Tokyo.

Thanks to Josh

One concept you encounter quite a lot in Japan is sekinin, meaning responsibility or duty.

While the James Clavell cliches of Japanese who are bound by the bushido-esque code of honor aren’t very accurate when applied to the country today, I have noticed that the idea of sekinin o toru, or taking responsibility for something, does seem to be an important aspect of the Japanese character.

This can take many forms, with one of the most visible being the way students take responsibility for cleaning their own classrooms, including the toilets. Virtually all cleaning in Japanese schools is done by the students, who must learn to either take pride in their cleaning skills or study in a dirty classroom.

The idea of sekinin is important in a business environment, too, and when some new job presents itself to us at here at J-List, I’m always interested in the way our Japanese staff divides the work into logical sections and assigns different parts to each person, so everyone knows who’s in charge of what.

Having a person’s name associated with a job is one way to create a sense of pride, and in restaurants it’s common to see a little clipboard hanging in the restroom indicating which employee has last cleaned, so everyone knows who is or isn’t doing his job properly if there’s a problem. I often wonder whether some of these little innovations might not be imported back to the West?

Japan Talk #107 is now available on the Japan Talk website and at FeedBurner.

* Chris Juergenson - Featured artist of the week

Listener Mail
* Jordan Cassady: Historicast
* Jesse: Thanks for the podcast
* JAPUNDIT: Going to Japan?

Japan News Roundup
* U.S. military to press charges against Okinawa Marine
* Gas tax to return
* Miso paste made to Bach
* Greenpeace to target tuna fishers
* JASRAC raided by Japanese FTC

* Most Japanese against lowering age of adulthood
* Woman throws dead mother into trash heap
* Man sues company for “power harassment”
* Man arrested for 8,000 phone calls to ex-girlfriend
* Company president arrested for stripping on train
* The latest suicide fad in Japan

Music
All from the Podsafe Music Network
* Love Dog by Chris Juergensen
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Contact: podcast@japundit.com

in january of this year, what is being called a “missing link” from the cretaceous period was discovered in iwate prefecture by one kazuhisa sasaki.

this specimen is the oldest praying mantis specimen to have legs with hair and spines.

interesting…

in an apparent chemistry experiment gone awesome, a 14 year old girl managed to not only to give herself considerable trouble breathing, but forced an evacuation of her apartment complex. according to police this is only an isolated incident in a series of similar experimentation through out the nation. driven to recreating this inspiring chemical reaction by educational websites around the world, many japanese both young and old are racing to combine household cleaning products in order to artificially create the chemical responsible for odiferous flattus.

when reached for comment about how and why so many people around japan would be performing their own trails with household cleaning chemicals when the results, in addition to being well known, are also so stinky; the head of a tokyo based group specializing in this field gave this observation…

“It’s easy, and everyone can do it,”

finally a family friendly way to introduce the children to the wonders of science through empirical observation of molecule creation. think of how little taro’s eyes will light up when you tell him you’re going to show him how to create a smell like a bad fart in an enclosed space. that rebellious and angsty girl airi will finally find something she could do when she is alone. your spouse could learn a good prank to pull next time you forget your anniversary. why not just surprise everybody and do it yourself? it just takes one’s breath away when considering all the people that could benefit from testing this home school biochemical reaction.

just remember for the sake of your neighbors, please put up a notice like the one listed in the article. it is always good to let the people living around you know that might not want to partake in your pursuit of knowledge that they may need to keep a wide berth. sort of like a mythbuster’s “science content” warning.

Here is the Open Thread for this week.

Readers are invited to discuss things that have been on their minds, regardless of whether they are on topic.

If you are dying to say something that normally would be deleted under comment rules, here is your chance. Rules are very loose for open thread posts, and usual restrictions concerning topic matter do not apply.

Feel free to sound off about anything you want.

Remember the story of the U.S. Marine in Okinawa who was accused of raping a 14-year old girl that we reported on here, here, and here?

The Marine claimed he merely forced a kiss on the girl and charges were later dismissed by Japanese authorities when the girl dropped charges against him.

Though it looked like that would be that, the U.S. military apparently has decided, pressed charges or no, the Marine’s actions were serious infractions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and must be punished.

U.S. military charges against Staff Sgt. Tyrone L. Hadnott include rape of a child under 16, abusive sexual conduct, making a false official statement, adultery and “kidnapping through inveigling,” or trickery.

No date was set for the court-martial. The charges were made Monday, but the military did not announce them until Friday.

Big thanks to RTN for sending this in.

And to prove this is not a PhotoShop job. . .

Thanks to Matthew.

One thing that Japanese politicians are always hoping to avoid, but are always causing, is ‘confusion’. And with Golden Week and the end of April approaching, Japanese motorists are getting reading for some ‘major confusion’.

Except of course, there is no confusion in the literal sense. It’s an absolute certainty that petrol prices are going to go up. And by more than a little.

The government are working to reinstate the so-called temporary petrol tax that ‘ran out’ at the end of March, leading to a drop in pump prices of ¥20-25. If they succeed, it’s likely to be slapped back on at the beginning of May. The beginning of May also coincides with Golden Week, when Japan goes on holiday en masse, and traditionally gets shafted by a pre-Golden Week price hike at petrol stations anyway.

When the ¥25 tax was removed at the beginning of April, prices round here fell, at the very most, by ¥20, and consumers waited for 3-5 days to see the benefit, as retailers waited to ‘finish stocks of petrol bought at the higher, taxed price’. Even so, there were grumbles from petrol retailers about projected losses.

With the start of Golden Week, the Japanese consumer can expect to get a three-way shafting - the now traditional ¥4-5 Golden Week hike, the continuing rise of global crude prices, and the reinstatement of the tax. And when the tax comes back, will it be (as cynics like me suspect) at a full ¥25 even at stations that only reduced prices by ¥20 or less? There’s potential for the added confusion of when retailers choose to readjust the tax/price - selling petrol that they bought at the lower price, will they maintain the lower price while they still have stock (just as they maintained the higher prices until they’d sold all their higher priced stock a month ago), or will that tax go back on the second it can?

Assorted media are mentioning prices of ¥160 or higher. For comparison, my nearest petrol station is currently selling at ¥122, so we’re talking about a rise of over 30%.

Will all this be enough to enrage the traditionally docile Japanese consumer? The pre-Golden Week price hike is the most interesting part of the equation. Just as everyone prepares get in their cars and go off on holiday, the petrol prices are raised. Every year, like clockwork, the captive audience gets shafted. And does little more than quietly grumble, and acquiesce and pay up. After all, what’s the alternative - vote for change, or something equally mad?

I recently attended Sakagura’s annual Hanami Sake Tasting. Sakagura is a (perhaps the) sake bar in New York, located in the basement of a building on the East Side in a neighborhood populated with small, authentic Japanese eateries.

I liked the sugidama hanging in the entry, all green, signaling fresh sakes!