Latest news with #Saya
SoraNews24
a day ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Visiting Shohei Ohtani's official manhole lid in his hometown and more
Always judge a manhole by its cover. As we reported earlier, Major League Baseball Japan decided to honor the current crop of top Japanese talent in the MLB in the most Japanese way possible: decorative utility hole covers! A total of 12 currently active players were immortalized in brightly colored discs of cast iron and installed at various locations across the country, usually the player's hometown or other city of significance to their lives or careers. Interestingly, a quarter of these lids can be found in Iwate Prefecture, home of MLB's biggest Japanese stars, Yusei Kikuchi, Roki Sasaki, and Showtime himself, Shohei Ohtani. Of course, all of them are huge talents, but our writer Saya Togashi decided to head out to the singular superstar Ohtani's first while it was still in a pristine, unweathered condition. Iwate is a relatively rural prefecture in the Tohoku region, but it was still just as blazing hot as Tokyo on that day. Ohtani's hometown is Oshu City, a fairly modest city of just over 100,000 people. The two-way player's manhole was treated with a great deal of respect here and the city even set up a free parking area nearby solely for people who came to see the lid. It was installed just outside Mizusawa-Esashi Station, a major station where the Shinkansen even makes a stop and not to be confused with nearby Mizusawa Station and its total lack of commemorative manhole covers. Saya arrived a little before evening and there was a crowd of people around the manhole. Since it was just a utility cover, no one was there to manage the crowd, but everyone took it upon themselves to line up in an orderly fashion anyway, taking turns to appreciate and photograph the lid. Everyone was even careful not to cast any shadows on the lid that would ruin others' photos. They were also respectful enough to not take too much time with the cover so it only took about five minutes for Saya to reach the front of the line. She gazed in awe at the Ohtani manhole. Each of the 12 lids was designed by a different artist, and this one was illustrated by Kirika Kosuzu, whose brightly colored works often fuse elements of American animation and retro Japanese styles. Those styles can be seen in the drawing of Ohtani's faces where he's both hitting and pitching as various boxes highlighting his virtues such as 'control,' 'pitching variety,' '160-kilometer-per-hour throws,' and even 'luck' fly out at us. Like all of the 12 manholes, there is a small plaque with a QR code beside it. By scanning it with your smartphone, you can unlock a short AR 'Hero's Journey' video that follows the player's rise to Major League Baseball. Saya tried to access it, but after scanning the code she had to give her browser all kinds of permissions and then scan the manhole for the AR to start. Meanwhile, every second began to feel like an hour and she could sense growing impatience of everyone in line behind her, so she gave up and walked away. She thought it would have been nice if the video could work in a way that you didn't have to be near the manhole and blocking other people's appreciation of it to watch, but otherwise, the whole experience was very nice. Our writer spent the night in Iwate and the next day decided to head over to Yusei Kikuchi's lid in Morioka City. As the capital of Iwate Prefecture, Morioka was a little more of a bustling place, and this lid was installed on the sidewalk just outside Tonan Library. There were people coming and going to see this cover as well, but not enough to make an impromptu line for it. The reason for this location became apparent once she saw the lid itself. Illustrated by Morioka-born artist Mori Masaru, it shows Kikuchi standing on an open book while pitching as he's surrounded by flames and wild plants of the area. It's titled A Bookworm who Throws . This in reference to his love of books beyond that of most professional baseball players and the fact that he often visited Tonan Library growing up. The library itself even has a dedicated Yusei Kikuchi section and fans can enjoy wandering down the very same aisles that he did. Saya really liked the way this manhole cover perfectly tied in Kikuchi to his hometown and could feel her interest in both grow. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to visit the third utility hole cover in Iwate Prefecture in honor of Roki Sasaki. It's in the coastal city of Rikuzentakata which was farther out from the main lines of transportation and harder to get to. But it's good that these lids are all so spread out across the country so many different people can get a chance to see at least one for themselves and others can find new travel destinations. Images: PR Times, Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Yoroku: Putting in two cents on nuclear weapons suggestions after Japan election
"May I put in my two cents?" A social media post that opens like this, responding to a controversial suggestion Japan should go nuclear has garnered attention. The post was made by Kazufumi Onishi, mayor of the city of Kumamoto in southwest Japan. Onishi tweeted on July 21, the day after the House of Councillors election, "An era has been ushered in where someone claiming 'Japan should arm itself with nuclear weapons' has been elected to the Diet. But let me clearly say this: Japan cannot possess nuclear arms either in legal, practical or humanitarian terms." He also explained the basis for his arguments. Saya, who won in the upper house poll as a newcomer backed by the minor opposition party Sanseito, spoke on Japan's security policy during the campaign period, arguing, "Nuclear armament is one of the most inexpensive and effective measures to strengthen security." Mayor Onishi is inherently conservative. When U.S. President Donald Trump justified the atomic bombings of Japanese cities during World War II, Onishi called on the Japanese government to take a resolute action as the world's only country to have suffered nuclear attacks. The mayor has since continued to post his comments by responding to criticism and questions regarding his July 21 post. He explained why nuclear armament is not "inexpensive" and refuted claims that Ukraine was invaded because it renounced nuclear armament. He also touched on security initiatives for non-nuclear nations. While Saya's remarks sparked a widespread backlash and repercussions, there appears to be a tendency online and elsewhere for people's sense of insecurity about the global situation and the Japan-U.S. alliance to boost nuclear armament theories. Onishi's posts display his attempts to deepen discussions, not just shun others' opinions. He also urged, "Please do not hesitate to express your complaints and demands about (the city's) politics." Social media is prone to emotional arguments and rejection of dialogue. His posts can be regarded as challenging this reality.
The Diplomat
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Japan's Neighbors Anxiously Assess the Results of the Upper House Election
Russia, China, and South Korea are trying to predict what the rise of Japan's far right will mean for their interests. For the first time since 1955, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has lost control over both houses of parliament, known as the National Diet. In the July 20 election for the House of Councillors, the upper house, the LDP and its coalition partner won just 47 seats, three short of the number needed to maintain a majority. This followed a defeat in the lower house, the House of Representatives, in October 2024, where the LDP also lost its majority. Most notably, in the July upper house election, the far-right, anti-immigrant Sanseito won 14 seats, increasing their total seats from one to 15. The centrist Democratic Party for the People also dramatically expanded its presence; the party now holds 22 seats in the House of Councillors, more than double its previous tally. Both are populist parties that successfully capitalized on domestic dissatisfaction with the cost of living. Despite the major loss for his party, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru vowed to stay in his position – at least for the time being. But regardless of his own political fortunes, Japan's immediate neighbors largely expect Tokyo's foreign policy to stay the course in the short term. Surprisingly, Russia emerged as an issue in the election, with some Japanese news outlets accusing Moscow of interfering in the election. Sanseito came under fire after Saya, a candidate for a Tokyo constituency, was interviewed by Sputnik, a Russian state media outlet the Kremlin uses to propagate disinformation overseas. Sanseito claimed Saya (a political newcomer who uses only one name) spoke without proper authorization, though previously the party's leader, Kamiya Sohei, had suggested himself that sanctions against Russia should be relaxed. During the 2025 campaign, the Ishiba administration blamed foreign bots on social media for spreading disinformation about the foreign population in Japan, amplifying the message of far-right parties such as Sanseito. Although Russian media saw little sign of immediate change in Japan-U.S. relations or Japan's partnership with NATO after the election, some commentators expressed hope for a 'diversification' in Japanese foreign policy. The state-owned RIA Novosti celebrated the election of Suzuki Muneo, an independent candidate with strong ties to Russia. A former LDP politician, Suzuki was a figure in Japan's Russia policy until his resignation and conviction on corruption charges, after which he played the role of unofficial adviser on Russia, including to the late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Commentators in China saw the LDP loss ushering in a period of turbulence and uncertainty. China's relations with Japan have stabilized in recent months, though some of the anti-immigrant rhetoric in the upper house election took aim at Chinese citizens buying up property in Tokyo. Chinese nationals are the largest group of immigrants – 870,000 were living in Japan as of late 2024, with their numbers expected to grow to 1 million by 2025, but still making up less than 1 percent of the population. Some Chinese commentators argued that the rise of the right wing would bode ill for China. They predicted Japan's government will likely implement more provocative policies such as ramping up naval patrols in disputed waters, increasing defense cooperation with Taiwan, and restricting Chinese imports – ostensibly for supply chain security. In China, Japan scholar Meng Xiaoxu noted that Ishiba failed to attend the 2025 NATO summit held just prior to the election, but he predicted that the Japanese government's ties to NATO would further strengthen in the future and noted that the Japan-U.S. alliance remained a top priority. For South Korea's new government, the emphasis has been on continuity. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke by phone with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and agreed to continue to prioritize the stable development of bilateral relations, especially their cooperation on North Korea and trilateral diplomacy with the United States. According to Cho, 'Korea-Japan cooperation is the centerpiece of our government's practical diplomacy along with the Korea-U.S. alliance.' North Korea has not publicly issued a statement regarding Japan's recent election. The latest press statements from North Korea's authoritative news outlet, Korean Central News Agency, condemned Japan's next-generation fighters and its recently released Defense White Paper 2025. However, the KCNA also encouraged ethnic Koreans in Japan to 'devote themselves to carrying out their patriotic duties' and ensure the continued development of ethnic Koreans in Japan. The ethnic Koreans who support North Korea through the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan – referred to as Chongryon – are connected to the financial and international reach of North Korea. North Korea's close ties to the Chongryon makes it possible, though unlikely, that Pyongyang will publicly condemn Sanseito's anti-immigrant rhetoric. South Korea also has remained relatively quiet about the success of Sanseito. South Korean media has focused on the LDP's election loss and the rise of Sanseito, rather than the implications for Zainichi Koreans – ethnic Koreans residing in Japan. Koreans in Japan who identify with South Korea belong to the Korean Residents Union in Japan, known as the Mindan. Unlike North Korea, which uses the Chongryon for global outreach, South Korea is not as reliant on the Mindan. Because of that, it is unlikely that the Lee Jae-myung administration will comment on Japan's domestic affairs. Given that South Korea's foreign minister just described the Seoul-Tokyo relationship as a 'key axis' of the administration's pragmatic diplomacy strategy, there is less of a chance that South Korea will involve itself in Sanseito's anti-immigration controversies. Instead, local Japanese and ethnic Korean groups have highlighted the impacts on the Zainichi community. When Kamiya, Sanseito's leader, used a slur against ethnic Koreans in a campaign speech, the Korea NGO Center, an Osaka-based nonprofit, protested his language, demanding that he apologize. In a letter, the organization stated that Sanseito has capitalized on social anxiety to push for ethnic discrimination and the exclusion of foreigners. Additionally, in a post-election interview, Mindan President Kim Yi-joong stated he 'never imagined' that a political party like Sanseito would emerge and surpass the minimum 11 seats required in the upper chamber to submit bills. Kim said he worried about potential bills that would revoke the right to vote for first-generation naturalized Japanese citizens – those who were born as foreigners but acquired citizenship later in life, the status of many Zainichi Koreans. As Sanseito members propose legislation, it will be important to watch the groups and actors who become increasingly involved. Now that Ishiba has reached a tariff deal with the Trump administration in the United States, it remains to be seen if or when the Japanese prime minister will resign from office and who might replace him. Although Japan's neighbors emphasize the continuity they expect to see in Japanese foreign policy, they are watching the unfolding political drama in Japan with a mixture of hope and concern.
The Mainichi
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Japan antinuke groups criticize Sanseito politician's call for nuclear armament
TOKYO -- The co-chair of a Nobel Peace Prize-winning atomic bomb survivors' group on July 23 criticized a member of the Sanseito party for declaring Japan should have nuclear weapons. Three organizations, including the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), which won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, issued a joint statement marking the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings and held a press conference in Tokyo on July 23. A reporter questioned the groups about comments by Saya, who was elected in the Tokyo constituency in the July 20 House of Councillors election. The Sanseito member advocated for Japan to acquire atomic armaments, stating, "Nuclear armament is the cheapest option." Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Terumi Tanaka, 93, criticized her statement, saying, "It's shameful for Japanese politicians to discuss nuclear weapons on the premise of using them." Masakazu Yasui, 70, secretary-general of the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo), also called Saya's comment "a dangerous trend," adding, "Could she say the same thing in front of atomic bomb survivors? What happens if even one atomic bomb is used? That is what survivors have risked their lives to warn people about." Masashi Tani, 45, secretary-general of the Japan Congress against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikin), commented, "These were things that should not be said lightly. I feel a sense of crisis that the barriers to nuclear weapons are being lowered, including in the international community." Tanaka, who was exposed to atomic bomb radiation at age 13 at his home about 3.2 kilometers from the hypocenter in Nagasaki and lost five relatives, stated, "Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) have always said nuclear weapons must never be used. All politicians should eliminate any thinking that presupposes using nuclear power as a weapon." The Sanseito policy states, "To protect Japan, which is surrounded by nuclear-armed countries, and in light of the harsh realities of the international community, we set nuclear abolition as a long-term goal, but for now, to protect Japan, we must possess deterrence that prevents nuclear-armed countries from using nuclear weapons." (Japanese original by Tohru Shirakawa, Tokyo Bureau)
Tokyo Weekender
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Tokyo Weekender
A Record 42 Women Win Seats in Upper House Election
Last month, Japan ranked a disappointing 118th for the second successive year in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, with political empowerment being the country's weakest category. It was, therefore, encouraging to see a record number of 42 female candidates elected in Sunday's Upper House election. The previous high was recorded during the last House of Councillors vote in 2022, when 35 women secured seats. List of Contents: Decrease in Women Candidates in Upper House Election Four Women Elected in Tokyo Related Posts Decrease in Women Candidates in Upper House Election In total, women won 33.6% of the 125 contested seats. However, the number of female candidates dropped from 181 in 2022 to 152 this year — with 102 running from electoral districts and 50 through proportional representation. That represented 29.1% of all candidates, compared with 33.2% three years ago. The government was aiming for a 35% quota for female parliamentary candidates in 2025. Twelve female candidates from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) were elected, the highest number among all parties. That included Renho Saito, commonly known by her given name, Renho, for what was her fifth reelection. She automatically lost her Upper House seat after announcing she was running for the post of Tokyo governor last year. Incumbent Yuriko Koike won the gubernatorial election, with Renho finishing third. Four Women Elected in Tokyo Another female from the CDP to be reelected was Ayaka Shiomura, who was famously heckled in 2014 with the words 'hurry up and get married' by fellow council member Akihiro Suzuki after she asked about measures to help mothers. She was one of four women to win seven of the seats up for grabs in Tokyo. The other three were Mayu Ushida of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), Yoshiko Kira of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and Saya, representing Sanseito. 'I am really feeling the weight of each and every vote , and I feel a strong sense of responsibility,' said the singer-turned-politician Saya, who only goes by her first name. 'I believe that the real battle for Japan and for the Japanese people will now begin,' she added. Women accounted for five out of the seven seats Sanseito won in the electoral districts. It fielded 24 female candidates, compared to just 22 who ran for the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (17) and Komeito (5). Related Posts LDP-Led Coalition Lose Upper House Majority, Ishiba Vows To Continue as Prime Minister Sanseito Explained: The Alarming Rise of Japan's Far-Right Movement Why Japanese Leftists Are Using Melonpan to Mock Sanseito
