Japan 7 days

SELLING JAPANESE ANIME TO THE GLOBAL MARKET This week's Tokyo International Anime Fair offers overseas buyers an opportunity to choose from among a vast array of Japanese anime to purchase for use in their home markets. The producers of the films, of course, are just as eager to connect with customers from abroad. A declining birthrate and slow economy have dampened domestic sales. Japanese producers also are working to stay a step ahead of filmmakers from around the world who hope to compete with anime of their own. In this climate, JETRO--the government-affiliated Japan External Trade Organization--is offering assistance to Japanese companies in finding potential business partners from the US, Europe, and China. Other news: - North Korea announces satellite launch plans; - Japan considers deploying Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile in�Okinawa; - Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide to travel to International Space Station in July on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

The popularity of Japanese cuisine has been growing around the world, in part because it's low in calories. In Japan itself, however, traditional food is losing favor. Young people, in particular, have become accustomed to a Westernized lifestyle. Many of them lack a familiarity with their own country's dishes. Some lack even the most rudimentary knowledge, such as how to make soup broth. A restaurant recognized by Michelin three years in a row has started cooking classes to reacquaint Japanese people with their own cuisine.

Japan's movie industry has earned a reputation for special effects over the years. Godzilla and Gamera, for example, loomed large over the cinematic landscape because they were filmed next to precision miniatures of cities, mountains, and oceans. Nowadays, however, directors often opt for computer graphics. To make sure the long-established approach is not forgotten, a special effects exhibition is giving the public another look at what's possible. Toshio Miike has been involved with movie magic for 40 years. He says he hopes the show will expose visitors to the breadth and depth of what Japanese filmmakers have accomplished in making movies special.

Kyoto's Gion Festival is not only one of the oldest public events in Japan; its 1,100 years make it one of the most enduring in the world. The climax of the month-long summer festival is the Yamahoko procession with 32 floats parading through the streets. This time, 24 volunteers from other countries joined the crew responsible for the Funeboko float. The leader of the international group has become a veteran. Shaheed Rupani, from Canada, has participated 11 times, and with each year the bonds strengthen with the community. The number of young people from the area willing to pull the float has been decreasing, So, Rupani is helping create a new chapter in the Gion Festival's long history.

THE ARTISTRY OF JAPANESE ENGINEERING High-tech and manga may not usually come up in the same sentence, but the illustrated novels of Japan have played a role in the advancement of science. In particular, some robot creators say they started out wanting to make another "Astro Boy", an early manga and anime hero. As the scientists grew up, their fantasies matured as well. Now, a number of them are trying to convert the come-to-the-aid images of the comic books into real ways of helping actual people. Other News ��Government panel releases final report on Fukushima nuclear plant�catastrophe; ��Osprey transport aircraft arrives at US base in Iwakuni.

Discarded material such as weeds and paper scraps may have a role to play in decontaminating radiation-contaminated areas of Japan. An experiment is being conducted in the village of Iitate to see whether bioethanol, produced from those materials, can be effective. Working with Gifu University, a company by the name of "Contig-i" has succeeded in producing bioethanol from disused articles at half the usual cost. They developed an enzyme that can turn out several times the conventional quantity of ethanol, making large-scale plants unnecessary. Developing countries are looking to the technology as a source of raw material for fuel cells. Other news: - North Korea launches missile. - Active fault suspected at Tsuruga nuclear power plant. - Shinya Yamanaka receives Nobel Prize at ceremony.

Japanese voters gave the Liberal Democratic Party and its partner, the New Komeito party, more than two-thirds of seats in the Lower House election. The supermajority will allow them to override bills that are rejected by the Upper House. As a result, the new administration will be able to have its way in enacting laws it expects to end deflation. Other matters will also demand its attention, including foreign affairs and national security. The LDP has said where it wants to go. It now will have to show that its policies will get there. Guest: University of Tokyo Professor Kiichi Fujiwara Other news: BOJ holds first policy meeting after general election. New Tokyo Governor takes office. Experts think northern Japan nuclear plant may be on active faults.