Latest news with #Ainu
Asahi Shimbun
19 hours ago
- Climate
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Latest tsunami warning yet another reason to be prepared
A whirlpool pattern is visible on the surface of the water off the coast of Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, on July 30. (Tatsuya Shimada) According to a legend of the Ainu people of Hokkaido, there was an old woman with a gift of divination who lived by the Koitoi Swamp near the sea. One evening, she dashed around the neighborhood and shouted, her hair flying: 'There's a tsunami coming.' Nobody paid any attention at first. But when her yelling grew louder and more urgent, everybody started fleeing to the hills. Before long, the sea level surged. And in no time, huge waves came crashing. All the people were safe and everyone rejoiced. But when they looked for the old woman, she was nowhere to be found. Later, they noticed a massive rock standing in a deep valley. Convinced that this had to be the old woman, they worshipped it as 'Kamui Iwa' (God's rock). This tale is included in 'Zoku Sato Naotaro Kyodo Kenkyu Ronbun-shu' (literally, 'Collection of hometown research papers by Naotaro Sato, Part 2'). From well before written records came into existence, the Ainu people must have repeatedly faced the terrifying power of nature. A long undersea trench, running from Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to the sea areas off Hokkaido, has triggered many earthquakes and tsunami. The temblor that struck on July 30 must have been one of these. Tsunami alerts, which are shown in red on maps, were issued along much of Japan's Pacific coast. I flashed back momentarily to the scenes of towns being swallowed up in a muddy deluge on March 11, 2011. I am sure my experience was shared by many people. Despite the brutal heat, they readily complied with safety instructions and hurried to higher ground. It was truly a blessing that there was no major damage. But whatever prediction may be made by any 'seer,' there is no question that a tsunami will come again someday. According to estimates of anticipated megaquakes, tsunami may reach around 30 meters high. What should we do then? Where do we flee? We need to review our plans once again. —The Asahi Shimbun, July 31 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
The Mainichi News Quiz Answer for July 29
Mio Sugita, a former House of Representatives member and LDP candidate, failed to win a seat in her first attempt to enter the House of Councillors in the July 20 election. Her campaign was overshadowed by widespread criticism of her repeated discriminatory remarks about South Koreans and Japan's indigenous Ainu people, which were officially recognized as human rights violations.
Observer
21-07-2025
- Observer
Japan tourism launches campaign for GCC travelers
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has launched a new integrated media campaign in the GCC, aimed at encouraging future repeat travel to Japan by showcasing destinations beyond popular cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. This initiative focuses on promoting visits to new areas of Japan that are still less well known in the GCC countries, contributing to the diversification of travel experiences. As interest in Japan continues to grow throughout the GCC, JNTO's efforts come at a time of record-breaking visitor numbers. In 2024, the number of visitors to Japan from the six GCC countries reached an all-time high of 44,661—marking a 34.5% increase from the previous year. In the first half of 2025, arrivals have continued at an even stronger pace, with a 20.2% increase compared to the same period in 2024—further underlining Japan's rising popularity in the Middle East. While first-time visitors to Japan typically explore Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, this campaign encourages seasoned travelers to explore new regions such as Hokkaido, offering cool summer weather, dynamic outdoor experiences, and high-quality accommodations ideal for luxury travelers. The island's natural bounty also brings exceptional culinary experiences, with locally sourced seafood, dairy, and produce. Additionally, Hokkaido provides an opportunity to learn about the unique traditions of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan. Kobayashi Daisuke, Executive Director of JNTO Dubai Office, said, "With the continued growth in visitor numbers, we believe it is time to move our promotional efforts in the GCC market to the next phase. Hokkaido is the perfect summer destination for travelers from this region—its cool weather, rich natural beauty, fresh gourmet cuisine, and luxurious accommodations make it an ideal escape from the heat."
The Mainichi
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
LDP's Mio Sugita loses upper house seat after backlash over discriminatory remarks
TOKYO -- Former House of Representatives member Mio Sugita failed to secure a seat in the July 20 House of Councillors election after facing increasing criticism over her repeated discriminatory remarks. The 58-year-old ran for the first time in the upper house proportional representation race, where 50 seats were up for grabs, as a candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Despite campaigning on issues such as strengthening the national security policy, preserving traditional Japanese values and amending the Constitution, questions were raised about her qualifications as a lawmaker. Sugita had previously been elected three times in the lower house proportional representation bloc. However, she was suspended from party positions for six months in April 2024 due to her involvement in a slush fund scandal within LDP factions. She later withdrew her candidacy for the lower house election in October that year. Sugita has been the subject of controversy for discriminatory online posts about South Korean residents in Japan and the indigenous Ainu people. At the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held in Switzerland in 2016, she took photos of participating South Korean and Ainu women without their permission and posted the images on her blog with comments including "old women cosplaying in ethnic costumes" and "frankly speaking, they're shabby." In 2023, the Osaka and Sapporo legal affairs bureaus recognized her statements as human rights violations. As a result, her endorsement by the LDP in the latest upper house election sparked protests from civil society groups. LDP President and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in March 2025 that he felt "a strong sense of discomfort" about Sugita's past discriminatory remarks. However, he suggested there was no problem with her endorsement, saying, "It's ultimately my call."
The Mainichi
13-07-2025
- Science
- The Mainichi
Why are overseas indigenous remains kept at Japanese universities?
The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the remains of overseas indigenous people kept by Japanese institutions like universities. Question: Institutions in Japan have recently returned the remains of overseas indigenous peoples, right? Answer: Yes, in June, the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University and Tokyo's National Museum of Nature and Science returned a total of 10 sets of remains of Australian indigenous peoples, which they had held for about a century, to the indigenous group. The University of Tokyo also returned 10 sets of remains to a native Hawaiian group in November last year. Q: Why were overseas indigenous remains held at Japanese universities? A: Since the Meiji era (1868-1912), remains were sent to Japan through Japanese doctors, military personnel and migrants who went overseas. These remains were stored at universities and other institutions mainly under the pretext of anthropological research. In a letter to Yoshikiyo Koganei, an anthropologist and professor at Tokyo Imperial University Medical School (now the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Medicine), an individual who sent remains wrote, "It's not easy to work under the cover of night," suggesting that many bones were taken without the consent of indigenous peoples. Q: Why do they study bones in the first place? A: Anthropology, which began in Europe in the latter half of the 19th century, aimed to explore differences among races and ethnicities within humankind. For instance, researchers attempted to determine intellectual superiority by examining differences in the size and shape of skulls. Q: Why have they decided to return the remains now? A: Returning remains is a global trend as part of efforts to restore the rights of indigenous peoples, who have been persecuted since the colonial era. In Australia, rules were established in the 1980s to return remains held by domestic museums to indigenous peoples. The recent return was prompted by an international conference in Kyoto in 2016, which revealed that Australian indigenous remains were stored at the University of Tokyo, leading the Australian government to file a request with its Japanese counterpart for their return. Japanese universities also hold remains collected from other countries, as well as those of Japan's indigenous Ainu and Ryukyu peoples. There is potential for the movement to return remains to expand further.
