Latest news with #Takayama
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Xenophobic column raises question over Japan publisher's human rights awareness
Japanese publisher Shinchosha released a column written by journalist Masayuki Takayama in the July 31 issue of its weekly magazine "Shukan Shincho." It was a xenophobic piece targeting individuals of foreign descent with differing opinions from his, and it raises questions about the human rights awareness of the major publishing house. Takayama named figures with foreign roots, including an author, researcher and actor, attacking them by saying, "It's your choice if you dislike Japan or the Japanese, but at least don't use Japanese names." The column's title "Soshi-kaimei 2.0" references a policy that forced people in the colonial Korean Peninsula to adopt Japanese-style names. Such rhetoric denies diversity and could lead to the exclusion of foreigners. Names are part of an individual's identity, and demanding their change is unacceptable. "What does it mean for a publisher, supposed to be a part of global literature, to propagate racism?" said writer Ushio Fukazawa, whose name was mentioned by Takayama in the column, recently at a press conference demanding an apology from Shinchosha. Fukazawa, who has roots in the Korean Peninsula, has depicted the struggles faced by Korean residents of Japan. The Japan P.E.N. Club has issued an urgent statement, saying, "We express our concern over the prevalence of exclusionist discourse." Other writers have also voiced protest. Following the press conference, Shinchosha posted an apology on its website to Fukazawa, acknowledging that the column "emotionally hurt the writer and caused significant psychological pain." It also promised to "inform (the columnist) about changes in public opinion and societal demands." However, in his latest column, Takayama did not address this issue at all. In 2018, Shinchosha published a contribution that disregarded human rights. Mio Sugita, then a Liberal Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives, claimed in the monthly magazine "Shincho 45" that sexual minority couples are "unproductive." This became a social issue, leading to the magazine's suspension. Publishers have a fundamental responsibility to contribute to a better society. Yet, Shinchosha has repeatedly allowed disregard for human rights. An in-depth examination of the underlying causes is necessary. Society is built by people from various origins and cultural backgrounds. If arguments that reject differing opinions based on one's background are accepted, it could threaten individuals' rights and lead to societal stagnation.
Time Out
06-08-2025
- Time Out
Masa Saito Innovative: Under-the-radar modern Japanese restaurant in OUE Downtown Gallery
Masa Saito Innovative quietly opened its doors three years ago at OUE Downtown. And to this day, it remains discreetly under-the-radar, serving a tight group of regular customers. The Japanese restaurant sits right opposite the now-shuttered Takayama, tucked behind an escalator – blink twice and you might miss it. Inside, an elegant L-shaped counter is the centrepiece of the space, offering diners a front-row view of the open kitchen and its oakwood fire. A private room is also available for bookings. Chef Masanao Saito brings a wealth of experience from both European and Japanese kitchens. His career began at an Italian restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, before he headed south to work in Okinawa, and later in Sweden, where he was head chef at the Japanese Embassy. Next came stints at Stockholm's Michelin-starred establishments Rutabaga and Matbaren, before Chef Masanao landed in Singapore in 2014. He opened Masa Saito Innovative in late 2022. Seasonality is a top priority at any good Japanese restaurant, and Masa Saito is no exception. The menu changes quarterly to reflect the freshest ingredients of the season, with subtle tweaks made along the way. Choose from three menus – the restaurant's five-course menu (usually priced at $150) is going at a special rate of $128 throughout August, in celebration of the restaurant's third anniversary. You can also top up for the six-course menu ($180), which includes an additional dish of carabinero prawns. For the full experience, opt for the $250 signature menu, where two courses are grilled over the oakwood fire. For most diners, the five-course option should be more than enough to satisfy. Chef Masanao starts us off with sake from his hometown of Saitama – the Sara Asasuzumi Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu ($150 per bottle). Light, sweet and aromatic, it's a lovely prelude to the tomato gelato appetiser, peppered with edible flowers from Singapore. The wagyu sirloin brioche that follows is an unctuous one-biter featuring buttery brioche crowned with thinly-sliced wagyu, kalix lojrom (Swedish vendace fish roe Chef discovered during his time in Stockholm), shiso flowers and fine strips of nori that are surprisingly full of flavour. Then there's the ever-popular uni pasta. Chef Masanao plates up a generous portion of cold capellini with perfectly al dente strands topped with creamy Hokkaido uni and sweet, briny pops of ikura. Shio konbu and threads of ooba (shiso leaf) lend depth to the dish while fresh chives add a subtle hint of pungency. Those on the six-course menu are treated to an extra dish of grilled Spanish carabinero prawns with green peppers – small but delightfully robust and served alongside tomato purée. Pair this with a glass of Senkin Retro Ichishiki from Tochigi prefecture ($150 per bottle), a fuller-bodied and umami-rich sake that leans more traditional. For mains, diners get a choice between Iberico pork with Japanese red eggplants or a comforting bowl of seasonal Japanese fish with boiled turnips, asari clams and green yuzu. We recommend going with the fish, which varies by the day, think Japanese snapper or amadai (tilefish), depending on market availability. And despite being stuffed, we have no issues polishing off our dessert – a gorgeous white chocolate gelato with mango pannacotta, chocolate cake chunks, and chewy dried mango shreds for an added bite. Find out more about Masa Saito Innovative here. Masa Saito Innovative is open from Monday to Saturday from noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 11pm at 6A Shenton Way, Downtown Gallery, #01-04, Singapore 068815.
07-07-2025
- General
Woman Recounts Deadly U.S. Airstrikes of Chiba 80 Years Ago
Chiba, July 7 (Jiji Press)--An 87-year-old woman from the city of Chiba, east of Tokyo, looked back at two rounds of deadly U.S. airstrikes that took the lives of over 1,200 people in the city in the late stages of the Pacific War, part of World War II, 80 years ago, saying that war kills people and hearts. "If the attacks had hit slightly different places, I wouldn't be here," Fumiko Takayama, a former school teacher, said. The airstrikes burned down about 60 pct of the city's urban areas. The first bombing came on the morning of June 10, 1945. A warning siren went off after she finished her late breakfast that Sunday. Soon after she started preparations to evacuate to a shelter, the siren changed into an air raid alert. Just as she was about to put on her shoes, a cloud of dust from a blast made it impossible to see anything. Takayama dropped to the ground, covering her eyes, nose and ears with her hands, as she had been taught at school. Her family hid in a closet and was safe. A few days later, Takayama noticed that part of her emergency hood had been burnt off. "I would have been dead if I hadn't got down," she says. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
NHK
01-07-2025
- Business
- NHK
Tokyo commuters, inbound tourists drive land price gains
Demand from inbound tourists and Tokyo commuters drove the five biggest year-on-year land-price increases in Japan. The ski resort village of Hakuba in Nagano Prefecture posted a 32.4 percent annual increase as of January 1, the fastest gain nationwide. Prices in Furano City, Hokkaido, jumped 30.2 percent, the second steepest leap. The average for the Asakusa district of Tokyo's Taito Ward rose 29 percent, while the city of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, climbed 28.3 percent. Both are popular among tourists. The Senju area in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, came in fifth place with an annual growth of 26 percent. The area has a railway station that provides access to central Tokyo.
The Mainichi
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
'Hate war, not people': Cornerstone of Peace monument in Okinawa marks 30th anniversary
NAHA -- This Okinawa Memorial Day, June 23, marks the 30th anniversary since the "Cornerstone of Peace" monument was erected in the city of Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, with the names of more than 240,000 war dead, both Japanese and Americans, inscribed on it. On June 23, the prefecture observed the day of remembrance for the victims of the Battle of Okinawa during the final stages of World War II. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the ground battles waged in 1945 between Japanese and American forces, which claimed the lives of approximately 200,000 people, including residents. The Cornerstone of Peace commemorates the names of all war dead regardless of nationality or affiliation. Choko Takayama, 90, a Naha resident who was involved in the monument's creation in 1995 as a senior prefectural official, reflected, "In just three months, the lives of these many people were lost. This monument is a testament to their existence." The Battle of Okinawa intensified after U.S. forces landed on the central part of Okinawa's main island on April 1, 1945, continuing combat until the organized resistance of the Japanese forces ended in late June. Takayama, who was 10 years old at the time, lived in the town of Motobu in the northern part of the island. The advancing U.S. forces unleashed heavy attacks on the north. As his family fled after Japanese military units, they witnessed the grim sights of fallen people and military horses. "It was tragic and cruel," he recalled. While taking shelter from the rain under a house's eaves, Takayama saw two men carry away a boy soldier, who was severely injured and groaning. The boy pleaded, "Please don't throw me away." His voice still lingers in Takayama's memory. The late Okinawa Gov. Masahide Ota proceeded with the erection of the Cornerstone of Peace as part of a project commemorating 50 years since the war's end. He had also experienced the battlefield as a student mobilized in the "Blood and Iron Student Corps." The monument was designed to inscribe the names of all victims, regardless of nationality or whether they were military or civilian. Takayama explained, "Okinawa has a peace philosophy established over the course of its long history: Hate war, not people. This is what Mr. Ota called 'the heart of Okinawa.'" Ota passed away in 2017 at the age of 92. The project to establish the monument began in earnest in 1992. Officials conducted surveys to identify all the war dead to be inscribed, with cooperation from municipalities in the prefecture and Battle of Okinawa survivors. To include the names of deceased American soldiers, Gov. Ota and Takayama, then the head of the governor's office, visited the U.S. Department of Defense to request a list of names. Coordination and verification continued until just before the completion of the monument. On the unveiling day, June 23, 1995, many prefectural residents and others gathered at the monument, shedding tears upon seeing the inscribed names and tracing them. There are still many people whose locations of death during the Battle of Okinawa are unknown as their remains have never been found. Takayama contemplated, "The wandering souls of the victims may have found their way back here upon seeing their names on the Cornerstone of Peace." Thirty years since its installation, the monument added the names of 342 newly identified victims, including those from the United States, bringing the total inscriptions to 242,567. Some names remain unknown, marked as "Child of XX" or "Eldest son of XX." Takayama asserted, "The Cornerstone of Peace vividly tells the story of how tragic and brutal the Battle of Okinawa was." Conflicts are continuing to erupt worldwide. On the morning of June 23 this year, many people were seen visiting the Cornerstone of Peace to mourn family members and others lost to the war. Takayama noted, "I hope more people will know about this place as a symbol of peace with the aim of achieving a society without war."
