Japan's Recession & More Nonsense Reporting

I am astounded that the media can actually report such nonsense as what I have just seen. The headlines read: Japan Falls Back Into Recession After Quake. Are you kidding me? Japan has been in a recession for two decades. What kind of rubbish reporting is this? 


Yahoo reports:

Japan's economy plunged back into recession in January-March, contracting sharply on the impact of the nation's biggest recorded earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear crisis, data showed Thursday. The economy shrank by a much worse-than-expected 3.7 percent year on year, marking the second consecutive quarter of contraction, which economists define as a technical recession. In the aftermath of the disasters, output saw its biggest ever fall and spending plunged while consumer and business confidence took a tumble.

Consumers have held off spending on non-essentials such as entertainment and travel.

Well, of course they did, Einstein. The mayor of Tokyo told us that we weren't to celebrate the cherry blossom season with the traditional festivities, the biggest festival in Japan, Sanjya Matsuri was cancelled, our electricity was cut in many places, and we couldn't even buy water - we still can't - in many areas.

And these Keynesian clowns think this is falling "back" into recession? They must be joking. We've been in a recession for over twenty years.

Sakurashinmachi Nebuta Festival is Sept. 11, 2010

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

My favorite of the smaller local festivals is happening next Saturday and you are all invited. It's the Sakurashinmachi Nebuta Festival (Matsuri) and it starts next Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010. Of course, the biggest, and most famous of the Nebuta Matsuri's is in Aomori, but I already get enough of festivals that have 3 million people attending them when I go to the Asakusa Sanja Festival every year. That place is a packed zoo!


日本語文は下をよんでください！

Photo from Aomori Nebuta Matsuri - the most famous Nebuta Matsuri in Japan

The Nebuta Matsuri is just right for us; it is comfortable, safe for kids, and not packed wall to wall with revelers from far away. Most of the people who come to Sakurashinmachi Nebuta Matsuri come from close by.

Entertainers at Sakurashinmachi Nebuta Matsuri

The event starts at 4 pm with the big festivities and the Nebuta float starting at 7 pm.  Nebuta refers to a float of warriors that is taken down the main street. Wikipedia describes it as:

"Nebuta" refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure which is carried through the center of the city, while dancers wearing a unique type of costume called haneto (ハネト) prance around in time with the chant Rasserā (ラッセラー). In the local dialect, participation in the festival is inquired using the adjective haneru (ハネル, ex. "今日もハネル?" or "Are you going tohaneru today?"), which was derived from the Japanese spelling of thehaneto costume and the adjective haneru (跳ねる, "bounce").


Of course the Sakurashinmachi Nebuta matsuri has tons of food, drinks, and entertainment. Be there for a truly fun and memorable family time.

I love this kind of food!

To get to Sakurashinmachi: Take the Den-en-Toshi local subway line from Shibuya station towards Chuorinkan. 4 stops to Sakurashinmachi. When you get to the station, go outside, you can't miss the festival.


Start time: Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 at 4 pm. Entrance free! 

9月11日（土） 16:00～21:00 に桜新町のねぶた祭りがおこなわれます。

詳しく： http://www.sakurashinmachi.net/

For more information see the website: http://www.sakurashinmachi.net/



The Sakurashinmachi Nebuta Matsuri! Hope to see you there!

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Keywords: Sakurashinmachi Nebuta Matsuri, Matsuri, nebuta

A Time Lapse Journey Through Japan by Brad Bremer

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Good Sunday morning! It's now 6:15 am on Sunday in Tokyo. It's a beautiful day and the morning brings the winds of early autumn to my window. I hope this day brings you bliss and some of your dreams, however great or small, closer to you.

For your Sunday pleasure, once again, I'd like to show you a wonderful time-lapse video I've found of Japan. This is beautiful.

It is by Brad Kremer. Enjoy

http://vimeo.com/12112529


Hayaku: A Time Lapse Journey Through Japan from Brad Kremer on Vimeo.


Brad Kremer writes: 


Japan is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. This is my Japan. This is one of the many reasons why I love Japan. I shot this in many locations around Japan in the summer of 2009. Some of the location include Tokyo, Matsuyama, Imabari, Nagano, Gifu, and Ishizushisan.

I started this as a personal project to try and capture the beauty that I see in Japan. It started as just that...

But now that I have finished, I see it only as a beginning. This video, along with SAIJO MATSURI is just the start of a much larger project that I have now decided to do.



Saijo Matsuri 2009 西条祭り from Brad Kremer on Vimeo.
Saijo Matsuri link.

Anyone interested in helping fund/produce these dreams of Brad Kremer's please feel free to contact him and tell him Mike in Tokyo Rogers sent you:
brad@bradkremerfilms.com


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Keywords: Mike Rogers, Marketing Japan, Tokyo, Time-lapse, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Matsuri