Catchy names for Japan’s many political parties

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This weekend Japanese voters will be choosing members of Japan’s Upper House. A dozen parties are on the ballot, and some of the newer ones have come up with some unusual names to try to appeal to apathetic voters. Akiko Fujita has more from Tokyo.

Japanese craft ritual for divorce

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Two out of six Japanese marriages end in divorce. That’s not bad, when you consider the rate on U.S. divorces. Still the numbers are surprising in a country that once considered divorce taboo. Now, one Japanese man has come up with an elaborate ceremony to help divorcing couples mark that ending. Akiko Fujita took part in a divorce ceremony and sent this report from Tokyo. (Photo: Akiko Fujita) Download MP3

Geo Quiz

For today’s Geo Quiz, we’re ending the affair.The United States generally leads the rest of the world when it comes to divorce. It’s estimated that as many as 40 percent of US marriages end in divorce. By comparison, divorce in India is considered rare. But we’re looking for two countries where divorce is just plain illiegal. One is a Pacific Island nation where marriage is for life. Another country that bans divorce is a small and mostly Roman Catholic nation in Southern Europe.

Japanese soccer fans rooting for North Korea

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North Korea will begin its World Cup campaign against soccer superpower Brazil. Some of the Stalinist state’s most ardent fans have gone to South Africa to root for their team. But they’re not from North Korea – they’re from Japan. Akiko Fujito tells us what’s going on. Download MP3

• Jason Margolis on soccer fever in Liberia
• World Cup 2010 on The World
• The language of soccer

US and Japan close to ending dispute over military base

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A dispute between the US and Japan over a controversial military base may soon be resolved. It’s a US air base on Okinawa, Japan’s southern island. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the issue during her visit to Japan today. Akiko Fujita reports from Tokyo.

Famous Kabuki theater to close

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A famous Japanese Kabuki theater is closing its doors at the end of the month. The Kabuki-za’s foundation has withstood the bombings of World War II and serious earthquakes. But the theater’s owner now says its too outdated to remain open. For today’s Geo Quiz we want you to name the district in Tokyo where the Kabuki-za is located…and Akiko Fujita has the story of the theater. Download MP3(photo Akiko Fujita)

• Kabuki-za Theater
• Follow Akiko Fujita on twitter
• Geo Quiz archive

Fish rock

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Sushi may be synonymous with Japan but the Japanese seem to be losing their appetite for fish. A government study shows the average consumption of seafood in the country has dropped below meat. That’s forced Japan’s fishing industry to take unusual measures to get people to eat their products: it fights back with rock music! Akiko Fujita checked out the sound. Download MP3

• Detour Japan article on “fish rockers”
• Follow Akiko Fujita on twitter
• Global Hit on Facebook

What the Toyota recall means to Japan

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Toyota hasn’t stopped selling cars in Japan but the company’s problems in the US and now Europe have made headlines back home. Toyota’s global success is a source of national pride in Japan. In today’s show Akiko Fujita will tells us how the Toyota recall has been playing out in Japan. Download MP3 (AP Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi)

• BBC coverage
• Toyota press statement
• On The World: Toyota in trouble (Jan 27)

Japan’s “foreigners”

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Japan’s parliament is considering letting “permanent foreign residents” vote in local elections. That basically means people of Korean descent, some of whom were born in Japan and have lived there their whole lives. It’s a politically sensitive issue and, as Akiko Fujita reports, the bill has sparked a fierce public debate. Download MP3

• Koreans in Japan

Guam awaits the Marines

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The population of Guam is expected to increase by 50 % in the next four years. That’s because the U.S. military plans to redeploy thousands of Marines and their families from the Japanese island of Okinawa. The move could bring an economic boom to the Pacific island but it threatens to strain Guam’s infrastructure as Akiko Fujita reports. Download MP3 (Photo: Johan Burati)

• BBC profile of Guam

“Lucky Bags” in Japan

New Year’s Day is the most revered holiday in Japan. The Japanese actually celebrate it over a 4 day period. Many start the year by waking up to the first sunrise, they go to a shrine to make a new year wish. It’s a quiet holiday – unless you’re out shopping. Every year, people line up to buy something called a “fukubukuro” or “luck” bag. Akiko Fujita introduces us to a different kind of New Year’s tradition. Download MP3

• Wikipedia: Fukubukuro
• New Year 2010 celebrations take place around the world

Kit Kat big in Japan

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American candy lovers know the Kit Kat bar. But few would recognize the varieties sold in Japan. Such as the green tea or soy sauce Kit Kat. Or the pickled plum or mashed edamame edition. 200 kinds of Kit Kat bars have been sold in Japan over the years. Akiko Fujita checked out the candy in Tokyo. Download MP3 (Photo:Fugutabetai Shyashin)

• Japanese Kit Kat commercial
• Japanese Kit Kat flickr gallery

Japan’s first lady

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Miyuki Hatoyama, the wife of Japan’s new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, is something of a Renaissance woman: designer, former actress, cookbook author, television personality – and perhaps most controversially a self-professed space traveler who claims to have visited Venus with aliens. Akiko Fujita has the story from Tokyo. Download MP3

• BBC profile of Miyuki Hatoyama

Recreating Nagasaki in 3D

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Students at the University of Nagasaki are attempting to recreate a community that a nuclear weapon destroyed. The Urakami neighborhood in Nagasaki was ground zero for the second atomic bomb the U-S dropped on Japan in World War Two. That attack killed 39-thousand people. And it destroyed most pictures of life in Urakami before the war. The students are recreating pre-war Urakami, with the help of memories and 3D technology. Akiko Fujita has our radio story.

• View a video about the 3D reconstruction

Geo Answer: Japan’s daycare crisis

For today’s Geoquiz we were looking for a major industrialized nation where a lack of daycare options for young families has become a main topic in this year’s election. The answer is Japan. Reporter Akiko Fukita tells us why the promise of more child care centers carries such weight with voters.

Geo Quiz archive