THE "JAPANIMATION" PHENOMENON
The legendary Astro Boy, Pokemon, Mazinger Z, Gundam, Sailor Moon, and Martian Successor Nadesico are just some of the names that have become familiar around the globe as Japanese cartoons, or anime, have cemented their place as the world's favorite form of animated entertainment.
(March 6, 2003)
ATTITUDES ON SCHOOL
An e-mail survey on attitudes toward education and images of the ideal school revealed few differences between the ideas of children and those of parents on such matters as the role school should play, the ideal teacher, and the ideal school.
(February 12, 2003)
AN EMERGING "THUMB CULTURE"
Mobile phones have become a major provider of entertainment on the train. These phones are extremely versatile multimedia tools that allow users to do everything from doing e-mail to playing online games, and even listening to music.
(January 10, 2003)
REIKA UTSUGI
Trends in Japan interviewed softball player Reika Utsugi, a Chinese-born naturalized Japanese citizen who helped the Japanese national team to the silver medal in the Sydney Olympics.
(December 16, 2002)
ATTITUDES ON AGING
When asked about the image of the elderly in Japan, those aged 65 and older said that the elderly are healthy, enjoy satisfying lives, and are comfortable financially.
(November 11, 2002)
ELIZABETH KIRITANI
Award-winning journalist and author Elizabeth Kiritani shared with Trends in Japan the joys of community and the beauty of traditional life in Japan.
(October 30, 2002)
CHARLES DUTOIT
Trends in Japan interviewed Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit, who serves as principal conductor and music director of the NHK Symphony Orchestra.
(October 28, 2002)
CARL "TUFFY" RHODES
Our latest interviewee is one of the most well-known and popular athletes in Japan, Carl "Tuffy" Rhodes.
(August 6, 2002)
STEPPING INTO A HIDDEN WORLD--by Gina Cogan
A researcher of Buddhism shares her unusual experience of stepping inside a convent that is closed to the public and glimpsing the reality of its inhabitants.
(April 24, 2002)
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WORLD CUP?
In an online survey, nearly half the respondents were optimistic that the Japanese team will progress past the first round of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
(April 18, 2002)
HOW DO PARENTS SEE THEIR CHILDREN'S FUTURE?
Trends in Japan wanted to discover the hopes and worries young fathers and mothers have about their children, so it conducted an online survey and found some clear trends in the attitudes of the respondents.
(April 12, 2002)
CARLOS GHOSN
Possibly Japan's most famous foreign resident, our third interviewee shared with Trends in Japan the importance of embracing differences and learning from them.
(April 5, 2002)
JAPANESE EATING HABITS
More than 80% of Japanese usually have dinner at home with their families, and more than 70% enjoy dining out at least once or twice monthly.
(April 3, 2002)
POEM PROVIDES ADVICE ABOUT IDENTITY--by Janine Beichman
Trends in Japan is featuring foreign residents of Japan. This month we are pleased to carry an essay written especially for Trends in Japan by author and translator Janine Beichman.
(March 20, 2002)
CHUNG MYUNG-WHUN
The Korean-born maestro gave Trends in Japan a positive message about the power of music to unite people around the world.
(February 25, 2002)
THE BIGGEST NEWS STORIES OF THE SECOND HALF OF 2001
In an online survey by Trends in Japan, two-thirds of respondents selected the terrorist attacks in the United States as the most important news story of the second half of 2001.
(February 21, 2002)
HAIKU BLOOMS IN OTHER CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD--by Carmen Sterba
A haiku poet writes about her first encounter with haiku and her subsequent experiences with the art.
(February 15, 2002)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF "FREETERS"?
An online survey recently conducted by Trends in Japan revealed the perceptions that freeters have of themselves and that the rest of society has of them.
(February 4, 2002)
WALLS? WHAT WALLS?--by Geraldine Harcourt
A translator writes about transcending the cultural barriers often associated with Japan.
(January 9, 2002)
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' VISION OF THEIR FUTURE
Half of Japan's university students want to enter a large corporation or continue on to graduate school, and nearly 70% of them hope to get married by the age of 30.
(December 5, 2001)
BABY BOOMERS' RETIREMENT PLANS
Japan's baby boomers are now standing at a crossroads as they approach retirement in an aging society. What do they think is the ideal way to spend their retirement years? To find out, Trends in Japan conducted an opinion poll by e-mail.
(November 8, 2001)
DAVID PEACE
I have lived and worked in Japan for seven very happy and positive years that have changed my life. Why and how this came about has much to do with how my first impressions of the country were formed.
(October 31, 2001)
ONLINE SURVEY
Their summer vacations were one week or less, and most of them went somewhere away from home. This is the picture that emerged from a survey on how Japan's business people spent their summer vacations.
(October 19, 2001)
GERALD L. CURTIS
"I've never been bored in Japan," says renowned Japan-watcher Dr. Gerald L. Curtis, looking back on almost four decades of his involvement with the country. Dr. Curtis came to Japan for the first time in 1966. "Every decade since has been very different. Japan changes, it's been changing a lot over the time I've seen it, I've been involved with it. So I've never had the opportunity to really get bored."
(September 19, 2001)
ONLINE SURVEY
Just how does Japan's business community view current events? Trends In Japan conducted an online survey of 100 businesspeople (50 men and 50 women), mainly in their thirties, over a three-day period beginning July 31. Participants were asked which of 18 news stories from June to July 2001 had left the greatest impression on them.
(September 19, 2001)
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