Iran Asks Japan to Pay for Oil with Yen, Not Doller

(18/7/2007 Japan Times)

Iran wants Japan to pay for oil with yen because they are afraid of seizer of its asset by U.S.
The reason that U.S or EU suspect Iran dvelops its nuclear skills to wepon makes Japan reduced oil importing from Iran, but the amount of it ia accounyed with 11%.
Thanks to Irans offer, the rate of yen may rise, and they will begin to use it frequently .

I belive Japan should think a great deal of the relation with Mideast countries as buziness partners instead of U.S or China because of their oil , largeness of population and so on.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070715a1.html

Iwami silver mine added to World Heritage list!!

(Japan Times 2007/6/29 )

The Iwami silver mine in Shimane, used from the 16th through 20th centuries, has added to the World Heritage List. The site is the 14th World Heritage. Although UNESCO had kept to put off registering it as World Heritage last month, locals' efforts brought forward the date for the register.

Because Iwami silver mine is historical important place. Japanese should be proud of this news.

2007/6/29 http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070629a8.html
2007/5/14 http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070514a4.html

Interesting Article about Arabic!!

(2007/6/17 Japan Times)

"Time Out", it is an article of Japan Times, introduced Kouichi Honda, who is a professor of Daito Bunka University, and famous for Arabic calligraphy. Because I use the dictionary made by him, I am very interested in it. In this article, the process of his studying Arabic calligraphy and the recent his activities are shown. His calligraphy is so beautiful that I cannot explain it.


His color calligraphy is ... http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070617x1.html

Diso ￥100 - style shops start to blossom in Mideast

2007/6/9 Japan Times

Daiso, which is famous for selling all items for 100Yen, is popular in Mideast.
Although Daiso's goods are very cheep for Japanese, they are more expensive in Mideast countries. The reason why Daiso is popular in Mideast high qualities make Mideastern satisfy.
The chief Clark said they have to be care Islamic culture. For Example, interior items are not sold because Islam bans idol worships.

I think it is good for both Japan and Mideastan countries. For Japan, it is chance to spread buisiness Mideast, where is rich because of oil. And for Mideastan countries, they can get high quarity goods. (Mideastan products' quarity are much worse than that of Japanese.)


The orgin article is here. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070609a4.html

(6/8 2007 Japan Times)

Qatar Airways has the plan to fly to Tokyo directly because Osaka - Doha flight has increased since three years ago. Qatar is the one of the richest countries in the Middle East. And for Japanese, Doha is famous for "The Tragedy in Doha" or a loss in the heat of 1994 World Cup.

For the people who are interested in Arabic culture like me, it is good news to go to the Middle East countries. And we can expect that Qatar's' much "oil money" come Japan more easily before.


http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070608a2.html

Kuwait Swithces days of Weekend

Kuwait switches its weekend (05/29/2007 Japan Times)

Kuwait decided to switch its weekend to Friday- Saturday from Thurseday- Friday, starting September 1. Kuwait will follow the case of Gulf partners (the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar) in a measure desighned to bring them closer to working weeki in the West countries.

The origine article can be found not on the Internet but 05/29/2007 Japan Times (paper addition).

Japan Rated Tops For Innovation

(2007.05.17 Japan Times)

According to Economist magazine, Japan is the most innovative country in the world.
The study ranked Japan, Switzerland, the United States, and Sweden as the top four innovators.
The main reason why the study evaluate Japan as the most innovative country is that: Japan's population is 42% of that of U.S., its ratio of patents per million population is 3.5 times higher than U.S..
A resource-poor country like Japan has no way to live except innovation. Of course the foundation of the rapid growth of the Japanese economy was innovation.
The study predicts that these ranks of top four countries will not change, but China, which is catching up with Japan or other innovative countries will be higher ranked country.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070517a1.html

Kiosks and koban

Kiosks and koban (2007/5/6, Japan Times)

According to a Japan Times' editor, Kiosks and koban are two of Japan's respected institutions. They symbolize Japan's most basic values, which are "safety" and "efficiency".
But nowadays, changing of circumstances around them changes needs for them. Kiosks lose their position as "the most useful convenience stores in stations" because of increasing "Eki-Biru" or shopping mall in stations.
About kobans, too, the demands for kobans as "the way of asking how we can get to" is decreasing because of the Internet service. Thus, the number of them are decreasing.
The editor thinks that the ever - ready convenience of Kiosks and mental security of koban are the basic certainties of Japanese life.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070506a1.html

※There are 1613 Kiosks in area of Higahi Nihon (Eastern Japan) . By search in Higashi Nihon Kiosks website.
http://www.ej-kiosk.jregroup.ne.jp/cgi-bin/disp.cgi?frame=0&file=company/index.html

※There are 6362 koban in Japan. By search in Wikipedia.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/交番

Unregistered Kids To Be Provided

(April 24, 2007 Japan Times)
Unregistered kids will be provided administration service.
In Japan there is the law which regards a baby born within 300days after the mother's divorce as having been fathered by ex-husband even if the biological father is another man.
Because of this law, some couples have chosen not to register their children in the family registry and unregistere kids were made.
In oreder to help their growing up, municipal authorities have already decided this plan.