Sport Athletes. Who do Japanese like?

Ichiro

The Sasakawa Sports Foundation revealed the result of survey about "favorite sport athlete" targeted Japanese over 20 years old.
1,527 out of 2,000 respondents chose only one favorite athlete of them.

1: Ichiro (baseball)
2: Mao Asada (figure skate)
3: Ryo Ishikawa (golf)


イチローが１番人気＝スポーツ世論調査　―時事ドットコム
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2012092801012

What kind of sports do Japanese children like?

Typical court of dodge ball

Bandai asked parents who have a child between 3 to 12 years old about favorite sports of their children.
According to the parents 34.3 percents of children like football, influenced by recent success of Japanese women's football team on the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 and London Olympic Games.

What is your favorite sport?

Boys and Girls
1: Football
2: Swimming
3: Baseball
4: Gymnastics
5: Dodgeball

Boys
1: Football
2: Baseball
3: Swimming

Girls
1: Swimming
2: Football
3: Rope skipping


3-12歳の好きなスポーツは?　オリンピックが後押しか…バンダイ　―リセマム
http://resemom.jp/article/2012/09/13/9826.html

Mcdonald's Japan Hamburger General Election

McDonald's Japan revealed the result of "Hamburger General Election", collected 207,948 votes online from mobile phones between September 11th and 16th.

1 : Chicken Tatsuta
(Japanese Style Fried Chicken Sandwich)

2 : BIG Mac

3 : Teriyaki Mac Burger
(Burger with Teriyaki Sauce)

4 : Tsukimi Burger
(Fried Egg Burger)

5 : GraKoro
(Gratin Croquette Burger)

6 : Teritama
(Egg Burger with Teriyaki Sauce)

7 : Double Cheese Burger

8 :Shrimp Filet-O
(Fried Shrimp Cake Burger)

9 : Filet-O-Fish

10: Juicy Chicken Filet-O
(Chicken Filet Sandwich)


-FACTS-
Regular Sandwich Menu at McDonald's Japan
http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/menu/regular/index.html


マックがハンバーガー総選挙、“好きなバーガー”の人気No.1は？　―Narinari.com
http://www.narinari.com/Nd/20120919013.html

Population of people over 65 reached 30M

The day before Respect for the Aged Day(September 17th) Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications revealed that the Japanese population of people over 65 years old has become the record high of 30.74 million, increased by 1.02 million from last year.
On the other hand, population of the people aged between 0 to 64 decreased by 1.28 million from last year. The ratio of old people above 65 in the total Japanese population(127.53 million) also reached the record high of 24.1 percents, increased by 0.8 points from last year.
Among the people over 65, there are 13.15 males and 17.59 females. Population of people over 75 was 15.17 million and over 85 was 4.30 million.
Among the people over 65, 16.4 percents are living alone.


65歳以上の高齢者、3000万人超す　「団塊」到達で　―日本経済新聞
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFS16001_W2A910C1000000/?dg=1

Tohoku Earthquake, 2,814 people are still missing

Bodies were temporary buried in the ground kept waiting to be cremated.

National Police Agency stated the number of people died of the Great East Japan Earthquake is 15,870, and 2,814 are still missing at the point of September 12th 2012.


震災死者１万５８７０人、不明２８１４人　１２日現在　―朝日新聞デジタル
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0912/TKY201209120483.html

Suzuki reached 20M kei-car sales in Japan

New Wagon R has lithium ion buttery to generate electricity when breaking

Suzuki announced that it sold total of 20 million kei cars in Japan for the first time as an auto manufacturer.
The record was achieved in 56 years and 11 months since after it released Suzulight in 1955.

Sales of Leading Models of Suzuki

Alto - 5.19M
Carry - 4.14M
Wagon R - 3.79M
Every - 2.50M
Suzulight Fronte - 1.70M
Cervo - 0.84M
Jimny - 0.67M


スズキ、軽四輪車の国内累計販売台数2000万台を達成…スズライト発売から56年11か月　―レスポンス
http://response.jp/article/2012/09/13/181290.html

Minister of Finance committed suicide at his apartment

Tadahiro Matsushima, Minister of Finance

Japanese Minister for Financial Services, Tadahiro Matsushita found hanged by the neck in his apartment in Koto-ku, Tokyo on September 10th.
Although taken to hospital, he died at 7:33 PM. Three notes were found addressed to the Prime Minister, his wife and members of the Cabinet.


-FACTS-
In 2011, 30,651 people killed themselves in Japan.


松下金融相が自殺　首相・妻らあてに３通の遺書　―日本経済新聞
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG1004V_Q2A910C1MM8000/

Ministry of Defense establishes "Cyberspace Defense Force" in 2013

Japanese Ministry of Defense in its rough estimate of their budget of 2013 requests 21.2 billion yen($270.8M) for "Cyberspace Defense Force".
It will be specialized for fighting against the cyber attack to the Self-Defense Forces and the Ministry of Defense.
National Police Agency has earlier announced that it will establish teams at several prefectures' offices in 2013 to deal with cyber attack to government bodies and private businesses.


防衛省が「サイバー空間防衛隊」創設などに212億円を要求　―ITpro
http://itpro.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/NEWS/20120907/421482/?top_tl1

Japanese drilling ship "Chikyu" reached 2,132m under the ocean floor

Chikyu

Japanese scientific riser drilling ship, Chikyu reached the world record depth of 2,132 metre(6,995 feet) from the bottom of the ocean floor off Hachinohe, Aomori for the first time as a scientific research vessel.
It will excavate till 2,200 metre.
The ship attained the world record depth of 7,740 metre(25,394 feet) from the water surface in April this year.


-FACTS-
"Chikyu" literally means the planet Earth in Japanese.


海底下2132メートル掘削最深記録を達成　探査船「ちきゅう」　―日本経済新聞
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG06047_W2A900C1CR8000/

Number of child abuse cases hit the record of 248 during the first half of 2012

Japanese National Police Agency revealed that the number of child abuse cases exposed between January and June this year were 248, increased 95 from the same term of last year. The number of people disclosed were 255 which was 92 more than the last year.

Types of Cases
Physical Abuses - 175
Sexual Abuses - 68
Neglects - 5

Children died - 12
  Physical Abuses - 10
  Neclects - 2

Assailants
  Own Father - 36.9%(94)
  Own Mother - 19.6%(50)



児童虐待事件が過去最多　今年上期248件に　―日本経済新聞
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG05054_W2A900C1CC0000/

Over 90 percents of imports banned at the customs were from China

Chinese fake brand goods disclosed at Tokyo Customs

Ministry of Finance Japan announced that the number of prohibited import cases at customs houses in the country from January to June this year was 13,978, risen 22.3 percents from the same term of the last year.
94.3 percents of them were from China. Korea accounted for 77.4 percents among the countries of dispatch in 2001 on the other hand holds only 0.9 percents this time.


-FACTS-
Most of the prohibited imports from China are fake brand goods such as clothes, bags, shoes, watches and electronics.


上期輸入差し止め件数、過去２番目の多さ　偽ブランド中国一極化　―日本経済新聞
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFL040ER_U2A900C1000000/

SoftBank Wi-Fi is now available at LAWSON convenience stores

SoftBank Wi-Fi Spot at LAWSON

SOFTBANK MOBILE in August 24th announced that its wireless LAN service "SoftBank Wi-Fi Spot" will be available at every LAWSON convenience store.
The access points are already installed at 8,343 LAWSON stores(August22nd) among approximately 10,000.

Available SSID
1) 0001softbank - for SoftBank 3G network users with no encryption
2) 0002softbank - for SoftBank 3G network users with WPA2 encryption
3) SWS1day - for non SoftBank users, SoftBank Wi-Fi Spot (EX) 490 yen/day


-FACTS-
SoftBank Mobile is one of the three largest mobile phone carriers in Japan(1:NTT DOCOMO/2:au by KDDI/3:SoftBank). It holds the first place for a long time in the number of new contracts, though it is the third place in the total number of contracts.


全国のローソンで「ソフトバンクＷｉ－Ｆｉスポット」が利用可能に　―日本経済新聞
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFK23034_T20C12A8000000/

35 percents of driving license holders do not drive

A car with symbol of a newly-licensed driver

Research
Term: 2012/4/3 - 2012/4/7
Respondents: MyNavi News website membership users
Valid Responses: 1,000(requires log in)


Q: Do you have a driving license?

YES - 81.6%
NO - 18.4%


Q: Among the license holders, do you have a car?
(including the one of which the title is someone else)

YES - 62.4%
NO - 37.6%


Q: Are you a paper-driver(person with license who does not drive)?

YES - 34.6%
NO - 65.4%


Q: How long have you been a paper-driver?

Below half a year - 8.4%
Less than a year- 8.1%
Less than 2 years - 11.8%
Less than 3 years - 7.5%
Less than 4 years - 9.5%
Less than 5 years - 7.8%
Less than 6 years - 11.6%
Less than 7 years - 6.7%
Less than 8 years - 5.8%
Less than 9 years - 5.8%
Less than 10 years - 3.8%
More than 10 years - 13.3%


Q: Among paper-drivers, would you like to have a car?

YES - 29.8%
NO - 70.2%


ペーパードライバーが多すぎる件　―マイナビニュース
http://news.mynavi.jp/c_career/level1/yoko/2012/08/post_2152.html


-FACTS-
Living in Japanese cities where public transportation such as underground railways, trams, buses and taxies are well developed does not require personal cars. In addition, maintenance costs of car including parking fee is severe in cities like Tokyo.