<div>* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *</div><div><br></div><div>A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.</div><div>(<a href="http://www.terrie.com">http://www.terrie.com</a>)</div>
<div><br></div><div>General Edition Sunday, Dec 16, 2012, Issue No. 691</div><div><br></div><div>+++ INDEX</div><div><br></div><div>- What's New -- 7 Events that Changed Japan in 2012</div><div>- News -- Advantage Partners to buy Sanyo "digi-came" ops?</div>
<div>- Upcoming Events</div><div>- Corrections/Feedback -- Cybercrime in the USA</div><div>- Travel Picks -- Ikebukuro's charcoal icecream...!</div><div>- News Credits</div><div><br></div><div>SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:</div>
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</div><div>Today we take a look back at some of the key events that </div><div>shaped 2012, including those relevant to non-Japanese </div><div>living here. Though not listed in any particular order, </div><div>the success of the right-wing LDP party in today's national</div>
<div>lower house elections ratchets up the threat of a war with </div><div>China yet another notch, and makes our first choice all the</div><div>more pertinent.</div><div><br></div><div>1. Senkaku Islands</div><div><br></div>
<div>Five islands and 3 rocks located just 140 kilometers from </div><div>Taiwan (and 170km from Ishigakijima), called the Senkaku </div><div>islands (Diaoyu in Chinese), look set to disrupt Asian </div><div>trade for some years and possibly start an arms race </div>
<div>between Japan, China, and Taiwan. The dispute over who owns</div><div>the islands has been simmering for decades, especially </div><div>since it was discovered that there are significant oil </div><div>resources in the area. The dispute boiled over with the </div>
<div>change in China's Communist Party leadership earlier this </div><div>year because they provide a handy distraction for patriots</div><div>who might otherwise look harder at their own government. As</div><div>a result, it has become dangerous to drive a Japanese car </div>
<div>in China and certainly free-spending Chinese tourists have </div><div>stopped coming here. </div><div><br></div><div>The LDP's Abe and far-right wingers like ex-Tokyo governor </div><div>Shintaro Ishihara are making hay out of the situation, </div>
<div>causing speculation on Japanese web-based bulletin boards </div><div>that the nation will reintroduce the draft and </div><div>remilitarize. We think that given the state of the nation's</div><div>finances and politicians' historical predilection for </div>
<div>distracting their citizens' attention with a small war or </div><div>two, armed conflict is highly likely in the future. Think </div><div>about it: one little air-based dog fight between Chinese </div><div>aircraft and SDF jets scrambled to intercept them would </div>
<div>touch off a dangerous escalation that would surely be </div><div>marked with the Chinese invading the Senkakus before Japan </div><div>is able to react.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>[Continued below...]</div>
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<div><br></div><div>[...Article continues]</div><div><br></div><div>2. Weakening yen</div><div><br></div><div>Although we don't see a permanent weakening of the yen, a </div><div>combination of political change and the Bank of Japan </div>
<div>embarking on another major bond-buying exercise (quantitative</div><div>easing by any other name) have brought down the currency by </div><div>5% in the last few months and analysts are predicting it </div><div>could fall to 90 yen to the dollar, a 15% movement, over </div>
<div>the next few months. The initial move in the most recent </div><div>yen weakening round was by the BOJ, which in April </div><div>announced it will buy another JPY10trn (US$124bn) of bonds,</div><div>bringing its total purchases to JPY80trn. However, while </div>
<div>this had some small effect on the markets, investors were</div><div>still really nervous about the Eurozone and within days </div><div>the yen was back to its previous strength. </div><div><br></div><div>So what was really needed was for market sentiment to be </div>
<div>driven by emotion, and this was provided in spades in early</div><div>November by Shintaro Abe, the leader of the LDP, who will </div><div>probably be the nation's next Prime Minister. Abe called </div><div>for the BOJ to be made to follow government objectives, </div>
<div>which would mean massive new quantitative easing programs. </div><div>Yup, that certainly did the trick and the yen dived to 83 </div><div>to the dollar a few days later. But the fact remains that </div><div>Japan is still a safe haven currency, so if the Eurozone </div>
<div>comes apart next year, which we think is a possibility, </div><div>then the yen weakness will quickly disappear again.</div><div><br></div><div>3. Govinda Mainali exoneration</div><div><br></div><div>Convicted people in Japan don't often get exonerated, </div>
<div>especially when they've been found guilty of murdering </div><div>someone. But this is what happened after 15 long years in </div><div>jail for Govinda Mainali of Nepal. Mainali was in Japan as </div><div>an undocumented worker and had the bad luck of getting to </div>
<div>know a prostitute named Yasuko Watanabe, who was brutally </div><div>murdered. Mainali's sperm was found in a condom at the </div><div>crime scene and for some strange reason the investigators </div><div>didn't bother to confirm whether it was also inside her. </div>
<div>Not until a number of escalating court challenges later </div><div>were the prosecution forced to test swabs taken from her </div><div>body and they found that another unknown person was the </div><div>last to have had sex with her. This new evidence threw </div>
<div>into doubt whether Mainali was in fact even at the scene </div><div>when the murder happened. It then emerged that the </div><div>prostitute had a double life and was by day a mild-</div><div>mannered administrative worker at Tokyo Electric Power </div>
<div>Company (TEPCO) while at night she sold her body. What's</div><div>more, she was sexually involved with some very senior </div><div>business figures at TEPCO and rumors were rampant that </div><div>someone decided she was too risky alive and had her </div>
<div>killed by the Yakuza, with evidence planted to implicate </div><div>Mainali.</div><div><br></div><div>4. Advent of LCCs</div><div><br></div><div>When JAL fell into a deep slump (the stock fell by 81% in </div><div>just one day) back in 2010, the news that American Airlines</div>
<div>would come to the rescue with a JPY1.4bn investment, </div><div>coupled with an even larger investment by the government's </div><div>Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan, </div><div>proved to be a turning point for the airline. It also proved to be </div>
<div>a turning point for the nation's air travel industry in </div><div>general. This is because with American's involvement the </div><div>Japanese government was required to accept a U.S. demand </div><div>for Open Skies, an international free market commitment by</div>
<div>participating governments. As a result, once the skies were</div><div>declared open, not only did American and other U.S. </div><div>airlines benefit, but a new breed of foreign operators, </div><div>Low-cost Carriers (LCCs) were allowed in as well -- in the </div>
<div>form of Jetstar, Peach Airlines, and AirAsia. We believe </div><div>that these airlines will completely change the face of </div><div>travel in Japan in the next five years. </div><div><br></div><div>Interestingly, even as the LCCs started their push, JAL </div>
<div>recovered spectacularly under the leadership of Kyocera </div><div>founder and Buddhist priest, Kazuo Inamori, and enjoyed one</div><div>of the largest IPOs of 2012, in September. But we don't </div><div>think JAL shareholders should be celebrating just yet, </div>
<div>because we believe that the LCCs will do to air travel what</div><div>Uniqlo has done to the apparel business -- ripping the guts</div><div>out of the incumbents -- unless of course the Japanese </div><div>government figures out a way to shut the door on Open Skies</div>
<div>again.</div><div><br></div><div>5. Major changes in Foreigner residence permits</div><div><br></div><div>While Japanese liberals are fighting a (losing) rearguard </div><div>action against centralized data and ID numbers for </div>
<div>citizens, the same level of concern doesn't appear for </div><div>foreigners, who now have 3 years (from July) to switch </div><div>their registrations over to the new Residents ID cards. The</div><div>new cards are fully chipped, and are electronically </div>
<div>connected across all aspects of living in Japan (taxes, </div><div>visas, etc.). This means that there is far less likelihood </div><div>of overstayers escaping notice, and their ability to seek </div><div>health and other services from local government agencies </div>
<div>anonymously will be eliminated. Fair enough, we suppose, </div><div>you need to play by the rules. But even though there are a </div><div>few sops thrown in for foreigners to go with the new </div><div>system, we can't help feeling we're even more controlled </div>
<div>and discriminated against than before. If the whole nation </div><div>is forced to join a similar electronic system, Jukinet, then </div><div>at least it would be fairer.</div><div><br></div><div>6. Dentsu takeover of Aegis</div>
<div><br></div><div>The twin pressure points of stagnant-to-declining growth at</div><div>home and the high yen are spurring Japanese firms to join </div><div>herd-like in executing high-priced, high-return foreign </div>
<div>M&As to boost their bottom lines. It's great business for </div><div>the larger international law firms having Tokyo offices. </div><div>According to Recof, Japanese firms have bought 489 foreign </div><div>companies as of calendar mid-December 2012. The deals total</div>
<div>JPY6.9trn, about 8% up on last year, and are the third </div><div>highest number ever recorded. The second largest deal was </div><div>advertising company Dentsu's takeover of London-based Aegis</div><div>for JPY400bn, a premium of 48% over the last closing price </div>
<div>for Aegis stock prior to the announcement.</div><div><br></div><div>The Dentsu-Aegis deal is both massive and complex, </div><div>involving as it does business units all over the world. </div><div>Indeed, this complexity is challenging the deal itself, as </div>
<div>Chinese authorities seem to be delighting in holding </div><div>everything up in their country until at least February next</div><div>year. </div><div><br></div><div>The question is whether Dentsu can manage such a large and </div>
<div>diverse group of non-Japanese, and whether it is prepared </div><div>as a company to submit to global best practices and give </div><div>up the back office dealings system that it likes so much in</div><div>Japan. For now, they are leaving the international </div>
<div>operations in the hands of a capable and trusted foreign </div><div>executive named Tim Andree. We hope that they leave him to </div><div>get on with the job, and to resist the temptation to start </div><div>micro-controlling things from Tokyo.</div>
<div><br></div><div>7. Softbank buys Sprint</div><div><br></div><div>In contrast to the Dentsu-Aegis deal, which is an obvious </div><div>fit for both companies, the Softbank takeover of Sprint has</div><div>everyone, including us, scratching their heads as to why </div>
<div>Mr. Son wants Sprint. Sure, it's a good company and it is </div><div>America's third largest carrier. But with the iphone </div><div>strangling Sprint's profits, according to some analysts </div><div>until 2015, it's hard to understand what Sprint has that is</div>
<div>so attractive. Is there any synergy to be had in the deal's</div><div>two very disparate and disconnected players and their </div><div>respective markets? We don't think so. Given that Sprint </div><div>has an unlimited data access plan for iphone users, maybe </div>
<div>Son feels he can turn Sprint around by using methods and </div><div>systems developed by Softbank in Japan for the iphone. If </div><div>so, it's a secret recipe that has cost Mr. Son US$20.1bn </div><div>to try out so far. You really have to respect a guy who has</div>
<div>the guts to bet the farm to prove a point.</div><div><br></div><div>There were plenty of other interesting developments this </div><div>year, including Sharp almost going bankrupt, the </div><div>acceleration of accelerators for venture firms, and the </div>
<div>wavering of Japan's energy sector between dumping or </div><div>keeping nuclear, and the introduction of feed-in tariffs for</div><div>home-generated electricity. The pace of change is </div><div>speeding up because of the fact that the country is being </div>
<div>forced to internationalize commercially. In this respect, </div><div>2013 should be a very interesting year and one where anyone</div><div>servicing the international market should see an </div><div>improvement in their fortunes. Why? Because every time a </div>
<div>huge Japan-connected deal hits the headlines, the CEOs of </div><div>a hundred smaller firms are encouraged to start broadening </div><div>their horizons as well.</div><div><br></div><div>****************</div><div>Next, our JapanTourist.jp travel section below covers two </div>
<div>very different museums, one with a very complete historical</div><div>archive of Japan and how the nation developed culturally </div><div>and in art, while the other museum, which is in Ikebukuro,</div><div>features snake and charcoal icecream (really!).</div>
<div><br></div><div>Then, as a little Christmas present, be sure to read the </div><div>announcements section below for the Kyoto Convention </div><div>Bureau. They are recruiting corporate types (especially </div><div>meeting planners) to come down and sample the delights of </div>
<div>Kyoto as a monitor. We did this trip earlier this year as a</div><div>media representative/monitor and it was both eye-opening </div><div>and deliciously enjoyable. As a monitor, the Bureau covers </div><div>most of your costs and you get to go places normally </div>
<div>closed to ordinary tourists. We got some great photos and </div><div>video footage from our trip.</div><div><br></div><div>Lastly, we will be taking off our usual two weeks over the </div><div>year-end/New Year period, and the next issue of Terrie's </div>
<div>Take will be out on January 6th. We wish all of our readers</div><div>a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>...The information janitors/</div><div><br></div>
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<div>wishes for 2013!</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/TUPBAk">http://bit.ly/TUPBAk</a></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>+++ NEWS</div><div><br>
</div><div>- Advantage Partners to buy Sanyo digital camera ops?</div><div>- Kamei moratorium for SMEs to discontinue?</div><div>- Sharp gives early retirement to 3,000</div><div>- Kanematsu buys Honda's soybeans export business</div>
<div>- Lead in cosmetics increased samurai family mortality</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>=> Advantage Partners to buy Sanyo digital camera ops?</div><div><br></div><div>Market rumor has it that Panasonic plans to sell its Sanyo </div>
<div>digital camera operations to fund Advantage Partners, as </div><div>part of a rationalization of its overall operations. Given </div><div>that Panasonic already has an in-house "digi-came" </div><div>business, the divestiture is not unsurprising. What is </div>
<div>surprising, though, is that Advantage Partners thinks it </div><div>can turn the business around, given that Panasonic had </div><div>shopped the operation around to a bunch of other makers </div><div>unsuccessfully. Reuters says that the sale will be for </div>
<div>several hundred million yen -- a bargain, so long as AP is </div><div>able to fire a bunch of surplus workers and keep the ones </div><div>that really matter. (Source: TT commentary from </div><div><a href="http://reuters.com">reuters.com</a>, Dec 12, 2012)</div>
<div><br></div><div><a href="http://reut.rs/UThEzb">http://reut.rs/UThEzb</a></div><div><br></div><div>=> Kamei moratorium for SMEs to discontinue?</div><div><br></div><div>Data we have long speculated over -- just how many </div>
<div>companies took advantage of the bank loan repayments </div><div>moratorium introduced by then financial services </div><div>minister Shizuka Kamei in 2009 -- has been partly </div><div>answered with data released by the FSA recently. </div>
<div>Apparently, 3.4m company and individual (mainly real </div><div>estate) loans were rescheduled between December 2009 and </div><div>September 2012. The total amount is estimated by the FSA </div><div>to be around JPY230bn. ***Ed: This is not a small amount of</div>
<div>money, and given the nature of the reschedulings, generally</div><div>because of repayment difficulties, one wonders just how </div><div>much of these loans will actually be recovered should the </div><div>program close next year. Further, it isn't just the </div>
<div>rescheduled loans that are the problem, but also the </div><div>losses caused by the bankruptcies precipitated by </div><div>the loss of this financing lifeline. Our guess is that you </div><div>can take the FSA number and multiply it by 10-20x to </div>
<div>estimate the overall losses that will be incurred. And that</div><div>doesn't include tens of thousands who will have to draw</div><div>unemployment benefits. Perhaps, now that the LDP is likely </div><div>to return to power and SMEs are one of their traditional </div>
<div>power bases, the government will continue the Small and </div><div>Medium-sized Enterprise Financing Facilitation Law </div><div>indefinitely.** (Source: TT commentary from </div><div><a href="http://japantimes.co.jp">japantimes.co.jp</a>, Dec 13, 2012)</div>
<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20121213a2.html">http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20121213a2.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>=> Sharp gives early retirement to 3,000</div><div><br></div>
<div>Layoffs are increasing in the ailing electronics sector, </div><div>and Sharp is giving 2,960 employees early retirement </div><div>packages this week. This is the first tranche of a global </div><div>downsizing program of around 10,000 people for the company.</div>
<div>A Nikkei article covering the event noted that many of the </div><div>Sharp engineers leaving are being eagerly sought after by </div><div>other not-so-damaged firms who want to access their </div><div>expertise. There is also speculation that many of the </div>
<div>departing engineers will wind up working elsewhere in Asia </div><div>and thus accelerate the hollowing out of the electronics </div><div>industry in Japan. (Source: TT commentary from </div><div><a href="http://e.nikkei.com">e.nikkei.com</a>, Dec 15, 2012)</div>
<div><br></div><div><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20121214D1412A10.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20121214D1412A10.htm</a></div><div><br></div><div>=> Kanematsu buys Honda's soybeans export business</div>
<div><br></div><div>Non-GMO soy beans are a strategic import for the Japanese, </div><div>and a large percentage comes from the mid-western USA. </div><div>Kanematsu is spending more than JPY1bn to buy out the soy </div><div>
beans buying, preparation, and export business of Honda </div><div>Trading. The purchase will increase Kanematsu's non-GMO </div><div>export business from the USA by 50%, giving it 15% of the </div><div>market overall. Non-GMO farmers are declining in number, </div>
<div>as mainstream producers move to GMO crops for better </div><div>drought and insect resistance. Japanese consumers are </div><div>averse to eating GMO products. ***Ed: Eventually Kanematsu </div><div>will either have to invest in actual farms so as to keep </div>
<div>GMO supplies going, form a dividends-oriented cooperative </div><div>similar to New Zealand's Fonterra for milk products, or look</div><div>to another country (like Brazil) to produce what it </div><div>wants.** (Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://e.nikkei.com">e.nikkei.com</a>, Dec 14, </div>
<div>2012)</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20121214D1312A04.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20121214D1312A04.htm</a></div><div><br></div><div>=> Lead in cosmetics increased samurai family mortality</div>
<div><br></div><div>Interesting little tidbit from the Press Trust of India. </div><div>Apparently researchers at the University of Occupational </div><div>and Environmental Health in Kitakyushu have found from bone</div>
<div>samples that some children of high-born samurai families </div><div>suffered from severe lead poisoning. In some of the bone</div><div>samples the lead concentrations were so high that the </div><div>scientists reckon the kids would have had IQ problems. </div>
<div>Speculation is that the mothers were using lead-based </div><div>facial cosmetics after copying the fashion in the 1600's </div><div>from Geisha. Then, as babies would suckle at the breast </div><div>of a mother wearing such makeup, they would ingest large </div>
<div>amounts of lead, with devastating results later in life. </div><div>(Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://indianexpress.com">indianexpress.com</a>, Dec 14, </div><div>2012)</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/ZtlNS1">http://bit.ly/ZtlNS1</a></div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>NOTE: Broken links</div><div>Some online news sources remove their articles after just a</div><div>few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we</div><div>apologize for the inconvenience.</div>
<div><br></div><div>***------------------------****-------------------------***</div><div><br></div><div>------------- Japanese Travel Writers wanted -------------</div><div><br></div><div>Do you know someone who can write native-level Japanese and</div>
<div>who is interested in travel? The JapanTourist.jp division</div><div>of Metropolis KK has two brand name clients in the tourism</div><div>sector who need to have a substantial number of travel</div><div>articles written about Japan. These are paid positions.</div>
<div><br></div><div>While professional writers are welcome, the JapanTourist.jp</div><div>project is a writer community set up for talented amateurs</div><div>to have a forum to test their skills. Therefore, we welcome</div>
<div>housewives, retired people, and Japanese living overseas</div><div>who would like to re-connect with their home country.</div><div><br></div><div>All work can be done from your own home, with stories and</div><div>editing discussions taking place by email and through the</div>
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<div><a href="mailto:support@japantourist.jp">support@japantourist.jp</a></div><div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES</div>
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<div><br></div><div>Remuneration is JPY5M - JPY8M depending on your experience </div><div>and skill level.</div><div><br></div><div>** POSITIONS VACANT</div><div><br></div><div>- Software Asset Manager, global bank, JPY4.5M - JPY5.5M</div>
<div>- MAC Coordinator, global IT co., JPY3.5M - JPY5M</div><div>- Project Mgr, international IT company, JPY5.4M - JPY7M </div><div>- Admin Assistant, IT services provider, JPY 2M - 3.5M</div><div>- Sharepoint Specialist, global co., JPY7M - JPY9M</div>
<div><br></div><div>** BiOS Job Mail</div><div><br></div><div>Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its</div><div>job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition</div><div>carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date</div>
<div>vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job</div><div>description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS</div><div>home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and</div><div>searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious</div>
<div>to know if there is something out there that might suit you</div><div>better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and</div><div>convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like</div><div>to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,</div>
<div>please email <a href="mailto:jason.kisling@biosjp.com">jason.kisling@biosjp.com</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:</div><div><a href="mailto:jason.kisling@biosjp.com">jason.kisling@biosjp.com</a> and check out the BiOS web page</div>
<div>for other jobs: <a href="http://www.biosjp.com/positions.php">http://www.biosjp.com/positions.php</a></div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>***------------------------****-------------------------***</div>
<div><br></div><div>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS</div><div><br></div><div>---------------- Start a Company in Japan -----------------</div><div><br></div><div>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 9th of February, 2013</div>
<div><br></div><div>If you have been considering setting up your own company,</div><div>find out what it takes to make it successful.</div><div>Terrie Lloyd, founder of over 17 start-up companies in Japan,</div><div>will be giving an English-language seminar and Q and A on</div>
<div>starting up a company in Japan.</div><div><br></div><div>This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,</div><div>and to ask specific questions that are not normally answered</div><div>in business books.</div>
<div>All materials are in English and are Japan-focused.</div><div><br></div><div>For more details:</div><div><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar">http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar</a></div>
<div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>----------------- Australia Society Tokyo -----------------</div><div><br></div><div>Come and join the Australia Society Tokyo at our annual</div>
<div>Australia Day Ball on Saturday 26th January, 2013 at the</div><div>centrally-located ANA Intercontinental Hotel ballroom.</div><div><br></div><div>Bookings for tables of ten guests can be arranged at </div><div>members' rates and individuals are of course welcome, too. </div>
<div>Enjoy fantastic food, specially selected wines, three </div><div>different live music performances, and chat with a wide </div><div>variety of people. There are prizes to win, auctions to </div><div>raise funds for worthy causes, and a few surprises as </div>
<div>well.</div><div><br></div><div>This event, being the highlight of our social calendar,</div><div>attracts many so register quickly as seats sell out fast.</div><div><br></div><div>Treat yourself once a year - you won't be disappointed!</div>
<div><br></div><div>Visit <a href="http://www.AustraliaSocietyTokyo.com">www.AustraliaSocietyTokyo.com</a> to register.</div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>------------------ Kyoto Convention Bureau ------------------</div>
<div><br></div><div>Invitation to Kyoto for Corporate Meeting Planners, 5th & </div><div>6th March 2013</div><div><br></div><div>Are you considering Kyoto for business events? The Kyoto </div><div>Convention Bureau invites you to join fellow decision-</div>
<div>makers for a two-day learning-focused workshop in Kyoto </div><div>about using this city to add value to your corporate </div><div>meetings, incentive travel and events.</div><div><br></div><div>Full details:</div><div>
<br></div><div><a href="http://www.hellokcb.or.jp/fam2013">http://www.hellokcb.or.jp/fam2013</a></div><div>ID: kyoto</div><div>Password: 2013</div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div>
<br></div><div>---------------- Share House Near Ikebukuro ---------------</div><div><br></div><div>There are gaijin share houses, and those that you share </div><div>with others on a casual basis, but none has the facilities</div>
<div>and amenities of this new-to-market offering in </div><div>Oizumigakuen. Large 4-bedroom house with large yard, share</div><div>kitchen-living-dining rooms, and with your own large </div><div>bedroom. Available for short and long-term tenants. Just </div>
<div>JPY50,000/month. Includes share of internet connection.</div><div><br></div><div>Only 20 minutes by train from Shibuya/Ikebukuro. </div><div><br></div><div>Contact the owner at <a href="mailto:hatanokawakatsu@yahoo.com">hatanokawakatsu@yahoo.com</a></div>
<div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>***------------------------****-------------------------***</div><div><br></div><div>+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK</div><div><br></div><div>
In this section we run comments and corrections submitted</div><div>by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and</div><div>amplify our points, by email, to <a href="mailto:editors@terrie.com">editors@terrie.com</a>.</div>
<div><br></div><div>=> In TT690, we covered stats on cybercrime in Japan and </div><div>ways in which online scams are being perpetrated. Our </div><div>reader provides us with a good reference on how cybercrime</div><div>
is evolving in the USA -- the 'ground-zero" for </div><div>international online deviants.</div><div><br></div><div>*** Reader: Relating to your article, here is an important </div><div>article regarding online safety.</div>
<div><br></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/R0QwSF">http://bit.ly/R0QwSF</a></div><div><br></div><div>***------------------------****-------------------------***</div><div><br></div><div>+++ TRAVEL DESTINATIONS PICKS</div>
<div><br></div><div>=> Tokyo National Museum</div><div>From Ainu to Zen, there's something for everyone</div><div><br></div><div>If you’re looking for a historical treasure-trove of </div><div>Japanese arts that will give you an overview of some of the</div>
<div>most important and influential techniques, products and </div><div>traditions to come out of Japan, Tokyo National Museum is </div><div>the place for you.</div><div><br></div><div>The permanent collection, located in the Honkan (Japanese </div>
<div>Gallery) is brought together under the title, Highlights </div><div>of Japanese Art. The information tells visitors they are </div><div>about to embark on a “cultural journey through time” and </div><div>the gallery lives up to this claim. The earliest items in </div>
<div>the collection are clay pots and jars from the Jomon </div><div>Period (10,000-500 BC). From there you are taken on a </div><div>whistlestop tour that ends up in the current Heisei Era, </div><div>having touched on everything in between. There is plenty </div>
<div>of English around on the labels in the galleries, as well </div><div>as guides and maps in English, French, German, Spanish, </div><div>Chinese and Korean so it’s easily navigable by foreign </div><div>visitors.</div>
<div><br></div><div><a href="http://japantourist.jp/view/tokyo-national-museum">http://japantourist.jp/view/tokyo-national-museum</a></div><div><br></div><div> </div><div>=> Strange Flavors at Cup Ice Museum, Tokyo</div>
<div>Some of the most bizarre ice cream around</div><div><br></div><div>To start with an ice cream confession: I'm a vanilla man, </div><div>myself. The Cup Ice Museum in Ikebukuro has that. It also </div><div>has some other flavors that you'd expect, like chocolate </div>
<div>and strawberry. BUT, then it takes another step with some </div><div>flavors that don't sound like ice cream at all: tulip, </div><div>salt, and crab fall into this category. Luckily, the Cup </div><div>Ice Museum doesn't stop there, oh no. They won't be happy </div>
<div>until they've made you question just how far you're willing</div><div>to go. Ever tried Viper ice cream? No? How about </div><div>charcoal...?!</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://japantourist.jp/view/cup-ice-museum-in-ikebukuro">http://japantourist.jp/view/cup-ice-museum-in-ikebukuro</a></div>
<div><br></div><div>***------------------------****-------------------------***</div><div><br></div><div>***********************************************************</div><div>END</div><div><br></div><div>SUBSCRIBERS: 7,762 members as of December 16, 2012</div>
<div>(We purge our list regularly.)</div><div><br></div><div>+++ ABOUT US</div><div><br></div><div>STAFF</div><div>Written by: Terrie Lloyd (<a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>)</div><div>
<br></div><div>HELP: E-mail <a href="mailto:Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com">Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com</a></div><div>with the word 'help' in the subject or body (don't include</div><div>the quotes), and you will get back a message with</div>
<div>instructions.</div><div><br></div><div>FEEDBACK</div><div>Send letters (Feedback, Inquiries & Information) to the</div><div>editor to <a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>.</div>
<div><br></div><div>ADVERTISING INFORMATION</div><div>For more information on advertising in this newsletter,</div><div>Contact <a href="mailto:ads@japaninc.com">ads@japaninc.com</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>SUBSCRIBE</div>
<div>Get Terrie's Take by giving your name and email address at</div><div><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up">http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up</a>, or go</div><div>straight to Mailman at:</div>
<div><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a></div><div><br></div><div>BACK ISSUES</div><div><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a></div>
<div>or, <a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a></div><div><br></div><div>Copyright 2012 Japan Inc. Communications Inc.</div><div><br></div><div>----------------- Japan Inc opens up Japan ----------------</div>
<div><br></div><div>J@pan Inc authoritatively chronicles business trends in</div><div>Japan. Each posting brings you in-depth analysis of</div><div>business, people and technology in the world's third</div><div>largest economy.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Visit <a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a> for the best business insight on</div><div>Japan available.</div><div>-----------------------------------------------------------</div><div>
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