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As a trickle-down affect of the bruised economy, Japanese Energy companies are finding themselves in a difficult position. According to Bloomberg, factories are requiring less energy, which has resulted in Japanese power companies losing money as well. This has not diminished Japan’s goodwill toward the rest of the world. According to the Pakistan government, plans for Japan to provide aid are still in the works. This news comes as the outlook for automotive factories is less than optimistic. Most are having a brief shutdown period sometime in either February or March.

The new president of the US offers a glimmer of hope for international leaders. Most feel that Obama will be more open to discussion on how to heal the world economy. Doomsday writers and conspiracy theorists are meanwhile predicting a fast downward spiral.

Looks like Asashoru is doing well. His latest opponent, ozeki Kotoshogitu  was no match. A great place to stay up to date on the tournament is goo sumo. Does Kahuko have any chance of winning?

Not very up to date on sumo? Try sumo org, a site that has, of all things, information about the sumo museum.  This month ends on a somewhat sad note. It is time for Tochinohana and Tochisakae’s donpatsu (retirement ceremony). This kind of leaves a somewhat mixed feeling for me. Though the retirement of both was announced a year ago, the danpatsu is still something that chokes me up. This spring, Tamakasuga joins the two into legendary status. Tochinohana and Tamakasuga have both become sumo coaches. I’m not sure what Tochisakae is up to. I wish them all luck!

The quake in Kobe fourteen years ago is one that will be remembered for many years to come. The somber January 16th date is one that is etched in the memories of many Japanese similarly to how we in America are still affected by the New Orleans Hurricane.  Few remember happy moments like the miracle landing that made the news this week. I asked my husband how uncommon it was for a plane to safely land in water and he told me that it was a grim statistic that would have been even worse with the frigid temperature of the water.

In China, women whose children perished in last May’s tragic quake are having a second chance at motherhood. Over 750 of them are pregnant, which is in itself a wonderful miracle I’m sure they are rejoicing over amidst the tragic grief of losing their little ones. This is only a small portion of the nearly six thousand who have sought fertility services to conceive.

There is a Japanese folklore story that earthquakes are caused by a giant catfish. It is definitely host to some of the biggest earthquakes we know of,  so construction of buildings must be mindful of this fact. No wonder Japanese homes are valued for their emptiness.

Just look at the USGS maps of the most recent earthquakes! This planet is really moving and shaking. Such a busy planet!

News from Toyota is that the automaker is planning on halving its domestic production until spring. This was announced after they said they would be shutting down production in February and March for eleven days. I’m not sure how this will affect the workers at TOA.

Honda is also feeling the pinch and starting layoffs, which might mean tight times for their new facility in Greensburg Indiana. Dear President (in a couple days) Obama, please be quick. We are all looking tward you through our tear filled eyes and hoping. Please don’t let us down.

Anyone who is a fan of Anime might be familiar with the character Cowboy Beebop, a futuristic bounty hunter in the 2070’s. I first enjoyed the toon several years ago when Anime wasn’t all that common though many recognized characters like Sailor Moon and Hello Kitty. Cowboy Beebop was an early adult swim classic with its gritty and raw moody hero plot with plenty of fun supporting characters to make it worthwhile. Currently you can buy the cartoon series written by Keiko Nobumoto on DVD.

The latest gossip is that actor Keanu Reeves has been tapped to play the main character. 20th Century Fox picked up the Anime megahit and is going to start production right away. The pick is a good one according to many fans who can’t wait to see Keanu in action. After his cool role in 2008’s The Day the Earth Stood Still along with other great sci-fi classics, Keanu seems to be finding himself a science fiction staple.

The economy has had yet another tragic casualty as an unemployed temporary worker in Osaka was found starved to death in his Osaka apartment. Starvation is only one of the fears plaguing individuals world wide during these trying times.

Hiroshi Nohara, the mystery tourist who lived in a Mexican airport for the past three months has returned to Japan. It is unknown why he chose to stay in the airport, why he abandoned it for a few days, and why he has chosen to return to his home country. No one knows why the Japanese man arrived in Mexico in early September or why he did not actually tour Mexico but instead chose to stay in the airport with no explaination. He was there legally and he had a visa to be in Mexico.

Mysterious Nohara became a celebrity in Mexico. He was given food, blankets, and even souvenirs by tourists and employees and restaurant owners from the airport food court. He was interviewed, photographed, and had become quite a beloved fixture before he mysteriously left with a Japanese woman for a few days and then decided to fly home to Japan. His visa was set to expire at the end of March. He was reported to have said he had no reason for being at the airport, Benito Juarez International.

Best of luck, Hiroshi Nohara.  Hopefully he got a shower and shave before his trip home. Reportedly he smelled something awful.

Much of our personal income depends on Toyota, so it is with much interest that I comb the internet for news of Toyota’s business. Though Subaru also supplies work for my husband’s position, Toyota is the echo of Japanese automaking in general. In December, sales in the United States were down as much as 37%, which has the automotive industry very nervous. Overnight, workers are being forced to homelessness and usually hopelessness. What can Japan do to stop this downward spiral of loss?

Some say the answer lies with the United States, as the resource of CUSTOMERS is drying up due to the economic slump. Perhaps the fault lies in a barely conspicuous space. Little thought is being given to the devastating impact one key company has had on tens of thousands of lives worldwide.

When I was younger, there was an interesting cartoon where a car left a home at just the wrong time causing a traffic jam. Is it possible that a single company has caused the devastating situation that the economy is in, or perhaps contributed to it? This year, tens of thousands of small businesses went out of business due to the actions of a single company.

The passing of these companies into oblivion was not picked up by the media, yet in most circles of friends, at least one family was affected by this company. How much money was lost by most? It is difficult to pinpoint how much money was lost on average from these businesses, which created a definite core of purchase power for America. People who typically had $300-$2000 extra every month with which to purchase necessities were suddenly unable to continue their kitchen table enterprises. Yes, Ebay let America down. Ebay had an identity crisis and its management decided to change the game for tens of thousands of families. They took away a large chunk of our grocery money, and now we live check to check. We are not alone. We have found countless families affected the same way.

You may wonder who would care, or blame us for being small sellers. Ebay encourages fraudulent buyers, a flawed feedback system, a splintered search, and has basically shown small sellers the door hoping to preserve the buyers without the heavy competition for the big box retailers they are currently courting.  What Ebay fails to see is that the very buyers they intend to court were often also the sellers or were only on the site to seek out the small sellers of those unique treasures Ebay used to almost guarantee with its “find IT” advertising campaign. But how does this affect the Japanese automotive industry as a whole?

Imagine if you will a community of one hundred people. Out of those, imagine forty were ebay sellers who made about two hundred dollars a week. Now, imagine suddenly this community lost all that income. Everything would slow down. Some things would stop. People would stop purchasing and start saving money just so they could survive.

Japan needs to create competition for Ebay in the US. It’s well worth it in what they would reap from the investment. So many people have poked around at making an ebay competitor but all have fallen short with shoddy offerings that lack one thing or another. Creating a viable competitor for ebay would require its own payment system to destroy Paypal’s hold on the market, a secure method of trade, and an easy-to-use format.

But the economy was able to thrive before Ebay. What Ebay has done is the same as taking the crutches away from someone who broke their leg. Eventually that leg is going to heal. Until then, we’ll likely all hobble around to find a way to make it through the economic trouble upright.

The new year tournament of Sumo starts this weekend in Tokyo and rumor has it that Asashoryu is going to compete! Twenty-eight year old Asashoryu Akinori was Mongolia’s very first Sumo wrestler to become Yokuzona, but his career hasn’t been all triumphs. Recently, Asashoryu has experienced some setbacks with injuries. He has also been criticized for his behavior. Though some feel he is no Takanohana Koji, Asashoryu has his fair share of fans. Hopefully he will not prove as injury prone as his predecessor. Though he has been seen at practice, his involvement in the tournament is not a done deal. Fans will certainly be paying close attention. The tournament will run January 11 - 25.

Every day from noon - 4, for just 250 yen, sumo fans can sample “Champion Building” stew at the Kokugikan Cafe. Hot pot stew is actually a delicious Tofu and fatty pork based dish with fish balls. Delicious sake-steeped cabbage and bok choy make Hot pot stew a hearty meal that can chase the winter chill away. Just look up a great Chanko Nabe recipe and enjoy a hearty Japanese dish.

After learning how Sumo gain weight, I have discovered that many of my personal eating habits may actually be causing weight gain. Sumo wrestlers don’t eat breakfast, eat late, and exercise hungry.  I never thought a sumo would ever be hungry.

Sumo is a spiritual event, not quite the circus our wrestling and boxing has become. It is steeped in tradition and is a sport that is not difficult to follow but should be respected. Personally I hope it doesn’t get as bad as US sports have gotten, but recent behavioral issues might be reason for concern. I hope not though. I hope Sumo can stay above that.

Recently, Toyota announced that they would be suspending production for eleven days in February and March. The company is dealing with a union, which surprised me.  Subaru had a very, very tiny increase in sales for 2008. For the first time ever in its seventy years of manufacturing, Toyota is dealing with an operating loss. Mitsubishi is also affected, cutting some 900 additional workers.

I personally hope the business picks up so that real changes can be made to the automotive industry. If the industry improves, they can start working on improved auto technology which will be better for all of us in the long run.

The world is watching Japan with the hopes that an end to the Gaza conflict will be imminent with Japan’s help. In addition to emergency aid, Japan is imploring Israel and Palestine to put an end to the violence. So not only is Japan working toward Climate diplomacy, they are also trying to push peace in the holy land.

For those looking to add soy to their diet, just use a magic bullet. Put one cup soy milk, one cup ice, and one tablespoon instant coffee in your magic bullet blender and blend up a delicious drink that packs a punch. The coffee counters the bitter taste of the soy.  It’s delicious. Just be careful, boys. There’s a quasi progesterone in soy! If you’re concerned about motility and sperm count, you may want to skip the soy.

Growing up a person of both Asian and European origin, I found it much easier to learn about the European side of my family. Very little information was available to me about being partially Asian, and our family seldom discussed it. After the humiliation of the war, family had decided to instead claim Native American heritage, turning away from the Asian ways rather than embracing them. The shame of being partially Japanese was soon lost behind stories of the Blackfoot and Crow, collections of turquoise, and only the whispers of an Asian heritage shared behind recipes, handicrafts, and the occasional off-topic discussions.

 When my husband found a job with a Japanese company, my heart began to long for my lost heritage. Deep down, I knew that this would not be well received by my family at first, but we have definitely found an increased affection for the country, culture, and heritage that had been so long stolen. Japan has not always been perfect; no country is, but for me the love of this country is like a love that I have for any member of my family. I am warmly embracing my heritage and will continue to learn all that I can about the country of my great grandmother.