Category Archives: Others

Support rating for farm policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration is still remaining at a lower level of only 29 percent, although it has risen by four point since the previous poll was conducted in June 2016, the Japan Agricultural News revealed on March 31 in a report on its poll conducted in March 2017 for its 1200 subscribers, mostly farmers, registered as agricultural policy monitors throughout the country. The opinion poll on farm policies was responded by 909 subscribers. The approval rating for Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet rose to 48 percent by 11 points over the previous poll, almost equally matching the disapproval rating at 51 percent. Fifty seven … Continue reading →

[By Mika Tsutsumi, journalist] Ever since Donald Trump became the candidate for the U.S. presidential election, we Japanese have been flooded with almost hysterical criticism of him whenever we read a newspaper or turn on the TV. No reports have been made on the actual situation or the historic background behind Trump’s policies, such as the temporary immigration ban and the building of a wall along the Mexican border, and all the coverage were based on reports critical of Trump coming from U.S. media organizations supporting Hillary Clinton. How many times have we witnessed the phenomenon of media unanimously bashing a particular person or an organization? If we don’t look … Continue reading →

[By Mika Tsutsumi, journalist] After former U.S. President Barack Obama shattered the illusions of his supporters that he would bring about change as he had promised in his inauguration speech, American voters chose Donald Trump as the new president in the hope that changes would come this time around. The new administration has begun, with Trump pledging in his inaugural address to transfer the political power controlled by a small group of wealthy people in Washington and give it back to the people to “make America great again,” filling people in and outside the country with hopes and worries. He often uses the term “America First,” which is interpreted by … Continue reading →

A project is under way to realize the East Asian mythology that the gods tie an invisible “red string of fate” between those who are destined to fall in love. Sputniko!, a mathematician-turned-artist and an assistant professor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab in the United States, approached Hideki Sezutsu, head of the Transgenic Silkworm Research Unit at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, with an idea to spin the mythical string by inserting genes that produce oxytocin, widely referred to as the love hormone, into silkworm eggs. The project, which utilizes genetically engineered silkworms developed in Japan, is also aimed at giving consumers, many of whom … Continue reading →