On May 1, market researcher Risk Monster released the results of its first ever “Companies the Japanese Can be Globally Proud Of” survey. Conducted February 25 to 27, the survey received valid responses from 1,000 men and women between the ages of 20 and 69. A total of 200 companies with annual sales of at least 250 billion yen and a minimum of 5,000 employees were targeted by the survey.

Coming in at number one was…

…Toyota Motor Corporation which grabbed the top response rate of 58.0 percent (multiple responses possible.)

Rounding out the top ten were:

No. 2, Sony, 43.2 %
No. 3, Honda, 39.5%
No. 4, Panasonic, 35.6%
No. 5, Nissan, 33.5%
No. 6, Canon, 32.0%
No. 7, Toshiba, 28.9%
No. 8, Bridgestone, 28.1%
No. 9, Nintendo, 27.8%
No. 10, Hitachi, 27.0 %

By industry, 19 of the top 20 companies were in manufacturing:

Automobiles, 3 (Toyota, Honda, Nissan)
Electrical machinery/devices, 8 (Sony, Panasonic, Canon, Toshiba, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Sharp, Nikon)
Chemical, 2 (Fuji Film, Shiseido)
Other, 6 (Bridgestone, Nintendo, Toto, Ajinomoto, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Yamaha)

The only non-manufacturer cracking the top twenty was shipping company Yamato Transport, known by many in Japan simply as “Black Cat” transport.

Based on the findings Risk Monster said, “This outcome is the result of the high level of confidence placed in the technical capability of the Japanese manufacturing sector and the quality of its products.”

Top reasons given by respondents for their choices included “technical capability,” “development capability,” and “global market share.” “Performance overseas” also ranked high.

When looking at the top-ranking companies, almost all had high sales volumes and large domestic market shares.

Source: Yahoo! Japan News

Photo: Getintravel

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Origin: Companies Japanese People are Most Proud of
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Ever wonder what happened to the remains of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man when Venkman and the rest of the gang destroyed it by “crossing their streams” in Ghostbusters? Well, it appears they may have fallen through a crack in a New York City sidewalk only to emerge 29 years later all the way over in China!

On the evening of May 12, a large amount of an as of yet unidentified marshmallow-like substance was found oozing up out of the ground at an intersection in the Pukou district of Nanjing, China. Reportedly not the best smelling foamy matter in the world (in line with our Stay Puft rotting remains theory!), local residents believe it’s the result of recent large-scale road construction.

Pictures of the mess uploaded to China’s popular microblog website, Weibo, sparked a large amount of interest, and were later picked up and reported on by major Chinese media outlets. Comments on Chinese websites include, “It’s like a pancake,” “It’s Magic!” and “Looks like some kind of alien.”

Police and firefighters who arrived on the scene are said to currently be in the process of cleaning up the billowy froth. It’s reported that some are saying problems such as this one, which have recently started to plague China’s roads, are the result of corner cutting and shoddy workmanship brought about by efforts aimed at reducing labor costs and expenses.

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man leftovers, however, cannot be completely ruled out.

Source: Byokan Sunday

Photos: Byokan Sunday, Bathroom reader (Stay Puft)

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Origin: Oozing up From Below, Mysterious Marshmallow-like Substance Covers Nanjing Street
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Though viewer comments include some trying to defend the mess with remarks such as, “This is a problem with the system employed for serving school lunches,” the majority are exclamations of astonishment such as “dreadful,” “unbelievable,” and simply, “wow.”

One can’t help but feel for the lady tasked with cleaning up this mess!

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Origin: Korean High School Cafeteria Has a Bit of a Cleanup Problem
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Attorney Takashi Nozawa provides the following advice to anyone who might find themselves caught up in this nightmarish, no-win situation.

———————

Though this is a personal opinion, the number one thing I cannot recommend is trying to plead your innocence in open court. You need to provide evidence proving way beyond a reasonable doubt that you did not grope the accuser, and you have to do this in a court where there is a 99-percent conviction rate for such cases. Additionally, if you are taken into custody after being indicted, it will take quite some for the court to reach a decision, meaning you will be unable to work, and because of the nature of the accusation, shunned by society. As there is often a lot of publicity generated if charges are proved false, many people think they should fight their accuser in court. However, people would do well to remember that when it comes to false accusations of molestation on the train, in the overwhelming majority of cases, there is no justice.

If caught in such a situation, what should one do?

First off would be to run away from the scene, this is one of the most rational responses when considered from a probability perspective. Your first thought is more than likely wanting to prove your innocence, however, in groping cases this is extremely difficult. If you think about the low chances of the police catching you if you quickly escape from the scene, running away is a rather compelling choice.

What should you do if escape is not an option?

To begin with, it would probably be a good idea to immediately and very angrily deny the accusation on the spot.

The greatest risk faced is that of a third party coming forward and also falsely accusing you of the crime. It is an emotional and scandalous issue, and there is the real possibility of someone who did not see anything stepping forward and adding accusations in order to back up and protect the woman accusing you. Testimony from a third party along the lines of “this person fondled her rear,” especially if it is from someone unrelated to the accuser, is decisive evidence. You must maintain an attitude of indignation and angrily claim your innocence, “I didn’t do it! What are you talking about?!” If you do this, there is the possibility that others involved will think it is too much trouble to deal with you, providing an opportunity to flee the scene.

If the police show up, what you must not do is silently obey and follow them to the station. Try anything to avoid going to the station, though you are innocent, it might be in your best interest to try apologizing for a “misunderstanding” that can be taken care of at the train station master’s office. If you go to the police station and continue to deny the charges, they will often keep you in custody for a period of one week to ten days. During this time you will not be able to go to work and things will not turn out well. You must be prepared to get axed by your company, and the last stages of your fight begin here.

If you are taken into custody on charges of groping, the first thing you need to do is call a lawyer. The lawyer can then call your family to inform them of the situation, and then a family member can call your employer and tell them you have suddenly taken ill and need a few days off. If someone from the company says they would like to visit you at the hospital, the family member can provide evasive answers and say something like the doctor has ordered “quiet rest” with no visitation allowed.

Within about ten days of your arrest, you need to work with your lawyer in contacting the accuser and trying to work out a settlement. If you wait longer, you will use up your paid holidays, and the chances of your employer discovering the truth about your situation increase. If you continue to deny the charges, the police can continue holding you for up to 23 days by saying they are worried you may attempt to flee their jurisdiction or damage evidence.

It is understandable that those accused may not feel fully satisfied with having to make an out-of-court settlement despite the fact that they are innocent, but as a lawyer, what I am trying to get them to agree to is only that they “touched” the accuser, not that they “intentionally touched” her. In other words it was not a case of deliberate indecency; we are just trying to bring the incident to an end by paying “damages based on negligence.” The documentation exchanged with the accuser simply states “damages” of a certain amount will be paid if the accuser agrees to drop the case through her own “generosity.” In the period immediately following the incident, the female accuser is usually angry, however, in the end, most cases are concluded when an agreement on monetary compensation is reached. Once an out-of-court settlement is reached with the accuser, I will meet with the prosecutor in charge of the case and get them to agree that, “though somewhat unclear with regard to actual details regarding the incident, an out-of-court settlement has been reached. Rather than wasting the court’s time by futilely trying this case of supposed willful criminal indecency, it would be easier to dispose of it by simply dismissing the case.”

At any rate, if you are taken into custody on this charge, you should resign yourself to the fact that you will almost certainly be found guilty close to 100 percent of the time, and you should aim for some type of “grey zone” resolution. I know of many cases where people falsely arrested on groping charges were able to hide the fact from their employers, allowing them to get on and continue leading normal lives.

Source: Esuteru via Livedoor News

Photos: lo-la (Top), Pak han (police)

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Origin: Guilty and NEVER Proven Innocent – Every Male Train Rider’s Nightmare in Japan
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Other forbidden topics for the classroom include “civil society,” “historical mistakes of the communist party” and the “impendent administration of justice.” The term “bourgeoisie with influential assets,” which is used to describe a privileged class of authorities who have emerged under one-party rule, is also banned from being used. In the Hong Kong papers, critics of Beijing pointed out, “these seven forbidden subjects, in fact, represent the very problems facing China’s system of authoritative rule today.”

Source: MSN News via Esuteru

Photo: Shanghai University of T.C.M.

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Origin: Chinese Authorities Clamp Down on University Classroom Subject Matter
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On the morning of May 13, GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. (JASDAQ Standard) rose by its maximum allowable single day limit of 300,000 yen (approx. US$3,000). The stock increased 28.79 percent to 1.342 million yen (approx. US$13,420). The rise comes on the heels of a 17 percent gain on Friday, May 9.

The new stock price gives the company a market capitalization of 1.5445 trillion yen (US$15.7 billion), above that of Nintendo’s 1.5342 trillion (US$15.07 billion). GungHo now ranks 58th of all listed companies on Japanese exchanges, one position above Nintendo which ranks 59th.

The company’s consolidated sales for the quarter ending March 2013 came in at 30.94 billion yen (US$304 million), 9.4 times greater than those of the previous year over the same period. Group operating profits increased an astronomical 73 times year-on-year, coming in at over 18.6 billion yen (US$103 million). The company’s explosive growth is attributed in part to the popularity of its Puzzle and Dragons game, which has achieved over 13 million downloads.

Source: Alfalfalfa

Photos: GungHo

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Origin: GungoHo Online Entertainment Continues Upward Surge, Market Cap Exceeds Nintendo in Morning Trading
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Source: NariNari

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Origin: A Must-Have Item for any Ice Cream Lover
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

The report stated an officer rushed to the scene in response to a tip and found two people engaged in an act of sexual congress. “When I got there, I found them having sex; it looked very natural and the man didn’t appear to have any kind of weapon, I could only assume the act was consensual.” As such, the officer decided to “observe the situation” for a while.

Further trying to justify his lack of action, the office stated, “Even if, for example, the man was committing a sexual assault, I thought that if I tried to break it up while he was in the middle of the act, it could be dangerous for the woman.” Thus, the officer continued to “monitor the situation” for one hour. People throughout the country became enraged upon learning of the incident, and strong criticism has been leveled at the police for standing by and doing nothing to help the women even though an officer was on the scene.

Source: Yahoo! News

Photo: Good Car Bad Car

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Origin: A Dark Day (Night) for South Korea’s Finest
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Upon further examination, inspectors discovered invoices indicating fraudulent meat product had also been sold to restaurants, including the Little Sheep chain.

Two days prior to the search, Chinese security authorities announced they had uncovered a criminal gang selling meat from small mammals, such as rats, that had been falsely labeled as lamb. The investigation, which had been ongoing for three months, resulted in the arrest of 904 individuals on suspicion of selling contaminated and mislabeled meat and the confiscation of 20,000 tons of fraudulently labeled meat products. According to Xinhua, there were instances of illegal chemicals also being mixed into the meat. The group is believed to have sold more than 160 million yen (approx. US$1.6 million) worth of tainted product since 2009.

Brands’ Images Take a Hit
Little Sheep was founded in Baoutou, Inner Mongolia, China in 1999. The restaurant’s main dish is lamb served with two types of specialty broth for cooking. Its Mongolian-style hot pot offerings proved popular, and the chain was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2008. In 2011, it was bought out for approximately 580 million U.S. dollars by Yum! Brands, which was making a major move into the Chinese market. Currently there are about 300 Little Sheep restaurants operating in China.

Yum! also operates the Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell franchises, and the Chinese market, anchored by 5,300 KFC outlets, accounts for more than half of the company’s global sales.

In January, however, it came to light that even though antibiotics in excess of standards were detected in chicken meat the company procured during 2010 and 2011, KFC China neglected to disclose the facts and report the information to authorities, continuing to illegally use the meat until 2012. This revelation, along with the outbreak of avian flu in April, has driven down customer numbers.

Local media reported that KFC sales in China for March were down 16 percent year-on-year, and that an even greater drop was expected for April.

Concerning the tainted lamb meat, Yum! is currently refraining from providing any comment. However, further damage to the company’s brands is inevitable, which could prompt it to review its global strategy of anchoring itself to the Chinese market.

Source: Sankei Express
Photos: Eatdarwineat

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Origin: Hot Pot Restaurant in China Possibly Serves Rat Falsely Labeled as Lamb
Copyright© RocketNews24 / Socio Corporation. All rights reserved.

Opened on April 24, Kirin’s Ichiban Garden provides seating for 150 indoors and another 250 on its open air terrace. With its signature Ichiban Shibori on tap (both lager and stout), frozen draft beer and two-tone beer cocktails, there’s sure to be something that’ll satisfy any beer-guzzler in need of quick relief as city temperatures continue to rise.

Here’s what Mr. Sato had to say:

If you are an aficionado of the amber liquid, sit back and envision this. Under a hot noonday sun, a frosted glass being filled to the rim with ice-cold beer. Surrounded by greenery and with a gentle breeze blowing, you gaze lovingly at the frothy top as a smile of happiness slowly spreads across your face. You raise the glass to your lips for that first thirst-quenching gulp and heavenly relief! An exceptional place is needed to experience such a special feeling and I’m pleased to tell you that a great new beer garden with the perfect environment for enjoying a glass of frosty ale has just opened in Toranomon in the center of Tokyo.

Openness in the heart of the city
The beer garden is located in the Mori Trust Garden, a short walk away from Kamiyacho Station on the Hibiya Line. Though you’re surrounded by skyscrapers, the garden has an open air atmosphere and an expansive lawn, perfect for lazing around on a hot sunny day.

A great food menu worthy of a brewer
The unique food menu offers a rich variety of dishes which cannot be eaten elsewhere including edamame beans boiled in stout, white fish lightly fried in Ichiban Shibori batter, and a stout-based pork stew.

▼ White fish lightly fried in Ichiban Shibori batter

▼ Black pepper corned beef and rice flour baguette

▼ Happy Mr. Sato and his meat (domestically produced sirloin steak cooked on a lava rock grill)

Frozen draft beer is delicious!
The feature drink is frozen draft beer. The ice-like foam floating on top keeps the beer chilled; there is something especially delicious about really cold beer. Drinking it on a hot day is sure to provide relief from the heat! Frozen draft is truly special.

▼  The stout is great!

▼  And so is the lager!

Two-tone beer cocktails
Using Kirin’s proprietary “two-tone maker” provides another way to enjoy the great taste of beer. The two-tone maker is a spout used for pouring beer into a glass containing liqueur that allows you to create layered beer cocktails of two different colors. Twelve different liqueur flavors are available and one is sure to match your mood on any given day.

At any rate, this is a fantastic place for drinking beer. Ichiban Garden is probably enjoyed best on a warm, cloudless day that allows you to slowly savor the great taste of your beverage of choice while stretched out on the park’s lush green lawn.

Photos: RocketNews24

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Origin: Frozen Beer and Beer Cocktails – Mr. Sato Checks Out Kirin Ichiban Garden
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