Tag: law | RocketNews24

law

Have Japan’s Anti-Smoking Laws Gone Too Far? Smokers Begin to Feel the Pressure

Mar 30, 2013 by Andrew Miller
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In recent years there has been a dramatic change in attitudes towards smoking in public places in Japan. While it was a common sight to see someone walking along the street with a cigarette in their hand until a few years ago, nowadays it is becoming increasingly rare to see. It is fair to say that smokers have adopted a much politer approach to smoking in public. The movement towards a smoke-free environment is one welcomed by many, however accompanied by this is the tendency to drive smokers into corners and ostracize them for lighting up. Anti-smokers are increasingly pushing forward their demands, seeing a pollution-free environment as part of their right to a healthy lifestyle. But is it going too far?

Mar 10, 2013 by Master Blaster
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The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (PCC) is a group composed of politicians, organizations, and other independent members who gather to help shape the political agenda for the upcoming year.

During this meeting on 4 March, international film star Jackie Chan appeared before the Governmental Advisory Institute with some stern words about the way law enforcement is handled in his country when it comes to cigarettes.

Feb 13, 2013 by Master Blaster
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One coinage that has been steadily building in popularity in the economically mired nation of Japan is “black business” (burakku kigyou). A black business is described as a company that overworks its employees, harasses them, and/or pays significantly low wages for the work provided.

The term, which can be traced back to the 2011 book by Haruki Konno, Black Business: The Monster Devouring Japan, is frequently used on blogs and social networks. Infamous message board 2channel even has a thread which ranks the blackest of companies in Japan.

But with all the bandying about of this phrase, one has to wonder what the legal dangers are of it. Black or not, these companies will do what it takes to protect their brand and to anyone who slaps the black business label on them, will slap back with a lawsuit.

Feb 11, 2013 by Master Blaster
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Buckle up everyone! We’re gonna talk about municipal ordinances!

We’ve all heard stories of real laws that seem to defy logic like “no petting horses on Sunday” and such. The survey addicts at MyNavi had asked people about some unusual local laws and what they got were reports of Cupid Committee’s and McMansions.

Feb 3, 2013 by Master Blaster
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It has come to RocketNews24‘s knowledge that a rare lawsuit has been filed by a formerly married couple in China. The man charged his ex-wife with the crime of “being too ugly” which apparently is just a civil offence in that area.

Now, this seems like one of those crazy-guy-makes-ridiculous-lawsuit-gets-laughed-out-of-court stories, but the man was awarded around US$100,000 in damages by the judge.

Jan 11, 2013 by Philip Kendall
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Despite the abundance of adult-oriented magazines, video and entertainment made available to those of us in Japan and the western world, it wasn’t until the end of 2012 that South-East Asian country Myanmar had an adult-only magazine of its own.

Prior to 2012, Myanmar’s magazines, books and newspapers were all bound by strict publishing laws and were often edited prior to their release by the ultra-conservative government. But thanks to changes to the law and the decision to remove the strict media sanctions, Myanmar’s publishing industry is witenessing a something of a rebirth, with the first private newspapers in more than 20 years due to go on sale later this year.

One of the first magazines to take advantage of this new, more relaxed set of laws was Hnyo – Myanmar’s first ever legally-published adult magazine. Although its content is unlikely to shock western audiences and those of us who grew up with lockable doors and access to the Internet, the magazine has caused quite a stir in its homeland, presenting erotic images and offering tips and techniques for a healthy sex life while providing information to help “boost people’s awareness of sex and sexual diseases.” Read More

Japanese Politician Takes a Stand Against Parents Naming their Children Pikachu

Nov 28, 2012 by Philip Kendall
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It’s not easy being a kid. If you’re fat the other kids make fun of you; if you’re skinny the other kids make fun of you; if you get good grades they make fun of you… Kids don’t need a genuine reason to be tease their peers; they can make one up just as easily.

But when your parents name you after their favourite thing – be it the weather on the day you were born, the place you were conceived or their favourite snack food – things get awkward for poor little Windy Latrine Butterfinger.

Although authorities have been known to intervene when parents try to call their child things like Akuma, meaning devil in Japanese, and @ as once rejected by authorities in China, the vast majority slip through the net. Since kanji, the Chinese characters used in the Japanese writing system, are based on meaning and can be read in a variety of different ways, parents giving their child a kanji-based name (some choose phonetic kana script, but this is usually just for girls) are able to choose both their child’s name and how it will be written.

For the most part, parents choose names that convey their love or hopes for their offspring, but in the land of otaku nerdism, sometimes parents just can’t help but get carried away.

Nov 5, 2012 by Philip Kendall
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As of 1 October this year, knowingly downloading copyrighted music and video in Japan became punishable by up to two years in prison and a 2 million yen (US$25,000) penalty.

The law was passed in June after the Japanese music industry, the second largest in the world after the US, reported continued financial losses, with analysts suggesting that just one in 10 downloads were legal.

Since the law came into effect, there have certainly been some changes, and many internet users have become reluctant to click that download button for fear of receiving a hefty fine, meaning that the law has been a success in a way.

According to a recent statistical survey, however, since the law was passed, sales of music in Japan have continued to fall and consumers are actually showing less interest in music than ever before…

Oct 19, 2012 by Master Blaster
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Singapore, a country famous for its strict punishments for even minor crimes, again lived up to its reputation with a new law threatening a fine of 10,000 Singaporean Dollars (US$8,000) for every single unwanted e-mail sent for the purposes of solicitation otherwise known as spam.

What this will mean for the generic medicine and penis enhancement industries in Singapore remains to be seen.