Japanese films finishes runnerup at Cannes

In France, big film festival, the Cannes Film Festival was opened, then Japanese film got great award in the year, 60th anniversary of Cannes. This time, the film of top award was "4 Months , 3 Weeks and 2 Days" by Romanian, Christian Mungiu, on the other hand, "Mogari no Mori" by Japanese director, Naomi Kawase won Grand Prix which follows top prize in the Cannes. On the whole, in this year's Cannes, low-budget films and made by not well-known but unknown directors films were outstanding. Then a jury who chose good movies with other members in competition said that the movie was selected as a valuable one would give good stimulation to future films.

Reference: The Japan Times, May 29, "Japanese films finishes runnerup at Cannes"

IEA to urge China, India to do more to save energy

The IEA, International Energy Agency, will try to consider problems whoich are global worming, wasting resources and so on with nonmember nations, mainly China and India. These countries are growing rapidly in economics, and industry, so other countries, IEA menbers, worry about pollution and energy conservation.

But this is a good time to extend the member of IEA, because IEA is composed of only 26 nations. The number is not enough to save our planet.

Downlowded from: "Daily Yomiuri Online"

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20070511TDY04004.htm

China launches Nigerian satellite

There are growing new rellationship between two countries, China and Africa.In these days, China constracts friendly co-operation with nations in Africa, so its country imports some materials from African countries and provides the skill of China. For example, Nigeria bought a Chinese technology about outer space, then the satellite which Nigeria perchased was successfully launched. However there are high level of poverty in Nigeria, so China and Nigeria have to do not only economic co-operation but improving poverty rate.

Downloaded from:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6653067.stm

Japanese Constitution

Recently, new bill that modifying the Constitution needs two- thirds of affirmative members from both Diet and support of half voter in Japan would pass, then in the 60th anniversary of Constitution, we especially have to consider Article 9 which we should dicide to change or not.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intend to change the Constitution for "Departure from the postwar regime" , so he and his party, Liberal Democratic Party, think that current the Constitution is out of date, moreover it prevents people from loving Japan, because the Constitution was imposed by GHQ. On the other hand, in the 50th anniversary of the Constitution, the late Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto didn't refer to the Constitution change or not, and swore the contribution to peace and prosperity around the world under the Constitution. Exactly we never change Article 9, section 1 about renouncing war, and section 2 about never keeping army, but if the Constitution were modified, without hurrying both Diet and people should consider really careful.

Downloaded from The Japan Times May 3
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070503f3.html

Nagasaki Mayor shot by gangster

The Japan Times http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/nn20070418a1.html

In Nagasaki, the mayor was killed by a gangster, so this is a too dangerous for democracy. When the mayor of Nagasaki, Itcho Ito, was campaigning for an election of forth term, a gangster Tetsuya Shiroo shot him twice, then Ito was dead in April 18. In fact there were alike affairs happened in Nagasaki in 1990 when Hitoshi Motoshima had been shot and wounded by a rightwing, because he had criticized Emperor Hirohito. What is more, recently 2006, the house of Koichi Kato was fired by a rightwing, for he had condemned a pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine of Jyunichirou Koizumi. Then Shiroo said the reason why he killed Ito is that he had a trouble which is between him and the Municipal Government. His reason was not a political reason, like affairs of Motoshima or Kato, but a private reason.