The National Interest – February 29, 2016 – In his recent talk with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, China’s Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office Zhang Zhijun reiterated Beijing’s cross-Strait policy. Beijing will continue to uphold the 1992 Consensus, which accepts “one China” but allows strategic uncertainty surrounding its precise definition, resolutely opposes to any form of secessionist activities seeking Taiwan independence and firmly safeguards national sovereignty and territorial integrity. As Taiwan’s president-elect Tsai Ing-wen…

RocketNews24 – February 26, 2016 – Sometimes, the discomfort of a long plane or train ride isn’t so much from a lack of leg room as it is from keeping yourself seated in the same position and posture for hours on end. But unless you’re sitting in first class with one of those fancy footrests, odds are you’ve got to keep your feet planted on the ground throughout your journey, which can put a strain on your…

Green Tech Media – February 25, 2016 – Earlier this month, we covered Sunverge’s $36 million Series C round, with a big emphasis on how lead investor AGL Energy Limited planned to put the startup’s behind-the-meter battery storage systems and underlying software to use in Australia’s fast-growing solar-storage market. This week, Sunverge revealed another of its new investors — Japanese trading house Mitsui, which invested $10 million in the San Francisco, Calif.-based startup’s latest round. This investment comes with another market…

Anime News Network – Tokyo, February 22, 2016 – The idol anime follows the everyday lives of a group of “underground idols” and features the high energy performances of a live idol concert. The 3D digital animation short film uses cel-shading CG technology to achieve hand-drawn quality. Kickstarter Project URL: http://j.mp/cci-ks The Kickstarter project marks the second half of the campaign which is currently live on the Japanese crowdfunding site, Makuake. The Japanese pop culture experts at Tokyo Otaku Mode…

Business Standard – February 22, 2016 – Thousands of protesters formed a human chain around Japan’s parliament today in protest at the planned construction of a new US base on the southern island of Okinawa. Some 28,000 people, according to local media, surrounded the building holding banners reading “No more US bases in Okinawa” and “Follow the will of Okinawa”. Many wore blue, the colour symbolising support for the island. Police did not give an estimate of the…

The Star – February 18, 2016 – Volatility in currency markets will be elevated, boosting trading as investors remain fixated with the reaction of central banks to turmoil in financial markets, according to UBS Group AG. A JP Morgan Chase & Co gauge of global exchange-rate volatility surged to a four-year high of 12.5% on Feb 11 amid concern that monetary policy tools were losing their potency. The market will continue to see “heightened volatility…

Japan Today – February 17, 2016 – TOKYO — The number of foreign visitors to Japan continued to rise in January, and to the second-highest figure ever for a single month, with Chinese tourists flocking to the country thanks to the early start of the school winter vacation period, government data showed Tuesday. An estimated 1,851,800 foreigners arrived in Japan in January, up 52% from a year earlier. Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Akihiko Tamura said the surge…

The Star – February 16, 2016 – Tokyo – The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is helping developing countries by sharing technology for weather forecasts and providing them with weather observation data. Since autumn last year, the JMA has installed in nine countries – mainly in Asia – devices for a system that enables those countries to obtain observation data from Himawari-8, Japan’s new weather observation satellite. The JMA is also training weather forecasters from foreign countries. Abnormal…

The Asahi Shimbun – February 15, 2016 – “Explore Unfamiliar Japan” is a regional tourism catchphrase and what better place to do this exploration than the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture? These picturesque, remote islands are where you can discover unspoilt rural scenery, witness amazing nature, enjoy fascinating culture and meet kindhearted islanders. This is the “real Japan,” which is something much harder to find in the hustle and bustle of many big cities and towns on…

San Francisco Chronicle – February 12, 2016 – In his erudite and charming new book, “True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear” (Basic Books, $26.99), men’s fashion expert G. Bruce Boyer opines: “Ivy style remains the most enduring genre of American dress, from its early-twentieth-century origins to its evolving incarnations today.” Enduring as Ivy style is — hard to get more essential than a white Oxford shirt and rep tie — a new San…