Japanese Style Erections

This is how Japanese politicians try to get votes- sitting outside restaurants and cafes with trucks laden with loudspeakers. After they ruin everyone's dinner they drive off to annoy other innocent diners. Unfortunately, Japanese law prohibits T.V. attack adds, which we all know is how elections are fought and won in other modern democracies.

Jury Trials Return to Japan- What's Good for Guantanamo...

After half a century of trials by judges only, Japan has returned to a (kind of) jury trial system. In the new format, three judges will be joined by six lay-persons to decide the fate of Japanese defendants. While juries will only be used in certain cases, there is some concern among prosecutors that changing the system might compromise the current 99% conviction rate in Japanese courts. Forced confessions at the hands of police while refusing suspects access to defense lawyers will continue unimpeded, however.

Honda to Move Motorcycle Production from Japan to Thailand

Honda, the worlds largest motorcycle manufacturer plans to stop making their popular bikes in Japan, and instead import them into Japan from Thailand. The move is expected to lower the typical price of a motorcycle for Japanese consumers by about $1500. This move is similar to what American auto makers did over the past several decades when they moved manufacturing plants first to Canada, then Mexico to reduce the cost Americans pay for Fords and Buicks. While the quality of U.S. automobiles was crap even before they started getting made in Mexican shanty towns, some Japanese are worried that Honda's reputation for quality might suffer if it moves production to Thailand, where they have a completely different concept of motorcycle riding:

Japan to be More Assertive- Asks for Washington's O.K. First

The conservative Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is poised to win the August elections and strip the even more conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of their 54-year hold on power. They say Japan has put up with confusing, antithetical political party names for too long. Their first order of business, leaders say, is to not change anything at all.