Current Events - July 3 (August 27th)

(These are really late, so I did current events for this week instead of the week I was originally assigned.)

Arudou, Debitou. "In Wake of Charlottesville, U.S. Should Follow Japan and Outlaw Hate Speech." The Japan Times. N.p., 23 Aug. 2017. Web. 27 Aug. 2017.

While reflecting upon the events in Charlottesville, this article also give a context and perspective of the modern hate speech in Japan. In the 2000s and early 2010s, Japan was host to many hate rallies and politicians speaking against foreign minorities, much like the United States is today. In 2016, Japan passed a law banning hate speech (specifically to protect foreign minorities). This improved the political climate in Japan, and the article argues that the United States needs to follow in its footsteps in order to reign in hate groups.

"‘Cycle trains’ eyed to revive Hokkaido railway” The Japan News. The Yomiuri Shimbun, 27 Aug. 2017. Web. 27 Aug. 2017.

A train line in Hokkaido is hoping to improve passenger numbers by adding the ability to have passengers carry their bicycles onboard in the “ready to ride” state. The current policy requires passengers to carry their bicycles in a bike bag while on the train. Over 1000 km of the JR Hokkaido railway is at risk of being scrapped if they don’t improve business. The “cycle trains” are not only for a commuter purpose (the 250+ km route runs Asahikawa to Wakkanai), but would also be in  the hopes of turning the route into a tourist attraction.