In an interview with the Observer, Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson defends his and fellow activists’ actions in the name of anti-whaling, claiming they are following a “martial code”, while the Japanese are simply “re-enacting the Second World War”.
Japan
Akerman: The government is fully beached, bro
Kevin Rudd has done nothing about Japan’s whaling for the last two years, and now this issue has once again risen from the deep, the Federal Government has been left floundering, says Piers Akerman.
Japan cuts the crap on whaling
Japan has a new government, and unlike the previous administration, this one isn’t pulling any punches on the country’s love of whale meat, says Peter Alford.
VIDEO: Ady Gil gets destroyed by Japanese whalers
A variety of videos from the Sea Shepherd’s Ady Gilcollision with the Japanese whaling ship. Did the Japanese whalers deliberately ram the boat?
The Whale War: 2010-?
The crash between Sea Shepherd boat Ady Gil and a Japanese whaler may be the catalyst for finally ending Japan and Australia’s long time feud over the legality of whaling in Australian waters. Stop diplomacy and get ready for the Whale War, argues Natalie Klein.
Turmoil on the high seas: how Australia can stop Japan
Australia still has several diplomatic and legal options it can take to try and halt Japan’s ‘scientific’ whaling, and there’s historical evidence that it wouldn’t destroy our relationship with Japan, argues Donald Rothwell.
Bartlett: Tipping point for a whale of a war
The news of a Japanese whaling ship ramming and sinking an anti-whaling Sea Shepherds boat highlights the long, bitter history between Japan and Australia over whaling. Is this boiling point? asks Andrew Bartlett.
Japan’s terrible two decades
When the bubble burst in Japan’s economy 20 years ago, it turned Japan into a land of savers, amidst dropping wages and fear of banks. Will the next decade be even more difficult financially as the growth of savings slows?
Can Latin America save Japanese electronics?
Japan’s ailing electronics industry is looking offshore to save the country from its economic woes, attempting to convince 400 million-odd South Americans to get on board with the country’s digital-TV standard in order to flog them new sets and TV phones. Will they buy in?
Too big for Japan
Are you too fat for Japan? Concerned about the prospect of an aging nation afflicted with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, Japanese lawmakers have set a maximum waistline size for anyone age 40 and older.
The correct way to eat sushi
A charmingly illustrated do-and-don’t guide to getting the most out of your sushi-eating, without offending your Japanese host. Always dip fish-side down, don’t mix wasabi in the soy sauce, and don’t stick your chopstick in the rice.
How Hello Kitty got her paws all over the world
Japan’s favourite feline, Hello Kitty, is celebrating her 35th birthday. The LA Times looks at how one cool cat went from a cute Japanese decal to a global phenom, complete with a theme park, TV series and restaurant.
Only in Japan: the Windows 7 Whopper
In an bizarre cross-marketing campaign, Burger King in Japan has created a special Whopper to celebrate the release of Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system, featuring seven quarter-pound beef patties.
revealed 
The Middle East’s secret plan to bring down the dollar
Arab states, along with China, Japan, Russia and France, have been holding secret meetings to plot a move from doing oil deals in US dollars, instead moving to a mix of the yen, yuan, euro, gold and a new, unified Arab currency.
Japan’s Sarah Palin Party
The Democratic Party of Japan has come under fire for recruiting young, attractive, female candidates, with little political or life experience — including a former erotic film star — in what critics see as a cheap and shameless attempt to broaden its appeal to voters.
Mein Kampf: the manga edition
A comic edition of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf has become a hit in Japan, with 45,000 copies being sold in six months. The manga editions of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Marx’s Das Kapital have been less popular.
busted The cruel craziness of Japan’s death row
It’s not just innocent people on death row that has Amnesty giving the Japanese legal system a swerve. Prisoners are being driven clinically insane and then executed anyway.
Question Time: is a long-winded answer better than a punch in the face?
Let’s turn to other democracies for inspiring tips on how to keep Question Time proceedings moving in a civilised way. Best to avoid South Korea though, writes Crikey intern Nina Nicoll.
Japan to cut emissions by 25%
Japan’s incoming PM Yukio Hatoyama has vowed to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by the year 2020, putting the country at the forefront of the fight against climate change. Now Japan has made the first leap, will other countries in the region *cough*Australia*cough* follow?
Malcolm Turnbull’s Japanese lesson
There is a local lesson to be learned from the Japanese election result. Like what happens when a party’s long-term decline has been masked by one leader’s success…
A sinking economy in the land of the rising sun
For all the talk of “change” in the wake of Japan’s election, one thing will remain the same: the country’s economic woes, with growing national debt and few innovative ideas from the incoming Democratic Party oh how to tame it.
Change Japan can believe in
After almost 54 years of uninterrupted rule by the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan, the winds of change swept the Democratic Party of Japan to an overwhelming victory in yesterday’s election.
Meet Japan’s new Prime Minister
The Guardian profiles Japan’s new Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, heir to a political dynasty and now a strong mandate from the Japanese public. Yet, according to one expert, expectations are not high for him as a leader.
Sheridan: Japan’s election could be pivotal for Australia
Japan is Australia’s largest export market and the biggest Asian investor in Australia. Will Japan’s big moment of change be one for Australia, too? asks Greg Sheridan.
