GotJapan

Humanoid robot HRP-2 Promet takes a can of juice from a refrigerator after receiving a verbal command from a human operator during a demonstration at AIST in Tsukuba.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi receives an Asashoryu doll from the Mongolian sumo grand champion at an award ceremony for the Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize. Asashoryu won the prize which is awarded each year to the individual or group that is deemed to have made the largest contribution to professional sports in Japan.

TOKYO — Livedoor Co President Takafumi Horie will step down to take responsibility for alleged securities law violations at the start-up company, Livedoor said Tuesday, a day after he was arrested.

Livedoor said it named Kozo Hiramatsu, its senior vice president, as new president, during a board meeting in the afternoon. Hiramatsu, 60, is now also president of Yayoi Co, an accounting software firm that became part of the Livedoor group in 2004. Livedoor officials said Horie remains as a Livedoor director as the company has yet to accept a resignation letter from him.

Young women look at thousands of prayers offered by students at Meiji Shrine. The prayers are for success in their entrance exams.

College entrance is based largely on the scores that students achieved in entrance examinations (jap. nyūgaku shiken 入学試験). Private institutions accounted for nearly 80 % of all university enrollments in 1991, but with a few exceptions, the public national universities are the most highly regarded. This distinction had its origins in historical factors–the long years of dominance of the select imperial universities, such as Tokyo and Kyoto universities, which trained Japan’s leaders before the war–and also in differences in quality, particularly in facilities and faculty ratios. In addition, certain prestigious employers, notably the government and select large corporations, continue to restrict their hiring of new employees to graduates of the most esteemed universities. There is a close link between university background and employment opportunity. Because Japanese society places such store in academic credentials, the competition to enter the prestigious universities is keen. In addition, the eighteen-year-old population is still growing, increasing the number of applicants.

Model Yuri Ebihara, 26, shows off McDonald’s Ebi Filet-O shrimp burger in front of Shibuya’s 109 building. The burger goes on the regular menu this week after a trial run.

YOKOHAMA — Pop duo Puffy, who have been gaining fans in the United States for an animation featuring them, were appointed Monday as goodwill ambassadors to the United States to promote tourist visits to Japan.

Ami Onuki, 32, and Yumi Yoshimura, 30, received their letter of appointment from Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kazuo Kitagawa as part of the government’s “Visit Japan Campaign” to increase the number of foreign tourists to Japan. “Please tell the people the good parts of Japan when you go to the United States,” said Kitagawa, and Onuki replied, “That’s a big job.”

TOKYO — Events are being held across Japan on Monday to celebrate Coming-of-Age Day, but the number of those who turned 20 years old has fallen by 70,000 from the year before to 1.43 million, the second lowest figure on record.

The number accounts for 1.12% of Japan’s total population, matching an all-time low marked in 1987. According to government figures, about 730,000 men and 700,000 women turned 20, the age in Japan that marks one’s entry into adulthood.

Seijin shiki (成人式) is the Japanese coming-of-age ceremony. It is held annually on Coming-of-Age Day (成人の日, seijin no hi), the second Monday in January. Festivities include ceremonies held at local and prefectural offices and parties amongst family and friends to celebrate passage into adulthood.

The age of majority in Japan is 20. The seijin shiki covers all those who will reach this age during the current school year, which runs between April and the following March. The ceremony is generally held in the morning at local city offices and all young adults who maintain residency in the area are invited to attend. Government officials give speeches, and small presents are handed out to the new adults.

Many women celebrate this day by wearing furisode (振袖), a special kind of kimono. Since most are unable to put on a kimono by themselves due to the intricacies involved in putting one on, many choose to visit a beauty salon to dress and to set their hair. A full set of formal clothing is expensive, so it is usually either inherited or rented rather than being bought specially for the occasion. While men sometimes also wear traditional dress (dark kimono or hakama), most men now wear business suits instead.

After the ceremony, the young adults often gather in groups and go to parties or go out drinking. Young women not used to wearing the slippers (zori) can often be seen limping as the afternoon wears on and evening approaches. Later in the evening, it is not unusual to see wobbly young adults staggering in the trains, heading happily home after a day of celebration.