Here are the top 10 news stories this year from Japan:

Number 1 - Tainted Chinese Gyoza in Japan -  Ultimately only 10 people were diagnosed as suffering from organophosphate poisoning from dumplings imported to Japan from China but upwards of 3,000 people claimed to have symptoms.  2008 also saw food scandals over tainted rice, mislabeled eel products and a high-end restaurant in Osaka was caught serving left overs.

Number 2 – The resignation of Prime Minister Fukuda in September was closely followed by the election of Taro Aso to the same position.

Number 3 – Two Japanese born scientists received Nobel Peace Prize for Physics along with one American of Japanese descent.

Number 4 – Japan takes home 9 Olympic Gold medals at 2008 Beijing Summer Games.  The sports that japan dominated were Women’s Softball, Women’s Wrestling (2 wieight divisions), Men’s Swimming (Kosuke Kitajima took home two gold) and Judo (2 each in the men’s and women’s divisions).

Number 5 – Seven people were killed and more were injured in a random Akihabara knife attack in June.

Number 6 - A health insurance plan for Japan’s elderly was implemented in April.  The plan requires those over 75 to pay monthly premiums of up to USD 60 which some say they cannot afford.

Number 7 - A man, apparently holding a grudge over the euthanization of childhood pet, killed two ex-bureaucrats in November.

Number 8 - The struggling economy was headline news around the world and Japan was no exception when the Nikkei index lost almost a quarter of it’s value in one week.

Number 9 - A June 14th a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures left 13 dead and 10 unaccounted for.

Number 10 - The G8 Toyako summit held in Hokkaido showcased one of Japan’s most beautiful regions.

The Daily Yomiuri Online pulled this list together and offers further insight into the top news stories of 2008 in Japan and around the world.

Image Credit:  Flickr, {11-21} gyoza at truckstop gyoza

Big brother is watching from Tokyo’s Billboards – a whole new way to capture demographic information for advertisers.

Yoko Ono recently visited Japan and Alfie Goodrich of Japanorama got the photo shoot.  Alfie also went to the John Lennon Museum in Saitama and captured some great images that are a pleasure to share with you.

The Japan Times reports on times gone by – if you want to learn abut what was making the news 100, 50 or 25 years ago in Japan then you should take the time to read Burning temples, busted black marketeers, golf boom and discriminatory bookshop.

If you are a woman and live with your in-laws in Japan then you have a greater risk of heart disease. I guess Mother-in-law issues transcend borders…

Check out the list of products from Japan that won Good Design Awards in 2008.  Automobiles, housing, and technology products all made the list.

Living a no-waste lifestyle in Japan – small towns and big companies like Toyota are getting into the act but that isn’t helping the ecosystem, known as satoyama (a place where humans and nature coexist) in Japan and brought to the forefront of the nations consciousness by the anime film My Neighbor Totoro .

Congratulations to Thomas at Nihon Hacks for surpassing 1000 RSS readers.  If you haven’t heard of his site before, you really need to check it out – it features great tips on how to get things done, save money and lot’s of other fun and interesting Japan related hacks.

Lastly, if you missed it you may want to take a moment to view what some Japan Bloggers see when they look out the window in Japan.

To find more great articles about Japan consider joining me at JapanSoc.  If it’s about Japan and it’s being read or talked about on the internet you will find it at JapanSoc.

Tokyotopia presents an interview with Atsushi Nakamura, or Ats, the founder of Cycle Tokyo.  He talk about cycling in Tokyo and how the city is very small when touring via bicycle.  He says, “believe it or not, central Tokyo is within a 5-10km radius, which is a very short distance on a bike”.

If you are visiting Japan and need to bring hostess gifts or presents for your colleagues (omiyage in Japanese) you will want to read through Tokyo Mango’s list of gift ideas.  Her list is specific to New York but the principles can be applied to almost any city.

Last week I tole you about a rare opportunity to enter Japan’s Imperial Palace in honor of Emperor Akihito’s birthday on December 23rd.  He will be 75 this year and has recently had to scale back his public appearances and official duties due to health issues and reported controversy in Japan’s royal family.

With the end of the year comes some great warp-ups and What Japan Thinks presents Yahoo! Japan’s “Best of 2008″ which lists the most clicked headlines of the year.

Paper-making traditions have survived for centuries at the World Heritage site of Gokayama in Japan.   The article presents an accompanying paper-making video that is very interesting and informative.  Did you know that there are 13 steps required to make paper and that the process takes a week to complete?  Watch the video and the read about the beauty of washi right here at The Nihon Sun.

Oscar winning animator, Hayao Miyazaki, of “Ponyo On the Cliff by the Sea” fame, spoke at a rare press conference in Tokyo at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan on November 20th.  Tony McNicol took some great photos and The Japan Times reports on the event in an article titled “An audience with Miyazaki, Japan’s animation king”

Japanese is home to 4 of the top 10 spots in a survey by London-based ECA International ranking the most expensive places for expatriates to live.  Tokyo comes in at #2 followed by Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe.

Visit the Universal Citywalk Osaka, the shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to Universal Studios Japan to check out Japanese robot guides in action.

The Japanese are fascinated by blood types – what does your blood type say about you?  I’m apparently a strong-willed samurai.

An American chef, Ivan Orkin from New York, served delicious homemade Ramen out of his restaurant, Ivan Ramen, in Tokyo’s Setagaya ward.  I wonder if he will ever make and serve Ramen burgers?   Enjoy this video from Reuters:

To find more great articles about Japan consider joining me at JapanSoc.  If it’s about Japan and it’s being read or talked about on the internet you will find it at JapanSoc.

Is Harajuku in peril?  International brand-name chain stores like H&M and Gap are stating to take over the streets of Harajuku and even Elvis is being forced to relocate due to increased rental rates in the area.

If you look at historical maps of Tokyo you would learn that Roppongi Hills is where the warriors of the Ako clan committed ritual suicide and that the Odaiba area was part of the ocean.  Historical maps of old Edo help people find find pockets of old Edo in the streets of modern Tokyo (found via Japan Probe).

Looking for Christmas gifts in Tokyo?  The Japan Times offers a guide to the shops of Asakusabashi, part Tokyo’s Shitamachi (old downtown).  Also do some research on Japan inspired gifts for foodies that can be put together with a quick trip to the local supermarket or department store.

A Japanese salary man recently published a poem stating that “The only warmth in my life is the toilet seat.”  Check out some of the cool features that today’s Japanese toilets have to offer.

Makoto Yoshitani is the creator of a popular manga “Otaryman”. The comic book title is a apt combination of two words: “salaryman,” the internationally known word for a loyal, hardworking company employee, and “otaku,” a word often used to describe a socially inept young man obsessed with comics, computers, or anime.  In “Otaryman”, Yoshitani chronicles the existence of an office-bound young man who has zero social skills.

Do you ever wonder what it’s really like to live in Japan?  In mid-December The Nihon Sun will feature the views that many residents have from there office or residence.  Find out how you have your view feature in the article Looking Out My Window in Japan and join us – it’ won’t be all temples and shrines, that’s for sure!

To find more great articles about Japan consider joining me at JapanSoc.  If it’s about Japan and it’s being read or talked about on the internet you will find it at JapanSoc.

Image Credit: Flickr, Priceless & JapanSoc logo used with permission

Japan is becoming more dependent on foreign foods sources.  As a result waistlines are expanding and the country is relying more on imported foods to feed it’s people.  Enjoy this interesting infographic on the food crisis in Japan from Jeansnow.net.

Some gals dream of becoming a princess and some Japanese girls aim to dress like one.  This video of one Japanese woman’s quest to dress like a princess needs to be seen to be believed.

Language lovers will ant to take some time to read through the top 60 Japanese words and phrases of 2008 from Pink Tentacle.

Budget Travel features photographer Jun Takagi’s photos of Tokyo.  I like this collection as it includes some street shots along with a few traditional sightseeing destinations.

Outside Japan:

Look for a Japanese izakaya in your neighborhood.  They are the Japanese version of the tapas bar and ares one of the latest food trends to hit the west coat.  Jaunted reviews Wann Izakaya in Seattle.

Mexico City is celebrating 31 year as a sister city with Nagoya, Japan with some great events.

A Japanese man is on a layover in the Mexico City Airport – he’s been there for almost two months and can’t explain why…

Image Credit: Personal Collection

Women drink more wine than men in Japan and Japanese women are starting to take their place in the world of wine.  This article offers recommendations on where to buy good wine in Tokyo and an intriguing bit about a new wine called Oroya created especially to compliment the flavors of sushi.

On the technology front, the Japanese cell phone is a technological wonder that allow you to leave your wallet at home.  Just imagine paying for everything fro groceries to movies tickets with your cell phone – there are challenges to bringing this technology to the United States but the big players are working very hard to make it a reality.

Last year’s Michelin Guide to Tokyo awarded the city more starts than any other destination, including Paris, and even more are on the way this year.  But some restaurants refused to be cited by the guide and many believe it does not accurately reflect the dining scene in the city despite its popularity.

The Japan Tourism Agency opened on October 1st of this year and is tasked with promoting the country as a travel destination and increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan.  Some say that this is a daunting task due to the increase in the value of the Yen and other issues.  From  Mighty yen scares off the tourists:

“As a travel destination, Japan still has a reputation for being overpriced, difficult to navigate and culturally inscrutable. These are mostly myths, but myths that are easy to believe until this country has a suitable tourist infrastructure. “

This Week in Japan’s History :

November 12th via Kyodo News

In 1948, General Hideki Tojo, Japanese prime minister from 1941 to 1944, is sentenced to death by the Far Eastern Tribunal of War Crimes in Tokyo. Tojo and six other Japanese leaders were executed December 23, 1948.

In 1990, Crown Prince Akihito is enthroned as emperor of Japan, two years after the death of his father Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa.

Image Credit:  Flickr, Private outdoor onsen bath