There is another brewing discourse, or maybe more appropriately another hot debate, circulating among net web blogs and news sources, especially of Korean and Japanese authors, this time about the usage of a map depicting the body of water in between Korea and Japan as the “Sea of Japan” in globally televised Beijing Olympic closing ceremony. See the map above. As you may know, Koreans are quite touchy when you call that sea in between, “Sea of Japan.”

South Korea claims that that name was a colonial heritage of the Imperial Japan, and proposes to rename the sea with “East Sea”, reffering of course to the sea east of Korea. On the other hand, North Korea, which is more bullish on the matter, wants the sea to be called “East Sea of Korea”. Now, South Korea seems set to protest this event to China, thereby politicizing a normal Olympic relay and inflaming nationalist sentiments among citizens of both Koreans and Japanese once more, as if there is not much flame going on already between the two countries.

Masahiko Komura, Japan’s Foreign Minister admitted that China requested Japan to keep silent about the new information on dumpling poisoning that also hit Chinese consumers this July. Komura said the government went along with the request. Meanwhile, the same incident here in Japan remains hanging without a clear verdict, though we probably know now where the root of the problem originated. The Japan Times has the full content of the interview with the minister, an excerpt is provided below:

The Foreign Ministry had been criticized when media reports revealed Wednesday that it had sat on the information for a month, including that the pesticide in both nations’ outbreaks was the same.

Frozen Chinese gyoza containing methamidophos caused food poisonings in Japan in December and January, which instigated investigations in both China and Japan. The two sides have been in disagreement over where the dumplings were contaminated with pesticide.

During the interview Thursday, Komura claimed China informed Japan of its domestic poisonings, from gyoza made by the same manufacturer, but asked the information to be withheld due to concerns over the ongoing investigation.

“We respected China’s request to keep the information undisclosed,” Komura said.

Oman put considerably more pressure on Japan than they did a couple of days ago to get a deserved draw while Japanese striker Okubo got a straight red card for kicking the Omani goalkeeper in the second half. Pretty stupid move. Japan stays on second place behind Bahrain.