Japan

The bow of a vessel believed to be from a 13th century Mongolian invasion attempt

Shipwreck from 13th century Mongolian invasion found off Japan

On 2 July archaeologists surveying the waters off the island of Takashima confirmed a shipwreck found here is a vessel from a 13th-century Mongolian fleet that foundered in a typhoon in a failed attempt to invade Japan.

The recently discovered ship is estimated to have been 65 feet long and around 20 feet wide and was carrying 13th-century Chinese ceramics, as well as ironware that positively identified it as a ship belonging to one of the two doomed Mongol fleets. The two invasion attempts in 1274 and 1281 ended in vain as both fleets were destroyed in typhoons.

Okinawa

Okinawa—simply saying the name has so many connotations. The island itself is huge, and yet it’s an oceanic island far from the Asian continent. It takes two and half hours to fly from Hong Kong, the closest point on mainland China, to get here.

Japanese Tuna Scandal Deepens

In what Australian officials called an outrageous fraud, Japanese fishers probably used a series of disguises for the overcatch and international investigations have found.

The fishers described southern bluefin tuna as a different species and evaded any inspection on shore, underreported the amount of the fish they caught, and imported it as different tuna either transhipped at sea from foreign vessels or in containers. In a review that the Japanese government has vetoed from public release, investigators found the fraud extended to consumer markets.

Whale curry

Asian Lunch, which says it sells 1,000-1,500 lunch boxes daily in Tokyo's business districts, will offer the meat once a week, starting Thursday with a South Asian-style keema curry. "I hope many young women will want to have it as it's healthy with high protein and low fat. It's also rich in iron," company spokeswoman Yuka Yamaguchi said. The firm is also hoping to attract young men who have never tasted the meat before, she said, adding that 600 servings had been prepared for its debut at a cost of 650 to 700 yen (6 to 6.5 dollars).