Japan

LOS ANGELES — “The Cove,” a documentary about the yearly dolphin hunt in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, won the Oscar for best documentary feature at the nationally televised Academy Awards ceremony on March 7.

A brief acceptance speech was given by producer Fisher Stevens. "I just want to say that it was an honor to work on this film and to try to make an entertaining film that also tries to enlighten everybody," he said.

TIBURON — The Tiburon International Film Festival, to be held March 18 to 26, is an annual event that seeks to provide a greater understanding of the world and its many cultures through the artistic medium of film, and through top-quality films from around the world.

The Japan Society of Northern California will co-present the U.S. premiere of director Hiroshi Toda’s “Frog” on Wednesday, March 24, at 5:50 p.m. at the Tiburon Playhouse Theater, 40 Main St.

Since 1996, Benten Tokyo and SXSW Asia Rep have held a yearly showcase called Japan Nite U.S. Tour, introducing countless Japanese artists to the world.

This year will mark its 14th anniversary. The performers’ unique character and variety of style have won the acclaim of many, and Japan Nite evolved each year to become one of the most popular showcases in SXSW (South by Southwest) in Texas.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Nissan North America (NNA) on March 2 announced recalls to inspect and, if necessary, repair brake pedal pins and fuel-gauge components on certain trucks and minivans. No accidents or injuries have been reported with these issues.

“At Nissan, we’re committed to the safety and satisfaction of our customers. We regret any inconveniences that our customers may experience as we take these precautions,” said Kevin Martin, vice president of total customer satisfaction for NNA.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) on Feb. 23 questioned a senior Toyota executive appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on the pending closure of the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) auto plant in Fremont.

During his questioning of James Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., McNerney expressed his deep concern that Toyota has not made a concerted effort to explore all options to keep the NUMMI plant open.

WASHINGTON — Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation, testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), on Feb. 24 to address concerns about the safety of Toyota vehicles. Following is his prepared testimony.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced March 2 that Daiso Holding USA Inc., Daiso Seattle LLC of Seattle, and Daiso California LLC of Hayward have agreed to pay a $2.05 million civil penalty and stop importing children's products and toys into the U.S.

Due to alleged violations of federal safety laws, the company must now demonstrate to the commission that it has sufficient knowledge of and is in compliance with CPSC safety standards and testing requirements.

STANFORD — Stanford University Baseball welcomes Rikkyo University of Tokyo for a special exhibition game on Tuesday, March 2, at 2:30 p.m. at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond on campus.

Admission and parking are free. Gates open one hour prior to first pitch. Sunken Diamond is located just off El Camino Real, near the south end of Stanford's football stadium.

Rikkyo, also known as St. Paul's University, is one the "Big Six" schools of Japanese college baseball, and is the alma mater of Yomiuri Giants legend Shigeo Nagashima.

VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theater dedicated to Japanese film, has announced a variety of notable screenings, festivals, lectures and other special events to be held throughout the month of March.

Yakuza Night Fever

New activities kick off on Friday, March 5, with “Tokyo Scope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films.” Come celebrate the launch of Japanese pop culture critic and Otaku USA Editor-in-Chief Patrick Macias’s new film/lecture series.

Kanrin Maru was the first ship sent to America by the Japanese government. The ship's mission was to escort the USS Powhatan, which carried the first Japanese embassy to America, from Japan to San Francisco.