Take a dive inside Taiwan’s vibrant cosplay scene with two ‘otokonoko’ cosplayers.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/01/14
By: Patrick

At cosplay events, it is very common to see people dressed as characters such as warriors, robots and female mages. However, in recent years, in addition to the standard anime characters, a subculture called “otokonoko,” in which males dress as cute female characters, has emerged, with some turning out to be even cuter female cosplayers. This has led to a popular sentiment: “They’re so cute, they must be a guy.”

For this article, The News Lens interviewed two “otokonoko” cosplayers, Yen-yen (炎炎) and Chih-chi (芷祈), about the current situation surrounding “otokonoko” within the Taiwanese cosplay scene.

What does ‘otokonoko’ represent?
When trying to understand the diverse culture of “otokonoko,” a good place to start is the definition of the Chinese term weiniang (偽娘), which can be interpreted as something close to “female impersonator.”

However, Yen-yen and Chih-chi, who often “crossplay” as otokonoko at cosplay events, have different views on the definition of the term. Yen-yen believes the Chinese term represents the desire of ​​“wanting to wear women’s clothes and look feminine,” and that it does not really refer to gender identity or orientation. Yen-yen used himself as an example, as he identifies as a straight male both physically and psychologically. It’s just that cross-dressing is an interest of his.    [FULL  STORY]

 

330,000 gift pouches will be given away in person by the president and vice president during the New Year’s holidays

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/14
By: Teng Pei-ju,Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Presidential Office unveiled on Monday the design for Lunar New Year’s couplet, red envelope, and gift pouch, all of which will be given away as a tradition to celebrate the coming Lunar New Year’s holidays with the public.

In celebration of the Year of the Pig, designers Tian Xiu-quan (田修銓) and Hu You-ming (胡祐銘) took inspiration of pigs and the word “blessing” in Mandarin. Their design for the red envelope thus symbolizes good luck and the notion that “everything will be all right.”

The spring couplet, printed with the signature of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), reads “Happy New Year” in Mandarin. The greeting, which almost every one uses to wish people a happy New Year, was originally composed by President Tsai’s calligrapher Yang Shu-wan (楊淑婉).

In addition to the appearance of a golden pig and message symbolizing good luck on the outside, the presidential gift pouch, designed this year by Chen Pei-chi (陳佩琦), features the sunrise scenery of Yushan and bouquets of peony and chrysanthemum flowers on the inside pages, to represent a good start, prosperity, as well as affluence.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/14
By: Wei Shu, Jeffrey Wu and Frances Huang

Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a government-sponsored high-tech applied research institution in Taiwan, said on Monday that users of China-based Huawei Technologies Co. will be banned from gaining access to ITRI’s internal network for the sake of information security.

As several countries have banned the use of equipment provided by Huawei due to national security concerns, ITRI said that for the same reason, the institution has decided users of Huawei’s smartphones, notebook computers and other equipment will not be allowed to access ITRI’s internal network, starting from Tuesday noon.

However, ITRI said, the institution’s website, which is open for the public to log onto, will continue to be available to users of Huawei’s products.

ITRI’s internal network accommodates plenty of the institution’s research results and know-how, so there have been concerns over information security caused by access through the Chinese brand’s products.    [FULL  STORY]

Wu is one of many Cabinet members who will stay on under new Premier Su Tseng-chang.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/01/13
By: Nick Aspinwall

Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said today he will remain in his position after being asked to do so by new Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).

Wu announced his decision on Twitter shortly after Cabinet spokesperson Kolas Yotaka said she would retain her position as spokeswoman for the Executive Yuan amid a flurry of other confirmed and speculated Cabinet changes.

In his Sunday evening tweet: Wu said: “I was asked by Premier Su to stay on as [foreign minister] to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty & the rights of the people. I said yes.”

I was asked by Premier Su to stay on as FM to defend #Taiwan’s sovereignty & the rights of the people. I said yes.    [FULL  STORY]

Tsai’s re-election bid at risk as new local leaders seek closer mainland ties

Nikkei Asian Review
Date: January 13, 2019
By: Cheng Ting Fang and Lauly Li, Nikkei staff writers

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Hotelier PK Yang Cheng-chen rode a tourism boom for nearly a decade, thanks to a stream of wealthy Chinese visitors. But his business plans began to unravel after President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016.

“Demand fell off a cliff over the past two years,” Yang told the Nikkei Asian Review. “Most of my local hotel peers are losing money and are even considering exiting the business.”

Beijing responded to the election of Tsai — from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party — by taking measures such as withholding visas to hurt Taiwan’s economy. Chinese visitors to the island have almost halved, forcing Yang to put up for sale two of his three hotels in Taiwan’s south.

But another political twist has put the entrepreneur’s selling plans on hold.
[FULL  STORY]

The field beside the Takeshi Kaneshiro tree is the most popular on Sunday, thanks to the popularity of the tree named after the famous actor

Taiwan News 
Date: 2019/01/13
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taitung’s Chihshang Township (池上鄉) is holding a competition for the most popular field of canola flowers, which were planted as green manure after the second crop of rice was harvested, according to a Central News Agency report on Sunday.

Beautiful canola flowers are visible to travelers entering Chihshang from either the north side or the south side of Provincial Highway 9, the report said.

Canola plants on some fields have been turned over, but others still remain picturesque, CNA reported.

Chihshang Township Office hopes the beautiful seas of canola flowers can last through this year’s long Lunar New Year holiday or as long as possible to attract tourists to the area.
(By Central News Agency)

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/13
By: Yeh Su-ping, Ku Chuan, Elizabeth Hsu, Frances Huang and William 
Yen

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka will remain in her position at the Executive Yuan after new Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) asked her to stay, she announced Sunday.

In an interview that day, Kolas said she had a meeting with Su Saturday at which he asked her to stay.

Kolas Yotaka is a member of the indigenous Amis tribe and was a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator-at-large before being appointed spokesperson by former Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in mid-July.    [FULL  STORY]

SCHOOL MARKER: A former principal at a Hsinchu County school said that the etched rock had been hidden amid weeds for years before he rediscovered it

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 14, 2019
By: Liao Hsueh-ju  /  Staff reporter

Historians on Saturday called on the Hsinchu County Government to designate an etched

rock at Emei Elementary School in Hsinchu County as a historical artifact, saying that the 91-year-old anniversary marker has important historical value.

The monument was set up in 1928 for the school’s 30th anniversary, but had been left untended until it was rediscovered 20 years ago, covered in moss and weeds.

The Hsinchu County Bureau of Cultural Affairs said the stone monument was inspected about 10 years ago, while its Cultural Heritage Division makes non-scheduled visits to check its condition from time to time and the school does a good job of preserving it.

The division said that requests to designate it as a historical monument would be reviewed in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法).

At the school’s 120th anniversary in October last year, Chiang Hsin-chi (姜信淇), a retired former principal of the school, said he found a photograph of the monument while preparing for the school’s 100th anniversary in 1998.    [FULL  STORY]