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Dr. Bono at Keio University | May 28, 2008 |
 You can now call him "Dr. Bono." The U2 frontman is in Japan this week to participate in the TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) IV meeting of Japan and African nations, which is being held in Yokohama from May 28-30. But yesterday he was at the prestigious Keio University to receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for his humanitarian work. In a lecture to 900 students, he said, "I believe in this country. The world needs your involvement." He urged Japan to double its aid to Africa by 2012 and recapture its position as the global leader in overseas development. The country was the biggest provider of overseas aid in the early 1990s but has since lost much of that generosity. "The world is watching Japan as the G8 (summit) approaches, and it's not good news." Keio freshman Watanabe Michitake, who admitted he isn't a U2 fan, said Bono's words opened his eyes to issues he had never considered. "He's an amazing person. It's really incredible that he doesn't seem to be confined by traditional frameworks like race or religion."
• Some big names have been announced to the cast of Miyazaki Hayao's latest anime feature. "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" will feature Amami Yuki (40) and Tokoro Joji (53) as the parents of the fish Ponyo who longs to be human. Yamaguchi Tomoko (43) and Nagashima Kazushige (42) will provide the voices of the parents of Sousuke, the boy she falls in love with. The lead roles will be played by youngsters Nara Yurina (8) and Doi Hiroki (8). Both kids already have several years of TV, stage and commercial experience but this is the first movie for both.
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