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	<title>The Japan Times &#187; Mami Maruko</title>
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	<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp</link>
	<description>News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More</description>
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		<item>
		<title>Beninese ambassador brings TV star power to diplomacy</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/voices/beninese-ambassador-brings-tv-star-power-to-diplomacy/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=beninese-ambassador-brings-tv-star-power-to-diplomacy</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/voices/beninese-ambassador-brings-tv-star-power-to-diplomacy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ambassador]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zomahoun Rufin]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Beninese Ambassador Zomahoun Rufin says — half-jokingly — his dream is “to become the next Japanese prime minister.” ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/30/voices/beninese-ambassador-brings-tv-star-power-to-diplomacy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tokyo puts Tohoku on games map, but will it be enough?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/24/national/tokyo-puts-tohoku-on-games-map-but-will-it-be-enough/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=tokyo-puts-tohoku-on-games-map-but-will-it-be-enough</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/24/national/tokyo-puts-tohoku-on-games-map-but-will-it-be-enough/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Sep 2013 13:09:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2020 Olympics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tohoku]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=459394</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As Tokyo wrapped up its winning bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, one speech during the final presentation resonated with members of the International Olympic Committee. Mami Sato, a Paralympic athlete and a native of tsunami-hit Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, appeared to win the hearts of many on the committee. In her speech, Sato, [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Photographer &#8216;faces future&#8217; with portraits of centenarians</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/12/national/photographer-faces-future-with-portraits-of-centenarians/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=photographer-faces-future-with-portraits-of-centenarians</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/12/national/photographer-faces-future-with-portraits-of-centenarians/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Sep 2013 12:17:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[elderly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photographer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=454461</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The idea of getting old scares most of us. We don&#8217;t want to think about getting wrinkles, becoming bedridden or succumbing to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. Still, we must come to terms with the fact that growing old is a reality for all of us lucky enough to live long lives. German photographer Karsten Thormaehlen, 48, has [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>3-D imaging technology helps bring the past to life</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/27/national/3-d-imaging-technology-helps-bring-the-past-to-life/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=3-d-imaging-technology-helps-bring-the-past-to-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/27/national/3-d-imaging-technology-helps-bring-the-past-to-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:45:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[3D]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artifacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scanner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Todai]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Tokyo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=434653</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Imagine standing in the middle of Angkor Thom in Cambodia, located next to Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, and seeing the ancient capital come to life in its entirety in front of you in three dimensions &#8212; the way it looked back in the 12th century. This is exactly what University [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mitaka pair find flexibility key in navigating values</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/19/our-lives/mitaka-pair-find-flexibility-key-in-navigating-values/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=mitaka-pair-find-flexibility-key-in-navigating-values</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/19/our-lives/mitaka-pair-find-flexibility-key-in-navigating-values/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Aug 2013 14:02:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=431706</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Almost 33 years since their first encounter in 1980, Bill Achilles, who hails from Geneva, New York, and his wife, Michiko, from Tokyo say they share more or less the same values &#8212; by merging Japanese and American cultures. After working for eight different companies, including those in the financial industry with expertise in human [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/19/our-lives/mitaka-pair-find-flexibility-key-in-navigating-values/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Young Ethiopia envoy brings new ideas, energy</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/voices/young-ethiopia-envoy-brings-new-ideas-energy/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=young-ethiopia-envoy-brings-new-ideas-energy</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/voices/young-ethiopia-envoy-brings-new-ideas-energy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=423964</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ethiopian Ambassador Markos Tekle Rike, 34, says he has always felt a special connection between his country and Japan, although he did not have any personal interest in this country before he arrived here 2&#189; years ago. Japanese products and ways of thinking, he says, were very popular in Ethiopia when he was growing up. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/05/voices/young-ethiopia-envoy-brings-new-ideas-energy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Peruvian offers lifeline for Spanish-speaking expats</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/22/our-lives/peruvian-offers-lifeline-for-spanish-speaking-expats/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=peruvian-offers-lifeline-for-spanish-speaking-expats</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/22/our-lives/peruvian-offers-lifeline-for-spanish-speaking-expats/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jul 2013 14:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[counselor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peruvian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sonia Romero de Hara]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=415912</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sonia Romero de Hara was surprised years ago when she was woken by a phone call late at night from a Peruvian-Japanese friend living in Fussa, western Tokyo. The friend said that police officers had visited her after the local police station received a complaint from a neighbor that music being played at her house [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/22/our-lives/peruvian-offers-lifeline-for-spanish-speaking-expats/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bangladesh envoy calls for closer economic, cultural ties</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/07/09/national/bangladesh-envoy-calls-for-closer-economic-cultural-ties/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bangladesh-envoy-calls-for-closer-economic-cultural-ties</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/07/09/national/bangladesh-envoy-calls-for-closer-economic-cultural-ties/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Jul 2013 14:32:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ambassador]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bangladesh]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=408138</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While Bangladesh remains grateful to Japan for its continued support over the last four decades as a leading development partner since its 1971 independence from Pakistan, the two countries can further strengthen ties both economically and culturally, said Masud Bin Momen, Dhaka&#8217;s ambassador to Japan since November. In a Tuesday courtesy call on The Japan [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/07/09/national/bangladesh-envoy-calls-for-closer-economic-cultural-ties/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Yokohama day care centers scramble to keep kids off waiting lists</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/18/national/day-care-centers-scramble-to-keep-yokohama-kids-off-lists/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=day-care-centers-scramble-to-keep-yokohama-kids-off-lists</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/18/national/day-care-centers-scramble-to-keep-yokohama-kids-off-lists/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[day care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growth stragegy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yokohama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=385792</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the shadow of an imposing highway bypass in Yokohama, laughter and excited voices mingle in the small playground of a day care center attended by 52 children no older than 5.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/18/national/day-care-centers-scramble-to-keep-yokohama-kids-off-lists/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finnish diplomat pushes child-rearing for dads</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/18/our-lives/finnish-diplomat-pushes-child-rearing-for-dads/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=finnish-diplomat-pushes-child-rearing-for-dads</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/18/our-lives/finnish-diplomat-pushes-child-rearing-for-dads/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:02:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ikumen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mikko Koivumaa]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=385871</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For Finnish diplomat Mikko Koivumaa, being an ikumen (men who take an active role in ikuji, or child rearing) comes naturally. Hailing from a country known to have a high level of gender equality, Koivumaa says ikumen is standard practice in Finland. &#8220;In Finland, there&#8217;s a social welfare policy that enables that. Also men work [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/18/our-lives/finnish-diplomat-pushes-child-rearing-for-dads/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>ASIJ student helping women rebuild community</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/01/general/asij-student-helping-women-rebuild-community/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=asij-student-helping-women-rebuild-community</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/01/general/asij-student-helping-women-rebuild-community/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2013 15:01:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=374420</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sophia Slater, 17, felt she couldn&#8217;t just sit back and do nothing when the monster earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. So she tried to find a way a teenager like her could help, apart from giving money or donating supplies for Tohoku. About six months later, Slater decided to start [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/01/general/asij-student-helping-women-rebuild-community/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Africa fair spices up TICAD venue</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/31/national/africa-fair-spices-up-ticad-venue/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=africa-fair-spices-up-ticad-venue</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/31/national/africa-fair-spices-up-ticad-venue/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 May 2013 15:04:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TICAD2013]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=374224</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Garments and baskets woven in bright colors, spicy cuisine and energetic music played on traditional instruments are livening up the vast Pacifico Yokohama convention center in Yokohama. As a side event to the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, African Fair 2013 started Thursday and runs through the end of the conference on Monday. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/31/national/africa-fair-spices-up-ticad-venue/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Czech promoter sings way to cultural identity</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/our-lives/czech-promoter-sings-way-to-cultural-identity/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=czech-promoter-sings-way-to-cultural-identity</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/our-lives/czech-promoter-sings-way-to-cultural-identity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 15:06:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Czech Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eva Miklas Takamine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=363149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For singer Eva Miklas Takamine, who also has been head of the Czech Center in Tokyo since March, singing both Czech and Japanese songs is a way of expressing her identity. The Czech-born Miklas, 52, who began her career as a professional singer only three years ago, says she feels she doesn&#8217;t have a clear [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/14/our-lives/czech-promoter-sings-way-to-cultural-identity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Chocolate project&#8217; teaches kids volunteerism</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/02/national/chocolate-project-teaches-kids-volunteerism/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=chocolate-project-teaches-kids-volunteerism</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/02/national/chocolate-project-teaches-kids-volunteerism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2013 15:04:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[charity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[volunteers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youths]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=356742</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most Japanese teens have little exposure to issues of worldwide poverty or the volunteerism that seeks to end it. Unlike in the United States and Europe, where youths are introduced to volunteerism at a fairly young age, children here rarely have the opportunity to do volunteer work at school or in their local communities. Free [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/02/national/chocolate-project-teaches-kids-volunteerism/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>British ambassador laments his two &#8216;lost decades&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/09/general/british-ambassador-laments-his-two-lost-decades/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=british-ambassador-laments-his-two-lost-decades</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/09/general/british-ambassador-laments-his-two-lost-decades/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:14:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tim Hitchens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.K. ambassador]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=344145</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tim Hitchens, the new British ambassador to Japan, has observed with his own eyes the country&#8217;s economic transition since he first visited here as a teenager back in the 1970s. But even as Japan stumbled through economic turbulence — from the oil crisis of the 1970s to the economic bubble of the late 1980s and, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/09/general/british-ambassador-laments-his-two-lost-decades/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Green growth&#8217; tops Costa Rican envoy&#8217;s agenda</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/our-lives/green-growth-tops-costa-rican-envoys-agenda/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=green-growth-tops-costa-rican-envoys-agenda</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/our-lives/green-growth-tops-costa-rican-envoys-agenda/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:07:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ambassador]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Costa Rica]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=336709</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Costa Rican Ambassador Alvaro Cedeno Molinari says his mission here is to deliver his country&#8217;s message on green growth and renewable energy — and to develop what he describes as a green growth agenda between his country and Japan. &#8220;My agenda is not a technical one. I&#8217;m not a biologist, I&#8217;m not an engineer. I&#8217;m [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/02/our-lives/green-growth-tops-costa-rican-envoys-agenda/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Couple find happiness, plan to settle for life</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/19/our-lives/couple-find-happiness-plan-to-settle-for-life/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=couple-find-happiness-plan-to-settle-for-life</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/19/our-lives/couple-find-happiness-plan-to-settle-for-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:02:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Joerg Schnackenberg, 51, from Germany, and his wife, Teruka, 59, met in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, in 1995. Joerg, a biochemist who came to Japan right after finishing his Ph.D. at a German university, had been working at a private marine technology institute in Kamaishi for three years. Teruka, a nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) artist from [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/19/our-lives/couple-find-happiness-plan-to-settle-for-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Unable to return, Futaba residents fear becoming lost tribe</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/03/11/national/unable-to-return-futaba-residents-fear-becoming-lost-tribe/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=unable-to-return-futaba-residents-fear-becoming-lost-tribe</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/03/11/national/unable-to-return-futaba-residents-fear-becoming-lost-tribe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:05:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[3/11 2nd anniversary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evacuees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Futaba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kazo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&#038;p=263726</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Makiyasu Matsumoto, 82, worries he may never be able to return to his hometown of Futaba, which was rendered uninhabitable by the wrecked Fukushima No. 1 power plant. &#8220;I want to go back, because Futaba has been my home almost all my life. But I might have to give up on my hopes, considering the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/03/11/national/unable-to-return-futaba-residents-fear-becoming-lost-tribe/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Vets help out foreigners with ill pets</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/02/27/national/vets-help-out-foreigners-with-ill-pets/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=vets-help-out-foreigners-with-ill-pets</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/02/27/national/vets-help-out-foreigners-with-ill-pets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:06:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Foreigners with low Japanese-language ability who live in Tokyo and have pets often worry about finding proper care for their animals and medical professionals who can communicate the necessary diagnostic and treatment information. Tracey Perkins, an Australian who lives in Minato Ward with two dogs and two cats, panicked when her cat was attacked by [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/02/27/national/vets-help-out-foreigners-with-ill-pets/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Romania envoy hopes cultural affinity boosts ties</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/26/voices/romania-envoy-hopes-cultural-affinity-boosts-ties/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=romania-envoy-hopes-cultural-affinity-boosts-ties</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/26/voices/romania-envoy-hopes-cultural-affinity-boosts-ties/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:01:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ambassador]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Radu Serban]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Romania]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=180672</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Romanian Ambassador Radu Serban is a veteran diplomat with a mission to promote economic ties with Japan. But the envoy, 61, has another agenda — promoting cultural and educational exchanges, which ties into his personal love of Japanese literature, especially haiku. Serban&#8217;s love of haiku and admiration for Japanese haiku poets, including the Edo Period [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/26/voices/romania-envoy-hopes-cultural-affinity-boosts-ties/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Journey to Kenya turns writer&#8217;s life on its head, spurs Africa fascination</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/19/our-lives/journey-to-kenya-turns-writers-life-on-its-head-spurs-africa-fascination/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=journey-to-kenya-turns-writers-life-on-its-head-spurs-africa-fascination</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/19/our-lives/journey-to-kenya-turns-writers-life-on-its-head-spurs-africa-fascination/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michio Hiraiwa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photographer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writer]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[It was a single visit to Kenya in 1972 that completely changed Michio Hiraiwa&#8217;s philosophy on life. He fell in love with the country, and visited there 150 times over the past 40 years. Once a workaholic, Hiraiwa says he now leads a stress-free and relaxed life, visiting Kenya and Tanzania four times a year [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/02/19/our-lives/journey-to-kenya-turns-writers-life-on-its-head-spurs-africa-fascination/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Preparing the foreign community for Japan&#8217;s next big natural disaster</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/29/events/preparing-the-foreign-community-for-japans-next-big-natural-disaster/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=preparing-the-foreign-community-for-japans-next-big-natural-disaster</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/29/events/preparing-the-foreign-community-for-japans-next-big-natural-disaster/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:06:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Disaster preparedness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earthquake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tsunami]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[For newcomers to Japan, especially those who come from countries that don’t experience frequent earthquakes, preparing for natural disasters like the megaquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku region on March 11, 2011, may not come so easily.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Canadian has English-language rakugo dream</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/14/our-lives/canadian-has-english-language-rakugo-dream/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=canadian-has-english-language-rakugo-dream</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/14/our-lives/canadian-has-english-language-rakugo-dream/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:12:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Katsura Sunshine wants to spread the world of rakugo (traditional comic storytelling) to people all over the world, including his home country Canada, by delivering English-translated versions. The 42-year-old Slovenian-Canadian, who was given the stage name from his master, Katsura Bunshi, after three years of apprenticeship, has already performed in Canada twice since last year. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/14/our-lives/canadian-has-english-language-rakugo-dream/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Online English studies benefit Japanese, Filipinos</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/08/our-lives/online-english-studies-benefit-japanese-filipinos/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=online-english-studies-benefit-japanese-filipinos</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/08/our-lives/online-english-studies-benefit-japanese-filipinos/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/08/%community_category%/online-english-studies-benefit-japanese-filipinos/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mohammad Moin tries to realize what he calls &#8220;intellectual fair trade&#8221; through his operation of an online English conversation school for Japanese — all taught by Filipino teachers. The inexpensive English lessons are offered to Japanese students via Skype, while at the same time giving employment opportunities to Filipinos — most of whom have graduated [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/01/08/our-lives/online-english-studies-benefit-japanese-filipinos/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finns eagerly embracing things Japanese: envoy</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/25/our-lives/finns-eagerly-embracing-things-japanese-envoy/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=finns-eagerly-embracing-things-japanese-envoy</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/25/our-lives/finns-eagerly-embracing-things-japanese-envoy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:01:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Santa Claus, Moomin, contemporary design and saunas may be the things that come to mind when Japanese think of Finland. What may be less widely known is that the two countries have been strengthening cultural and educational ties in recent years. More and more Finns are traveling to and studying in Japan, and vice versa. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/25/our-lives/finns-eagerly-embracing-things-japanese-envoy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dutchman keeps paper-making traditions alive at his Shikoku studio</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/22/our-lives/dutchman-keeps-paper-making-traditions-alive-at-his-shikoku-studio/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=dutchman-keeps-paper-making-traditions-alive-at-his-shikoku-studio</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/22/our-lives/dutchman-keeps-paper-making-traditions-alive-at-his-shikoku-studio/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:01:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Rogier Uitenboogaart, who has been charmed by the world of washi (traditional Japanese paper) for the past three decades — especially its deep relationship with nature and people&#8217;s everyday lives — is trying to help preserve both nature and the traditional craft in this country. &#8220;I&#8217;m enchanted by the abundance of nature in this country [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/22/our-lives/dutchman-keeps-paper-making-traditions-alive-at-his-shikoku-studio/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bolster energy, security ties: top French envoy</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/12/19/national/bolster-energy-security-ties-top-french-envoy/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bolster-energy-security-ties-top-french-envoy</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/12/19/national/bolster-energy-security-ties-top-french-envoy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/12/19/%news_category%/bolster-energy-security-ties-top-french-envoy/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Japan and France can have a solid role to play in today&#8217;s globalized world if the two countries share a common goal and pursue further cooperation, French Ambassador Christian Masset said recently in Tokyo. &#8220;The two nations can take action together, because we share the same values as a democratic society, and we have a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/12/19/national/bolster-energy-security-ties-top-french-envoy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Envoy puts focus on people-to-people ties</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/our-lives/envoy-puts-focus-on-people-to-people-ties/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=envoy-puts-focus-on-people-to-people-ties</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/12/04/our-lives/envoy-puts-focus-on-people-to-people-ties/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:01:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[To serve as the United States ambassador to Japan is obviously not an easy task &#8212; not by any stretch of the imagination. That&#8217;s the position John Roos was assigned in August 2009 even though he didn&#8217;t have previous diplomatic experience or hold a political office. &#8220;I was very surprised when I got the call [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Expert laments Japan&#8217;s limits on craft beer culture</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/27/our-lives/expert-laments-japans-limits-on-craft-beer-culture/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=expert-laments-japans-limits-on-craft-beer-culture</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/27/our-lives/expert-laments-japans-limits-on-craft-beer-culture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Ry Beville&#8217;s love of craft beer has developed into an occupation in which he publishes Japan&#8217;s only bilingual craft beer magazine. With the quarterly Japan Beer Times launched in 2010, Beville, 37, from Richmond, Virginia, says he wants to help spread the microbrewing culture in Japan, where craft beer is still not widely recognized by [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/27/our-lives/expert-laments-japans-limits-on-craft-beer-culture/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Envoy acts as bridge between Japan, Armenia</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/20/our-lives/envoy-acts-as-bridge-between-japan-armenia/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=envoy-acts-as-bridge-between-japan-armenia</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/20/our-lives/envoy-acts-as-bridge-between-japan-armenia/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mami Maruko</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[It didn&#8217;t come as much of a surprise to Grant Pogosyan when the offer came to him from the Armenian government to become his home country&#8217;s ambassador to Japan. For over 20 years, Pogosyan, 59, has lived and worked in Japan &#8212; albeit in a completely different field &#8212; teaching mathematics and computer science at [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2012/11/20/our-lives/envoy-acts-as-bridge-between-japan-armenia/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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