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The head of an official inquiry into the deadly collapse of a Bangladesh factory complex said the building’s owner was the “main culprit” for the disaster because he violated construction codes. The cave-in of the eight-story Rana Plaza outside the capital last month killed ...
Throughout most of Japan, June is the rainy season. While all that rainfall is great for rice paddies so that we can have delicious new harvest rice in the fall, it makes it a rather dull month for seasonal produce: The summer’s bounty of ...
“I was stopped by two men in a government-registered vehicle, blindfolded and dragged off the street. They took me away to a house in a place I did not know. I was forced into a room with blood all over the walls and floor, ...
Claude Regy says the team at the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) threw him the “best birthday party ever” when he arrived in Japan just days after the actual May 1 occasion. The 90-year-old French director is hoping for an even better birthday gift, ...
As far as debuts go, Shohei Otani's delivered. The celebrated rookie pitched fairly well on Thursday night, and though he finished outside the decision, he left the mound with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters well within striking distance of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Konomi Kita Unemployed, 24 I think that (former Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker) Koichi Hamada should form his own party. He’s not afraid to speak his mind on controversial issues. More politicians need to be like that. Ryo Kurahashi Salaryman, 30 I’d like to see ...
Since opening its doors in April 2000 with a live set from New York house legend Junior Vasquez, Tokyo’s club Womb has been credited with doing more than other local venues to bring dance-music culture into the mainstream. Ten years later, around 4,000 people ...
Suzalla Kuhlof Student, 20 (German) The figure skating was a highlight for me because it was very exciting. I was pleased to see Germany win a medal in that. Jun Shirota Sales, 30 (Japanese) Like many people in Japan, I thought the figure skating ...
On Saturday June 21, 2008, a tearful Francois K was joined behind the turntables by Laurent Garnier, Theo Parrish and Danny Krivit for a final set at Club Yellow that went on into the late hours of Sunday. The formidable lineup of DJs and ...
Satoshi Yoshikama Student, 20 In general, everybody thought he should be punished for what he did, but the decision was rough on one of the top ambassadors for the sport. Koharu Shintome Student, 23 Japanese media and Japan itself are way too selfish. He ...
With a big boost from Daft Punk, French producers have shifted the focus of dance music away from house and toward electro, and young DJ Brodinski could surpass his peers in commanding the evolving French scene. At the age of 23, Brodinski has produced ...
Asuka Ikuta, 25 Cafe worker It’s crazy that a politician who has seen three of his aides arrested would not volunteer to resign. I think he should quit. Tomoki Tanaka, 25 Teacher I think he should explain what he has done. He cannot expect ...
Over the last few years a new genre has come to dominate dance floors across the globe that combines house music and electro with mash-ups and hip-hop, and on Dec. 22 a global ambassador for the sound, Diplo, will join local DJ duo Dexpistols ...
Aya Ihara Student, 19 I like “Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!” by Downtown. Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada are the funniest people on TV. Tae Song Park IT sector, 34 Downtown’s “Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!” is my favorite show. Because it’s on after ...
Last week, The Japan Times picked Hikaru Utada as the most influential artist of the past decade. This week, our writers ask various figures in Japan’s music scene who they thought were the most influential artists of the noughties. We asked them to choose ...
Cecile Jacof, 22 Student (Swiss) I think the perfect way to spend Christmas is to be with your family for the day, but this year I will be in sightseeing in Japan. Marco Newbury, 27 ALT (Australian) To be together with my immediate family ...
The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; the Afghanistan and Iraq wars; the Boxing Day tsunami; the “Lehman Shock” — yes, a look back at the last decade is not so great. It’s the kind of downer that could drive you to a night of ...