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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.
Rikiya Sakurai Student, 20s (Japanese) If tolls were eliminated, gasoline and car taxes would have to go up to make up the difference. At the moment the economy is bad and not everyone can afford to pay the extra taxes. Once it gets better, ...
Dear Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, As I look to your future as prime minister, I cannot help but be reminded of a famous scene from the silent film era, namely, two steam locomotives rushing toward each other at full speed. We all know the ...
In the first of our new Community Chest letters columns, we bring together a selection of mails received in response to some of the final Community stories of 2012. Dolphin defenders’ bad science Re: “Taiji hunts continue to anger, confound readers,” (Have Your Say, ...
Tomomi Morita Waitress, 21 (Japanese) I attended my coming of age ceremony, which was a big event for me, even though I actually turned 20 the year before. I wore a kimono, and after the ceremony near where I live I went to Senso-ji ...
Kuniko Sano Housewife, 69 (Japanese) I argue with my husband a lot, so I hope that diminishes next year! And I hope everyone stays healthy, especially my four grandkids and new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, since he previously quit for health reasons. I worry ...
George Ianus Rocket science Ph.D., 29 (Romania) For me it is a case of family — and snow. It’s a time to remember your home and family. Now, we are all in different parts of the world but, in my mind’s eye, I can ...
Daniel Dumas English instructor, 53 (American) The first thing I’d like to see is a rethink of policy regarding bicycle transportation. The use of bicycles should be encouraged and more parking areas should be created. As we learned on 3/11, bicycles can be very ...
Parallels with wartime general Re: “The world according to Toru Hashimoto” by Eric Johnston (Light Gist, Oct. 30): Only one kana syllable (or one letter in romaji) separates (Nippon Ishin no Kai leader Shintaro) Ishihara from (Imperial Japanese Army) Gen. (Kanji) Ishiwara, but there’s ...
Eva Wyatt Student, 28 (American) I think that something should be done to prevent further incidents (such as the alleged Oct. 16 rape of a Japanese woman by two U.S. servicemen and Nov. 2 home intrusion and assault). At the same time, as the ...
Re: “Labor law protects expectant and new mothers — to a point” by Hifumi Okunuki (Labor Pains, Oct. 16): Japanese society has long been “traditional” in the sense that women who became pregnant, or even simply got married, were expected to end their working ...
Ian Ruxton, 56 Kitakyushu resident (British) Send Self-Defense Forces right now to defend the Senkaku Islands and build on them, taking a leaf out of South Korea’s book; repair and restore good relations with the U.S., which have dipped recently; and encourage more Japanese ...
Kohei Yoshimura Salesman, 27 (Japanese) He did shirk his responsibility as governor of Tokyo but he has big ideas on how to improve the national government and Japan. If he waited until the end of his term as governor he would be too old, ...