Transport authorities launched a full-fledged investigation Sunday into the derailment of a bullet train on the Akita Shinkansen Line in Daisen, Akita Prefecture, on Saturday afternoon.
It's a dangerous, unpredictable world. Twice in January Chinese warships in the East China Sea challenged Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces patrols in a manner deemed threatening. And on Feb. 12 came North Korea's nuclear test.
Here's an open secret: Japanese men have a bad international reputation on the romance front.
SELLING WOMEN: Prostitution, Markets and the Household in Early Modern Japan, by Amy Stanley. University of California Press, 2012, 282 pp., $49.95 (hardcover) In the vast cultural landscape, Japan fascinates the mainstream with manga and anime, the martial arts, Zen and kimono. Of course, ...
Kenta Maeda shook off worries about his form with five shutout innings as Japan beat China 5-2 in first-round Pool A of the World Baseball Classic on Sunday at Fukuoka Dome. Japan improved to 2-0 following a tough win over Brazil in Saturday evening’s ...
The Feb. 1 article “Two sides to corporal punishment practices in Japan” mentions the rising problem of abusive Japanese sports coaches. Recent incidents include the suicide of an Osaka high school basketball team captain after he had been physically punished by his coach, and ...
The Feb. 4 Bloomberg article “Sony expected to beef up PlayStation 4 to keep consoles in the game” describes Sony’s new console as capable of rendering games at 240 frames per second (fps). Current-generation games typically render at 30 or 60 fps. However, the ...
Regarding the Feb. 7 AFP article “Put pants on ‘David’ replica, locals urge”: Who would have thought that there was such a level of modesty in a culture that created such graphic works of erotica as the Shunga illustrated texts for newlywed couples or ...
Ian Martin’s Feb. 1 article, “AKB48 member’s ‘penance’ shows flaws in idol culture,” calls attention to Minami Minegishi, a member of the Japanese girl pop band AKB48. She violated the Golden Rule for idols by going out on a date. The video of her ...
The Feb. 1 article, “AKB48 idol begs for fans’ mercy after breaking dating ban” states that Minami Minegishi willingly shaved her head to beg forgiveness for breaking one of the group’s rules. AKB48 has a strict rule prohibiting relationships, but Minegishi was reported to ...
I am a foreign student studying at Meiji University and am deeply concerned after I saw the shaved head of AKB48 member Minami Minegishi. This is absolutely absurd; even in North Korea, people have freedom to date. But I kind of understand it. In ...
As one who used to work for a private educational institution, I was interested in the Feb. 3 editorial “Entrance exam change needed.” It seems that it mainly refers to “software” aspects. Let me suggest a few basic things that Japan should change. Tax ...
The recent grave warnings emanating from the U.S. State Department and the Irish government that Britain should not leave the European Union, and indeed that a referendum on this issue is unwise, prompt me to ask how these people, even allowing for the self-infatuation ...
I disagree with the Feb. 3 editorial “Entrance exam change needed.” Japan’s current entrance exam system is based on memorization and test-taking skills. Although people might criticize students for cramming in shallow knowledge and simply memorizing things to take this test, I think it ...
Regarding Ian Martin’s Feb. 1 article, “AKB48 member’s ‘penance’ shows flaws in idol culture“: Putting aside any particular opinion on the scandal surrounding AKB48 member Minami Minegishi, it is plainly wrong for Martin to imply that Japan’s fan culture is the cause, rather than ...
As a daily cyclist in the suburbs of Tokyo and as a regular cyclist when I lived in England, I can comment on the Feb. 5 Japan Times article “Cyclists who flout the law face charges.” First, I must criticize the poor use of ...
Regarding the Jan. 26 editorial, “Six days of school not the answer“: I also would oppose a six-day school week. As a student who has experienced both the five-day and the six-day school system, I can say it is a waste of time and ...
