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Mayela Armas
For Mayela Armas's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 30, 2022
Venezuela's revived opposition talks highlight strengthened Maduro position
The opposition has struggled to recover from the exile and imprisonment of some of its leaders, as well as internal divisions, according to analysts.
COMMENTARY
Oct 6, 2008
Counterproductive antiterrorism
Buried deep in the U.S. Pentagon somewhere is an official in charge of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. As he goes about his daily chores — organizing the floor shackles, bully guards, illegal confinements, arbitrary trials and occasional torture sessions — he no doubt thinks he is doing his bit in the "war on terror."
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2007
Leverage in showing displeasure
The Oct. 23 Lifelines article, "NHK: To pay or not to pay," was timely in that I recently told the NHK collector to return next month for payment, and informed him that this action was the only way to show my displeasure with NHK for interrupting an after-midnight program to break the news of an earthquake somewhere on Earth.
Reader Mail
Jul 22, 2007
Lots of fun but too few facts
I'd like to say that Amy Chavez's July 14 article, "Bathhouse dress codes, or tell Yo! mama, no army boots!," offended me. Chavez mentions the "capsule hotel" in Japan. The article states: "Now imagine putting a Japanese-size person inside a space like that, just long and wide enough for him to lie down in, with an opening just wide enough for him to squeeze in and out of. You could sell them as souvenirs in America."

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores