Geoff Botting - The Japan Times

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Geoff Botting

For Geoff Botting's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN

Oct 16, 2011

Average Joe could be collateral damage in war against yakuza

The war against the yakuza was raised a notch higher at the start of the month, but not everyone is happy about it.

JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN

Jul 24, 2011

Setsuden and the magic number 28

Japan's summer has started off with a bang, weather-wise.

JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN

May 29, 2011

The hot, sticky summer of our discontent

Last summer went on record as Japan's hottest ever, as the daytime mercury seemed stubbornly stuck in the 33 to 36 degrees Celsius range while at nighttime it usually refused to budge to below the 25 C mark.

JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN

Jan 16, 2011

Almost time for Japan to break out the bubbly for bubble 2.0

Remember the bubble? In case you don't, Shukan Gendai (Dec. 20) reminds us that the economic bubble of the late 1980s was an era of rocketing salaries, stock prices and property values, yet accompanied by little inflation. Wealth was seen everywhere. Catching a cab downtown at night required flashing a ¥10,000 bribe at the driver just to get him to stop.

JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN

Nov 28, 2010

Trans-Pacific Partnership for a cheaper bowl of beef and rice

The APEC summit in Yokohama earlier this month was a key event by any standard. Leaders of 21 countries came to discuss how to integrate the world's most dynamic region in terms of trade.

JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN

Sep 26, 2010

For young staff, the workplace is no joke

Mr. Sakamoto, a sales team leader at an IT systems company, got off to a rocky start when he was transferred to his current office. At the first meeting with his underlings, all in their 30s, the 43-year-old boss detected a tense atmosphere.

JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN

Aug 22, 2010

Rakuten's English- only policy endures close media scrutiny

Learn to speak English, or else!

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Apr 20, 2004

The green machine

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, "Nakano spy school" turned out thousands of spies, propaganda chiefs and commandos to serve in the furthest corners of Asia during the Pacific War.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Oct 21, 2003

Japan still bazaar for the bizarre

It's not news that Japan is a vast emporium for some of the weirdest products ever retailed on the planet. We've all read the stories about high-tech toilet seats, used schoolgirls' underwear, million-yen pet beetles, canned whale blubber, and so on.

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Sep 9, 2003

Waging war on the U.S. presence

If you're a reader of Japanese newspapers or a viewer of Japanese TV news, you're probably well aware of the U.S. military presence in Japan.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Jul 22, 2003

All's fare in Japan's cheap travel industry

An airline ad recently caught the eye of this seasoned traveler: "Daily, no-nonsense, non-stop 747 flights to your favorite destinations worldwide."

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Jun 17, 2003

Lost in translation

A few summers ago, while on an obligatory trip back to my homeland, I found myself at the center of the attention of a small crowd of curious Canadians.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

May 20, 2003

Foreign actors play it niche and simple

Robert Scott may be one of the hardest-working Westerners in Japanese show business. The native Southern Californian appears in a host of Japanese TV dramas and variety shows as well as radio programs. He's even acted in a Godzilla flick.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Apr 22, 2003

Media hounds muzzle selves

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be sent on a media junket to Sri Lanka.

COMMUNITY

Mar 9, 2003

You too can brew a business

So you've spent one year too many teaching English conversation and it's time for a serious career change. You want a job that's stimulating and creative. You want to be your own boss and perhaps even the boss of others. Maybe, just maybe, you want to run your own cafe, right here in Japan.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Feb 18, 2003

Japan's TV news in a world of its own

Watch a newscast produced in United States or Europe, and you'll see a fast-paced program consisting of lots of short segments augmented by a slew of computer-generated graphics.

COMMUNITY

Jan 19, 2003

The danchi and postwar society

At the time, they were homes most Japanese could only dream about. Within their thick concrete walls, they were equipped with such mod cons as flush toilets and stainless-steel kitchen sinks, and they even had separate bedrooms -- for parents and children.

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Dec 24, 2002

Not much cheer for new year

Not long after arriving in Japan, I managed to make it to Nara for New Year's Eve. "Man," I thought, "this'll be the mother of all parties."

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Dec 10, 2002

Chilling in the houses of the rising damp

Waking up on winter mornings always reminds me of how primitive life in Japan can be.

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Oct 18, 2002

Grassless Japan gets set to go greener

A well-tended lawn or a green sports field are rare and exotic luxuries in Japan.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

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

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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