Dear Alice, I’m making my first trip to Japan early next year, and there are two things on my “must do in Japan” list: see Eric Clapton play at the Budokan, and eat Kobe beef. (Actually, I want to be Kobe beef, spending my ...
In recent months, former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has rekindled the public debate on atomic power, drawing attention to perhaps the most critical question about its future: Is there a safe place and way to dispose of high-level radioactive waste? Koizumi lashed out at ...
National university exams are notorious for their emphasis on book learning. Once a year, examinees throng test sites, doing their best to regurgitate heaps of facts in the hopes of getting into the university of their choice. Once done, however, the pressure to study ...
China’s announcement Saturday of its establishment of an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea that includes the Japan-controlled Senkaku islets has worsened already tense bilateral ties. From 10 a.m. Saturday, China said any aircraft entering the ADIZ must obey its rules ...
The new National Stadium planned for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has come under the spotlight due to its huge size and massive costs, and for a design critics say doesn’t fit in with its surroundings. Following are questions and answers regarding construction of the ...
Dear Alice, I was a bit of a car nut when I was a boy, and while I’ve moved on to other interests, my eyes still tend to be drawn to automobiles. This is why, on my first visit to Japan just recently, I ...
According to the media, the e-book era in Japan began in 2010, with the debut of Apple Inc.’s iPad, Sony Corp.’s Sony Reader and other e-book services. The market has been growing, but not as fast as in the United States. In Japan, regular ...
Indecision is a much-criticized feature of Japanese politics. Diet sessions are rife with unproductive wrangling as the ruling and opposition camps dispute the timing of the submission of bills while avoiding constructive discussions on them. Making matters worse, because the Constitution stipulates that Cabinet ...
The latest trend in online education is taking the academic world by storm. From around 2011, a group of U.S. universities or professors launched start-ups to provide courses taken at elite universities free to anyone with Internet access. By signing on to a website ...
Dear Alice, Over the summer, a new sign appeared on the wall of the elementary school closest to where I live. The sign includes the English words “above sea level,” along with some kanji and numerals, so I assume its informing us of the ...
Earlier this month, delegates from over 130 nations gathered in Kumamoto to launch the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The U.N.-brokered treaty aims to limit mercury use and emissions. It comes at a time when the U.N. Environmental Program warns half of all global anthropogenic ...
Starting in January, individuals who invest in stocks and investment trusts in a Nippon Individual Savings Account will be eligible for tax exemptions of up to five years on their financial gains. The new instrument is aimed at getting people used to accumulating financial ...
