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Reader Mail
Feb 5, 2008

View from newsstand on a clear day

Regarding the Jan. 30 Kyodo article "Wrapping comes off Japan's second-tallest condo complex": Don't you think that citing the tallest condo is important? Or was that not mentioned in the press release? The latest quake-resistant technology? Do tell.
Reader Mail
Jan 31, 2008

Waste should figure into tax debate

Regarding the Jan. 24 article "Prefectural lawmakers rally in praise of gas taxes": Why haven't specific numbers been presented in the news covering the gasoline-tax debate? On average, how much money does the government receive from gasoline taxes (including diesel, etc.), road taxes and car inspection...
Reader Mail
Jan 31, 2008

Domestic coverage could be better

As a reader for nearly 30 years, I recently switched my subscription from one of the other English-language dailies because I felt The Japan Times' coverage of domestic news was far superior. That said, there is always room for improvement, and I would like to offer two examples. In the Jan. 25 issue,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 29, 2008

Law schools come under friendly fire

With its first crop of graduates just entering the legal profession, Japan's new law school system is in trouble. The schools, most of which opened their doors in 2004, are already struggling with the mismatch between the number of law students, which is unregulated, and the number of people who are...
LIFE
Jan 27, 2008

Citizens routinely denied legal rights

The contrasts between constitutional provisions for crime suspects in Japan and their actual treatment are stark, say critics of the system.
Reader Mail
Jan 17, 2008

Accusations by soccer midfielder

Regarding the Jan. 13 article "Nakamura knocks racism in Italian soccer": I smiled at midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura's accusations of racism against Italian Football. I suggest that he come back to Japan, where foreigners are fingerprinted not only when they get a residence permit issuance but every time...
EDITORIALS
Jan 14, 2008

Refueling law enacted with regrets

By using a special provision in the Constitution, the ruling parties have voted into law a bill that enables the resumption of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan. The mission is expected to resume in mid-February....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2008

Lower House rams through antiterrorism bill

For the first time in half a century, the Lower House on Friday overrode the Upper, ramming a bill through the Diet to resume the Maritime Self-Defense Force refueling duty in the Indian Ocean.
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2008

MSDF bill step closer to ruling bloc's ultimate OK

An opposition-controlled Upper House panel Thursday rejected a special antiterrorism bill to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to resume its refueling operations in the Indian Ocean, in a last-minute bid to block its expected passage Friday in the ruling bloc-dominated Lower House.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 8, 2008

Following in our fingerprints

It was a quarter of a century ago on an autumn day in 1982 that I decided to engage in a small act of civil disobedience by refusing to give my fingerprint. Little did I realize I was stepping into a decades-long controversy that would be both an education and a circus.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2008

'07 political storm really the calm before '08?

Last year was full of political turmoil — from scandals and arrests to suicide and a divided Diet — but there is no time to rest because 2008 may turn out to be a historical turning point if there is a general election, depending on which side wins, analysts say.
COMMENTARY
Dec 24, 2007

U.S., Australia 'still mates'

HONOLULU — "Australia's Path Bends Away from the U.S.''
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2007

It's Taiwan's referendum

For China, the launch of the Fukuda Cabinet in late September was good news, so it must expect many things from the new administration. What concerns me now in this respect is Taiwan's move to hold a national referendum on whether to seek U.N. membership in the name of "Taiwan."
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 13, 2007

Murakami's Nobel leanings

The news that 88-year-old Doris Lessing received the 2007 Nobel Prize in literature was not greeted by the Japanese media with as much fanfare as former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's winning the Nobel Peace Prize. This perhaps was because Japanese literary circles were more interested in whether Haruki...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 11, 2007

Kroon's agent pessimistic over BayStars contract negotiations

You read here a couple of days ago what the Yokohama BayStars have to say about contract negotiations with ace closer Marc Kroon. Now, here's a word from the other side: Kroon's agent, Tony Cabral, says it is not looking good for the fire-balling right-hander to remain with the Central League club.
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2007

Lower House takes up new MSDF bill

The Lower House began deliberating a bill Tuesday to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue refueling naval ships in the Indian Ocean engaged in counterterrorism operations.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 23, 2007

Ships out at sea or troops in a war zone?

The special antiterrorism law that expires Nov. 1 is the hottest dispute in domestic politics and could even determine the fate of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and his administration.
Reader Mail
Oct 4, 2007

A reason to forgo pregnancy

Regarding the Sept. 28 article "191 multiple refusals of pregnant women found": The world knows that the population of Japan is declining. I have heard some say that this is due to marriages in which a man finds a wife only to take care of him. I have heard others say it is because married couples don't...
Reader Mail
Oct 4, 2007

Middle names stop the show

When I saw the title of Thomas Dillon's Sept. 30 article, "The curse of the middle name," I just knew what to expect. And, I wasn't wrong. Mr. Dillon, I hear you!
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 30, 2007

Cancer may kill, but it can also revitalize a flagging media career

Right now there's a commercial on TV for the American insurance company AFLAC featuring veteran journalist Shuntaro Torigoe, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. It shows the 67-year-old reporter in what looks like home videos undergoing tests, or about to be operated on, or clowning around with...
Reader Mail
Sep 26, 2007

U.S. double standards on Taiwan

Brad Glosserman's Sept. 13 article, "Lashing out at U.S. won't help Taiwan" -- about the fallout between the United States and Taiwan over a planned referendum on U.N. entry -- misses some key points. The U.S. claims that it opposes any change in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, yet it repeatedly...
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2007

Fukuda elected prime minister in Diet faceoff

New Liberal Democratic Party President Yasuo Fukuda was elected prime minister by a divided Diet on Tuesday afternoon amid the political turmoil stemming from Shinzo Abe's sudden resignation announcement two weeks ago.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 25, 2007

Rules for making 'friends' from faces

PRAGUE — I'm embarrassed to say that after reading Newsweek's recent cover story on Facebook, I joined. The majority of the social networking site's new members are people over 35: oldies like me. Still, it's uncool — and supposedly "old school" — to join because of pieces in "old media" like Newsweek....
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 26, 2007

Paranoid android Abe blind to reality when it comes to eye contact

Image and issues always compete for voters' attention on the campaign trail, with the former usually winning. A successful candidate is the one who uses the media most effectively in shaping an image that's acceptable to more people than the next candidate's. Issues, on the other hand, have become more...
EDITORIALS
Jul 26, 2007

Time to pass judgment

As the Upper House election campaign enters its final phase, polls suggest that the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito are facing a tough battle. But as Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa has said, the results will not be known until the ballot boxes are opened. In...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 17, 2007

Hinomaru, 'Kimigayo' express conflicts both past and future

To some they are symbols of national pride, to others icons of a militaristic past. "Kimigayo," the national anthem, and the Hinomaru, the national flag, have been perpetual sources of controversy because of their contentious historical backgrounds. Following are some basic questions and answers about...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 1, 2007

Food for thought — and a writ to go

Dear Reader: Today I bring you news of the most chilling and awful purport. Don't worry, it doesn't affect you — at least I hope it doesn't. It is yours truly who is getting the short end of the chopstick on this one. I tell you, I feel as if I've been reborn with a greasy spoon in my mouth — but...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 1, 2007

Immigrant workers in Japan caught in a real racket

The debate over whether Japan should allow foreign workers in to make up for current and future labor shortages is dominated by the so-called foreign trainee program, which is overseen by the Japan International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO). The program is itself the subject of a debate,...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji