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JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 18, 2011

Russian-held isles: So near, so far

On the morning of Nov. 1, Dmitry Medvedev became the first Russian leader to set foot on one of the four islands off Hokkaido seized by the Soviets at the end of World War II that Japan has long wanted returned.
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...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 16, 2011

Japan's tribe of lonely people continues to grow

Results from Japan's national census last year are dribbling in and the reaction in the media often focuses on one pair of statistics: The number of households is increasing while population is declining, which means that there are a lot more single-person households than there were 10 years ago and...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Jan 16, 2011

Back to the future of a 'hotel for 2001'

The year was 1979. His Imperial Majesty Emperor Hirohito was in the 54th year of his reign. Japan's prime minister was Masayoshi Ohira. In 1979, people still paid for goods with ¥500 bills. There was no consumption tax or Internet, there were no cell phones and no Japanese were playing in the U.S. major...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 11, 2011

Smart grid pursuit slow off mark

The term "smart grid" is coming up a lot as the United States prepares to replace its aging electricity infrastructure. While President Barack Obama pledged $3.4 billion in 2009 to spur an early transition to the new distribution grid, Japan isn't expected to follow anytime soon.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 4, 2011

The basics of being a lawmaker at the Diet

Diet members are often addressed as "sensei" (teacher) and seem to enjoy privileges ranging from high salaries and chauffeur-driven cars to free first-class flights and luxury "green car" seats in bullet trains.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2011

Even tougher year may lie ahead for Kan

In the seven months Prime Minister Naoto Kan has been in office he has defeated Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa in the party's presidential election, dealt with an aggressive and confrontational China over the Senkaku Islands row and repaired ties with the United States that were damaged...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 28, 2010

Kabuki going strong, 400 years on

The media frenzy over kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo's drunken midnight brawl in Tokyo last month may be a testament to how, 400 years after its birth, the genre remains a highly popular form of entertainment integral to Japanese culture.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 24, 2010

Holiday wish list varies with winter break near

Santa Claus didn't personally ask each of the bj-league's 16 teams for a Christmas wish list.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 21, 2010

Low-cost carriers elbowing their way into Japan's skies

2010 was a landmark year for Japan's aviation industry: The government inked an open skies accord with the U.S. in October to further liberalize their civil aviation markets, and during the same month Tokyo's Haneda airport opened a new international terminal.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 17, 2010

Hatano best Japanese board man

Who is the bj-league's top Japanese rebounder?
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 14, 2010

Is prefectural alliance a step toward superstates?

OSAKA — After years of planning, a regional alliance of seven prefectures was created earlier this year and held its first meeting this month.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 12, 2010

Kabuki's golden boy knocked off his pedestal — for now

TBS's Dec. 4 edition of "Newscaster" aired a long report on the run-in that kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo had with a man at a Tokyo bar in the wee hours of Nov. 25, a dustup that resulted in Ebizo's hospitalization with a fractured cheekbone and broken teeth. Elaborating on the principle of "it takes one...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 10, 2010

Palmer making big contribution for Golden Kings

Veteran forward David Palmer has made a profound impact for the Ryukyu Golden Kings this season.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2010

Prisons trying to cope with swelling elderly population

ONOMICHI, Hiroshima Pref. — Handrails run down the middle of the hallway to help prisoners make their way from one end to the other. Adult diapers are neatly stacked in a corner. When an inmate chokes on his rice and coughs, a supervisor rushes over to rub his back.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 7, 2010

Hakone Ekiden gave relay races new fascination

As the new year approaches, many people are looking forward to gathering with their families to eat special New Year's dishes. Some also will be tuning in to watch the Hakone Ekiden, the two-day long-distance collegiate relay race held from Jan. 2.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 5, 2010

A relaxed approach makes news understandable for young and old

Two weeks ago, NHK announced that its popular half-hour series, "Shukan Kodomo no News" ("Weekly News for Children"), will be ending on Dec. 19. According to an article in the Sankei Shimbun, an executive at the public broadcaster explained the cancellation by saying that the show, which was launched...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 30, 2010

Flu prevention advice nothing to sneeze at

As winter sets in, hospitals are calling for people to get flu shots.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 23, 2010

Move over 3G, LTE new kid on the block

Mobile communications have become part of daily life and the trend is accelerating. This has fueled the development of Long Term Evolution, a next-generation communications network.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2010

China, Haneda draw U.S. airlines

One of Peter Philipp Wingsoe's employees at a Los Angeles marketing firm recently waited five days for a business-class ticket on a United Airlines jet home from Beijing because flights were so packed.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 19, 2010

Defense helping Oita in Hepp's first season

First-year coach L.J. Hepp has steered the Oita HeatDevils into a solid position through 10 games.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 17, 2010

Kindergartens, day care centers may merge

When it comes to finding a place to park the kiddies for the day, working parents generally have two options: kindergartens and day care facilities.
COMMUNITY
Nov 13, 2010

Dream becomes reality for Scottish manga creator

It sits in a place of beauty, incongruously bordered between Japanese stone art and a vivid blue ink painting: "2000 A.D.," a classic British comic book from the 1980s. The apocalypse orange cover shrieks "Revenge of the Warlock" but — muted by a plastic overlay to protect its condition — the sci-fi...
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 12, 2010

Parity keeps things interesting early in the season

A few trends have emerged in the season's opening month.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 9, 2010

Japan's long love affair with 'matsutake'

When it comes to status — and exorbitant prices — "matsutake" mushrooms may be in the same league as caviar and truffles.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 7, 2010

The darker side of motherhood

In the first edition of the famous book of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, published in 1812, the story that has become known as "Snow White" had a different villain than the one we all know and hate. Snow White's original nemesis was her biological mother. In later editions, the evil queen became...
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 5, 2010

Blackwell making smooth transition to management

Ryan Blackwell has successfully guided the Osaka Evessa during his first month as the team's new head coach.

Longform

Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan