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JAPAN
Apr 7, 2010

U.N. rights rep has bone to pick

Jorge Bustamante, U.N. special rapporteur on the rights of immigrants, has concluded his Japan visit and takes with him a sense that the government lacks a system to curb discrimination and better protect the human rights of foreigners.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Apr 4, 2010

70 times safer than the roads themselves

NEW YORK — The Toyota saga, though quiet for the moment, will continue. "Lawyers Vie for Lead Roles in Toyota Lawsuits," said a headline in The Wall Street Journal (March 15). The company's "legal bill for unintended-acceleration cases will be in the billions," predicted Jeremy Anwyl of Edmunds.com,...
COMMENTARY
Apr 3, 2010

Did China trash a treaty?

The high profile case of Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu closed with the three-judge court sentencing the Australian citizen to 10 years in prison on charges of corruption and stealing commercial secrets.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 1, 2010

NHK engages its viewers in a 'global' debate

NHK wants to start a global debate about global issues but will people outside Japan join the conversation?
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2010

'Old' diplomacy needed now more than ever

FLORENCE, Italy — There is much talk in the air — especially in Britain and the United States — about reinventing diplomacy for the 21st century. Both U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the British Tories' leader, David Cameron, have spoken recently of a new synthesis of defense, diplomacy...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 30, 2010

Capital crimes soon to lose statute

The Democratic Party of Japan-led government recently approved a bill to abolish the statute of limitations on crimes that could be punishable by hanging in a move experts say signals a major shift in the justice system.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2010

The Swiss model for helping foreigners fit in

BRUSSELS — As policymakers scratch their heads and wonder how best to absorb different cultures and religions into Europe's very distinct national societies, they could do worse than consider some new ideas being developed in Switzerland.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Mar 28, 2010

Words of wisdom from beyond the grave of Japan's secret pacts

A drama currently being played out on the stage of national politics in Japan may well mark a turning point in the country's postwar history.
EDITORIALS
Mar 27, 2010

China's leaders walk a fine line

While China's National People's Congress (NPC) does not function like a legislature in the West, its annual meeting is still an important date on the country's political calendar. At the conclave, the Chinese leadership lays out its policy agenda for the year ahead, and the government work program is...
COMMENTARY
Mar 26, 2010

Pedophile-priest coverup transcends 'secular' belief

LONDON — The Biblical advice "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" is generally taken to mean that people should recognize the authority of the state in secular matters, but that is not necessarily what Jesus meant by it. It is certainly not the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 26, 2010

The colorful visions of a perpetual tourist

Beneath a hazy moon, a party is in full swing at a mountainside terrace overlooking the endless twinkling lights of a city that may or may not be Los Angeles.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 26, 2010

Delphic

famous Tony Wilson inspired Hacienda, Delphic are the latest off the conveyor belt of Manchester groups.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2010

Wanted: more Japanese in the World Bank

WASHINGTON — My visit to Japan (through May 26) comes at a time of momentous challenges for global development. The worst of the economic crisis appears to be behind us, but the recovery remains fragile and uneven. In the developing world, 43 poor countries are suffering effects of the recession, facing...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 25, 2010

No regrets for Ogasawara three years after Giant leap

There are some who live by the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 24, 2010

Don't just wait for disaster

NEW YORK — No country can afford to ignore the lessons of the earthquakes in Chile and Haiti. We cannot stop such disasters from happening. But we can dramatically reduce their impact, if the right disaster risk reduction measures are taken in advance.
BUSINESS
Mar 22, 2010

Populous China heads toward labor shortage

C hina can't expect to sustain double-digit growth in the next decade because the abundant labor that supported its high-flying growth will not exist much longer, an expert on the Chinese economy said at a recent seminar.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 20, 2010

Fire in the belly, passion in the eyes

Tania Luiz is a rare woman able to provoke hoots and screeches in a room packed with girls — and she does it all with her torso. The Osaka-based Portuguese belly dancing teacher and performer is profiting from a recent surge of interest in her art among Japanese females.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 19, 2010

Ueno Park blooms with song

Spring is coming. The first thing that comes to people's minds in this season is probably going to hanami — eating traditional Japanese food and enjoying some traditional music under the blooming cherry trees. In Ueno Park, however, classical music will be accompanying the hanami experience. Also called...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 19, 2010

Reinterpretations of modern history

One of Japan's pre-eminent contemporary artists, Yasumasa Morimura is known for his gender-bending self- portraits reinterpreting canonical works of Western art history. His works combine aspects of painting, sculpture, set design, performance and photography, and often use humor to subvert revered icons....
EDITORIALS
Mar 17, 2010

From hope to disenchantment

Just six months have passed since the Sept. 16 inauguration of the Hatoyama administration. In his first policy speech, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama pledged to do his utmost to build a nation truly based on the sovereignty of the people, and to "change the history" of the nation. There was a tangible...
JAPAN
Mar 17, 2010

LDP defection not likely to shift power balance

The Monday defection of Kunio Hatoyama from the Liberal Democratic Party has caused a stir in the former ruling party that for most of the postwar era was an electoral juggernaut. But experts and lawmakers say it is unlikely to create a fundamental power shift.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Mar 16, 2010

Political hopeful eyes tax law changes

Citizens of the United States living overseas of working age are required to file a U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax form every year, and if they have incomes, may have to pay U.S. income taxes, on top of any levies they also face in their place of residence.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight