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Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jan 23, 2009

Driven to indulgence at the Hilton

The Hilton Tokyo has created a "Sporting Luxe" room package that combines the indulgence of driving a luxury sports car with an overnight stay in a suite on the hotel's Deluxe Floors.
EDITORIALS
Jan 22, 2009

Mr. Obama takes office

Mr. Barack Obama is officially the 44th president of the United States. His inauguration Tuesday was the culmination of a historic process and a moment that many had dreamed of but never expected in their lifetime. Mr. Obama takes office amid a landscape of "gathering clouds and raging storms" as he...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 21, 2009

U.S. chance to make fresh start in the Muslim world

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — President Barack Obama was the world's favored candidate in what was America's first global election. The key question is how the Obama administration will tap this rare good will to re-establish U.S. credibility and repair its reputation. How Obama manages issues in the Muslim world...
EDITORIALS
Jan 21, 2009

Resolve to win not enough

Prime Minister Taro Aso, who also heads the Liberal Democratic Party, and Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa each showed resolve at their parties' respective conventions Sunday to win the coming Lower House election. The election will be held by September when the current Lower House members'...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2009

Tsukiji reopens tuna auctions to the public

The Tsukiji fish market, one of Tokyo's most popular tourist attractions, reopened its early morning tuna auctions to the public Monday after a monthlong ban.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2009

Temps in manufacturing: Safety valve, but no net

A day before Christmas, temporary worker Yoshinori Sato, 49, received his dismissal notice from Isuzu Motor Co.
EDITORIALS
Jan 20, 2009

Let change be contagious

Mr. Barack Obama won the keys to the White House by instilling expectations of change and optimism in the minds of the American public, as conveyed by his slogan "Yes, we can." His Jan. 20 inauguration as the United States' 44th president should be a source of great inspiration to the people and government...
COMMUNITY
Jan 13, 2009

Have your say: Back to the baths

Following are a selection of responses to Paul de Vries' "Back to the baths: Otaru revisited" (Zeit Gist, Dec. 2).
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2009

Respect 'maiko' privacy, don't act like paparazzi, Kyoto tells tourists

KYOTO — It's a freezing December night but tourists are out in force in Kyoto's Gion district, on the hunt for one particular attraction.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 13, 2009

Bloated bureaucracy exposed

A common joke among some foreigners here is that everything makes sense once you realize Japan is a communist country. However, the role of privileged ruling Communist Party (or, if you have a literary bent, the pigs in George Orwell's socialist parable "Animal Farm") is played not by the perpetual opposition...
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2009

Activists hold Gaza peace rally in Tokyo

As the number of victims continues to climb in Gaza, a crowd of more than 1,500 people rallied in Tokyo on Saturday to call for an immediate ceasefire in the war-torn area.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 10, 2009

The English language is going to the dogs

On Friday nights, I teach private English lessons to five people and three dogs. The dogs are good students: They are very quiet and never bark or interrupt. They always come to class well-groomed, wearing smart looking T-shirts and dresses. Absenteeism is rare, with just one absence due to a veterinary...
COMMENTARY
Jan 8, 2009

Outlook is mixed for 2009

Looking at 2009, the good news is that the global economy is likely to recover much faster than predicted. The bad news is that global politics are likely to deteriorate much more rapidly than most expected.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2009

Opposition bill lacks handouts

In a bid to put a stop to the proposed ¥2 trillion cash handout program, three opposition parties on Tuesday jointly submitted a revised version of the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 that would eliminate Prime Minister Taro Aso's key measure.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2009

Glasses retailer has price-cutting edge

Teruhiro Ueno has seen both his business and reputation grow by upholding a key retail strategy: undercutting the competition.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jan 6, 2009

What does 2009 hold in store for Japan?

Reader Mail
Jan 4, 2009

Terms suggestive of racism

Regarding Brian Clacey's Jan. 1 letter, "On the lookout for a slight": I took up Clacey's suggestion and asked myself why "Jap" is considered racist while "Brit" is not. While perhaps not answering his question completely, I think looking at who uses these labels offers a partial answer.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Jan 4, 2009

You can't beat country life

I was down in Kyushu with some Japanese friends last year, just sipping a few drinks and chatting. The conversation turned to kabu and became very serious and somewhat gloomy. Quite honestly, I wasn't really following it all, but I felt I had to put in my two-pennies' worth.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2009

Cars no longer coveted by young

To get around the city, Yutaka Makino hops on his skateboard or takes the trains. Does he dream of the day when he owns his own car? Not a chance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / THE MANY FACES OF CITIZENSHIP
Jan 3, 2009

Benefits in offing for those allowed multiple citizenship

Second in a series
EDITORIALS
Dec 31, 2008

A year of changes and dangers

If 2008 cannot be called an "annus horribilis," it is only because 2009 might hold even more shocks and surprises. Even outside the worsening economy, everything in Japan seemed a bit subprime in 2008. A midyear survey found that more than 70 percent of Japanese — the highest percentage ever — were...
COMMENTARY
Dec 31, 2008

Good riddance to a bad year

If U.S. President-elect Barack Obama can walk on water, then change really is coming to the United States and the world. If there are no more big unexploded bombs buried in the world's financial systems, then this may be just an ordinary recession. But the most telling image of 2008 was Iraqi journalist...
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2008

No sign of a 'peace agreement'

More than six months have passed since the presidential election in Taiwan. After a hiatus of eight years, the Kuomintang is in power. This actually represents the restoration of the mainland-lineage forces for the first time in 20 years — if you count the Lee Teng-hui era as rule by non-mainland-lineage...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Dec 30, 2008

Koji Murofushi

Koji Murofushi, 34, is a two-time Olympic medalist hammer thrower — with a gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and a bronze in Beijing this year — and the Asian record holder at 84.86 meters (2003). He's been a national champion 14 times in a row, and at the Asian Games, his efforts earned him the...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 28, 2008

ONE for ALL

COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 28, 2008

'The noise of time' ensures that art's unbowed spirit is heard

We live apart from our land Our words dying at 10 paces And anything put edgewise Concerns the Kremlin backwoodsman His coarse fingers are thick, like worms His statements trusty, like the weights on a scale Cockroaches smile on his upper lip And the rims of his shoes blind He is surrounded by a flock...
LIFE / Lifestyle / 2008 MEDIA ROUND-UP
Dec 28, 2008

Making sense of the strange changes of 2008

Every year, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation selects a "kanji of the year." This year's is "hen," meaning "change" or, equally, "strange, peculiar."

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