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Reader Mail
Oct 11, 2012

Nuclear information warfare

Shaun O'Dwyer's Sept. 26 article, "Nuclear crisis lowers curtain on Japan's Confucian politics," is a highly recommended history lesson on how Confucianism helped to create a nation of overly trusting and obedient citizens in Japan. It offers an important understanding of how a nation that is naturally...
Reader Mail
Oct 11, 2012

The working class is to blame

Regarding Joseph Jaworski's Oct. 4 letter, "Laws of economics and physics": He asserts quite correctly that wealth has already been distributed. What he fails to appreciate is the reality of how that has been achieved and how it continues to be achieved.
Reader Mail
Oct 11, 2012

Getting to know a copywriter

Regarding the Oct. 7 Timeout feature, "Shigesato Itoi shares lots of 'delicious life' ": What a great interview with this acclaimed copywriter! Itoi is very well known in the United States as the creator of the Nintendo game "Mother 2," better known as "Earthbound." It was interesting to read about all...
Reader Mail
Oct 11, 2012

Nonrequired safety measures

Regarding the front-page Oct. 4 article "Nuke plants come up short in EU stress tests": It is unsurprising that 10 British nuclear power plants do not have hydrogen "recombiners." Recombiners are required for plants that use water as a coolant since hydrogen, the "H" in the H₂O, can be liberated in...
Reader Mail
Oct 11, 2012

Logic of claiming the Senkakus

Regarding Song Xiao-chen's Oct. 4 letter, "Forget about a Taiwan alliance": I agree on one point — that Japan cannot depend on an alliance with Taiwan (formerly Formosa) to avoid conflict with China over the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands. Formosa was occupied by the Chinese warlord Chiang Kai-shek...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 11, 2012

Superfly "Force"

Superfly does one type of sound so well that there is no reason to try anything new. The project — primarily the stage name of singer Shiho Ochi, with some songwriting assists from Koichi Tabo — plays guitar-centric rock indebted to the music of the 1960s and '70s. It's a style that suits her well,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 10, 2012

Softbank feels the need for speed

Softbank Corp. unveiled on Tuesday its new product lineup for this winter and spring, putting more focus on a fast network and entertainment-related services.
Reader Mail
Oct 7, 2012

Tolerance for hurt feelings

Jack Durutti's Oct. 4 letter, "'Tolerance' is a two-way street" (in reply to Muhammad Abu Yousuf's Sept. 30 letter, "Article that showcases tolerance"), was spot-on. Setting up a shopping-mall prayer room for Muslims is indeed an act of tolerance to which no decent person would object.
Reader Mail
Oct 7, 2012

Beware the shale oil 'solution'

Regarding the Oct. 4 front-page article "Shale oil extracted from Akita field": I recommend the following link for explaining the devastating downside to shale mining and oil production:
Reader Mail
Oct 7, 2012

Radioactive debris to Senkakus

Since the Senkaku Islands are an integral part of the nation of Japan, and since the Senkakus are uninhabited, why doesn't Japan use them to store radioactive debris from the cleanup of the Fukushima disaster? End of territorial dispute. Is there a downside?
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 7, 2012

Sanfrecce let off hook after Ono misfires late

Sanfrecce Hiroshima escaped with minimal damage to their J.League title ambitions after Yokohama F. Marinos missed a second-half penalty in a 0-0 draw with the division leaders on Saturday.
Reader Mail
Oct 7, 2012

Risks of spent nuclear fuel rods

Regarding Michael Radcliffe's Sept. 20 letter, "Fear-mongering over fuel rods": It is refreshing in a sense to have someone say that spent nuclear fuel rods from a cooling pool that had collapsed or had become dry could "just lie in a pile" until someone came around to pick them up. Is Radcliffe ready...
BASKETBALL
Oct 7, 2012

Reigning champion Golden Kings open season with victory

The bj-league's eighth season tipped off on Saturday with three games, and the defending champion Ryukyu Golden Kings defeated the host Kyoto Hannaryz 82-73 in Koto Toyama's first game at the helm.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Oct 6, 2012

Video journalist's work takes him to centers of the world's conflicts

Takeharu Watai has spent all of his two-decade career in video journalism as an independent. But he is conscious that public distrust of the mass media, particularly over its coverage of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the nation's nuclear energy policy, has grown so strong that, by default, it extends...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Oct 6, 2012

Government will take its time deciding on reporting standards, Nakatsuka says

New financial services minister Ikko Nakatsuka on Friday said the government still hopes to make a final decision on whether to adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards in the next few months, but only after it finishes weighing their potential impact on Japanese companies.
BUSINESS
Oct 5, 2012

Jojima mum on South Korea currency swap extension

New Finance Minister Koriki Jojima said the government must "carefully consider" whether to extend the currency swap agreement with South Korea but refused to be drawn out on whether Tokyo will propose an extension.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 5, 2012

Cusack delves into the dark with 'The Raven'

"One of the negative things about the Internet," actor John Cusack remarks when asked about rumors surrounding casting in his new film, "The Raven," "is unnecessary information. Stuff that doesn't serve any real purpose and can be detrimental to someone's ego or ... like I say, useless. Hopefully a good...
Reader Mail
Oct 4, 2012

Memories of changing trains

With regard to Grant Piper's Sept. 27 letter, "Indulgence that appears to work": Piper's description of pedestrian traffic in Japan as a "treacherous and hair-raising obstacle course" brought many old memories rushing back. In the 1980s, I was living in Nerima Ward (Tokyo) and using public transportation....
Reader Mail
Oct 4, 2012

Loss of an art deco landmark

Regarding the Oct. 1 Kyodo article "Photos offer rare aerial views of Tokyo in 1922": I would like to see an article explain why Japan does not preserve historic buildings. I worked in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo in the 1980s and recall what a gem the Maru Biru was. Why did the government and people...
Reader Mail
Oct 4, 2012

Laws of economics and physics

A thank you to Timothy Bedwell for his Sept. 27 letter, "Why do producers finish last?," which was a response to my Sept. 23 letter soliciting a "rationale for redistribution." But there are a number of ambiguous statements in Bedwell's letter.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 4, 2012

"Beppu Contemporary Art Festival 2012: Mixed Bathing World"

Beppu in Oita Prefecture is one of the most prosperous hot-spring areas in Japan. Nonetheless, it has been suffering a depopulation of youths and a decline in tourists. In response, a number of volunteers and NPO organizations have been working on reinvigorating local culture through art projects.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 4, 2012

Young pianist Umi delighted to capture Osaka prize

Notwithstanding the best efforts of Typhoon Jelawat, which swept over Osaka on Saturday night, the 13th Osaka International Music Competition was held over the weekend, with more than 800 musicians from around the world competing in 40 categories and age groups.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 3, 2012

Nippon Ishin no Kai: Local but with national outlook

After months of preparation, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's new political party, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), was formally inaugurated at a mid-September gathering that drew more than 3,000 supporters.
EDITORIALS
Oct 3, 2012

Cracking down on drunk driving

The ban on driving under the influence of alcohol must be more vigilantly enforced to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic accidents. People who drive under the influence of alcohol are said to be nine times more likely to be involved in a deadly accident than sober drivers.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear