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JAPAN
Apr 20, 2012

S. Africa's rebranding as tourist destination pays off

South Africa's tourism sector has grown robustly since it successfully rebranded itself as a top sightseeing destination, especially among business travelers, according to visiting tourism minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk.
Reader Mail
Apr 19, 2012

Respect for the balance of power

The constitutionality of the "individual mandate" at the center of U.S. President Barack Obama's health care plan may be a close question, but what is far more clear is professor Yoshi Tsurumi's complete misunderstanding of the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in giving voice to the Constitution's checks...
Reader Mail
Apr 19, 2012

Buddhist explanation for flaws

The recent debate on this page did not start with the relative superiority of atheism over religion but with the cruel criticism of a letter from a reader who tried to console people who had lost loved ones in the 3/11 tsunami. The main religion of the Japanese, Buddhism, has explanations for the complaints...
Reader Mail
Apr 19, 2012

Catholic Church's belief crisis

I usually enjoy Kevin Rafferty's social commentary, but his views expressed in his April 11 article, "The pope's leadership crisis," need to be challenged. His assertion that the story of Jesus "requires less suspension of belief than Harry Potter" is ridiculous. To truly believe that Jesus was the son...
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2012

Poverty a growing problem for women

The poverty rate rose to a record 16 percent in 2009 and the number of welfare recipients reached an all-time high of 2.09 million this January, according to the government. But what is even more shocking is the finding a recent study that about 1 in 3 women in Japan aged between 20 and 64 who live alone...
Reader Mail
Apr 19, 2012

'Sink or swim' ethic in America

Regarding Robert J. Samuelson's April 16 article "Look at Social Security for what it is: welfare," unfortunately millions of retired Americans depend upon Social Security payments for survival. Because the concept of "lifetime employment" is virtually unheard of in the United States, we do not often...
EDITORIALS
Apr 19, 2012

New worst-case scenario

A panel of the Cabinet Office announced late last month that if a megaquake occurs in the Nankai Trough, a tsunami higher than 20 meters may hit 23 municipalities in six prefectures stretching from Kanto to Shikoku on Japan's Pacific side. The prediction represents a worst-case scenario that happens...
COMMENTARY
Apr 19, 2012

Afghan lies mirror deception of Vietnam War

In the midst of the Taliban attacks in central Kabul on Sunday, a journalist called the British embassy for a comment. "I really don't know why they are doing this," said the exasperated diplomat who answered the phone. "We'll be out of here in two years' time. All they have to do is wait."
LIFE / Digital / TECH_JAPAN
Apr 18, 2012

Why good Wi-Fi is so hard to find in Japan

Friends visiting Japan often ask me why there are no, or very few, Wi-Fi hotspots available at hotels and cafes in Tokyo. They mention that in their countries, many places offer free Wi-Fi for guests — often it is completely open, or you simply need to ask the staff for the password.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 17, 2012

Medicinal direction from both the East and West

Once shunned as outdated and unproven, kanpō (Chinese herbal therapy) is currently making a vibrant comeback in Japan.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 17, 2012

Retail power slow to make inroads despite nuclear crisis

Regional utilities have long dominated the power market, but companies and local governments are starting to get interested in new retailers offering much cheaper rates.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Apr 17, 2012

Pampered pets

Dear Alice,Don't you think it's time you did a column on the crazy pet products and services available in Japan? I can't believe the lengths some dog owners go to — dressing their pets in frilly clothes, pushing them around in baby carriages and taking them into cafes. My wife says I'm crazy but I...
COMMENTARY
Apr 16, 2012

Look at Social Security for what it is: welfare

Would Franklin Roosevelt (the 32nd U.S. president) approve of Social Security? The question seems absurd. After all, Social Security is considered the New Deal's signature achievement. It distributes nearly $800 billion a year to 56 million retirees, survivors and disabled beneficiaries.
Reader Mail
Apr 15, 2012

The hunt for Japan's civilization

The perennial debate on the death penalty again reared its head with Cesar Chelala's excellent April 11 article. But I fear that his exhortations will once again fall on the deaf ears of those who kill in the name of the state, both in Japan and in the United States.
Reader Mail
Apr 15, 2012

Cultural choice of punishment

Regarding Cesar Chelala's April 11 article, "Why Japan and U.S. should ban the death penalty": I applaud the Japanese government for literally executing the will of the people instead of bowing to nongovernmental organizations, such as Amnesty International, that lack any democratic legitimacy. It's...
Reader Mail
Apr 15, 2012

Pondering a flawed creation

It is very nice of Dipak Basu, in his April 12 letter "A respectable view of 'heaven," to tell us benighted Westerners "raised through Judaistic principles" what we believe, but he is so far out of touch that he might as well be on another planet.
Reader Mail
Apr 15, 2012

Death penalty still lives. Why?

It seems that the minister of justice can order executions as he likes, and he will say that this is the will of the people. Yet, 18 other ministers of justice never ordered a single execution. Why?
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 15, 2012

Leandro's brace not enough for Kashiwa in loss to Sendai

J. League leaders Vegalta Sendai preserved their unbeaten start to the season and took the defending champions' scalp in the process with a 3-2 win over Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 15, 2012

Aoki plays starring role in Evessa triumph over Grouses

The post-Lynn Washington era officially began on Saturday, and the Osaka Evessa defeated the Toyama Grouses 85-81 in the bj-leaue series opener.
Reader Mail
Apr 15, 2012

Too soon to the back burner

Regarding Takamitsu Sawa's April 10 article, "Energy conservation is key": I agree that more conservation is of utmost importance, but I don't see Japanese companies, the Japanese government and the Japanese people doing much.
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Apr 15, 2012

U.S. forces keep the world in their sights

Complex issues often become much easier to understand when they are approached with the benefit of a broader perspective.
Reader Mail
Apr 15, 2012

Disturbingly inexact language

In response to the April 12 Kyodo brief "Noda to send Edano to Fukui," I wish to pose one question to industry minister Yukio Edano: What does he and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda mean when they confirm that reactors 3 and 4 of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant "basically" meet the government's...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 15, 2012

Are women really on the ascendancy as some media proclaim?

'Joshi bakari ga naze tsuyoi?" ("Why is it that only women are strong?") asks Aera (Mar. 26). The question may be a valid one, at least when limited to international sports events, where Japan's women over the past several years have been outshining their male counterparts as they excel in soccer, women's...
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2012

Rocket failure an embarrassment for North

North Korea on Friday defied warnings from the international community and launched a rocket — which then exploded about a minute after takeoff — scattering debris over the Yellow Sea off South Korea.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 14, 2012

Canadian black-belt takes pride in action not words

For Robert Hughes, the shortest answer is doing. From his early determination to procure a traditional Japanese sword to his more recent work with Japanese students in the poverty-stricken streets of the Philippines, Hughes, 54, has spent over 30 years in Japan allowing his actions to speak eloquently...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2012

Asano goes for an A-1 hit with 'Battleship' film

History often repeats itself in the most interesting ways. In 1945, principal members of the Japanese government signed an agreement for total surrender of the country's armed forces to the United States atop the famed USS Missouri battleship, also known as the "Mighty Mo." Sixty-seven years later, audiences...

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