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BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 18, 2012

Miyamoto dedicated 2,000th hit to late friend, mentor Higuchi

Three Japanese players joined the Meikyukai (Golden Players Club) during the 2012 season by reaching the career 2,000-hit mark. Tokyo Yakult Swallows infielder Shinya Miyamoto, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters veteran Atsunori Inaba and Fukuoka Softbank Hawks retiring slugger Hiroki Kokubo are the newest...
JAPAN
Nov 18, 2012

Hashimoto, Ishihara merge parties

Against expectations and despite fundamental policy differences, Osaka Mayor and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) head Toru Hashimoto and former Tokyo Gov. and Taiyo no To (The Sunshine Party) leader Shintaro Ishihara merged their parties Saturday, creating a third force in Japanese politics....
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 18, 2012

Yoshiwara busts send message: 'Keep it clean'

On May 24, 1956, the Diet voted Japan's anti-prostitution statute into law, effective from April 1, 1957; but enforcement was postponed a year to give sex workers time to seek new livelihoods.
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 18, 2012

Sanfrecce retain lead despite defeat

Sanfrecce Hiroshima maintained a wafer-thin advantage in the J. League title race despite losing 2-0 to Urawa Reds on Saturday, as Vegalta Sendai closed the gap at the top to one point with two games of the season left to play.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 18, 2012

'Cool Japan is over': a sociologist looks at Japan's art world

BEFORE AND AFTER SUPERFLAT: A Short History of Japanese Contemporary Art 1990-2011, by Adrian Favell. Blue Kingfisher, 2012, 246 pp., $24.95 (paper)
JAPAN
Nov 16, 2012

Ishihara-Kawamura tieup rattles Hashimoto

Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) head Toru Hashimoto expressed criticism and disappointment Thursday over an agreement between former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara's Taiyo no To (The Sunrise Party) and Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura's Genzei Nippon (Tax Reduction Japan) to unite ahead of the...
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2012

Tokyo wary of looming Beijing helm change

China is on the verge of installing a new leader, presumably Vice President Xi Jingping, to lead the nation for the coming decade at a time when its economy and society are showing strains and its growing military expansion and tensions with its neighbors, particularly Japan, are promising turbulence...
MORE SPORTS
Nov 14, 2012

Super bantamweight Nishioka announces retirement

Having gone through some difficult times, Toshiaki Nishioka's boxing career wasn't exactly what he originally thought it would be when he entered the ring at age 11.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Nov 14, 2012

Brown wasn't only problem for Lakers

Sam Smith covered the Chicago Bulls for the Chicago Tribune for nearly 25 years, including all six of the team's NBA titles with Michael Jordan. He is the author of the best-selling book "The Jordan Rules" and now writes for bulls.com. He was honored with the Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2012

Consumers batten down their wallets

Consumers are closing their wallets as the economy's outlook darkens, making it harder for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to stave off the nation's third recession in four years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 13, 2012

Today's J-blip: gas-neutralizing underwear

If a man passes gas into a mesh of ceramic-infused material, has he well and truly farted?
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Nov 13, 2012

New faces should have opportunity to shine for Japan in WBC

Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki and Texas Rangers reliever Akinori Otsuka were the lone major leaguers on the roster when Japan won the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Nov 11, 2012

Fans irked by a nuclear-free Doraemon

The post-3/11 version of Japan's beloved robot cat now runs on ... magic?
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Nov 11, 2012

'The Anonymous Detective'; 'Wide Area Police'; CM of the week: Bausch + Lomb

Actor Katsunori Takahashi is known for his suave good looks, as well as making fun of them, and this week he appears in two dramas playing idiosyncratic crime fighters.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 11, 2012

The changing face of fatherhood in Japan

My maiden brush with paternity in Japan was in 1982. New to the country and new to my job, I said to my boss, "My wife is expecting a baby on such-and-such a day and I'll want that day off."

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years