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COMMENTARY
Nov 23, 2010

Let trade transform Burma

NEW DELHI — The election process in Burma has altered its political landscape, giving birth to new institutions and players, triggering a generational change in the armed forces, bringing to power the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), and facilitating the release of prodemocracy...
EDITORIALS
Nov 23, 2010

Uncovering government waste

In a Nov. 5 report to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the Board of Audit said that in fiscal 2009, ministries and agencies as well as other government entities wasted public money in 979 cases. The total reached a record ¥1.79 trillion — some 7.5 times the fiscal 2008 figure.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Nov 23, 2010

Performance art's expatriate players push the envelope

Exotic dancing. Nonsensical poetry. Harsh electronic noise. Doughnuts. These are just some of the manifold sights and sounds you'll find on the bill at Paint Your Teeth, a bimonthly performance art event in Tokyo.
LIFE / WEEK 3
Nov 21, 2010

Those at the sharp end act out plight of their small firms

An old man storms into an office, looking furious. He spots a younger man in a pale-blue worker's uniform — actually, the new president of a small auto-parts factory in Tokyo's Ota Ward — and confronts him.
LIFE / WEEK 3
Nov 21, 2010

Heading for the hills — in style

One sunny Saturday a couple of weeks ago, this writer joined five women and three men who met up at Ikusabata Station on the JR Ome Line in the mountains of western Tokyo.
LIFE / WEEK 3
Nov 21, 2010

'Evacuate' to whole new worlds

In the foyers of theaters in Tokyo's new "happening" hub of Ikebukuro — where the provocative Festival/Tokyo (F/T) drama event is running through November — odd exchanges can often be overheard.
LIFE / Travel
Nov 21, 2010

Sapporo's warm welcome

With its wide roads laid out in a neat grid, an abundance of greenery and its sleek, modern subway system, Sapporo at first feels more like somewhere in America than in Japan.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Nov 21, 2010

Strategy needed to boost bj-league game attendance

Whatever the bj-league is doing to promote itself across the nation, it isn't working. In fact, it's failing miserably to attract anything that resembles a decent-size fan base.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2010

Yanagida prospects looking grimmer

Pressure mounted Friday on Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida to resign over his remarks scoffing at his Diet duties, as members of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan-led administration gradually distanced themselves from him and the opposition camp pledged to slap him with censure motions.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 20, 2010

Everyone chime in . . .

Classes start early on our island — 6 a.m. every day, even on Sundays. At least that's what any teacher visiting for the first time would think. This is because there is a "chime" that sounds over the island's PA system at 6 a.m., which lets islanders know that it is time to wake up. The chime happens...
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2010

China, Haneda draw U.S. airlines

One of Peter Philipp Wingsoe's employees at a Los Angeles marketing firm recently waited five days for a business-class ticket on a United Airlines jet home from Beijing because flights were so packed.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 19, 2010

Overvalued club debate

HONG KONG — American domination of the world economy was challenged last week at the Group of 20 summit in Seoul much the same way that Barack Obama's Democrats were mauled in this month's U.S. congressional elections, which the president termed a "shellacking."
CULTURE / Music / IN THE RECORD
Nov 19, 2010

Carlos Gibbs

DJ and producer Carlos Gibbs, creator of Skinnipants and the Redbox Project, opens up his record bag for The Japan Times.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Nov 19, 2010

New Hermes exhibition gets inspiration from 1982's 'Tron'

Te ground-breaking science-fiction movie "Tron" dazzled film-goers with its use of computer graphics and futuristic cinematography in 1982. Tapping into a widespread nostalgia for that film, the release of a sequel next month is already generating a lot of buzz.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 19, 2010

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

When it comes to recognizing the latest trends and artists causing a stir abroad, the Japanese club scene sometimes seems to suffer from perennial jet lag.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Nov 18, 2010

Shrine tags

Dear Alice,
COMMENTARY
Nov 18, 2010

China's big stick: trade reprisals

China's ascent as a trading power and its push for control of disputed islands and seas in East Asia are confronting the region with a new challenge: how to cope with Chinese moves that make recognition of its sovereignty claims a condition for access to its huge market and strategic resources.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 2010

Media bent on derailing ruling DPJ: van Wolferen

The domestic media's penchant for focusing on political power games instead of policies is hampering the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's attempts to govern, veteran correspondent and Japan expert Karel van Wolferen said Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 17, 2010

Kan ducks the rice problem

HONG KONG — Has Prime Minister Naoto Kan finally woken up to the fact that the world is changing rapidly and Japan risks being left behind? In recent days he has spoken of a fresh fleet of "black ships" off the coast of Japan, and has noted nostalgically that he comes from Choshu (now Yamaguchi Prefecture)...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 16, 2010

Wal-Mart upbeat on Japan's TPP prospects

YOKOHAMA — Japan's stated commitment to free trade at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit over the weekend was a positive message for global retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which might be in position to sell high-quality Japanese produce overseas in the future, Wal-Mart Asia CEO Scott Price...
Japan Times
Events / WHERE IT'S AT
Nov 16, 2010

Minato foreigners' language needs met

Minato International Association, which arranges activities and programs mainly for foreign residents in Minato Ward, Tokyo, offers a unique program in which Japanese volunteers give foreigners individual Japanese conversation lessons.

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