Search - 2012

 
 
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 25, 2011

Interest heats up for new-look BayStars

Merry Christmas to all readers of the Baseball Bullet-In, and the fans in Yokohama should have a relaxing holiday season now that their team has been sold, it has a new manager, new owner and a new look after limping through a few — shall we say — less-than-spectacular seasons.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 22, 2011

Best of 2011: AKB48 "Koko ni Ita Koto"

AKB48 is not a band, or even a pop group: AKB48 is a hate crime. With "Koko ni Ita Koto," pop music has reached its lowest ebb. And that is precisely why this album is not my favorite of the year, but the one I think is the most important.
COMMENTARY
Dec 21, 2011

Debt undermines the classic answer to recession

"Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist."
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 21, 2011

A new code of conduct for the South China Sea

A rash of run-ins between China and rival claimants in disputed areas in the South China Sea has prompted a search for a conflict avoidance and management mechanism. In January 2012, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China will begin negotiating a Code of Conduct (CoC) to govern activities...
COMMENTARY
Dec 20, 2011

Suicide pact at Durban climate-health summit

The Durban climate summit that ended Dec. 11 has been proclaimed a great success. The chair, South Africa's international relations minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, told the delegates: "We have concluded this meeting with (a plan) to save one planet for the future of our children and our grandchildren...
JAPAN
Dec 16, 2011

Futenma base relocation has little hope left

The political games being played in Washington and Tokyo regarding whether the U.S. will fund the transfer of Okinawa-based U.S. Marines to Guam are of no consequence, experts say, because the 2006 plan to relocate the Futenma airbase to Henoko in northern Okinawa Island, which the Guam transfer depends...
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2011

Honda targets young drivers with new Acura ILX

Honda Motor Co., seeking to revive its Acura luxury brand, is introducing a sedan intended for younger buyers unable to afford higher-end marques. It's part of an effort to improve Acura's image with new models.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2011

Revamped Camry facing tough competition

Toyota Motor Corp. was already counting on the revamped Camry to spark a U.S. sales rally. The carmaker's flagship model is now under additional pressure as a stronger currency and Thailand's floods cut into profit.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 8, 2011

Quake-stricken orchestra plays on in style

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra faced a setback this year after Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall was severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, effectively leaving the musicians homeless.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 5, 2011

Competition taking a bite out of dentistry schools' tuition schemes

Dentistry schools in cutthroat competition for new students.
BUSINESS
Dec 3, 2011

Toyota logs first gain in U.S. sales since April

Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. delivered more vehicles in the U.S. than analysts estimated as demand climbed to the highest point this year.
EDITORIALS
Dec 1, 2011

Hazy prospects at Durban

The 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) opened in Durban, South Africa, on Monday, with 195 countries taking part. The focus of discussions is on what to do after the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the only binding climate agreement at present, expires...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 9, 2011

Russia's Eurasian integration

With Russia's 2012 presidential elections effectively over since Vladimir Putin's decision to reclaim his old Kremlin office, it is time to turn from personalities to policies. Putin plans to stay in the Kremlin for two more presidential terms, another 12 years, as he is enabled to do by the recently-amended...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 21, 2011

Nara chefs pick up stars in new Michelin guide

The glitterati of the Kansai culinary world gathered at the Nara Prefecture New Public Hall in Kasugano, Nara, on Tuesday to celebrate the launch of the "Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka Kobe Nara 2012." In particular they were there to welcome the historical host city's entry into the exalted company of Michelin-endorsed...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 19, 2011

Luxury mart ending four-year slump

Japan's luxury market is set to grow for the first time in four years as status-conscious consumers help rebuild the economy, encouraging expansion by Gianni Versace SpA and Mulberry Group PLC.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Oct 15, 2011

Liverpool-Man United always a big one

It is the bitterest rivalry in the Premier League on and off the pitch. Liverpool vs. Manchester United is not just about football, it is a battle between two cities 50 km apart who, historically, have competed for the bragging rights in northwest England.
SOCCER / World cup
Oct 12, 2011

Havenaar, Japan pulverize Tajikistan in 2014 World Cup qualifier

Japan found its scoring touch to thrash Tajikistan 8-0 on Tuesday and stay on course for a place in the final qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 12, 2011

Engine redo stalls HondaJet release until 2013

Honda Motor Co. suffered a new setback to its HondaJet small aircraft as engine damage forced a redesign that will delay the first delivery until mid-2013, almost a year later than the previous schedule.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Oct 7, 2011

Welbeck leads charge as England looks to punch ticket

We smiled when, in May 2009, Sir Alex Ferguson said that Danny Welbeck was going to make it "at the highest level" and would be part of England's 2010 World Cup squad.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / TECH_JAPAN
Oct 5, 2011

Why do Japanese developers keep us waiting?

The problem with Japanese video games is that they take too damn long to make.
EDITORIALS
Sep 30, 2011

Mr. Putin's Kremlin comeback plan

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proposed at a Sept. 24 convention of the United Russia party that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin run for the presidential election set for March 2012. Mr. Putin accepted the proposal and his comeback as Russia's president is believed to be certain. He in turn called on...

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami