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COMMENTARY / World
Apr 4, 2007

Good reasons to be bullish about the Europe Union

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The European Union has been so successful that you would have thought there would be dancing in the streets at its 50th anniversary. Alas, there has been only persistent talk of failure -- to achieve political union, to adopt a constitution, to exercise global leadership and vision,...
Reader Mail
Apr 4, 2007

Shoddy ruling on baby twins

Regarding the March 24 article "Top court: No registry for pair born surrogate": Why would the Supreme Court judges punish TV celebrity Aki Mukai for seeking the loving support of a surrogate mother to have children? Even if the surrogate in this case happened to be (gasp) an American woman? Does this...
EDITORIALS
Apr 3, 2007

Britain opts for new nukes

Britain has decided to renew its nuclear deterrent. A parliamentary vote last month sharply divided the ruling Labor Party, forcing Prime Minister Tony Blair to rely on opposition Conservatives to pass the measure. Mr. Blair made his case by arguing that international uncertainty required Britain to...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 1, 2007

From comedian to politician: an easy step for Miyazaki's governor

Since last September when Shinzo Abe became prime minister, no event has had as powerful an impact on Japan's political landscape as the January election of Hideo Higashikokubaru to the governorship of Miyazaki Prefecture. Many see the former comedian's victory as a harbinger of what to expect not only...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 31, 2007

Helping to give back the power that is theirs

The two small rooms and kitchen occupied by Kalakasan have been bulging at the seams since early morning. First there was a regular staff meeting. In the afternoon, a group of Filipino women providing support to one of their members, came with a distressed mother and teenager. The youngster was raped...
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2007

Victim participation in trials risky, experts say

A bill that would allow people victimized by crime to participate in court proceedings could be detrimental to the criminal trial system and needs further debate, a group of lawyers, scholars and Diet members said Thursday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 30, 2007

Seafood cuisine to set you reeling

Being an archipelago of about 3,000 islands, Japan's best dining often revolves around fruits of the sea. The average Japanese person consumes a whopping 66 kg of fish each year, more than four times the world average. Though very tasty, seafood experiences in Japan can also be challenging, most typically...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 30, 2007

Lady Sov looks to scare the heavies at Def Jam

It's not surprising that Lady Sovereign draws comparisons to Eminem. Despite the 21-year-old British MC having a vastly different sound, being a foul-mouthed Caucasian rapper who likes to stir up trouble does bring Slim Shady to mind.
SOCCER
Mar 29, 2007

FC Tokyo's Hirayama sparks Japan past Syria

A devastating display of attacking soccer led by Sota Hirayama gave Japan Under-22s a 3-0 victory over their Syrian counterparts in a Beijing Olympics qualifier on Wednesday at Tokyo's National Stadium.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 29, 2007

Globalization made manifest at Midtown

Hooray. Another high-rise office tower. Another five-star hotel. Another premium shopping mall. Another Starbucks. And don't forget culture. With this new development, Tokyo will show the world the richness of Japan's civilization and society.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2007

Whalers threaten to sue activists over sea clash

Japanese whalers threatened Tuesday to sue the environmental groups Sea Shepherd and even Greenpeace for physically attempting to thwart the fleet's government-backed research hunt earlier this year in the Southern Ocean.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Mar 28, 2007

Good vibrations: Turning your skull into a speaker and manga electric guitars

VIBRATING BONES: Call me old-fashioned, but I feel attached to speakers. Innate pieces of metal and plastic vibrate in harmony to produce sound waves to caress the ear. The idea of substituting my body parts to carry out the vibrating bit of the business just doesn't hit the right note for me. But hey,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Mar 27, 2007

Masahiro Murata

Masahiro Murata, 35, is a hair and makeup artist whose salon, MaQueen, just behind the Kabuki-za theater in Ginza, is a sanctuary for both his loyal clients and staff. Murata loves people, and especially beauty in them, which he believes manifests itself in the way one treats others. As one of Japan's...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Mar 26, 2007

Jury system doesn't guarantee justice

NEW YORK -- My U.S.-Japanese business consultant friend John Gillespie dropped by and, upon hearing that my wife Nancy had been summoned to jury duty, said Japan should introduce a similar system.
Reader Mail
Mar 25, 2007

Assimilation under strict codes

In his March 18 article, "As London shows, assimilation is what migration's about," Roger Pulvers writes of the great advantages to Britain through mass immigration. I don't know how well Pulvers knows London, but as a long-term resident let me make a few points in counterbalance.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Mar 24, 2007

Chandru G. Advani

This is the India Year in Japan 2007 and the Japan Year in India 2007. It is a significant time for every enterprise interested in the flow of information, goods and people between the two countries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 23, 2007

Ms. Lauryn Hill and Lupe Fiasco

The second Springroove, promoter Creativeman's hip-hop and R&B festival, boasts homegrown talent such as AI along with international superstars Kayne West, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and up-and-comers Lupe Fiasco and Lady Sovereign.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 23, 2007

B-girl boppers

'Maybe they can smell something on us!" says Halca, 18, one half of hip-hop- meets-J-pop duo HalCali.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 23, 2007

Home sweet Hollandafter Hollywood hell

Director Paul Verhoeven is living, breathing proof of that old Hollywood adage, "You're only as good as your last film."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 23, 2007

'Step Up'

If nothing else, "Step Up" is a great inducement to hit the gym. Or the barre. And the yoga mat. Anything in fact, to tighten those upper body muscles and get those abs to pop out.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Mar 22, 2007

We make great pets

Imagine if you will a female Japanese artist who dresses as a hamster and scurries round amid wood chips and scraps of torn paper, wide-eyed, nibbling on croissant-size, cookie-dough "sunflower seeds." Yes, in this city with its insatiable sweet tooth for art, it does sound like yet another serving of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 22, 2007

When Godot finally arrives

Minoru Betsuyaku wanted to be a painter, but his father died when he was 7, leaving him as the oldest of five sons. Everyone around him said that he would never be able to support his family as an artist, so he entered Tokyo's Waseda University, resolved instead to become a newspaper journalist.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight