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COMMENTARY
Sep 15, 2011

A refresher course in Job Creation 101

We need a refresher course in Job Creation 101 to judge how much, if at all, U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed $447 billion program of spending increases and tax cuts might revive America's sputtering job machine.
BUSINESS
Sep 15, 2011

Toyota says its parts woes are 'behind us'

Toyota Motor Corp. resumed full production at all North American plants this week and said it will expand U.S. output of small engines as Japan's largest automaker works to boost sales slowed by a March earthquake.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 13, 2011

3/11: no excuse for skipping your re-entry visa

Shortly after the March 11 disasters, Hans left Japan without a re-entry permit. He came back on a tourist visa and is wondering if he can easily regain his previous visa status:
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 3, 2011

Lineup competent but lacking buzz

The new ministers hand-picked Friday by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda lack the star power or celebrity status needed to reverse the Democratic Party of Japan's dwindling popularity.
EDITORIALS
Aug 25, 2011

Back to the rice futures trade

In Japan, futures trading for rice started in 1730 at Dojima, Osaka, with the Tokugawa shogunate's approval. Such trading ended in 1939 as the government's wartime control of the economy was strengthened. On Aug. 8, futures trading for rice resumed in Tokyo and Osaka for the first time in 72 years.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / BY THE GLASS
Aug 12, 2011

Grape adventures in northern climes

If you're thinking of taking a break from the sweltering heat of Japan's southern and central regions, Hokkaido is the perfect destination. As well as its wonderfully fresh local cuisine, stunning natural scenery and balmy climate, the northern island is also home to a burgeoning wine culture that looks...
COMMENTARY
Aug 4, 2011

A stinging defeat for Obama

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman nailed it right away: "Basically the Republicans [said] we'll blow up the world economy unless you give us exactly what we want, and the president said, OK. That's what happened."
Japan Times
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Aug 3, 2011

Kitajima has work to do in bid for triple Olympic glory

Sometimes the smartest thing an athlete, team or coach can do is call a timeout.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2011

Civic falls from Consumer Reports' 'recommended' list

Honda Motor Co.'s newest version of the Civic, a model that has been a foundation of the automaker's U.S. sales for decades, flopped in tests by Consumer Reports, failing to win the magazine's coveted "recommended" status.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jul 29, 2011

Ishizaki set to play in Germany's second-tier league

Japan national team guard Takumi Ishizaki will lace up his sneakers in the German Pro A League in 2011-12, German media reported this week.
Japan Times
JAPAN / WEEK 3
Jul 17, 2011

Films focus on Japan's nuclear flashpoints

The crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11 has revealed the danger posed by the storing of spent nuclear fuel in pools at the plant, because after the pools drained partly or wholly the fuel heated up and discharged radiation.
BUSINESS
Jul 9, 2011

Nissan, Toyota hybrids, EVs to sound alerts in U.S.

Nissan Motor Co., General Motors Co. and other makers of electric and hybrid vehicles will be required by U.S. safety regulators to install warning systems that will automatically sound alerts to pedestrians.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 5, 2011

Are the meek set to inherit Russia?

In a recent interview, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proclaimed that he wants a second term in office following the 2012 election, but that he would not run against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who put him in power in the first place.
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2011

Nissan Leaf pulls ahead of GM Volt

Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf, the first mass-produced electric car sold in the United States, took an early lead in the budding market for rechargeable autos by pulling ahead of General Motors Co.'s plug-in Volt in the first half.
BUSINESS
Jul 1, 2011

Toyoda to U.S. dealers: Recovery under way

Toyota Motor Corp. Chief Executive Officer Akio Toyoda says production is rebounding ahead of schedule from the March megaquake and new versions of the Camry sedan and Prius will soon arrive to aid sagging U.S. sales.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2011

Kansai mulls own nuke nightmare vulnerability

The crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has heightened concern in the Kansai region, where 15 atomic reactors are located less than 55 km from Japan's largest freshwater lake, a source of water for millions of people in Kyoto and Osaka.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 15, 2011

Kawachi meets group seeking to buy Apache

Toshimitsu Kawachi, the bj-league commissioner, met with the Tokyo Apache's potential new owners on Monday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / STYLE WISE
Jun 14, 2011

A season for accolades, milestones and new frontiers

Florence and Kyoto unite to celebrate Gucci's 90 years Revered luxury brand Gucci is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year with a special traveling exhibition in Japan that highlights its prowess in craftsmanship. Starting at the famed Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple in Kyoto, "Gucci: 90 years" showcases...
BASKETBALL
Jun 11, 2011

Two groups bidding to buy Tokyo Apache

The Tokyo Apache's immediate future is still up in air.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jun 4, 2011

Blatter's arrogance off the charts

Sepp Blatter has presided over the most corrupt era in the history of FIFA. While not suggesting he has been involved in any impropriety, he is certainly guilty of not noticing half his executive committee has done enough to either been found guilty of or implicated in backhanders, bungs and golden envelopes....

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