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JAPAN / ELECTION 2009
Aug 28, 2009

LDP heavyweight Koga running for his life

OMUTA, Fukuoka Pref. — For decades, voters in the Fukuoka No. 7 district, which encompasses the southern part of the prefecture, have always said, "Makoto ni arigato gozaimasu" come election time.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 14, 2009

Breaking all the rules in ceramics

For many people, the term "ceramic art" conjures up the image of functional ware on a dinner table: cups and bowls filled with food and drink, or perhaps ornate European platters or wabi-sabi Japanese teapots. To others, it may mean terra-cotta figurines or simply sculpture that uses clay as its primary...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 7, 2009

Allowing ourselves to be deceived by art

Whether enjoying the sight of shadow puppets against a wall or the suggestive placing of objects in an Austin Powers movie, people have long delighted in the playful use of images.
COMMENTARY
Jul 31, 2009

Gay ruling takes Delhi back to where it was

CHENNAI, India — The Delhi High Court's recent ruling that decriminalized sex between two consenting men or women is widely seen in India as a move toward a healthier sexual climate. Though confined to Delhi now, the law could eventually be adopted by the country's other regions.
SOCCER / J. League
Jul 19, 2009

Miyamoto's sensational goal rescues Vissel

KAWASAKI — Former national team captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto struck with a spectacular overhead kick to rescue a point for Vissel Kobe in a 2-2 draw with Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 17, 2009

From Okinawa, and they're singing the Japanese blues

It's somewhat ironic that after years of scouring the world for music, Japan's very own "Mr. World Music," Makoto Kubota, has ended up a bit closer to home than he ever imagined. "I never thought there was such a deep, rich folklore in my own country. It was a big surprise" he says.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 17, 2009

Enter the dance-rock dragons Shikari

"We were really worried before they came over 'cos England's so s--t," says Rob Rolfe, the drummer from British post-hardcore/metal/dance fusion band Enter Shikari of their anxieties before embarking on a 2008 tour with their friends, the Japanese punk-metal group Maximum the Hormone.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 15, 2009

Japan resident, get set for your date with dentistry

They were four simple words that I never wanted to hear: "Ha wo warimasu, ne (歯を割りますね, I'm going to split your tooth, OK?)."
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2009

Local leaders pin hopes for decentralization on election

OSAKA — The 1868 Meiji Restoration that brought Japan into the modern world originated in provinces far outside the capital when local leaders rebelled against what they saw as a corrupt, ossified Edo-based government and bureaucracy that was stifling freedom and innovation and had no national vision....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 10, 2009

Artist Yoko Ono is honored

On June 6, the Venice Biennale presented artist Yoko Ono with one of its most prestigious honors, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Ono was nominated for the distinction along with American John Baldessari by the director of this year's biennale, Daniel Birnbaum.
JAPAN / G8 ITALY SUMMIT
Jul 8, 2009

Climate unity a cloud on G8 horizon

This year's annual Group of Eight summit, hosted by Italy, is expected to focus on complex political and economic issues of immediate concern, ranging from North Korea and Iran to international economic and financial recovery.
Reader Mail
Jul 5, 2009

Police behavior in Sugaya case

Thank you for the June 26 editorial — "Truth behind false charge" — on the various court decisions expected to result in an eventual declaration of innocence for Toshikazu Sugaya.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jul 5, 2009

The Shanxi trilogy: films that never made it back home

Sometimes called the most significant of the current generation of Chinese film directors, Jia Zhangke (b. 1970) enjoys the distinction of never having had some of his finest work commercially shown in his own country.
COMMENTARY
Jun 14, 2009

A purge of Parliament is calling

LONDON — In British politics the familiar scenario is for the opposition to press for an early general election — there being no fixed-term provision in the very flexible British constitution — and for the government of the day to reject all such demands and sit tight.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 1, 2009

Logi Universe triumphs in Derby, avenges loss

Disappointing as the favorite in the Satsukisho, Logi Universe was able to salvage his reputation in the Japan Derby just over a month later answering fans' somewhat lesser expectations with a four-length win over fifth pick Reach the Crown.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 29, 2009

Classical music lovers get set for Matsumoto

"Sending out high-quality Western classical music from Japan" was the goal for renowned cellist and conductor Hideo Saito (1902-74), who studied in Germany. In 1955, he cofounded the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, where he devoted the latter half of his life to music education and taught many...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 20, 2009

Fish kanji help you hook the perfect meal

Japan is blessed with an abundance of fish — drawn from the deep ocean to the coastal shores, lakes, rivers and streams. Making yourself familiar with the many kanji for different species of fish helps you get by when you run into all this slippery fare at a local restaurant, sushi counter or supermarket....
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 20, 2009

Fish kanji help you hook the perfect meal

Japan is blessed with an abundance of fish — drawn from the deep ocean to the coastal shores, lakes, rivers and streams. Making yourself familiar with the many kanji for different species of fish helps you get by when you run into all this slippery fare at a local restaurant, sushi counter or supermarket....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 15, 2009

Lights, mirror . . . reaction

S ometimes the cutting-edge is five years old. Take the current exhibition at the Mori Art Museum, "The Kaleidoscopic Eye: Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Collection." Featuring some of the best of what the contemporary art world has to offer, by the time it's made it to the museum, the art world...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 28, 2009

Berlitz blitz against union bogs down

After the second court hearing on April 20 in Berlitz Japan's lawsuit against unionized teachers, the legal fight seems bogged down in a form of trench warfare.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 18, 2009

Imagine no possessions

Everyone has heard how the Japanese have no furniture in their houses and how they sit on the floor and sleep on futons.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2009

Nakasone predicts formation of LDP-DPJ grand coalition

Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone said Friday there is a big chance a grand coalition will form between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan after the next general election to stabilize the government and weather the recession.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2009

Hubris paved way to crisis

PRINCETON, New Jersey — To understand how we got ourselves into our current economic mess, complicated explanations about derivatives, regulatory failure, and so on are beside the point. The best answer is both ancient and simple: hubris.
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Mar 24, 2009

Justice Ministry turned me into Russian hottie

Dear Ministry of Justice,
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / FREEWHEELIN' ACROSS JAPAN
Mar 22, 2009

A rose among roots on Awajishima

I'm bent over double, throwing up water I've just drunk. I can't keep anything down.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Mar 21, 2009

Reputation for bad behavior continues for Fabregas

LONDON — After Hull City's stormy 2-1 F.A. Cup quarterfinal defeat at Arsenal, visiting manager Phil Brown accused the Gunners' captain Cesc Fabregas of spitting at assistant manager Brian Horton.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Mar 11, 2009

Dust off your old records for one final play

Movie marvel: Just as the arrival of home video in the 1980s impacted heavily on the movie-theater industry, free-to-air TV is now being undermined by pay TV and movies delivered via the Internet. Television-set manufacturers are helping to widen channels for the new methods of movie distribution, and...
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 6, 2009

J. League also-rans looking to change gear

The following is the first of a two-part J. League preview for the upcoming season. Team-by-team previews of the nine bottom-ranked teams competing in the first division are listed.
COMMENTARY
Mar 4, 2009

China fuels Sri Lankan war

Sri Lanka, the once self-trumpeted "island of paradise," turned into the island of bloodshed more than a quarter-century ago. But even by its long, gory record, the bloodletting since last year is unprecedented. The United Nations estimates that some 1,200 noncombatants are getting killed each month...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN TIMES BLOGROLL
Mar 4, 2009

AltJapan

Author and translator Matt Alt runs AltJapan, an entertaining and informative blog launched in 2006. Calling it a "digital scratchpad," the Maryland native writes about a wide variety of Japan-related subjects, ranging from the role of Lolita girls in military simulations to the majesty of Japan's toy...

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