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COMMENTARY / World
Nov 17, 2008

Establishing 'equality' as a basic human right

LONDON — Following weeks of financial and economic turmoil, public debate has finally turned to the horrific potential human ramifications of the collapse of the global financial system.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 17, 2008

Reviving Pax Americana

SYDNEY — The euphoria and promise of Barack Obama's election triumph will soon be tempered by the stark prospect of U.S. weakness and decline. The new president has a mountain of work ahead of him if he is to restore the tarnished U.S. brand and repair the financial mess that is likely to be his predecessor's...
BUSINESS / THE VIEW FROM EUROPE
Nov 17, 2008

Unlike blue chips, services firms' Japan quirks thwart global reach

Japan's firms are on an unprecedented shopping tour overseas. The value of January-October M&As hit a record ¥6.7 trillion, nearly four times more than a year earlier. The largest was Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group's $9 billion investment in Morgan Stanley.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 2008

Cash handout finding few fans

In 1999, the coalition government was bashed for what was dubbed "one of the silliest policy measures of the century."
Reader Mail
Nov 16, 2008

Right to bear arms still relevant

Regarding Roger Pulvers' Nov. 9 article, "What a world of difference that one momentous day could make": Pulvers refers to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing the people the right to keep and bear arms, as "outdated and pernicious." Fortunately, most Americans do not share his...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / WEEK 3
Nov 16, 2008

Google reveals trends in Japan

The Japanese are more interested in iTunes than in ring-tones, ramen rather than sushi, the economy more than sex, and dogs win out over cats (but only just). That's what Google Trends, the keyword-tracking tool launched in Japan last month, would have us believe.
Reader Mail
Nov 16, 2008

Political action beyond words

Regarding Philip J. Cunningham's Nov. 13 article, "Yes we can . . . what, Mr. Obama?": I would like to commend The Japan Times for publishing an article written by somebody who is able to look past all the excitement and fervor of Barack Obama's election and analyze what the next U.S. president might...
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Nov 16, 2008

The passing of Chinese royalty, the arrival of a commoner consort and Reagan's 'peace through strength'

100 YEARS AGO Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1908 Their Late Chinese Majesties
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 16, 2008

The expatriate whiner: fond of the homeland but lost abroad

E xpatriates can be the source of many positive things. They are contributors to the welfare of their host nation. They are often agents of trenchant criticism, perceiving things in their new nation that natives either do not, or refuse to, see. They educate and enrich.
JAPAN
Nov 15, 2008

Flame of love thrives, even with in-law in tow

Victoria Kobayakawa, a 29-year-old Filipino, was kept busy by her children during a recent interview with The Japan Times in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 15, 2008

Autumn is for 'metabolic syndrome'

In the face of the increasing problem of "metabolic syndrome," in Japan, they really ought to revise the phrase shokuyoku no aki (Autumn is for eating). Another popular axiom is, dokusho no aki (Autumn is for reading) so if you put these two messages together, one can only conclude: Eat, and when you...
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2008

Takenaka urges corporate reforms

Global leaders looking to revive economic growth should complement monetary and fiscal steps with corporate and market reforms, former economy minister Heizo Takenaka said in the Financial Times.
EDITORIALS
Nov 14, 2008

Hard times for U.S. automakers

If there were any doubts about the severity of the economic downturn and its impact on the "real economy," they were put to rest last week by reports from U.S. automakers. General Motors Corp. warned that it may not have enough cash to keep operating through the year; Ford's situation is not as dire,...
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

TV comedian turns hero with burning-building rescue

Braving smoke and explosions, Iranian entertainer Rahim Arvanaghi, 40, better known as Randy Muscle, made another name for himself Wednesday when he ran into a burning building in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and rescued its injured owner, Shinichi Yokoyama.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

Education woes beset Brazilian children

Securing employment for Brazilians and making sure their children receive a proper education are crucial issues the government must work out with municipalities and the private sector, according to experts involved in the Brazilian community in Japan.
COMMENTARY
Nov 13, 2008

Advice on Asia for Obama

Foreign policy bloggers and pundits are already gushing forth with advice for President-elect Barack Obama. Allow me to add some of my own, at least as far as Asia policy is concerned.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 13, 2008

Unsung heroes deserve spotlight

Gamba Osaka's Asian Champions League win may not be greeted with the same fanfare that heralded Urawa Reds' groundbreaking triumph in last year's edition, but then understated elegance has always been Gamba's style.
Reader Mail
Nov 13, 2008

Let's pay to maintain Mount Fuji

Regarding the Nov. 8 article "Towns float Mount Fuji 'entry fee' ": Having climbed Mount Fuji from both the Yamanashi and Shizuoka (Prefecture) sides a total of four times, I can guarantee that most visitors would prefer to pay a modest fee -- say, ¥1,000 -- in return for adequate restrooms and officials...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 13, 2008

Lions prepare for trip into uncharted waters

The Seibu Lions and SK Wyverns went through the final preparations for their matchup in the 2008 edition of the Asia Series during a pair of brief practices on Wednesday at Tokyo Dome.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 13, 2008

Tokyo's Rokku laughs it up again at film festival

The objectives of the First Old Town Taito International Comedy Film Festival, which runs Nov. 21 to 24 in the Tokyo districts of Asakusa and Ueno, sound ambitious. Noting on the festival's English-language Web site that "there are innumerable film festivals held throughout the world," the executive...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 13, 2008

Modern maki-e

I don't express otaku culture," says Tomotaka Yasui at the Megumi Ogita gallery in Ginza, where he is having a solo exhibition of three new works. "Now in foreign countries, all people hear about is otaku culture. I want to introduce other aspects of Japanese culture to other countries — Japanese style,...
Japan Times
CULTURE
Nov 13, 2008

Understanding Ueto, Japan's reluctant star

"I never wished to become an actress or a star who performs on TV," explains Aya Ueto, the prominent model and actress. "I took this role because my management gave it to me."
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2008

Not all firms hurting in hard times

While the yen's surge and the recession may be battering the sales and profits of the country's blue-chip firms, others are making headway through the storm, posting record half-year profits even as the global financial turmoil hammers financial firms and export-driven manufacturers such as Sony Corp....

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb