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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....
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2008

Yes we can . . . what, Mr. Obama?

KYOTO — America appears to have been swept up in a feel-good moment. But as much as U.S. President-elect Barack Obama appeals to me as a public speaker and wordsmith, as much as I appreciate his candid, inclusive style as an antidote to everything redolent of President George W. Bush, as thrilled as...
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2008

Aso's ¥2 trillion plan will have no effect: Ota

Prime Minister Taro Aso's ¥2 trillion plan to aid households won't be enough to help the economy, according to former economy minister Hiroko Ota.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Nov 12, 2008

McDyess stood firm against return to Denver

NEW YORK — I assume the completion (finally) of the Pistons-Nuggets trade required the four involved players to report to their respective teams, not just those who felt like it, namely Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and the illustrious Cheikh Samb.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 12, 2008

Uehara pursues free agency

Yomiuri Giants hurler Koji Uehara will exercise his right to become a free agent in the hope of playing in the major leagues next season.
JAPAN
Nov 12, 2008

Tamogami ups nationalist rhetoric

Ousted Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Toshio Tamogami appeared Tuesday before the Diet and defended his contentious justification of Japan's wartime past and upped the ante by calling for the Constitution to be amended to unfetter the military and allow the nation to engage in collective...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 11, 2008

To go naked in autumn, you've gotta have yu

As soon as the weather starts to get chilly in this country, it seems that peoples' minds turn to two things: yu (湯, hot water) and nabe (鍋, hot pot). Anyone staying in Japan longer than a year will have noticed it — as a nation, Japanese are hopelessly samugari (寒がり, prone to being cold)....
JAPAN / Q&A
Nov 11, 2008

Tamogami — history again retold

Ousted Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Toshio Tamogami's war essay justifying Japan's aggression in China and colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula has stirred controversy both at home and abroad. More is in store as he is set to give unsworn testimony Tuesday in the Upper House.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2008

In tough economic times, tourism boss finds visitor boost a tall order

Japan's ailing regional economies can be revitalized by tapping the sightseeing potential of growing Asian countries, according to Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Yoshiaki Hompo.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years