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COMMENTARY
Apr 9, 2007

Redundant higher education

In the 1990s, the education ministry announced a policy of making graduate schools the center of education and research at what had traditionally been undergraduate universities. At about the same time, restrictions on a liberal arts education for undergraduates were relaxed, allowing even freshmen students...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 9, 2007

Making institutions work for the poor

PARIS -- The World Bank has long proclaimed its dream of "a world free from poverty." Likewise, the International Monetary Fund may arguably desire "a world free from financial crisis."
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 9, 2007

Only one way to move forward in Ukraine

KIEV -- Suddenly, Ukraine faces another stark choice: Dismiss the government and Parliament and hold new elections, or see the country's independence surrendered bit by bit. There is renewed talk, too, of violent civil unrest. None of this should be surprising, given how our corrupt rulers systematically...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 8, 2007

Nice debut for 'Dice-K', Eagles day games, MLB events

Nice major league debut for "Dice-K," eh?
EDITORIALS
Apr 8, 2007

The annual 'hanami' rethink

Though it happens every year, cherry blossom season still functions as a vibrant experience in Japan. As the blossoms open up, somehow, so do people. Time spent walking or partying under the falling petals makes most people slow down to reconsider what is essential in life. It may be just a bunch of...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 8, 2007

'Mr. Irresponsible' -- the humanitarian comedian -- passes on

The media has been filled with tributes to comedian Hitoshi Ueki since he died of respiratory failure March 27 at the age of 80, but compared to the intense public mourning that followed the deaths of other, equally influential Showa Era pop icons, the eulogies have been notably subdued. One explanation...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 8, 2007

Coming-of-age comedy drama, family business sitcom, high school sitcom

Spring is in the air, and a batch of new drama series is being launched this week. Family themes seem to be dominant, but, of course, romance is never far away.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 8, 2007

Ruing the death of Russian womanhood

SOUTH BEND, Indiana -- Valentina Tereshkova, the first female Soviet cosmonaut -- indeed, the first woman to go into space -- recently celebrated her 70th birthday. In an interview, she stated her only wish: to fly to Mars, even with a one-way ticket. It was an implicit wish for a spectacular form of...
Reader Mail
Apr 8, 2007

Japanese honesty made my day

My husband and I are Canadian citizens who were traveling in Japan for business and pleasure. On Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006, we were with friends at the Morioka JR station. Upon leaving the JR office, I did not notice that my wallet was left open while I was walking toward the department store inside the...
MORE SPORTS
Apr 6, 2007

Legendary coach Robinson a man ahead of his era

Eddie Robinson was so good at what he did he effectively put himself out of business.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / WALKING THE WARDS
Apr 6, 2007

Where mod confronts odd

Several decades ago, commuters riding the Mekama Line into Meguro Station were tagged country bumpkins. Today, developers pack the ward with suburban homes as fast as they can pour cement. Old dwellings with gardens give way to duplexes with flowerpots, and chic furniture stores now clog Meguro Avenue...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Apr 5, 2007

The rewards of hardship

One of Japan's most influential 20th-century ceramic artists, Mineo Okabe, was relatively unknown -- and certainly under-appreciated -- during his lifetime. Today, though, potters take great inspiration from, and collectors go gaga over, the bold new forms and styles he created.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 5, 2007

"Obey Giant Versus WK Interact"

Tokyo Wonder Site, Shibuya Closes in 18 days
COMMENTARY
Apr 5, 2007

Giving soft power some teeth

LONDON -- "Speak softly and carry a big stick" -- that was the advice of ebullient U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in the early part of the 20th century. It may still have some relevance today.
EDITORIALS
Apr 4, 2007

Conrad Black's diversions

The trial of Mr. Conrad Black -- Lord Black of Crossharbour -- began last week in Chicago. While the proceedings will offer considerable insight into the lives of the rich and famous, it will also provide a vivid reminder of the need for effective corporate oversight and the vital role played by boards...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Apr 3, 2007

Drugs, bikes, the hard cell

Where are they now? Jim wonders what happened to the American Pharmacy, for years located in Yurakucho, Tokyo.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Apr 2, 2007

Think tanks offer Japan plenty of personnel with policymaking potential

The 21st Century Public Policy Institute (21PPI) is a think tank established by Keidanren in 1997. As it enters its 10th year this month, a revamp is in progress to beef up its activities.
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 1, 2007

"Rebel" cartoonist Rieko Saibara

Rieko Saibara is a catoonist known for her work that has both a lyrical and "rebellious" side to it. While regarded as a rebel in the cartoonist world, at times shocking her readers with indecent expressions, she also brings them to tears by her portrayal of hopeless poverty, affection to her children...
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
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Apr 1, 2007

Get ready to sprint-shop where the living ain't easy

Very recently, I had the opportunity to see the 83-year-old head of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. The contemptible cranium was traveling at high speed in a convoy of shiny black Mercs, souped-up and overcrowded army trucks, police cars and motorcycle outriders.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2007

Urban Kyoto tries on an old look

KYOTO -- First-time visitors to the ancient capital of Kyoto usually arrive expecting to see quiet temples and rock gardens or an abundance of old wooden buildings set against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Mar 31, 2007

Patricia Cardenas

Patricia Cardenas, ambassador of Colombia, is chairperson of this year's Cherry Blossom Charity Ball. The International Ladies Benevolent Society's annual fund-raiser will be held April 13 at the Hotel Okura.
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2007

Sapporo investors approve poison pill

Sapporo Holdings Ltd. shareholders Thursday voted two-thirds in favor of the company's proposed takeover defense measures.

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person