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Reader Mail
Aug 19, 2007

Abe sends a mixed message

Although I have lived in Japan more than half my life, I had never attended the annual Aug. 6 A-bomb memorial ceremony in Hiroshima until this year, the 62nd anniversary. In addition to a record attendance of representatives from 42 countries, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, still reeling from his party's...
LIFE / Travel / NATURE TRAVEL
Aug 19, 2007

What's the odd cattle prod on flights safely free of children's milk?

You may be aware of something called "The War on Terror." If you aren't, try taking a flight from London's Gatwick Airport.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 17, 2007

'I was totally squished, but it was ace'

It's apt that Rock in Japan takes place in between Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic. While Fuji sprawls myriad bands over a vast, scenic site and Summer Sonic hosts acts for a younger crowd in an exhibition hall and stadium, RIJ combines the best of both.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 16, 2007

Frozen food makers seek ways to stay cool with consumers

Meatballs, hamburger steaks, Chinese-style meat dumplings, fried rice, gratin, tempura and fish boiled with soy sauce — these are just some of the hundreds of frozen food items stocked by the nation's supermarkets.
COMMENTARY
Aug 16, 2007

Taiwan sets itself up for yet another fall

LOS ANGELES — Of all the countries of Asia, Taiwan deserves to be near the top of the list in terms of having earned the world's respect. Therein we find the tale.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 15, 2007

Mao aiming for world title after near miss in Tokyo

Fresh off a training stint in Russia with famed coach Tatiana Tarasova, and a short vacation in Japan, world figure skating championship runnerup Mao Asada is making no secret of her ambitions for the upcoming Grand Prix season.
BUSINESS
Aug 15, 2007

Seiyu undercuts forecast, logs loss of ¥6.9 billion

Seiyu Ltd., a subsidiary of U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart, said Tuesday it posted a group net loss of ¥6.9 billion in the January-June period due to weak clothing sales and sluggish growth in tenant sales.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 15, 2007

U.S.-India agreement threatens to fuel nuclear proliferation as well as arms race

PRINCETON, New Jersey — The United States is having a difficult time trying to justify the U.S.-India nuclear deal that will be brought into effect by the "123 agreement" that has just been concluded between the two countries.
Japan Times
Reference / Special Presentations / WITNESS TO WAR
Aug 15, 2007

Surrender spared a young, doubting kamikaze

If Masamichi Shida, 80, had known a bit more about the world back in 1942, he might never have become a kamikaze.
BUSINESS
Aug 14, 2007

Economic growth slows to annual pace of 0.5%

The economy grew at a weaker than expected 0.1 percent in the April-June quarter as exports to the United States slowed and consumer spending declined, the Cabinet Office said Monday.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 14, 2007

The impact of Upper House president

For the first time in the postwar period, the House of Councilors has an opposition lawmaker as president, 66-year-old Satsuki Eda.
Reader Mail
Aug 12, 2007

Ridiculous rebuke of Asashoryu

The Aug. 4 editorial, "A grand champion is rebuked," makes me skeptical of the writer's sporting expertise. In my experience, one can still participate in relatively low-contact sports like soccer even with injuries if it is just for fun. Asashoryu was playing in a charity soccer game, which is not...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 12, 2007

Failing to learn lessons from a nuclear past

What do disgraced yokozuna (sumo grand champion) Asashoryu Akinori and Tokyo Electric Power Co. have in common? Answer: Both are under the delusion that they can get away with lying in plain sight.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Aug 11, 2007

Critic awaits callers in Imperial Hotel suite

The Imperial Hotel in central Tokyo's Hibiya district is a surprising place. Yes, of course the rich and famous stay there. But how many realize that this famed institution also rents out private office suites. On the fifth floor, for example, is where TV commentator and author Kenichi Takemura hangs...
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Aug 11, 2007

Albirex stand tall for Niigata

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.''
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Aug 10, 2007

Web site showcases classical artists

The Web site Japan's Classical Music Artists introduces promising local classical artists to the rest of the world in addition to carrying news related to concerts, festivals and competitions.
COMMENTARY
Aug 9, 2007

Odds in democracy's favor

LONDON — "There's going to be a civil war." You heard it all the time in the old Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s. People fretted about it constantly in South Africa in 1994. They have been worrying about it in Lebanon for the past year. Now they're predicting it for Pakistan — but nine times...
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2007

Interest rates fine, IMF says

Interest rates in Japan, the lowest among the major economies, are appropriate and the central bank needn't rush to raise them because inflation isn't a threat, the International Monetary Fund said.
COMMENTARY
Aug 7, 2007

A question of G8 legitimacy

Viewed from the media coverage of the Group of Eight Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, the gathering was dominated by three main issues: environment, missile defense and clashes between demonstrators and police.
JAPAN / Q&A
Aug 7, 2007

DPJ's prospects with upper hand in Upper House

The July 29 House of Councilors election brought a landslide victory to the Democratic Party of Japan, which together with the other opposition forces gained a majority in the chamber. In addition, the DPJ won the largest number of seats on a single-party basis and thus will grab the Upper House presidency....
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 7, 2007

Still the king of alcohol in Japan

The unbearably hot and humid summer is peak beer season in Japan. Here are some facts about the nation's beer market and its taxes, as well as regulations related to the alcoholic beverage:
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2007

Top economic panel urges cuts in fiscal spending

The government's top economic panel pledged Monday to keep recommending cuts in fiscal spending, including public works, despite the crushing losses the ruling coalition took in rural areas during the Upper House election.

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