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COMMENTARY
Aug 3, 2007

Wanted: creative leadership

HONOLULU — As expected, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) were defeated in Sunday's Upper House election. And, despite concerted attempts to lower expectations, the results still embarrassed the ruling party.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2007

Scandal-tainted farm minister axed

Scandal-tainted agriculture minister Norihiko Akagi was sacked Wednesday for contributing to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's historic defeat in the House of Councilors election.
Reader Mail
Aug 1, 2007

Stellar conviction rate is suspect

My early experience with the police here was positive. Officers manning police boxes were kind, giving directions when I lost my way. Since then, what I have read and heard has spun my view 180 degrees. Japanese police are a danger to law-abiding foreigners and Japanese citizens alike.
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2007

HMV sells Japanese store chain

HMV Group PLC, Britain's largest music retailer, said Tuesday it agreed to sell its Japanese store chain to Daiwa Securities Group Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. for ¥17 billion in cash.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 1, 2007

E-cash silencing the jingle of change

Since major electronic money services emerged in 2001, it has become common in Tokyo for people to go through ticket gates by just touching a smart card to electronic readers at train stations and to make small purchases without pulling out their wallets at convenience stores. Japan's cash-based tradition...
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2007

Sharp plans ¥380 billion LCD plant

Sharp Corp., Japan's largest maker of liquid-crystal displays, said Tuesday it will invest ¥380 billion on the industry's most advanced manufacturing factory to catch up to Samsung Electronics Co.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2007

Abe looks to shake up Cabinet

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he will change his Cabinet lineup sometime after an extraordinary Diet session next week, as the ruling bloc licked its wounds from its drubbing in the House of Councilors election.
SOCCER
Jul 30, 2007

Osim admits mistakes after disappointing finish in Asian Cup

HANOI — Ivica Osim felt he had "dropped his trousers" for the second straight game as Japan's Asian Cup campaign ended with an embarrassing penalty shootout defeat to 10-man South Korea in Saturday's third-place playoff.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jul 30, 2007

How a woman portrayed Hitler as human

NEW YORK — What kind of courage, or audacity even, is required to stage, in Washington, a play featuring Adolf Hitler — one provocatively titled "My Friend Hitler" and written no less than by Yukio Mishima? After all, not just Hitler, but anything associated with Hitler is condemned here. And Mishima...

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