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JAPAN
Feb 2, 2008

Radio contact lost with trans-Pacific balloonist

Japanese and U.S. authorities launched a search Friday after radio contact was lost early in the morning with a hot-air balloonist attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean from Tochigi Prefecture to North America, one of his supporters said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2008

Gas levy vital for maintaining rural roads

Provisional higher tax rates for gasoline and cars are now the main bone of contention in the divided Diet. The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc has submitted a bill to extend the rates, due to expire March 31, for another 10 years. Revenues from the levies are used to build and repair...
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 1, 2008

Suharto puzzle still in play

HONG KONG — In death, Indonesia's former President Suharto was praised as a great and almost saintly ruler. At Suharto's state funeral Monday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono saluted the casket, one general to another, and declared "His service is an example to us."
JAPAN
Feb 1, 2008

Food-inspection system has many holes

Food inspectors and consumers on Thursday questioned the effectiveness of food importing regulations after large amounts of organophosphate in frozen "gyoza" dumplings made in China were blamed for sickening scores of people nationwide.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 1, 2008

Arcade Fire: 'a goofy bunch of people'

They're a funny bunch, Arcade Fire. Last year saw the Montreal-based band graduate from indie darlings to arena stars touring North America and sharing a stage with Bruce Springsteen and U2. Their second album, "Neon Bible," entered the Billboard chart at No. 2 last March and has since sold upward of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 1, 2008

'Tokyo Shonen'

Ever watch BS-i, the satellite channel owned and operated by the TBS network? I thought not. Or maybe you did, flipping through the 100 or so channels on J-COM, giving it only a glance. Too bad, because under producer Tamon Andrew Niwa, BS-i has become a lab for interesting experiments in TV and film...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 31, 2008

Japan-China relations: Building a creative partnership requires creative approaches

"When Fukuda comes, Fuku ('fortune' in Japanese and Chinese) has arrived!"
CULTURE / Art
Jan 31, 2008

New Shirokane art complex

New Shirokane art complex 3-1-15 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 30, 2008

New approach for the DPJ

When the Lower House of the Diet passed the antiterror special measures law on Jan. 11, it became clear that the Democratic Party of Japan is not in control of the political situation. After briefly setting the agenda in the aftermath of the July 29 Upper House election by opposing the refueling mission...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jan 30, 2008

Competing for Japan a challenge for ice dancing Reeds

Cathy and Chris Reed lived a nomadic life growing up. Just when it looked like it had finally settled down, they found themselves back on the road again.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 30, 2008

Kidd, Wade don't deserve to be All-Stars

NEW YORK — As mentioned in a previous column regarding Shaquille O'Neal, referees are usually first to recognize when a player earns or exhausts All-Star treatment.
BASKETBALL
Jan 30, 2008

Joho, Blackwell receive accolades

Shooting guard Masashi Joho provided the late-game heroics for the Tokyo Apache on Sunday, scoring the game-tying layup on his team's final possession of the fourth quarter to force overtime. He then scored 11 more points (nine on 3-pointers) in OT, finishing with a season-high 22 points as the Apache...
JAPAN / Q&A
Jan 30, 2008

Road taxes: Pork-barrel or necessity?

The government submitted a tax reform bill to the Diet Jan. 23 that includes a clause to continue the provisional higher rates imposed on auto-related levies for another 10 years, drawing opposition from the Democratic Party of Japan, which wants the higher rates that have been in place for more than...
Japan Times
JAPAN / ALSO OUT THERE
Jan 30, 2008

Finessing the pen-twirl becomes a fine science

Unlike Tamagotchi or the Nintendo DS, the latest Japanese gadget does not bleep, comes without voice recognition system and will not connect to the Internet.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 29, 2008

G8: Meaningful or anachronistic forum?

Over the next six months, Japan will host a series of meetings of the Group of Eight countries, culminating in the Leaders' Summit at Lake Toya, Hokkaido, in July. Along with leaders of the G8 — Japan, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia — the European Commission...
COMMENTARY
Jan 28, 2008

Haves and have-nots in golf

Two recent scandals reflect the Japanese weakness for golf. In one, former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya allegedly provided favors to a Japanese trading company involved in defense contracts, after taking more than 100 one-day golf trips at the invitation of the company. In November, Moriya was...
EDITORIALS
Jan 28, 2008

Thais refuse to be intimidated

Thailand's generals must be wondering what they have to do to cow their countrymen. After they overthrew the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and forced voters to ratify a constitution that institutionalizes the military's influence over Thai politics, national elections still gave a majority...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jan 27, 2008

Ito excels as point guard with Portland

When University of Portland (Ore.) point guard Taishi Ito was asked to take on a leadership role as a freshman, he handled the role admirably.
Reader Mail
Jan 27, 2008

Recycled opinions shed little light

Regarding the Jan. 13 letter, "Valuable data from whale research," from Dan Goodman of the Institute of Cetacean Research: I was pleasantly surprised to read Goodman's helpful explanation that study design and methods are reviewed by the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee, and that...
CULTURE / Books
Jan 27, 2008

Modern Japanese women: dealing with sex, lies and the dried-flower syndrome

GOODBYE MADAME BUTTERFLY: Sex, Marriage and the Modern Japanese Woman, by Sumie Kawakami. Chin Music Press, 2007, 219 pp., $20 (cloth) Who wants to be a woman in Japan? Misery can't get much worse than the sexless relationships, dreary marriages, loneliness, patriarchal blues and stressed out women portrayed...
Reader Mail
Jan 27, 2008

Adjunct to mental health care

I am writing in response to the anonymous Jan. 17 letter, "Far-fetched claim on 'life force,' " which commented on Angela Jeffs' profile of me in the Jan. 12 Japan Times.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 27, 2008

In memory of one for whom Japan was a muse

A month ago I lost a very close friend. This would not be the proper place to write about it, except for the fact that despite her not being Japanese, her profound understanding of Japan and her love for the country were the lifeblood of her artistic career.
COMMENTARY
Jan 26, 2008

Democracy is not a panacea

LONDON — U.S. President George W. Bush has at times seemed to regard "democracy" as a panacea for all the problems of government throughout the world. It's far from clear, though, what exactly he means by "democracy." If a government is duly chosen by a majority of voters in a fair election, should...
BASKETBALL
Jan 26, 2008

Gibson's clutch basket lifts Ryukyu

Point guard Herb Gibson scored the game-winning basket with 3 seconds remaining, leading the Ryukyu Golden Kings to a 70-69 victory on Friday over the visiting Niigata Albirex BB. The Golden Kings, who improved to 5-16, got a team-high 18 points from Eric Walton and 12 from Danny Jones, while Gibson...

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