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LIFE / Language
Jan 15, 2008

Kyushu dialect, golf prince top 2007 buzzwords

The end of every year, publishers and other media organizations love to turn out lists of people, things and words that made the news. Back in 1984, publisher Jiyu Kokumin-sha organized a poll to recognize and award the Ryukogo Taisho (Buzzwords of the Year).
BUSINESS / THE VIEW FROM EUROPE
Jan 14, 2008

Business scandals teach lesson few in Japan learn

Without a doubt, 2007 will go down as an "annus horribilis" for many industries in Japan, particularly the food industry. The list of scandals and crises last year was long indeed, and began right in January with the discovery that crowd-pleasing confectioner Fujiya had been mislabeling products for...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Jan 13, 2008

Blackwell key component in success of Sendai this season

The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with individuals in the bj-league — Japan's first professional basketball circuit — which is in its third season. Ryan Blackwell of the Sendai 89ers is the subject of this week's profile.
SOCCER
Jan 13, 2008

Yamaguchi honored as top NCAA player

Tokyo native and Florida State University junior Mami Yamaguchi capped one of the great seasons in college soccer history on Saturday by being named the 2007 female recipient of the MAC Hermann Trophy.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 13, 2008

Japan's wild genius of slime-mold fame and more

First of two parts
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Jan 13, 2008

Ranking Japan's most scenic skylines

Mountaintop vistas and an absence of patrol cars make for a slice of motoring heaven.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2008

Lower House rams through antiterrorism bill

For the first time in half a century, the Lower House on Friday overrode the Upper, ramming a bill through the Diet to resume the Maritime Self-Defense Force refueling duty in the Indian Ocean.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
Jan 12, 2008

Language partners turn life partners

Information-technology engineer Rodion Moiseev was alone when he traveled from Moscow to England at the age of 14 to attend high school, and he believes those early experiences in a new land made him open to foreign cultures. It may well be one of the reasons for his interest in Japanese culture, particularly...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 11, 2008

Erratic HeatDevils struggling to find formula for return to playoffs

The Oita HeatDevils have played 16 basketball games this season. In that time, they've proven one thing: They are as unpredictable as the presidential election polls in the United States.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 11, 2008

Damon & Naomi

Nearly two decades of playing in intimate clubs as part of seminal American indie act Galaxie 500 and now as pop-folk duo Damon & Naomi has allowed Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang to unearth many talented, like-minded musicians unknown to your average English-speaking music fan. They shared their favorite...
Reader Mail
Jan 10, 2008

Looking forward to moving up

Regarding the Jan. 5 article "Assistant language teachers in trying times": Finally a realistic take on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program and the subject of ALTs. I am finishing up working two years with Interac. Aside from the grievances listed in the article, add that I was made to change my...
COMMENTARY
Jan 9, 2008

Preventing teenage pregnancy in China

NEW YORK — Parallel to its economic revolution, China is now undergoing a sexual revolution, particularly among youth, that is having far-reaching consequences on their health and quality of life. The response to this challenge will determine how, or whether, young people can overcome serious problems....
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2008

India's 'Bollywood' power

PRAGUE — The world has heard much about India's extraordinary transformation in recent years, and even of its claims to a share of "world leadership." Some of that is hyperbole, but in one respect, India's strength may be understated.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN TIMES BLOGROLL
Jan 9, 2008

Japan Economy News

Japan Economy News is a blog that delivers just what it promises: almost daily news and analysis on Japan-related economic issues, from marketing to real estate to finance and politics. Founder, editor and writer Ken Worsley is a senior partner at a marketing and strategic consulting firm in Tokyo and...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 8, 2008

An up-close view of Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the most beloved mountain in Japan — an honor it has held since the dawn of history.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 8, 2008

How to avoid an attack of the new year blues

For as long as I can remember, Oshogatsu (New Year's) and me just haven't gelled.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Jan 8, 2008

Fashion pioneer Hanae Mori

Hanae Mori is one of the world's most celebrated fashion designers. A queen of style in France and in Japan, both of whose countries' governments have awarded her their highest cultural honors.
BUSINESS
Jan 8, 2008

SMFG to hike hiring in '09, widen fund sales

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. said Monday it plans to increase hiring by 44 percent in 2009, aiming to boost sales of investment funds and reduce dependency on part-time staff.
EDITORIALS
Jan 7, 2008

Welcome to $100 oil

It did not take long for the price of oil to reach $100 a barrel in 2008. Rising demand, geopolitical instability and a falling dollar have all contributed to the soaring price of crude. None of these factors is likely to diminish: High prices are here to stay.
Reader Mail
Jan 6, 2008

Focus on exiting the part-time rut

The Oct. 27 editorial, "Part-time all the time," suggested that today's drastic shift in Japan's hiring system -- from permanent to part-time employment -- causes employees to worry that they'll never escape the cycle of low wages. I agree, but the disadvantages of part-time workers should be emphasized...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Jan 6, 2008

Games so real the best of drivers take them seriously

Advancing technology blurs the line between virtual and real-world driving as today's champions practice on television screens.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 6, 2008

Social realism enhanced by the pastoral

MOUNTAINS PAINTED WITH TURMERIC by Lil Bahadur Chettri, translated from Nepali by Michael J. Hutt. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007, $22.50 (cloth) Originally published in the late 1950s, this novel — says the blurb — "is one of the few books almost every Nepali knows well." The reason is...
Japan Times
JAPAN / THIS FOREIGN LAND
Jan 5, 2008

Assistant language teachers in trying times

Last of four parts
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 5, 2008

Rat research meet chews the issues

Cong-rat-ulations! It's the Year of the Rat. The lowly rodent can look forward to enjoying an entire year of celebrations and "infestivities."
Japan Times
JAPAN / THIS FOREIGN LAND
Jan 4, 2008

The doctor will see the moneyed and insured, but less fortunate also ail

Third in a series

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