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JAPAN
Apr 18, 2006

Koike back after outworking men

Environment Minister Yuriko Koike, resuming her official duties Monday after recovering from acute pneumonia, said she had "worked too hard" because women are not recognized in the political community unless they work 10 times as hard as men.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2006

Dark side of structural reform

Most economic pundits still support the idea of free competition in the market as the key principle of the society. As Japanese society becomes increasingly Americanized, however, a number of "fakes" have appeared in the market.
BUSINESS
Apr 18, 2006

METI upgrades economies of Kanto, northern regions

The government said Monday it has revised its economic assessment upward for four of the nation's 10 regions for March based on a steady recovery trend.
EDITORIALS
Apr 17, 2006

Prayer: not the best medicine

In a study that has made a splash this month, an American cardiologist concludes that praying for sick people has no effect one way or the other on their recovery. In fact, if they know they are being prayed for, it makes them worse. Non-believers naturally find the first result predictable and the second...
COMMENTARY
Apr 17, 2006

Ozawa confronts the LDP

The Democratic Party of Japan has made a fresh start under new chief Ichiro Ozawa, known for his "iron fist" leadership. His first priority is to revitalize the top opposition party, which has lost public trust following the fiasco over a fake e-mail.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 16, 2006

Return of Hara, revamped roster have Giants off to fast start

The Yomiuri Giants are off to a great start in the 2006 Central League pennant race, winning 11 of their first 13 games (with one tie) and taking the early lead in the CL standings.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 16, 2006

'Conspiracies of silence' feign sympathies largely unfelt

Japanese people are known for their sense of propriety and decorum. Reserve and self-restraint are fine Japanese virtues, and they have afforded the society an enviable harmony and level of personal safety unparalleled in the developed world. Putting a damper on people's self-assertive instincts, and...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Apr 16, 2006

Editor on a mission for consumers

Some people sarcastically refer to journalists in Japan as "sarariman reporters." That's because even though the Fourth Estate potentially has enormous power and influence, its members are often timid, risk-averse and happy to cozy up with the politicians, government agencies and corporations they cover....
MORE SPORTS
Apr 15, 2006

Fukuoka hoping to host compact Olympics

Fukuoka is seeking to host a compact Olympics to counter the bid of favorite Tokyo as the government of the southwestern city on Friday disclosed its plans to stage the 2016 Games.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2006

Education bill advances after patriotism defined

into the verge of ruin," said Fuyushiba. "Considering that the phrase 'a mind that loves the nation' was used in education during those times (in the 1930s and 1940s) there was a need for thorough discussion over whether that phrase should be included in the Fundamental Law of Education to be able to...
COMMENTARY
Apr 14, 2006

Tattered NPT needs repairs

LONDON -- What has become of the globally agreed regime designed to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons -- the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)? The answer these days is that while it has served the world well for many years it is now in tatters.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 14, 2006

Sigur Ros warm to a wider world

When Sigur Ros proclaimed from their remote, treeless, volcanic island in 2000 that they would "change music forever, and the way people think about music," there was something mythical about their otherworldly sound and the made-up language of their lyrics that had some listeners actually believing...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 13, 2006

A mechanical evolution

The Mori Art Musem is currently hosting an exhibition of previously unidentified life forms. These newly evolved creatures were found recently in urban areas, structurally resemble flowers, fish and insects, and have a complex inorganic, electromagnetic make-up.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2006

Killer gets 13 years for 1990 Tokyo stabbing

The Tokyo District Court on Monday sentenced a man to 13 years in prison for a 1990 murder in Tokyo. He had been indicted just 10 days before the 15-year statute of limitations expired.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 11, 2006

Sick, desperate Japanese turn to booming Chinese organ trade

When Kenichiro Hokamura's kidneys failed, he spent four years on dialysis before going online to check out rumors of organs for sale.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Apr 9, 2006

New generation has Arsenal dreaming

LONDON -- From The Invincibales of England to The Unbeatables and Impenetrables of Europe, the Gunners continued their march toward the Champions League final with the confidence and style of a team that reflects its manager's football philosophy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / WALKING THE WARDS
Apr 7, 2006

Getting animated in Suginami

Suginami Ward may be known as a bed town, but the residents are restless. Butting up against Musashino and Mitaka cities and sharing a "west wing" location with Setagaya Ward to the south and Nerima Ward to the north, what appears to be a quiet residential area has always been a hotbed of activism.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Apr 7, 2006

Lost in the K-hole

Bernard Sumner of U.K. dance-pop group New Order credits the late, great Ian Curtis with introducing Joy Division -- later to become New Order after Curtis' suicide in 1980 -- to the then-revolutionary synthesizer sounds of Kraftwerk.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 7, 2006

Turntable takedown

In junior high, when Kentaro Okamoto first encountered DJing on a televised DJ battle, he could never have suspected that he would end up winning the 2002 DMC World Final Championship for his talent on the turntables, or spinning alongside hip-hop royalty like The Roots and Pharcyde.
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2006

Death-row pollees lament plight

Death-row inmates in the nation's prison system are confined to tiny cells with little access to sunlight or exercise, a gross violation of basic human rights, according to a lawyer group citing a recent study carried out with cooperation from prison authorities.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 6, 2006

Soylent green is now money

Written in 2003 by German playwright Rene Pollesch, "Soylent Green ist Menschenfleisch, sagt es allen weiter! (Soylent Green is people, tell everybody!)" is like a great sand dune full of hidden diamonds. Four actors -- three anonymous women and a man -- speak in monologues to each other and the audience...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 6, 2006

Your greatest fears become reality

Awee figure of a man, dressed in a cuddly gray Dangermouse jumpsuit, enters a wrestling ring screeching, "Dangermouse saves the day!" Three menacing-looking Japanese pro-wrestlers proceed to chase him around the ring, smashing fluorescent light bulbs on his head as he tries to fend them off with his...
SPORTS / E-LIST
Apr 5, 2006

No ducking WBC's highs and lows

Welcome to the E-List, home of integrity and baseball, although the two are one in the E-List's mind. And the List does have a mind of its own, which brings me to the next point.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?