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Japan Times
JAPAN / FORUM ON AFRICA-JAPAN RELATIONS
Mar 30, 2013

Regional challenges: what Japan can do to help

The second session dealt with Africa's regional challenges and development in the overall African economy. Ambassadors Ito, Comberbach and Arrour were joined by Ambassador Wasswa Biriggwa of Uganda, chairman of the ADC TICAD Committee; Ambassador Godwin N. Agbo of Nigeria, vice chairman of the ADC Trade...
EDITORIALS
Mar 28, 2013

More rulings against vote disparity

Six courts declare apportionment for the Dec. 16 Lower House election unconstitutional, signaling more judicial irritation with vote-value disparity.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 27, 2013

LDP undaunted by vote-value rulings

Despite a spate of high court rulings that last year's general election was unconstitutional and even invalid due to large vote disparities, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party doesn't think it is necessary to hold another Lower House campaign as long as it works on election reform, Secretary General...
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 26, 2013

If corporal punishment works, where are all the champions?

In the final scenes of Aaron Sorkin's powerfully written film "A Few Good Men," one of the U.S. Marines on trial for the murder of a fellow serviceman is bewildered as to why he has not been cleared of all charges after his commanding officer admits ordering the attack. "We did nothing wrong," cries...
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 25, 2013

U.S. gun deaths — and tougher laws — shaped by race

Gun deaths are shaped by race in the United States: Whites are far more likely to shoot themselves, and blacks are far more likely to be shot by someone else.
Reader Mail
Mar 24, 2013

University rankings too sweet

The March 14 front-page article "Universities to boost classes in English" states: "According to Times Higher Education's World University Rankings, only two Japanese colleges make the top 100 — the University of Tokyo (No. 27) and Kyoto University (No. 54)."
Reader Mail
Mar 24, 2013

No bones to pick with God

Grant Piper's March 21 letter, "Honorable human destination," was another very well-reasoned response to my March 14 letter on the subject of bullying and religion ("Giving compassion a chance"). By contrast, my letter elicited a hostile response from Jennifer Kim on March 17 ("Odd condemnation of religion")....
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Mar 24, 2013

Be inspired: One person can help foster sustainable lives for millions

Last month, this column introduced Bangkok-based Midori Paxton, who is currently a regional technical adviser for biodiversity and ecosystems with the United Nations Development Programme — and who, I'm delighted to say, was a model student of mine here in Japan more than 20 years ago.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 22, 2013

Tokyo art blossoms in spring

It seems that this year everything is coming together for the Tokyo art world, literally.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 22, 2013

'Helicopter' Humphrey flying high again after injury

The Saitama Broncos find themselves in a familiar place as the season heads into its stretch run — near the bottom of the pack. And they will miss the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 17, 2013

Toddler-toting invaders no match for this castle's defenses

Most visitors are awed by Kumamoto Castle's imposing walls; myself, I am more preoccupied with the stairs. According to the map board just inside the Hazekata Gate, there are many of them, tracing a convoluted path up to the raven-black donjon.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Mar 16, 2013

Kuroda rides in on high hopes, high-set bar

"Abenomics" looks ready to bloom just in time for spring, given the Diet's approval Friday of Haruhiko Kuroda as the next governor of the Bank of Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 16, 2013

The Facebook executive on a self-help mission

Sheryl Sandberg does not do things by half-measures. So when the chief operating officer of Facebook and the most high-profile businesswoman in the world publishes a book she does not sit back, give a few interviews and let the glowing reviews flow in. No, Sandberg tries to start a fully fledged social...
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2013

Vote-value disparity issue puts cloud over Abe's ambitions

With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet enjoying astronomically high approval ratings compared with recent leaders, the prospects of his Liberal Democratic Party winning a critical Upper House election this summer look bright.
BASKETBALL
Mar 11, 2013

Jets soar in win over Lakestars

The Chiba Jets delivered a vivid definition of their team nickname on Sunday afternoon in the second half of their series finale against the visiting Shiga Lakestars.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 11, 2013

Toxic management erodes safety at 'world's safest' nuclear plant

On Jan. 30, 2012, Byron Nuclear Generating Station lost operability to all of its safety-related equipment. At the time, Jim Hazen was the nuclear station operator responsible for the affected reactor, one of two at the Exelon-owned nuclear plant in Byron, Illinois.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 10, 2013

No clearing the air over neighbor's pollution

Pollutants from China and their resultant problems are nothing new to Japan. Acid rain, principally caused by high levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in industrial pollutants, has been a concern for several decades.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 5, 2013

Juku: an unnecessary evil or vital steppingstone to success?

For the past year, Tokyo sixth-grader Manami has had dinner at home an average of four times a week. The rest of the time she has had to make do with a juku-ben, a boxed dinner prepared by her mother and consumed between classes at juku, or cram school.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Mar 2, 2013

Kawai out as coach of Hamamatsu

In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of pro basketball, Ryuji Kawai's 60-30 record in 90 games as head coach wasn't good enough.
BASKETBALL
Feb 27, 2013

Dixon, Tomori shine in Gunma triumph over Sendai

After a quiet game in the series opener, Gunma Crane Thunders point guard Jermaine Dixon lit up the scoreboard for 28 points in a 78-75 bounce-back win over the host Sendai 89ers on Tuesday night in the bj-league.
EDITORIALS
Feb 27, 2013

Making sense of cosmic coincidences

Two extraterrestrial objects intruded into the presumed order of our daily lives this month, one sideswiping the planet, the other impacting in Russia.
LIFE
Feb 24, 2013

An inclined view: The life and work of Donald Richie

It was with a heavy heart that I heard from Donald Richie's longtime friend and editor Leza Lowitz that he had passed away on the morning of Tuesday, this week. He was 88.
Japan Times
LIFE
Feb 24, 2013

Sharing films with a master critic

Donald Richie was my friend and mentor for more than 20 years and my inspiration before that. When I was preparing to come to Japan for the first time in 1975, I read many books about the place, but Donald's masterpiece "The Inland Sea" was the one that entranced me. My first long trip after my arrival...
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 22, 2013

Senkaku showdown taxing forces

The past few months have put the Japan Coast Guard and Air Self-Defense Force to the test, as they defend the nation's territorial waters and airspace around the Senkaku islets in the East China Sea, a flash point for potential military clashes with China.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 17, 2013

Nuclear dispute shapes fight over future of fading town

This superbly told tale about the waxing and waning fortunes of Kaminoseki town over the past four centuries presents some interesting local counterpoints to the more familiar national narrative.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 16, 2013

Probe details coach's abuses against boy who killed himself

Details of the brutal physical and verbal abuse an Osaka high school boy suffered at the hands of his basketball coach before committing suicide in December are revealed in a report compiled by an external panel.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami