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COMMENTARY
Nov 12, 2009

APEC remains toothless

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping will hold its annual summit meeting in Singapore this weekend, with the leaders of its 21 member-nations expected to attend. But do we really need yet another high-level global talk-fest?
JAPAN / TIES IN THE BALANCE
Nov 11, 2009

Strong undercurrent as Obama comes to test the waters

First of two parts
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Nov 10, 2009

Betting your family on Japan: readers respond

Life is long, should be long Mr. Cory, I truly sympathize with your comments and experiences. Your comment about mixed feelings toward your wife really struck home with me as well. Indeed, I too am a Richard Cory, living a farcical life with all of the appearances of the enviable.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 6, 2009

The human rights outlook and new justice minister

Ever since the historic landslide victory of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in the Lower House elections, we have wondered how the new government will wield its power. In the area of human rights protection, at least, there is cause to expect dramatic change. One of the more startling appointments...
BUSINESS / THE VIEW FROM EUROPE
Nov 2, 2009

Japan, EU jockey for position in effort to ink India trade pact

Japanese policymakers do look to India. Last month, both countries' trade delegations met for the 12th time to explore the possibility of a free-trade deal. They have good reasons to do so.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2009

'Comfort women' bill gets new life

The new administration must ensure the Diet passes a bill recognizing the women forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military during the war if it is to form the East Asian Community proposed by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, nine ruling party lawmakers said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2009

Rhetorical Hatoyama opens Diet

Calling his mission the "bloodless Heisei restoration," Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama kicked off a 36-day extraordinary Diet session Monday pledging to revamp postwar politics and establish a society based on his notion of fraternity.
EDITORIALS
Oct 26, 2009

No-nukes action plan

The International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, an international panel co-chaired by former Japanese and Australian foreign ministers Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi and Mr. Gareth Evans, agreed Oct. 20 on an action plan toward global nuclear disarmament after a three-day meeting in the...
LIFE
Oct 25, 2009

Bodhisattva of the river road

"Have another drink, Boss!"
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 23, 2009

Versailles get dolled up for visual-kei fest

With dozens of Japanese bands trying to crack the West over the last 20 years, whoever would have guessed visual-kei would be the first genre to truly succeed?
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 20, 2009

Seeking some advice, a lost father, friend

Where is my father? Yovichi (Yoichi?) Perez is "Japinoy," meaning of Filipino-Japanese ancestry. He saw a letter from a Japinoy like himself, also looking for his father, so he thought he would try his luck with us.
EDITORIALS
Oct 14, 2009

Nobel invests hope in leadership

U.S. President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize after less than nine months in office. His critics at home and abroad say the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision came too early since Mr. Obama cannot yet claim any concrete achievement in dealing with challenging global issues.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Oct 9, 2009

Education chief takes liberal path

New education minister Tatsuo Kawabata says he will give more control of schools to local governments and increase practical learning, indicating a turn away from the conservative policies of previous administrations.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 6, 2009

Scuba, from Sado to Shikoku

Tim writes: "My girlfriend and I have snorkeled around the coast of Japan — Izu, Shikoku, Sado Island — and now plan to scuba-dive in Okinawa this autumn.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Oct 6, 2009

Re: Mr. James, gaijin clown

Following are a selection of readers' responses to last month's Just Be Cause column by Debito Arudou, headlined "Meet Mr. James, gaijin clown":
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 4, 2009

Japan's gender equality may be 'insufficent,' but it's surely coming

As the vast majority of societies worldwide are male dominated, one of the most contentious issues they face as they evolve centers on the status of women.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 4, 2009

Japan's gender equality may be 'insufficent,' but it's surely coming

As the vast majority of societies worldwide are male dominated, one of the most contentious issues they face as they evolve centers on the status of women.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
Oct 3, 2009

Ain't no mountain in the Andes high enough

Hirohito Ota, 39, a freelance writer, is an adventurer by nature.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Japan Pulse
Oct 1, 2009

Pedal power in Marunouchi

Unsupervised bicycle rental around the Marunouchi district in Chiyoda-ku gets a push-start.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2009

Japan, China, S. Korea ministers to discuss Pyongyang's nukes

The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea will hold a one-day meeting Monday in Shanghai with trilateral coordination on addressing North Korea's nuclear ambitions topping the agenda.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 22, 2009

Lifelines lead back to World War II

Seeking an old friend Kevin Roop, writing to us from the U.S., is trying to find an old friend of his 85-year-old father, Vernon Roop, a veteran of World War II who after the war was based with his unit, the 5th AAF, at Tachikawa Air Base in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2009

New environment chief will have a difficult task crafting CO 2 plan

Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa said Sunday that Japan's new goal for cutting greenhouse gas emissions will put the country in a strong position at international negotiations on climate change.
COMMENTARY
Sep 8, 2009

Revisiting the folly of India's nuclear tests

WATERLOO, Ontario — Three recent events reopen the debate on the wisdom of India's nuclear tests in 1998, as judged from within the narrow framework of its own interests. Or rather, they confirm the folly of the tests:
Japan Times
Reference / Special Presentations
Sep 5, 2009

Washington U. let nisei avoid internment

ST. LOUIS — Yoshio Matsumoto was among the 110,000 Japanese-Americans seemingly bound for an internment camp soon after the United States entered World War II when a university he knew nothing about from a far off part of the country agreed to take him in.
EDITORIALS
Sep 1, 2009

North Korea's charm offensive

North Korea appears to be on a dialogue offensive. In early August it let former U.S. President Bill Clinton visit the country and released two captured American journalists. When South Korea's Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong Eun visited Pyongyang, the North released a detained Hyundai worker and...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Sep 1, 2009

Meet Mr. James, gaijin clown

If you want to sell stuff, it helps to have a recognizable mascot representing your company. Disney has Mickey Mouse, Sanrio Hello Kitty, Studio Ghibli Totoro. These imaginary characters grace many a product and ad campaign.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 28, 2009

Bathing in timeless memories

Artist Shinro Ohtake discusses with The Japan Times "inside-out" buildings, private memories, public meanings and other inspirations underlying the "I Love Yu" bathhouse at Naoshima.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight