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Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Dec 7, 2011

Toyota plug-in hybrids seen going to head of the class

Toyota Motor Corp.'s new plug-in Prius threatens to cast a shadow over competitors' hybrids.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 7, 2011

Putin afflicted by Brezhnev syndrome

The winner of Sunday's legislative election in Russia was a foregone conclusion: United Russia, organized by Vladimir Putin. Likewise, there is no doubt that Putin himself will win the presidential election due in March 2012. But the public enthusiasm that ratified Putin's rule for a decade has vanished,...
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Dec 6, 2011

For the sake of Japan's future, foreigners deserve a fair shake

These past few columns have addressed fundamentally bad habits in Japanese society that impede positive social change. Last month I talked about public trust being eroded by social conventions that permit (even applaud) the systematic practice of lying in public.
COMMENTARY
Dec 3, 2011

Asia's water stress challenges growth and security

Water, the most vital of all resources, has emerged as a key issue that will determine whether Asia is headed toward cooperation or competition. After all, the driest continent in the world is not Africa, but Asia, where availability of freshwater is not even half the global annual average of 6,380 cubic...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2011

Green is the big thing at this year's Tokyo Motor Show

Japanese carmakers highlighted their latest green technology concept cars during Wednesday's media preview at the Tokyo Motor Show as they bid to lead the global trend toward energy efficiency and reignite interest among young people in automobiles.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 25, 2011

Are digital newspaper subscriptions worth it?

Japanese newspapers still have cold feet when it comes to embracing their digital editions.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 23, 2011

Hawks overcame obstacles to win title

Mission accomplished.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 22, 2011

Last trial brings dark Aum era to end

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by condemned killer Seiichi Endo, lowering the curtain on the trials over the cult's heinous crimes, which began in the 1980s and culminated in the 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.
COMMENTARY
Nov 22, 2011

Guess who's suddenly inviting Uncle Sam to dinner?

Real-life diplomacy reveals, as Lord Palmerston, twice British prime minister (1855-8, 1859-65), famously put it: "We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." Over the decades the Palmerston Principle...
EDITORIALS
Nov 20, 2011

Teachers leaving jobs

The number of first-year teachers who leave their job for health reasons has increased 20-fold over the past 10 years, according to a survey by the education ministry. By "health" most of the teachers mean "mental health."
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 20, 2011

BayStars continue burgeoning baseball tradition in Yokohama

It looks like a go for the sale of the Yokohama BayStars franchise and, assuming all goes well, the team will officially become the Yokohama DeNA BayStars by the beginning of next month. It is good the club will be staying in Japan's second-largest city with its great stadium location and fan base....
COMMENTARY
Nov 19, 2011

Fear drives Arab League to act

For most of its 66-year history, the Arab League was a powerless organization, dominated by autocratic regimes that made sure it never criticized their lies and crimes. But suddenly, this year, it woke up and changed sides.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 18, 2011

Kokubo pushes teammates to compete at highest level

Hiroki Kokubo leads his team with his irreplaceable guts and leadership, not just with his bat.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 12, 2011

China solar cell leader sees heated market via '12 feed-in tariff debut

The Japanese unit of Chinese solar panel maker Suntech Power Holdings Co., backed by its competitive edge in Japan's highly potential solar panel market, is looking to more than double its sales next year after suffering unexpected supply disruptions this year.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 11, 2011

Back to business as usual for condominium developers?

High-rise condominiums are set to make a comeback.
COMMENTARY
Nov 11, 2011

Two days that shook the CIS

On Oct. 18-19, eight of 11 members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) — gathering in St. Petersburg for its annual session — accepted a proposal from Russian Prime Minister and returning President Vladimir Putin to establish a free trade zone, thus taking a decisive step toward a Eurasian...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 10, 2011

Five myths about global population

The world's population hit 7 billion people at the end of last month, according to United Nations estimates, launching another round of debates about "overpopulation," the environment and whether more people means more poverty.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 7, 2011

Crime in America: execution of the mentally ill

Christopher Johnson's execution by the State of Alabama creates serious doubts about the justice of a measure that is widely criticized by human rights advocates throughout the world. According to the group Equal Justice Initiative, the Alabama Supreme Court planned the execution without even engaging...
COMMENTARY
Nov 5, 2011

Conformity enforced in the name of diversity

Illustrating an intellectual confusion common on campuses, Vanderbilt University says: To ensure "diversity of thought and opinion" we require certain student groups, including five religious ones, to conform to the university's policy that forbids the groups from protecting their characteristics that...
EDITORIALS
Nov 3, 2011

Schooling for cyclists

The National Police Agency on Oct. 25 told the police across the nation to strictly enforce cycling rules and give traffic tickets to bicycle riders who maliciously pose a danger to pedestrians.
EDITORIALS
Nov 2, 2011

Important elections for Osaka

Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto on Oct. 23 announced that he will step down as prefectural governor and will run in the Nov. 27 mayoral election of Osaka City. Osaka Mayor Kunio Hiramatsu will also run. Mr. Ichiro Matsui, secretary general of Osaka Ishin-no Kai (renewal association), a local party led by Mr....
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Oct 31, 2011

Controversy is no stranger to Nobel Peace Prize

Earlier this month, when the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced its decision to award its annual Peace Prize to three African women — two Liberians and one Yemeni — Time magazine published online, on the same day, a list of the top 10 among "the most controversial moments in the 110-year history...
Japan Times
LIFE
Oct 30, 2011

PS: 'I love Japan.' And Japan loves Paul Smith, it seems

"Hold on," says the British designer who launched a thousand stripes, reaching awkwardly into the back of the crisp white shirt he is wearing.
SOCCER / J. League
Oct 29, 2011

Yamada hoping Nabisco final can spark Reds' survival

Urawa Reds head into Saturday's Nabisco Cup final against Kashima Antlers looking for a rare moment of joy in an otherwise troubled season, but midfielder Naoki Yamada admits the specter of relegation is casting a large shadow over the occasion.
COMMENTARY
Oct 28, 2011

Global crises of democracy

In 2000, at the first U.N. millennium meeting in Tokyo, Gallup presented interesting results of a global public opinion survey. Most people, even in the mature Western democracies, believed their government was failing to represent them — refusing to heed their voices, looking after their own and corporate...

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?