Search - (2006-01-27)

 
 
BASEBALL / MLB'S EFFECT ON JAPAN
Apr 11, 2007

Is the MLB destroying Japan's national pastime?

Best-selling author Robert Whiting, who has penned such classics as "You Gotta Have Wa," "The Chrysanthemum and the Bat" and "The Meaning of Ichiro," has written an exclusive four-part series for The Japan Times on the effect Major League Baseball is having on the Japanese pro game, and how the poor...
MORE SPORTS
Apr 7, 2007

Mao plans for gold at 2010 Olympics

Three years may seem like a very long time for someone so young, but teen figure skating sensation Mao Asada already knows what she wants to be doing in 2010 -- winning Olympic gold.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 6, 2007

Okada best Japanese player, Goya top native rookie in league's 2nd season

As a professional sports league grows, players become established stars. Such is the case with the bj-league, where Japanese basketball players are becoming household names in their home country.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 2, 2007

Challenging Russia's energy dominance

WASHINGTON -- When Gazprom, Russia's natural-gas monopoly, cut off supplies to Ukraine and Georgia in January 2006, the move was widely seen as a clear warning of the Kremlin's willingness to use its energy resources to exert political influence over Europe.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 30, 2007

The monster behind the mask

With their explosive metal sound and monstrous good looks, Lordi have become Finland's prime music export over the last year. Following a decade of grueling efforts, Lordi broke through internationally with their fourth album "The Arockalypse" after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, marking Finland's...
BUSINESS
Mar 17, 2007

Good and bad seen from Livedoor fallout

Just over a year ago, 29-year-old Masanobu Kimura was one of the many eager Japanese individual investors rushing to put their savings in dozens of small venture businesses, including a fast-rising Internet portal named Livedoor Co.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 4, 2007

Arakawa accepts FSAJ Award

She's been dubbed "Cool Beauty" by the Japanese press. Her composure on the ice is equally stunning.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Feb 18, 2007

Close your eyes, count to 10 . . . and play to your heart's content

It seems only natural that everyone should have a wild time, at least once in their life, because for the most part our mortal span is occupied with studying, making a living or raising a family. All that, of course, can be fun -- but it tends to be rather serious stuff as well.
EDITORIALS
Feb 10, 2007

Boost fire-prevention efforts

The number of people who died in accidental residential fires reached 1,041 in 2003, topping 1,000 for the first time. 2005 saw 1,220 deaths in such fires -- a record since 1979 when the oldest comparable statistics were taken, according to a white paper on fire defense approved by the Cabinet in December....
BUSINESS
Feb 7, 2007

JAL set to swing job ax to survive

Japan Airlines Corp. will cut 4,300 jobs over three years starting in April to help return to profitability, the airline announced Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 31, 2007

Uneven growth presents a challenge for Europe

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- A year ago, the euro zone's most important challenge was anemic economic growth. But 2006 turned out to be a good year for growth in Europe, as surprising strength in exports sparked unexpected increases in domestic demand. Germany, the euro zone's biggest economy, had a particularly...
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2007

Output-limited Suzuki predicts 4% sales decline

Suzuki Motor Corp., the nation's top minivehicle maker, said Thursday it hopes to sell 585,000 minivehicles in Japan in 2007, down 4 percent from last year, raising the prospect of giving up the lead to Daihatsu Motor Co. for the first time in 35 years.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2007

Treatment of Roma in schools on trial

PARIS -- What good are Europe's treaties aimed at ensuring the legal equality of all citizens when entire groups face systematic discrimination?
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2007

Trade surplus soars 22.8% on exports, cheaper oil

The merchandise trade surplus expanded 22.8 percent in December to 1.11 trillion yen from the previous year, the Finance Ministry said Thursday, citing growing exports led by cars and declining crude oil prices.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 18, 2007

Latin America's next growth challenge

TORINO, Italy -- Since 2003, Latin America's economies have been thriving, with GDP, including estimates for 2006, up by 17 percent -- an average annual growth rate of 4.3 percent and a 12 percent increase in per capita GDP. While impressive, this is only the second time in 25 years that Latin America...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 28, 2006

Provocative plays in the quiet

Spending as much time as I do in theaters guarantees that I am treated to some brilliant productions, others that are dire, and plenty in between. However, ones truly astonishing and most "provocative" (to use a key word in drama criticism these days), are naturally not thick on the ground.
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2006

Budget gets Cabinet's OK despite failing to address future social needs

The Cabinet on Sunday approved a 82.91 trillion yen budget for fiscal 2007 that could help the government achieve the so-called primary balance -- a key benchmark of fiscal soundness -- earlier than its target of 2011, but experts say policy steps planned for next year will leave the ballooning social...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 15, 2006

Reminiscing on a year at the table

The solstice is upon us, and the holiday season is closing in fast. But before we take refuge under the mistletoe and give ourselves over to the usual Yuletide overindulgence, we must first clear the clutter from the Food File desk and tidy up all the loose ends.
EDITORIALS
Dec 10, 2006

Our words of the year

Once again, it's the season when the dictionary and language people are hard at work winnowing words -- new ones, catchy ones, much-looked-up ones, over-used ones -- in preparation for crowning their latest Word of the Year (WOTY). This year, we thought we might do a bit of winnowing of our own.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 5, 2006

Welcome to MLB players; hot hibachi league getting warm

A sincere yokoso (welcome) to manager Bruce Bochy and all the coaches, players and staff members on the current major league tour of Japan.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 15, 2006

Article of faith draws ire at the highest level

I wish to report a miracle.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 29, 2006

Omi defends shelving sales tax hike talk

The new finance minister's statement Wednesday that discussion to raise the consumption tax will only begin next fall has sparked speculation that he will not carry out the last administration's long-term plans to cut the debt and that it's a ploy for his party to fare well in next summer's Upper House...

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan