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Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2009

Japan Web site a life-time labor of love

When Stefan Schauwecker first launched japan-guide.com in 1996 while still a student in Canada, the Web site only featured an A to Z section on Japanese culture — "just a basic intro to Japan, a guide to look up cultural stuff and a little bit of history," the Swiss native recalled.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 10, 2009

Bach leads Tokyo classical festival

"I told myself to combine the study of commerce and my passion for music," says French producer Rene Martin, who has built on those foundations to pursue his vision of democratizing classical music through the annual spectacular he's named La Folle Journee (Days of Enthusiasm).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 10, 2009

Mark Wahlberg:'You are what you are'

Before the telephone interview, I am advised by an assistant to the star not to mention the name Marky Mark, by which Boston-born Mark Wahlberg became famous as a rapper after achieving notoriety as a male underwear model for Calvin Klein. These days, I am informed, Wahlberg is trying to consolidate...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 8, 2009

Fighters' Sakakibara tries to maintain composure before pro debut

About to make his first start as a pro, Ryo Sakakibara said before Tuesday's game at Tokyo Dome that he certainly has some jitters, doing so with a meaningful smile.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Apr 7, 2009

Korean wave adds weight to J. League's Asian ambitions

When the J. League allowed clubs to add an extra Asian player to their foreigner quotas at the end of last season, fans were probably hoping for a little more diversity than the influx of Koreans that materialized.
LIFE / CLOSE-UP
Apr 5, 2009

Hiroshi Mikitani: Retail revolutionary

On a bitterly cold mid-February day, in the midst of an even harsher economic climate, Hiroshi Mikitani — founder, president and CEO of one of Japan's largest online retailers, Rakuten Inc. — shook off a slight cold to announce at a concise news conference that in fiscal 2008 his company had achieved...
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2009

Toyota tapped JBIC funds to finance U.S. car sales

Toyota Motor Corp.'s finance arm borrowed an undisclosed amount from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in the first quarter to finance U.S. car sales as private investors demanded up to 50 percent more interest for the company's debt.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / SOUTH KOREAN JOURNALIST SYMPOSIUM
Apr 1, 2009

Global crisis forces change on S. Korea

The global economic crisis will test whether South Korea can gain long-term competitiveness by changing its heavy reliance on exports and a limited number of big companies, veteran journalists from the country told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 28, 2009

From a shady past to helping others

Kabukicho is Tokyo's infamous entertainment district and suburb of sleaze. A heavily populated square of sleepless activity northeast of Shinjuku Station, it is home to a haphazard mix of movie theaters, hostess bars, strip clubs, and seedy nightclubs. An illicit atmosphere permeates the air.
EDITORIALS
Mar 28, 2009

Overhaul archaic election law

Even if Prime Minister Taro Aso decides not to dissolve the chamber for a snap election, the current term of Lower House members ends in September. So, an election will be held this year. With the Japanese economy in crisis and the nation facing political stagnation, the upcoming election will be very...
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2009

Retail sales fall 5.8%; biggest dive since '02

Retail sales retreated by the biggest margin in seven years in February, the government said Friday, as growing concerns about jobs and wages deepened the country's shopping slump.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 27, 2009

Springroove 09

Spring has finally arrived. Birds are singing, cherry trees are blooming, the bass is pumping and anthemic chants of "oi" are echoing through the air.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2009

As slump bites deeper, shoppers warm to no-name foreign gadgets

The recession is causing a massive consumer shift: No longer do Japan's famously finicky and brand-conscious shoppers assume imported and no-name electronics are as cheap in quality as they are in price.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / FUZZY LOGIC
Mar 27, 2009

Guitar Wolf return to silence the lambs

"We've come back and we're going to attack your planet with humongous love," says Seiji (that's Mr. Guitar Wolf himself) as he downs vegetable juice at a Jonathan's family restuarant near Yoga Station in western Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 27, 2009

Roppongi art festival to mark end of party?

When the all-night outdoor art extravaganza Roppongi Art Night kicks off at 5:59 p.m. — sunset — on Saturday, it will represent the realization of many different goals long held by many different people.
MULTIMEDIA
Mar 27, 2009

Roppongi art festival to mark end of party?

When the all-night outdoor art extravaganza Roppongi Art Night kicks off at 5:59 p.m. — sunset — on Saturday, it will represent the realization of many different goals long held by many different people.
EDITORIALS
Mar 25, 2009

Protecting music copyrights

For many young people, ordinary cell-phone ring tones and alarms are monotonous and boring. So they replace those tones with chaku-uta (literally "arriving music"), or musical ring tones downloaded from the Internet. But there is a problem: A large number of these ring tones are downloaded for free from...

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan