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COMMENTARY
Jan 6, 2009

Prophet of world-culture clashes is dead

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A giant died early last week. His name was Samuel Huntington, a Harvard professor whose gigantism was intellectual. His ideas left huge footprints on our intellectual landscape, the way giant storms impact the Earth. Minds were shaken, sometimes stirred, and never left untouched....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 1, 2009

J-pop prepares an assault on the West in '09

I wouldn't want to shout about it (since it might upset your New Year's hangover), but 2009 might just be the year that J-pop goes global. Several heavy hitters have set their sights on Western domination this year, and more than ever, their chances seem good.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 1, 2009

The battle for 2009's box office starts here

The Japanese film industry — particularly at the top, where Toho and the TV networks dwell — had a terrific 2008. Boosted by Hayao Miyazaki's animation "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" ("Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea"), which earned a splendiferous ¥15 billion, Toho passed the ¥70-billion box-office mark...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 30, 2008

Half century on, Tokyo Tower still dazzles as landmark

Tokyo Tower, a long-standing landmark of the capital, celebrated its 50th birthday on Dec. 23. It still attracts about 3 million visitors a year and has provided the metropolis with good TV reception for decades.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Dec 30, 2008

Koji Murofushi

Koji Murofushi, 34, is a two-time Olympic medalist hammer thrower — with a gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and a bronze in Beijing this year — and the Asian record holder at 84.86 meters (2003). He's been a national champion 14 times in a row, and at the Asian Games, his efforts earned him the...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2008

Deng legacy after 30 years

SINGAPORE — The approaching close of 2008 should remind us of the day 30 years ago that marked the onset of a chain of events that was to alter the course of Asian — and human — history.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Dec 27, 2008

Villa's emergence shakes up Big Four's hegemony

LONDON — THE MOST fascinating Premier League title chase ever reached the half-way stage on Boxing Day.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 26, 2008

Pennington's career year sparks Miami

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington denies his return to the Meadowlands is about retribution or redemption or reliving the past, even if he was cast aside by the New York Jets like a leaky football.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 25, 2008

Originality and flair hits 2008

A year ago, I was sad to report on the sluggish condition of the Japanese contemporary theater world. Now, I am delighted to have had to struggle to select just five of the best of plays of 2008 from so many worthy contenders — many of them new and original works concerned with the current social situation...
EDITORIALS
Dec 24, 2008

Worsening economic prospects

The government's economic report for December states that Japanese economic conditions are "worsening," a downgrade from the previous month's assessment that "the economy has weakened further." The term "worsening" was used for the first since February 2002, after the information-technology bubble had...
BUSINESS
Dec 23, 2008

BOJ to focus on making funds available to firms

Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa said Monday the central bank needs to focus on making funds available to companies since the benchmark interest rate is close to zero.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 18, 2008

Never mind the mistletoe: the finest hits of the Festival of Lights

If you're sick of songs about reindeer with red noses and jolly, bearded fat guys coming to town, here are some Hanukkah albums worth digging for.
EDITORIALS
Dec 17, 2008

Serious slump indicated

The results of a Bank of Japan survey released Monday show that business confidence among companies is rapidly worsening as Japanese companies feel the impact of the global economic slowdown. It seems that the Japanese economy is heading into a serious slump, which may last for a long time.
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2008

Corporate malaise worst in 34 years

Large manufacturers suffered their steepest fall in confidence in 34 years as the global financial crisis eroded profits, especially for carmakers, the Bank of Japan "tankan" survey showed Monday.
EDITORIALS
Dec 14, 2008

A WMD wakeup call

The world is imperiled by a new era of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). That is the conclusion of the Report of the U.S. Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, released this month. Its assessment of the dangers of a world awash in such...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 14, 2008

Japan's prime minister isn't choosy about who his gaffes target

Way back in 1977 there was a famous war film called "A Bridge Too Far." Now, perhaps somebody should make a movie starring Prime Minister Taro Aso titled "Osugita Shitsugen (A Gaffe Too Many)."
Japan Times
JAPAN / READERS' FUND
Dec 13, 2008

NGO helps improve Afghan females' lives

Second in a series
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2008

Japan to settle custody case, U.S. court rules

The Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled that the state's courts have no jurisdiction over a custody dispute involving a 6-year-old boy, leaving the issue to a Japanese court.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Dec 7, 2008

Miura's decision to remain with struggling BayStars admirable

The Yokohama BayStars reached the Nippon Professional Baseball summit in 1998 behind 12-game winner Daisuke Miura.

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