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Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
May 19, 2010

Yokohama tapped to host next World Team Trophy

Two years after hosting the inaugural World Team Trophy, Japan has once again been selected to be the site of the six-nation, biennial event.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
May 18, 2010

The merch of May

Read the comic? Saw the the movie? Ready to buy some one-of-a-kind merchandise to show your loyalty?
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 18, 2010

Yoshimoto Kogyo: Entertaining the nation

One would have to be a hermit, literally shut off from all media, to avoid exposure in Japan to the comedians and other entertainers managed by Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., the nation's oldest and arguably most powerful entertainment agency.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 14, 2010

Vamps bite into British rock roots

"L'Arc-en-Ciel is all about the musicianship. But Vamps are obsessed with rock music, and that's basically our watchword: 'rock.' "
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 14, 2010

Here comes 'Othello': 'the best play ever'

"The tragedy 'Othello' was written by Shakespeare at the height of his powers [around 1602], its poetry is finer than 'Hamlet,' its psychology deeper than 'Macbeth,' its love story more compelling than 'Romeo and Juliet,' its heartbreaking tragedy more moving than 'King Lear.' 'Othello' might be the...
EDITORIALS
May 11, 2010

Japan must deal with debt

Worries about the sovereign debt crisis in Greece have disrupted stock and foreign exchange markets worldwide, threatening to throw cold water on the global economic recovery. The crisis could affect not only European nations but also the United States and fast-growing emerging economies.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 7, 2010

Maruni/Zaku: Here's the beef, in vintage style

Like so many casual eating/drinking spots opening in these cash-strapped times, Maruni keeps things simple and cheap. It's basically a standing bar serving yakiniku barbecue, with a brightly lit interior and retro wooden facade. What sets it apart from just about any other place of its kind is that the...
EDITORIALS
May 2, 2010

For whom the tolls grow

The Hatoyama administration appears disjointed in its expressway toll policy. On April 9 it announced a new system that would abolish various discounts and instead set four different caps on per-day tolls, depending on vehicle size. On April 21, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa...
BUSINESS / GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS SYMPOSIUM
Apr 30, 2010

Reliance on technology may leave Japan behind

Japanese firms need to change their strategy in emerging markets and know more about the consumers in those countries that serve as the new engines of global growth, scholars and business experts told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 30, 2010

'The Box'/'9'

You'd be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of certifiably cult movies from the past decade, but Richard Kelly's "Donnie Darko" (2001) is definitely one of them. This strange hybrid about a troubled teen and his invisible friend (a giant evil-looking rabbit named Frank) could best be described...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / INSIDE ART
Apr 30, 2010

Japan's modern art gets an online boost

T he Bank of Japan has come under a lot of fire of late, but there's at least one thing it can be proud of: the work of former employee Rasa Tsuda.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 30, 2010

Acid Mothers Temple

Since being formed by band leader Makoto Kawabata in the mid 1990s, Osaka's premier purveyors of heavy psychedelic rock and modern kosmische musik have existed in an ever-mutating series of iterations, incorporating dozens of members, collaborators and former members. The intimidatingly- titled "Battle...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 30, 2010

Kyoto's temples of gastronomy

You need a strategy when you're visiting a city the size of Kyoto. Ours was simple: No tourist spots, no taxis and no traipsing around. We were there to eat.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 30, 2010

Arabaki Rock Fest

Boasting its biggest lineup to date, the 10th edition of Miyagi Prefecture's Arabaki Rock Fest includes nearly 120 acts. Attracting an average annual weekend crowd of 35,000, the outdoor concert features six stages of live music from morning till night on Saturday and Sunday. Those staying overnight...
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 29, 2010

Crash test dummies agree: Legacy is the one!

Subaru's Legacy won top marks in the 2009-2010 New Car Assessment Program but will that translate into higher sales?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Apr 25, 2010

Horsing around in Shinjuku

At the tail end of this year's cherry-blossom season I set off for one of Tokyo's prime viewing spots, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. My idea is to walk the quiet backstreets circling the garden, then canter through the park itself, which features several late-blooming varieties of sakura cherry trees....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 23, 2010

Different by design

HOLLYWOOD — Tim Burton, the filmmaker who gave a new spin to the classic children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," has now taken up the challenge of a greater classic, "Alice in Wonderland."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
Apr 23, 2010

"Wilhelm Sasnal: 16 mm films"

Rat Hole GalleryCloses June 6
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 20, 2010

Women enjoy romances with their cell phones

Featuring eight cool guys to play with, “Kimi to Wonder Kiss' joins the glut of cell-phone dating games targeting women.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 20, 2010

Japan's vulnerability to tsunami

Rollers from the giant earthquake in Chile in February and the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 are still fresh in the world's memories, but in Japan giant tidal waves have never been far from thought.
EDITORIALS
Apr 19, 2010

Addressing food self-sufficiency

The Hatoyama administration March 30 introduced a basic food, agriculture and agricultural-village program. Among other things, the program calls for raising Japan's food self-sufficiency rate from the current 41 percent to 50 percent (calculated by calories) in 10 years. This goes beyond the 45 percent...
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2010

Earth Day Tokyo spreads, celebrates 'green' issues

Worldwide environmental campaign Earth Day 2010 kicked off its Tokyo events Saturday stressing environmental friendliness and food self-sufficiency, as well as celebrating the 40th anniversary of the campaign, which originated in the United States.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 18, 2010

Hisashi Inoue: A great friend, writer, and people's champion is gone

O n Friday, April 9, Hisashi Inoue died at the age of 75, and with his passing Japan lost its most brilliant playwright.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 16, 2010

Sam's the man in this 'Moon'

HOLLYWOOD — "Boy, you're bringing back an experience where I got fed up and pretty tired of myself!" exclaims Sam Rockwell on the topic of the sci-fi cult film "Moon," which he dominates more than any other single actor has done in a movie for years.
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Apr 14, 2010

Sony brings the world's radio into your room

FM flight: In the old days, listening to the radio meant turning a dial and hunting out a few signals amid waves of static. FM stations in particular have moved beyond such primitiveness, but it is on the Internet that radio has made its greatest strides. Internet radio is one of the less obvious features...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Apr 11, 2010

With Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, is a hit for the PSP at hand?

Konami bets the farm on mobile gaming and product tie-ins with the highly anticipated release of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PSP.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 11, 2010

Under the volcano, Iwate's capital keeps its rich history alive

The signs of boredom on this first morning in Morioka are manifest. Arriving ill-equipped for the pouring rain, there is a limit to how much interest can be squeezed from the otherwise admirable station facilities. After two hours of window- shopping and an over-surfeit of canned coffees, I'm ready for...

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami