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JAPAN
Aug 15, 2008

Aug. 15 — Japan's longest day — still resonates

Aug. 15, 1945, a scorcher without a cloud in the sky, is one of the most emotional dates for the Japanese people, as it is considered the day the nation surrendered and ended World War II.
COMMENTARY
Aug 14, 2008

China's slow march toward a normal society

In the months leading up to the Beijing Olympics, there was much talk about the state of human rights in China. Some declared that human rights continued to deteriorate while others insisted that the situation had been improving for the last 30 years. Still others asserted that both sides are right and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 14, 2008

Kutcher gets lucky — in Vegas and in life

Model turned actor and TV producer Ashton Kutcher is the first to admit he's a very lucky man. In the mid-1990s he auditioned for several U.S. TV series before joining "That '70s Show," which in 1998 launched his career as a nationally known face.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2008

Firm plugs consumers into funny USB goods

Working in an office during the summer can be an uncomfortably sweaty experience, and Hiroyasu Yamamitsu, president of humorous PC accessories maker Thanko Inc., spotted a business chance there.
EDITORIALS
Aug 13, 2008

A test for Russia and the West

Historians are likely to conclude that the war that broke out last weekend between Russia and Georgia was in many ways inevitable. The two governments have sparred over the appropriate deference Georgia should show toward its former Soviet overlord, with Moscow insisting that the small Caucasus republic...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS: SWIMMING
Aug 11, 2008

Kitajima poised to defend title in 100m breaststroke

Kosuke Kitajima took care of business in the 100-meter men's breaststroke semifinals on Sunday morning at the Water Cube, winning the first heat in 59.55 seconds.
Japan Times
LIFE
Aug 10, 2008

China remembers John Rabe, its own local Schindler

John Rabe (1882-1950), known as the Oscar Schindler of China, was an employee of Siemens and a Nazi party member when he helped establish the International Safety Zone (ISZ) toward the end of 1937 to provide a refuge for Nanjing's noncombatants.
SPORTS / ODDS AND EVENS
Aug 8, 2008

Selection of runner Lomong to carry U.S. flag particularly poignant

BEIJING — After a tasty buffet meal at a nearby hotel restaurant followed by a few cups of delicious green tea — I had plenty of choices; there was a separate tea menu, featuring at least a dozen varieties — I'm content to return to job-related duties.
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2008

Cabinet Office report points to recession

With the word "weakening," the Cabinet Office on Thursday effectively called an end to the longest expansion of the postwar period.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 8, 2008

'The Sky Crawlers'

The Battle of Britain, in which the Royal Air Force fought the Luftwaffe for supremacy over the skies of Britain in 1940, became famous for not only the heroism of the Allied defenders, who saved the country from Nazi invasion, but their high casualty rates, especially among the young, inexperienced...
EDITORIALS
Aug 7, 2008

Bumpy road to devolution

A government panel on devolution submitted its first set of recommendations to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in May, the main pillar of which was the call to transfer in principle the power to manage national highways and large river systems from the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry to prefectural...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2008

Tokyo's Lolita scene all about escapism

The look is weird, and very Tokyo.
SPORTS / ODDS AND EVENS
Aug 7, 2008

Beijing putting best foot forward as opening ceremony draws near

BEIJING — The Olympic hosts want to make a good first impression. That's no big surprise. The world is watching, and it's why you are greeted by one set of smiling volunteers when you walk off the airplane at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2008

Horror of Hiroshima inspires Frenchman's haunting love story

Ever since he was little, Christophe Boubal, a French novelist, has been interested in writing and Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 5, 2008

Detail goals before raising taxes: Ibuki

Before initiating any hike in the 5 percent consumption tax, the ruling bloc must clearly articulate to voters what policies it will pursue and its priorities in line with a higher levy, new Finance Minister Bunmei Ibuki said Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 5, 2008

Yasukuni in spotlight as Aug. 15 nears

Aug. 15 marks the 63rd anniversary of the end of World War II. For the people of Japan, including relatives of the war dead, it is a day of remembrance and of peace.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 4, 2008

Trans-Atlantic stalemate

Barack Obama's European tour hints that the senator is Europe's choice to be America's next president. But Europeans should not expect too much. While Obama would likely restore civility and politeness to trans-Atlantic discourse, the sources of friction are more profound. The geopolitical interests...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 2, 2008

Serious Ochiai enjoys rare chance to joke around

YOKOHAMA — Hiroshima Carp veteran Tomonori Maeda was returning to the dugout after fielding practice before the second game of the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series on Friday at Yokohama Stadium when Chunichi Dragons manager Hiromitsu Ochiai decided it was time to have some fun.

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