Search - world

 
 
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Aug 28, 2012

Osaka: Where will Mayor Toru Hashimoto and his 'One Osaka' vision be in 2022?

Jeff Windham
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2012

Why is government policymaking paralyzed?

It is no secret that the global economy is struggling. Europe is in the midst of a crisis whose root cause is a structurally flawed monetary and economic union.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Aug 28, 2012

American photojournalist combines traditional with modern in daily life

Everett Brown's lifestyle is a reflection of his philosophy on life.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 28, 2012

Home purchases rise ahead of tax increase

Record low mortgage rates and the prospect of a consumption tax hike that will add the price of a new Toyota Corolla to the cost of an average home spurred Sumiko Morigaki into action.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 27, 2012

The unlikely chance of shrinking government

With the selection of Paul Ryan as the Republican vice presidential candidate, it is clear that the central issue in the presidential election will be the scale and scope of government involvement in the economy. There is disagreement over what constituted "normal" levels of spending in the past and,...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Aug 26, 2012

Human-birds on Lake Biwa; Mystery at the maternity hospital; CM of the week: Suntory/Softbank

On July 28-29 the 35th annual Toriningen Kontesuto (Birdman Rally) was held in Shiga Prefecture on Lake Biwa and featured 37 contestants. It will be broadcast under the same name on Nippon TV on Monday (7 p.m.).
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 26, 2012

In the real world if it looks like violence it's violence

On Aug. 15 police in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, arrested a 19-year-old man for trying to kill the head of the local board of education. The suspect was reportedly angry at the board's failure to properly investigate the suicide of a male junior high school student last October. After the parents of the...
Japan Times
LIFE
Aug 26, 2012

Flashback to the sandy beaches of Izu

Once, after the wet, green month of June — which every year waters the newly planted rice, turns the landscape lush, and makes us long for sunlight and clear skies — my boyfriend and I drove all night just to swim in the ocean.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 26, 2012

Another strange tale from east of the river

River Road: a Novel of Six Stories, by Hillel Wright. Printed Matter Press, 2012, 146 pp., $15.00 (hardcover) Writer Hillel Wright's seedbed of ideas, fertilized in the work of American giants like Ken Kesey, Tom Wolfe and William Burroughs, also owes something to the English sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock....
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 25, 2012

Trial of the century reveals China's fractured leadership

The trial, conviction and suspended death sentence of Gu Kailai, the wife of purged Chinese leader Bo Xilai, has called into question not only China's legal system but also the very unity of the Communist Party leadership.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Aug 25, 2012

Veterinary clinics for the rich and famous pets

I walked into the veterinarian's office with my disgruntled cat. I'd been worried about my cat for a week already. Her health was steadily declining and I knew something was seriously wrong when the 4 a.m. Kitty Alarm stopped going off — that feline screeching that takes place outside the door to our...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 24, 2012

Ridley Scott returns to sci-fi with 'Prometheus'

"As a cinematic genre, science-fiction has a longer shelf life than most," says director/producer Sir Ridley Scott. The mastermind behind such classics as "Alien" (1979), "Blade Runner" (1982) and this year's "Prometheus" is referring to how aspects of a sci-fi film can morph from fiction into fact with...
EDITORIALS
Aug 24, 2012

Death of an experienced journalist

Ms. Mika Yamamoto, a video journalist belonging to the Tokyo-based independent media group The Japan Press, was killed on Monday while covering the conflict in Syria between government and rebel forces in Aleppo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Japan Pulse
Aug 23, 2012

Ippuku: Tokyo's new pay-as-you-go smoking space

Will smokers cough up cash for a smoke-free smoking lounge?
Reader Mail
Aug 23, 2012

Defending Keynesian economics

Reading Stephen Shaw's long Aug. 19 letter, "Noda tempts economic disaster," one has to wonder whether Shaw has ever had a course in history or in economics.
Reader Mail
Aug 23, 2012

Ray of hope from Noda's words

I read through the Aug. 16 front-page article "Two Cabinet Ministers visit Yasukuni," expecting to be dismayed and angered in equal measure. There was one ray of hope and, all the more surprisingly, it came from Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda himself.
Reader Mail
Aug 23, 2012

Give a flicker of respect to fans

Giovanni Fazio's Aug. 17 review of the film "The Avengers" gave me a headache. I was expecting a well-thought-out critique on the movie, but all I remember reading was "the best actors of my generation" are running around acting like children!
COMMENTARY
Aug 23, 2012

Legacy of the 2012 Games

The British are feeling quite pleased with their performance not only in the games, where they came third after the United States and China in the medal league, but also because the arrangements worked well and much better than some had feared.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 23, 2012

"Masterpieces from the Permanent Collection II: A Close Look at Private Art Schools of Kyoto"

Gajuku, art schools for painters in Japan, played a vital role in the cultivation of Kyoto's modern art industry. Some gajuku were run privately by experienced painters, while others served as places where highly motivated, like-minded artists could get together and practice their skills.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 23, 2012

Rihanna, Grimes and J-pop rule at this year's Summer Sonic

When the opening notes to the Rihanna hit "We Found Love" played over the QVC Marine Stadium sound system Sunday night, the packed-tight crowd erupted louder than it had at any point in the show. Glow sticks were thrust into the air harder and bottled waters launched into the sky as the climax of the...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 23, 2012

TSE, OSE wrap up first step in bourses' merger

Tokyo Stock Exchange Group Inc.'s tender for its Osaka rival ended Wednesday, with Skagen A/S and Westchester Capital Management Inc. agreeing to sell stakes in the smaller bourse as Japan seeks to boost its role as a financial hub.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / Japan Pulse
Aug 22, 2012

Take the kids back in time this summer

Japanese people are rediscovering the charms of a simpler life, if only for a weekend.
COMMENTARY
Aug 22, 2012

Brother of Thai leader upholds a feisty profile

Thaksin Shinawatra is undoubtedly the most controversial politician ever to become prime minister of Thailand, an oft-ignored country in Southeast Asia with a population and landmass greater than Britain or Italy. (But who besides a Thai knows this?) Elected several times in national elections deemed...

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear