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Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Sep 29, 2011

The esoteric architect: building on artistic ardor

Architecture isn't rock 'n' roll, so I've always had my suspicions of any architect whose fame seems to be on the inflated side. Although Arata Isozaki is something of a superstar in the world of Japanese architecture — and has also written interesting and thought-provoking books, such as the excellent...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 29, 2011

The real financial rogues

The story of the latest "rogue trader" who allegedly cost his Swiss employer $2.3 billion in fraudulent trading is a marvelous one, especially since the alleged rogue, Kweku Adoboli, was praying on his Facebook page for a miracle more than a week before UBS realized that a large pot of its money had...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 29, 2011

Azari & III to get Japan sweaty

Azari & III (pronounced "Azari and third") have snagged a lot of influential supporters in the short period they've been making music together.
COMMENTARY
Sep 28, 2011

Let Greece default and live

Few things are as galling as being right too soon. Back in 1970, dissident Soviet historian Andrei Amalrik wrote a book boldly called "Will the Soviet Union Survive Until 1984?"
EDITORIALS
Sep 28, 2011

Backing off from the nuke phaseout

In a high-level United Nations meeting on nuclear safety and security held Sept. 22, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda delivered a speech and said, "Japan is determined to raise the safety of nuclear power generation to the highest level in the world."
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2011

Who's afraid of a little class warfare?

A week ago Monday, defending his plan to raise taxes on the rich to pay for job creation, President Barack Obama said: "This is not class warfare, it's math."
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2011

Aussie pronatal policy is not a model for Japan

Since reaching a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.57 in 1989, Japan has been deeply concerned about demographic trends and future prospects. Below replacement fertility — measured as less than 2.1 children per woman — has been a feature of Japanese demography since 1974.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2011

Noda, Aquino agree to counter China sea claims

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Philippines President Benigno Aquino III agreed Tuesday in Tokyo to forge closer maritime security ties to resolve disputes with China in the South China Sea.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 27, 2011

Merits of a layman as Japan's defense minister

Japan has suffered from a leadership deficit since the charismatic Koizumi Junichiro stepped down in 2006.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 27, 2011

Israel must act, not react, before it's too late

Despite their long-established relations, at least on the official level, Egypt-Israeli affairs have never faced fatal threats as they do in 2011.
EDITORIALS
Sep 27, 2011

Health side of tobacco tax

Health and welfare minister Yoko Komiyama on Sept. 9 said that the price of a pack of cigarettes should be raised ¥100 each year to around ¥700 at least and the jurisdiction of tobacco-related administration should be transferred from the Finance Ministry to her ministry.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 27, 2011

A compact guide to guidebooks on Japan

Despite the Internet revolution and resultant websites and blogs offering information about every conceivable aspect of any country you'd care to name, many people make sure a copy of their favorite guidebook is in their $500 suitcase or $5 backpack before boarding a plane.
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Sep 27, 2011

Ochiai given raw deal by Chunichi despite his successful run in dugout

A few years ago, before an All-Star game at Yokohama Stadium, while most players were relaxing, then-Chunichi Dragons slugger Tyrone Woods was feverishly fielding grounders at first base hit by his manager, Hiromitsu Ochiai.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Sep 27, 2011

Upgrading the ordinary

Ice-cool statements Here's a fun example of the power of design: Turning something as simple as ice cubes into a political/environmental statement.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2011

Is Obama worried about work yet?

Beleaguered President Barack Obama has come out fighting with two recent speeches focused on America's high unemployment rate. First, he gave an address to both houses of Congress, which is now being nicknamed the "jobs-jobs-jobs" speech, because Obama mentioned the word 37 times in 32 minutes. Then,...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 25, 2011

Japan's noisy neighbors keep-a knocking

Sanshoku, the word for "encroachment" in Japanese, is written with characters meaning "silkworm" and "to eat." Imagine a mulberry leaf, being slowly consumed from the outer edges, nibble by nibble, by writhing white worms. Then overlay this leaf on a map of the Japanese archipelago, and look at the spots...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / BACKSTREET STORIES
Sep 25, 2011

Discoveries to delight on the very doorstep of The Japan Times

There's an expression in Japanese — Todai moto kurashi (The base of the lighthouse is dark) — which occurs to me as I leave the headquarters of The Japan Times in Shibaura. Though I regularly dock here, I realize I'm in the dark about the surrounding area, Minato Ward's manmade flatlands in Tokyo's...
Japan Times
LIFE
Sep 25, 2011

Students' skills help to forge a new Tohoku

In late July, when the students of Osaka Institute of Technology's Department of Architecture first arrived at the tiny port of Oharahama, an air of negativity hung over the conversation of the locals.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 24, 2011

Keynes was not a big 'Keynesian'

What does it mean to be Keynesian? It was the British economist John Maynard Keynes who declared that when, like today, economic growth grinds to a standstill and businesses fail to provide enough jobs, governments have the ability, and the duty, to fill the gap.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 24, 2011

Society must value overseas study: Nakagawa

Young Japanese shouldn't be blamed for not studying abroad, but society needs to change so they can attend universities overseas without having to worry about their careers after they return, education minister Masaharu Nakagawa said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 23, 2011

"National Gallery of Art, Washington"

The National Gallery of Art, Washington, boasts a collection of more than 120,000 works, among which one of the highlights is its around 400 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. Eighty-three Impressionist and Post-Impressionist pieces have been selected from the gallery's collection for this show,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 23, 2011

"Splendor of Kyo Maki-e: Zohiko Urushi Art and Mitsui Family"

During the Meiji Era (1868-1912), as Japan opened up to the rest of the world the nation's artists began to lose the support of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the daimyo (landed) class.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2011

Maehara speaks out for continued export of nuclear reactors

Drawing on its technology and experience, Japan should continue to export nuclear reactors despite the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, ruling party policy chief Seiji Maehara said Wednesday.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan