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EDITORIALS
Jul 7, 2009

Mr. Amano heads IAEA

Mr. Yukiya Amano, Japan's ambassador to the Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, was elected last week as the next chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear watchdog that was established in the Austrian capital in 1957 and now has 146 member countries.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jul 7, 2009

Hobbs replaced as Japan's basketball coach

The Japanese national basketball team almost seems cursed. Every time it tries to move forward, there is some kind of disturbance.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jul 7, 2009

Cops crack down with 'I pee' checks

My blog has been getting periodic pings about rumblings in Roppongi: Tokyo cops cleaning out pesky foreign touts before Olympic inspectors see them; the U.S. Embassy warning Americans to stay away from the area after reports of drugged drinks and thefts.
COMMENTARY
Jul 7, 2009

Rule of law eludes Guantanamo detainees despite Obama's cheerleading for rights

NEW YORK — The Obama administration should show resolve in releasing Guantanamo Bay inmates or trying them in a court of law, says Navanethem Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 7, 2009

How do you feel about the death of Michael Jackson?

Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2009

Porn downloads strain mobile network

Takeshi says he pays ¥6,300 a month to NTT DoCoMo Inc. for unlimited Internet access, allowing him to download adult movies on his mobile phone.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2009

Aso unlikely to make much of a splash at G8

Birds of a feather will flock to L'Aquila, Italy, for the Group of Eight summit beginning Wednesday, with premiers in attendance including embattled British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the scandal-ridden Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 6, 2009

Price of centralized power

MOSCOW — The emergence of a Kremlin leader, President Dmitry Medvedev, without a KGB background, combined with the economic crisis, has inspired talk that when Barack Obama visits Moscow this week, America's president will be seeing a country on the verge of a new political thaw, a revived perestroika....
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 5, 2009

Double standards fly high when it comes to bombing of civilians

Sad to say, every generation for the past century has known its own war — wars that have touched so many millions through the loss or traumatization of relatives, friends or fellow citizens.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jul 5, 2009

Teen vampire drama, Kusanagi's return and a vengeful spirit

Because supernatural adolescents are staple features of manga and anime, it's unlikely that the new Fuji TV drama series, "Koishite Akuma" ("The Loving Demon"; Tues., 10 p.m.), was directly inspired by the worldwide success of the teen vampire saga, "Twilight," but that success certainly won't hurt its...
Reader Mail
Jul 5, 2009

Don't make whales the scapegoat

According to the anonymous writer of the June 28 letter "Whaling subsidies are not wasted," whales are consuming a large majority of the fish in the oceans. Unfortunately, the author seems to have the facts wrong. There are innumerable accounts of oceans, bays and rivers teeming with fish before the...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jul 5, 2009

The Shanxi trilogy: films that never made it back home

Sometimes called the most significant of the current generation of Chinese film directors, Jia Zhangke (b. 1970) enjoys the distinction of never having had some of his finest work commercially shown in his own country.
Reader Mail
Jul 5, 2009

More sympathetic than Americans

Regarding Eric Hilton's June 25 letter, "Japanese is just a language": Hilton's point is well made and his observations are in line with my experiences at a college in Japan, where I have taught for four years. I think the issue he raises of the importance of respecting a target language is overlooked....
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jul 4, 2009

A look into the secrets of the Kanji family

Japanese is comprised of three syllable alphabets: kanji, hiragana and katakana. Yeah, you've heard this before. But do you know the history behind the three?
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2009

Iraq oil minister may visit for investment talks

Iraq's oil minister may visit Tokyo next week and discuss the prospect of Japanese investment as the Middle Eastern nation plans to increase petroleum production.
EDITORIALS
Jul 3, 2009

O Canada

The Emperor and the Empress are visiting Canada and Hawaii from Friday through July 17. Their visit to Canada takes place at a good time, as Japan and Canada are celebrating the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It is hoped that the visit will further strengthen the friendly and cooperative relationship...
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 3, 2009

A new way of experiencing Japan's old city

In a city that rightly boasts of its numerous monuments to its glorious and illustrious past, the Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto provides a counterpoint to the ancient capital's architectural and religious treasures.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 3, 2009

ART iT transforms into digital forum

When Tokyo-based quarterly magazine ART iT announced the discontinuation of its print edition and that all content would move online following the publishing of its June 2009 issue, it seemed like yet another example of how the popularity of the Internet had combined with a global economic recession...
CULTURE / Music
Jul 3, 2009

The world of J-pop pays tribute to the King of Pop

Michael Jackson's musical influence reached all corners of the globe — and Japan too. Artists across genres and generations have all spoken about the loss of one of the music industry's all-time greats:
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 3, 2009

Sometimes taboos make for good shows

Artist, curator and performer Viviennne U.H. Doan is presenting the second edition of her multifaceted event "Beautified Taboo" on July 9 at Super Deluxe, and if this version is anything like the distinctive experience that greeted patrons of the first event last July, art lovers in Tokyo are in for...

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’