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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2009

The deBretts

On the MySpace page for The deBretts, a new four-piece band from London, there's a photo of lead singer Vonnie in a black chiffon dress sitting on a toilet in what looks like a public rest room.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 17, 2009

Darkness at the opera

Say the word "opera," and a string of flamboyant images spring to mind, from vivid stage sets to dramatic divas — unless it's the world of opera as seen through the singular gaze of artist Sophy Rickett.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 17, 2009

Kemuri: Smoking up in Kanda-Sudacho

There are half a dozen compelling reasons for heading to Kanda-Sudacho. The small pocket of back streets that survived the firebombs of World War II and — so far — the ravages of high-rise development is home to some of the city's most venerable restaurants.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2009

Stimulus not long-term solution, analysts warn

Prime Minister Taro Aso's record stimulus plan will only provide temporary relief as the country heads for its worst postwar recession, economists said.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 16, 2009

The war on women rages on in Afghanistan

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — As the presidential election season arrived in Afghanistan, the incumbent Hamid Karzai sprang a nasty surprise on the country's Hazara Shiite women by signing on to a "rape law" that legitimizes non-consensual sex in wedlock. Designed to placate arch conservative Shiite clerics, the...
Reader Mail
Apr 16, 2009

What about Japan's rockets?

In her April 5 letter "Launch watch worsens anxiety," Caterina Oda writes "For years we've been watching with alarm this long-festering crisis that North Korea exacerbates whenever it wants to make a political statement. Is there any end in sight to this abusive relationship?" I would like to make three...
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Apr 15, 2009

Hulk's meteoric rise to fame adds feather to J. League's cap

Anyone who saw Brazilian striker Hulk terrify defenses during his 3 1/2 years in the J. League knew he was destined for greater things, but the speed with which his star has risen since moving to Europe last summer is remarkable nonetheless.
BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2009

Nippon Yusen cuts expansion

Nippon Yusen K.K., Japan's largest shipping line, will slash fleet expansion plans by 10 percent as it scraps some ships and returns others to owners amid slumping demand for transporting cars and containers.
COMMENTARY
Apr 14, 2009

Pakistan: building peace by building schools

You can try to force peace through military might — and you are bound to fail — or you can build peace through education. That seems to be the main lesson behind Greg Mortenson's life and work. Thanks to his efforts, 78 schools have been built in Pakistan and thousands of children have been educated,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2009

Finnish cell phone maker targets well-heeled with luxury handsets

The mobile phone made of platinum and black ceramic has a sapphire crystal display and a scroll key made of a diamond. The most expensive model in the shop in Tokyo's Ginza district costs ¥6 million.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Apr 14, 2009

What are your thoughts on North Korea in the wake of its recent launch of a missile over Japan?

COMMENTARY / World
Apr 12, 2009

A sense of drift pervades Indian democracy

LONDON — As the largest democracy in the world enters into the campaign phase for its 15th parliamentary elections, it seems preoccupied with trivialities: Which Bollywood actor will contest? Which Nehru-Gandhi family scion will be the prime ministerial candidate? Will various regional satraps come...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 12, 2009

Entertainment as a fun family soap

Last weekend, actor Shunta Nakamura was arrested for possession of hashish while sitting in a parked car in Suginami Ward, Tokyo. The suspect's father, veteran actor Masatoshi Nakamura, quickly obliged the showbiz media by performing one of those tearful apologies that everyone looks forward to under...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 12, 2009

Veteran announcer Bickard calling NPB games on TV in English

Did you know there is English-language coverage (though very limited) of some Pacific League games in Japan?
Japan Times
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Apr 12, 2009

'Stars should bring Pedro to Yokohama

The Yokohama BayStars won their first game of the season on Friday night and would do well to enjoy it.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 12, 2009

Dark thoughts and macabre tales

As a boy, Edogawa Rampo was, as he relates in one of the essays included in this collection, a devotee of popular fiction. Entering the fantastic twists and turns of his stories we are soon lost in them just as, when boys and girls ourselves, we became the characters in the romances and adventures we...
COMMENTARY
Apr 12, 2009

Welcome development in U.S.-China dialogue

HONG KONG — All indications are that the first summit meeting between the new American president, Barack Obama, and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, went extremely well. The American leader has already accepted an invitation to visit Beijing later this year.
Japan Times
LIFE / JAPAN FASHION WEEK
Apr 12, 2009

Shows of intrigue

It was bright vs. dark at this season's 2009/10 Japan Fashion Week and Tokyo Collections, with dizzying color and details contrasting with a plethora of shows that chose to go simple and monochromatic.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 12, 2009

Slow train coming in Shizuoka

Standing on the platform at Kanaya Station in Shizuoka Prefecture, the enthusiastic crowd — myself included — watches with fascination as the train pulls in. Because this train is different. It's not a sleek, aerodynamic bullet train; nor is it one of the ubiquitous, striped JR jobs. Rather, the...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 12, 2009

Slow train coming in Shizuoka

Standing on the platform at Kanaya Station in Shizuoka Prefecture, the enthusiastic crowd — myself included — watches with fascination as the train pulls in. Because this train is different. It's not a sleek, aerodynamic bullet train; nor is it one of the ubiquitous, striped JR jobs. Rather, the...
BASKETBALL
Apr 11, 2009

Kawamura leaves

Takuya Kawamura, a guard in the Japan Basketball League, has opted not to play for Japan's national men's team, choosing instead to pursue a career in the NBA.
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2009

Aso unveils record stimulus

To combat the deepening economic crisis, Prime Minister Taro Aso on Friday unveiled an additional stimulus package that calls for record actual spending of ¥15.4 trillion, or 3 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2009

Ranks of homeless swell in Osaka

OSAKA (Bloomberg) Within two months of losing his job packing shelves at a cold-storage company in Osaka, Toshiyuki Miki said, he was homeless. He counts himself among the many people worldwide whose life has been turned upside down in the wake of the "Lehman Shock."
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Apr 10, 2009

Dance meets theater

Long ago, 52-year-old Belgian choreographer Alain Platel was an orthopedic therapist. Then, in 1984, he founded his performing troupe called "Les Ballets C. de la B." Now his company — whose strikingly original approach to contemporary dance positions it, along with the likes of German dance legend...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji