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COMMENTARY / World
Feb 10, 2009

Getting Obama to focus on Pacific diplomacy

MANILA — Unlike his predecessor, U.S. President Barack Obama is popular from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He has reached out to the Muslim world and pledged to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without delay. The nations of Asia have a particular affection for him, owing to the years he spent...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 10, 2009

'Neko-cide' prevention; document dealings

'Contemplating neko-cide' writes, "There is a cat next door that in meowing all night causes me to lose sleep, which then hurts my performance at work."
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 10, 2009

Recession won't sour Valentine's

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and stores are geared up to cater to that special time when women give their romantic others a sweet treat and, in the Japanese workplace, offer colleagues tasty tidbits out of gratitude.
COMMENTARY
Feb 10, 2009

Consumption amid constraints

During the period of Japan's rapid economic growth — from 1958 to 1973 — the three items that households yearned for most were a black-and-white TV set, washing machine and refrigerator. By 1965, when more than 80 percent of households had these items, the next targets for purchase were a color TV,...
COMMENTARY
Feb 10, 2009

James Brady struck warlike pose for peace

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — If not in memory of the awful Korean War (1950-1953), then in memory of the brilliant author James Brady (1928-2009) — you might want to read, or perhaps re-read, his novel about that war.
BUSINESS
Feb 10, 2009

Nissan vying with U.S. firms for green loans

Nissan Motor Co. is the only Japanese carmaker seeking a federal loan under a U.S. program for fuel-efficient autos, competing for funds with General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and electric-car startup Tesla Motors Inc.
Reader Mail
Feb 8, 2009

A destiny to defend the oceans

Regarding the Feb. 3 article "Protesters, whalers fight over use of illegal weapons": The only way this will ever stop is if Japan itself stops killing whales. We citizens of the world will not stand idly by to watch our beloved whales and dolphins slaughtered for Japanese appetites.
Reader Mail
Feb 8, 2009

Why limit worldwide broadcasts?

Regarding the Feb. 3 article "NHK goes global with all-English broadcasts": As has been the case with all articles concerning this subject, we are told that "The broadcasts will not be aired in Japan." Am I the only one to ask, "Why not?"
JAPAN / Society
Feb 8, 2009

Burmese junta fuels influx

In 2008 there was a sharp spike in the number of people seeking asylum in Japan, and although only 6 percent of those processed were recognized by the government as refugees, they totalled 57 compared with 41 the year before.
Reader Mail
Feb 8, 2009

New Zealand hasn't a president

I would like to point out that Frank Evans — in his Feb. 3 Have Your Say letter, "Whiners disprove stereotype" — is wrong. New Zealand has a prime minister not a president. We are not a republic; New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. We still like the British monarchy.
Japan Times
LIFE
Feb 8, 2009

Japan charts a new course on refugees

Beginning in 2010, Japan will inaugurate a three-year pilot program to accept 30 refugees a year from camps nestled along the remote border between Thailand and Burma.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 8, 2009

New law may backfire on victims

In December, a new law went into effect allowing victims of crimes and their families to participate in trial proceedings. Previously, victims were virtually shut out of criminal courts unless they were called on to provide testimony. Under the new law, they may sit next to prosecutors during trials,...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Feb 7, 2009

The venom of the expatriate's choice

In a corner of my office, next to a shelf containing such diverse items as a biography of Willie Mays, Quirk and Greenbaum's "A Grammar of Contemporary English," and Carole Bloom's "All About Chocolate," sits a polyethylene snake, 45 cm tall.
EDITORIALS
Feb 7, 2009

American dream endangered

"The American dream in reverse." That is how U.S. President Barack Obama responded to news about the sinking American economy. His remarks are no exaggeration. One major U.S. company after another has announced job cuts and layoffs. And the evidence is more than anecdotal: According to the Commerce Department,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Feb 7, 2009

Aso Mining POWs seek redress

Former Allied prisoners of war who were forced to work for a company run by Prime Minister Taro Aso's family during World War II said they were placed in extremely dangerous conditions with very little food or clothing.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 7, 2009

Stripped of stereotypes

If you ever have the chance to meet Lu Nagata, you will never forget her style and determination.
BUSINESS / Q&A
Feb 6, 2009

The debate over government notes

Scholars and Liberal Democratic Party members have been urging the government to print its own money to counter the once-in-a-century crisis buffeting Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ALSO OUT THERE
Feb 6, 2009

Getting a glimpse behind the mask

It happens in Japanese cities every winter and spring — the mask attack.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 6, 2009

Honda hoping new Insight hybrid challenges dominance of Prius

Honda Motor Co. threw the spotlight Thursday on its new Insight hybrid, which goes on sale Friday, hoping its cheaper price challenges the gasoline-electric hybrid market dominance of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius.
EDITORIALS
Feb 6, 2009

Suffer the Rohingya

About 800,000 Rohingya live in Myanmar. They are a Muslim group in a Buddhist state. They are not recognized as one of Myanmar's official minorities, which means they are subject to persecution and worse in that army-run dictatorship. Not surprisingly, thousands of Rohingya have fled their homeland....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 6, 2009

A gastronomic treat

Chef alert! The big guns of global gastronomy are coming to town. The occasion is a convocation being held next week grandly titled "Tokyo Taste — the World Summit of Gastronomy 2009."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 6, 2009

Special Valentine's Day tips

Sweet tea for your sweetie
BUSINESS
Feb 6, 2009

LDP looks to let Japan Post become lender

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party may recommend allowing Japan Post Holdings Co., the world's largest deposit holder, to lend money to cash-strapped companies and individuals hit by the global recession.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 6, 2009

Cujorl: Artistic cooking in an American style

The Food File has a new favorite restaurant — with the emphasis firmly on "new." Cujorl has been open barely a month now, and already we've been back three times.
Reader Mail
Feb 5, 2009

Halfway measures off Somalia

The Jan. 31 editorial "Advancing on the pirates (off Somalia)" did not address the most important issue: Japan is contributing too little, too late. NATO, Russia and India had forces in the area by October, the European Union began operations in December, and even China dispatched destroyers before the...
COMMENTARY
Feb 5, 2009

What's wrong with the way English is taught in Japan

The good news is that Japan's education bureaucrats realize that despite six years of middle and high school study many Japanese are still unable to speak English well. The bad news is that the bureaucrats plan to solve this problem by giving us more of what caused the problem.

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