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JAPAN
Nov 1, 2012

U.S. says sayonara to envoy

To hear former Chief of Protocol Lloyd Hand tell it, Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki may have been smart, engaged and charming — but he failed the basic test of a diplomat in Washington.
Japan Times
LIFE
May 27, 2012

A lifelong dream comes true on Everest

I always keep a journal when I travel, but something's different about the one open in front of me now — the notebook in which I was writing just a few weeks ago. My normally smooth script has deteriorated into a scrawl, the black biro scoring angrily into the cream-colored pages.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2012

'The Muppets'

The Muppets franchise gets a thorough dusting off and a major makeover in "The Muppets," but it's probably the parents, and not the kids, who will most appreciate the effort. This is the first Muppets movie to come out since "Muppets From Space" in 1999, and such a lot of water has gone under the bridge...
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2012

Lords' reform creating tension in U.K. coalition

Last Wednesday's Queen's Speech saw Britain's hereditary monarch announcing government plans to effectively abolish the House of Lords, the British Parliament's unelected second chamber. It is hard to imagine that the queen did not feel the irony. But she may still have the last laugh, as proposals to...
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Mar 31, 2012

Takamatsu's plight reflects poorly on league

The Takamatsu Five Arrows are awful, so bad that they don't even pretend to be a cheap imitation of a mediocre franchise.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 23, 2012

Liszt masterpiece 'Christus' gets a rare showing in Tokyo

In 1873, to mark the 50th anniversary of his musical activities at a concert, Franz Liszt told people of the "Christus" oratorio: "This is my will." The piece was one of his most important, and on March 31 an orchestra and three chorus groups in Tokyo — the Orchestra Symphonia Musica Poetica, Heinrich...
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2012

Photos of hope adorn prime minister's door

The heartbreaking images of hopelessness and despair from the devastation the megaquake and tsunami brought last March 11 remain fresh in the memory of not only Japan but the rest of the world.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 16, 2012

Spiritualized forgets the past and moves on with 'Sweet Heart Sweet Light'

It is just four days before Christmas but Jason Pierce seems oblivious to festive cheer. The leader of influential space-rockers Spiritualized, sitting in the home studio where he has spent the last two years creating the band's forthcoming seventh album "Sweet Heart Sweet Light," has issues on his mind....
BASKETBALL
Jan 21, 2012

Happinets shrug off slow start to rout sluggish Jets

You could argue that Friday night's game was the biggest contest in the brief history of the Chiba Jets, what with the Akita Northern Happinets, the Eastern Conference co-leaders, visiting town and the hosts playing their first bj-league game in nearly a month.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 20, 2012

Toys and cartoons to be discovered and sold at upcoming hobby fair

With so many toys and knick-knacks on hand, Jisedai Warudo Hobi Fair '12 (translated as The Next Generation Hobby Fair '12) is going to seem like a second Christmas. Or at least your kids might think so.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 30, 2011

Miyazaki improves roster with addition of Mims

It's the time of the season for teams to add reinforcements as they begin jockeying for playoff positions.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 23, 2011

Western Conference squads enjoying success on road

If this season's first 20 games have proven anything, there's no such thing as home sweet home for the Miyazaki Shining Suns. Nor is there a home-court advantage for coach Koto Toyama's team.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Dec 17, 2011

Tis the season to tell stories

The warmth of the holiday season often cooks up a nice story — a helping of good will to be served with turkey and plum pudding, osechi and omochi or whatever other delicacies might grace your international table.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 16, 2011

Sweet memories: Tokyo's dreamiest desserts of 2011

As the Yule season approaches, thoughts turn inevitably to cakes and sweetmeats. Homemade is always best, but sometimes expensive cravings arise for the kind of elegant confections that can only be furnished by bespoke chocolatiers and dessert chefs. Here are five of the desserts that hit the sweet spot...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 25, 2011

'Net super' trend food for thought

Online "Net super" retailing has grown increasingly popular as more people shop from home, especially seniors.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 24, 2011

Foreign films' Japanese titles often read like riddles

Japanese distributors of foreign films usually follow the path of least resistance in titling their products for the local market, either rendering the title in katakana or translating it more or less directly. One recently released example is the shocker "The Last Exorcism," whose katakana-ized Japanese...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 31, 2011

Destroying five myths about earthquakes

Earthquakes rattle our psyches as well as our structures. We Californians can crack jokes about jumpy East Coast types, but the truth is, our blood pressure also rises precipitously when the Earth suddenly springs to life, without so much as a warning.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2011

Sanrio to cut reliance on Hello Kitty

Sanrio Co. aims to spend as much as ¥30 billion to buy the rights to a character for the first time and cut its reliance on Hello Kitty.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jun 27, 2011

Dealing with addiction to the 'war on drugs'

Earlier this month a spate of reports and commentaries came out on the failure of the U.S. "war on drugs," beginning with the Global Commission on Drug Policy flatly stating the war "has failed."
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 30, 2010

Obama's seven headaches

HONG KONG — Supporters of U.S. President Barack Obama are greatly cheered by notable victories in the final days of Congress before Christmas: the repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" law concerning homosexuals serving in the military, and the ratification of the New START treaty with Russia to curb...
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 24, 2010

Holiday wish list varies with winter break near

Santa Claus didn't personally ask each of the bj-league's 16 teams for a Christmas wish list.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Dec 17, 2010

Zoo holds yearend events for the family

The story goes that a long time ago, Buddha ordered some animals to come see him on New Year's Day. It was at that point he told the group that he would nominate 12 animals to be the leaders of all the animals, and that they would take turns each year. This is how the Chinese zodiac came to be.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 17, 2010

Smells like great Italian — but book ahead

Even in its earliest incarnation on the edge of Hiroo, Aroma Fresca was one of the hottest tables in town — and among the hardest to reserve. It was the same story during its stay in Azabu-Juban (in the premises now occupied solely by Casa Vinitalia), and nothing has changed since its rebirth in August...

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