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Reader Mail
Nov 6, 2008

Teacher can't swim in a pool

I studied at Oita University as an exchange student. One thing that was very disappointing about my stay was that I visited many onsens only to be turned away. I couldn't even swim in the local pool. Why? Because I have tattoos. After getting a grant from Japan's government to study in Japan, I was still...
Reader Mail
Nov 6, 2008

Pro-whaling case self-serving

I read with interest Dan Goodman's Nov. 2 letter, "Bogus arguments about whaling." The Institute of Cetacean Research, with which Goodman is affiliated, is a "unique organization in Japan specializing in the biological and social sciences related to whales . . . whose legal status is authorized by the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 6, 2008

A place for women

Seian Shima's "Untitled" (1918), in "Women Artists in Osaka" at the Osaka City Museum of Modern Art till Dec. 7, is a remarkable work. A self-portrait — uncommon in Japanese painting generally — it conforms to no ideal form of beauty, unlike images done in the bijinga (beautiful woman pictures) genre....
Reader Mail
Nov 6, 2008

Major slowdown in the offing

When the Bank of Japan cuts rates in an era of increasing inflation because of imports for the first time in seven years in the vain hope of boosting the Japanese economy via domestic consumption, you know that there is going to be a very bad storm to weather ahead.
BUSINESS
Nov 6, 2008

Great Depression different

In a bid to stabilize financial markets, Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa denied Wednesday that the current global economic crisis is similar to the Great Depression of the 1930s.
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2008

Repeat of Clinton-era friction, concerns unlikely

Democrats in the United States and residents in the town of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, may be getting carried away Wednesday by news of Sen. Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election.
BUSINESS
Nov 6, 2008

Obama victory to boost Japan, experts predict

At least in the short run, the Japanese economy is likely to benefit from Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election, as large-scale economic stimulus packages loom, economists said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Nov 5, 2008

Retrial to find wartime truth

The Yokohama District Court on Oct. 31 decided to retry a case related to the worst example of Japan's wartime repression of freedom of speech — the Yokohama Incident. In the retrial, the court should delve into what actually happened, including what the police, prosecution and court did during and...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 5, 2008

Valentine: I won't support Giants

Chiba Lotte Marines manager Bobby Valentine isn't cheering for the Yomiuri Giants in the ongoing Japan Series.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2008

Nagoya family's temple reassembled on S.C. campus for classes

The former Buddhist temple sits opposite a waterfall on the campus of Furman University, with vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains when the trees are bare.
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2008

New auto sales fall for third straight month; minicars up 6%

New auto sales in the domestic market fell for a third straight month in October, led by Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., data from an industry group showed Tuesday, as a slowing economy kept buyers out of showrooms.
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2008

Bridgestone profit for year off 40%

Bridgestone Corp., the world's largest tire and rubber products maker, said Tuesday its net profit fell 40 percent in the January-September period, dragged down by the high cost of raw materials and slowing demand at home and abroad.
EDITORIALS
Nov 4, 2008

The Congo in flames

It is hard to imagine a greater tragedy than that which has befallen the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of the wealthiest countries in the world — in terms of natural resources — it has been governed by rapacious rulers and torn by conflict for most of its existence. Remarkably, the situation...
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Nov 4, 2008

Truth: a delicate matter of give and take

Every activist and essayist must deal with a singular phenomenon when addressing the public: just how "truthful" one should be.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 4, 2008

Nikkyoso: A 'cancer' of teachers?

Nariaki Nakayama of the Liberal Democratic Party resigned because of gaffes he made in front of the press only five days after being appointed transport minister in the Cabinet Prime Minister Taro Aso formed in late September.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Nov 3, 2008

Halloween in Japan: a commercial break from global nightmare

Since when was Halloween such a big thing in Japan? Admittedly, you could see it coming these past few years. But this autumn it is simply everywhere.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 2, 2008

Nothing funnier than a comedian in a kimono

RAKUGO: Performing Comedy and Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Tokyo, by Lorie Brau. Lexington Books, 2008, 274 pp., $75.00 (cloth) Of all the Japanese arts, rakugo traditional comedy is one of the most impenetrable for foreigners. The premise is simple: kimono-clad practitioners tell old funny stories...
Reader Mail
Nov 2, 2008

Money declaration a key tool

M.J. Issott's Oct. 30 letter, "Another dumb immigration rule," states that it is stupid for foreign residents to declare money upon re-entry to Japan. Japan might have adopted this rule recently, but it has been used in the European Union, United States, Canada and other countries for decades now. Financial...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 2, 2008

Looking back at previous Giants-Lions battles in the Japan Series

The current Japan Series matchup pitting the Yomiuri Giants against the Saitama Seibu Lions is installment No. 6 since the Seibu Railways bought the Pacific League team and moved it to the Tokyo area almost 30 years ago.
Reader Mail
Nov 2, 2008

India is little cause for concern

There are a few facts to consider before calling the U.S.-India nuclear deal a concern: India has never invaded another country in its 10,000-year history; India is committed to a "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons; and nuclear power is mandatory if one of the world's largest democracies is to...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Nov 2, 2008

Some 19th-century blood and gore

THE STRAW SANDAL OR THE SCROLL OF THE HUNDRED CRABS by Santo Kyoden, translated by Carmen Blacker, introduction by P.F. Kornicki. Global Oriental, 2008, 116 pp., 28 b/w illustrations by Utagawa Toyokuni, £35 (cloth) Santo Kyoden (pen name Iwase Samuru, 1761-1816) was among the most popular authors of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Nov 2, 2008

EVs lead the charge on Paris stage

Gather a bunch of Japanese car journalists or engineers together for a chat on the current state of the industry and you will hear heated debate about design, downsizing, performance, safety and maybe even fuel economy. But for some strange reason, few seem to talk about carbon dioxide (CO2). You know,...

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