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BUSINESS
Feb 7, 2012

Rising bond auction demand defies growing debt-burden concerns

Demand has risen at every note and bond auction in Japan this year, helping the nation maintain the world's second-lowest borrowing costs on a debt burden poised to exceed ¥1 quadrillion.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 6, 2012

Americans seem driven to work more for less

Recently a friend confided over dinner that her job was "killing" her. I was surprised. She is a director of a midsize nonprofit that is doing citizen diplomacy work in the Middle East, and she has often remarked on how gratifying it is to be involved in a program that brings historical enemies face...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 6, 2012

Hard to give yourself up when you're a wanted man

'Hirata Makoto desu. Shuttō shite kimashita." (「平田信です。出頭してきました」"I am Makoto Hirata. I've come to give myself up").
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 5, 2012

'Star Draft Council'; L'Arc-en-Ceil anniversary; CM of the week: Able/Chintai

"Star Tanjo" ("Birth of a Star") was one of the most influential TV series of the 1970s, an audition show that launched the careers of dozens of idol singers. "Star Draft Kaigi" ("Star Draft Council"; Nippon TV, Tues., 10 p.m.) takes the general structure of "Star Tanjo" — representatives of talent...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 5, 2012

Todai calls for change, but will others follow?

Spring approaches, and the thoughts of the media, which like nothing better than the warm comfort of a predictable news cycle, turn to education. Students are wrapping up the scholastic year and some are taking tests that will determine their lives. Last year, reporters got a bonus; That story about...
Reader Mail
Feb 5, 2012

Only Japanese-speaking nurses

Regarding the Jan. 31 article "Foreigners' poor test grades force rethink on nurse tests": Our society is aging fast and we need to improve nursing care, especially for more and more elderly people. So, hiring professional nurses from abroad is a very good way to increase the supply and release pressure...
EDITORIALS
Feb 5, 2012

Students' retreat from English

Arecent education ministry survey of third-year middle school students nationwide found most students have an ambivalent and contradictory attitude toward English. Of the 3,225 students surveyed, most felt English was important to study, but few wanted a job requiring English. The disjuncture between...
Reader Mail
Feb 5, 2012

Trying to prove superiority

Those responsible for the nurse certification exam are, and always will remain, an arrogant lot. They hold these exams just to let people fail and, in their mind, once again prove the superiority of the Japanese over other nationals. Of course, the tests should be in English. And it's clear that if the...
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2012

In Okinawa, meddling seen as nothing new

Okinawa Defense Bureau chief Ro Manabe's alleged attempts to influence the Feb. 12 Ginowan mayoral election by indirectly suggesting that ministry officials and their families vote for Atsushi Sakima over Yoichi Iha have angered, but not surprised, Okinawans, who say such interference by Tokyo in local...
EDITORIALS
Feb 4, 2012

State of the Union: campaign time

For the last few months, followers of U.S. politics have been treated — or subjected — to a steady diet of Republican campaigns. Democrats have been mostly quiet as the GOP candidates battle among themselves for the nomination. President Barack Obama will be the Democratic Party candidate and, as...
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2012

Suppliers cut jobs amid yen battering

Japan Inc. is suffering and the supply chain is bearing the cost.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2012

Record lows recorded at 38 locations

The country experienced severe cold weather Friday and morning temperatures dropped to record lows at 38 locations nationwide, the Meteorological Agency said.
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2012

TSE glitch no payday for platforms

Japan's alternative trading platforms missed out on a potential payday as regulators stopped them from fielding orders when a computer error caused the biggest trading disruption in six years Thursday at the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
COMMENTARY
Feb 3, 2012

Let economic impetus drive a deal in territorial dispute

Judging by the latest events in the seemingly endless territorial dispute between Japan and Russia over the "Northern Territories," the Japanese side has decided to confirm its steadfast stance by presenting strong historical and judicial arguments — some traditional, some rather new.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 3, 2012

'Machine Gun Preacher'

'Machine Gun Preacher" is extraordinary on two levels: First, it's based on a true story about a man who went from a life of violent crime and drug addiction to building an orphanage in war-torn Sudan. And second, he did it all without looking at a computer screen, ever.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Feb 3, 2012

Ice sculptures, snow slides at Hokkaido fest

The City of Sapporo will be hosting the 63rd annual Snow Festival this month. The event is considered a "must see" for tourists and about 2 million people visited the festival last year.
BUSINESS
Feb 3, 2012

System glitch halts some trading on TSE

The Tokyo Stock Exchange suffered its biggest system glitch in six years Thursday, temporarily suspending trade of 241 stocks and other financial instruments for more than three hours.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 3, 2012

Honda surprises with gain in resurgent U.S.

Honda Motor Co. ended eight months of shrinking U.S. sales with an unexpected January gain as recovering auto demand also buoyed growth for Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 3, 2012

Botan: Put a little sukiyaki fire in your belly

On one side of the battered shōji screen with its panels of flimsy washi paper, the sleet and biting wind. On the other, a small old-fashioned hibachi brazier, its coals glowing softly. There's no contest: At Botan, the charcoal wins every time.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / Japan Pulse
Feb 2, 2012

The bags that came from another dimension

Stay creative and carry bags that push the boundaries of perception. You're guaranteed to turn a few heads.
Reader Mail
Feb 2, 2012

'Stress test' a charade for banks

The editorial "Power users on the hook" (Jan. 27), wittingly or otherwise, contains a perspicacious "King's New Clothes" revelation in the seventh paragraph: "Banks are pressuring Tepco (Tokyo Electric Power Co.) to restart the Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant and to raise power rates as the conditions for new...
Reader Mail
Feb 2, 2012

May the spirit of Tsukiji survive

Having worked in the neighborhood of the Tsukiji fish market for almost two decades, I am surprised that the Jan. 29 article "Fish tales of Tsukiji" describes the atmosphere there and fishermen's spirits so well. Tsukiji is talked about a lot lately on TV programs and in the mass media, but the content...
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 2, 2012

The Putin regime's terminal disease

The history of successive authoritarian regimes in Russia reveals a recurring pattern: They do not die from external blows or domestic insurgencies. Instead, they tend to collapse from a strange internal malady — a combination of the elites' encroaching disgust with themselves and a realization that...

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