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EDITORIALS
Jul 20, 2010

Citizens' view of Mr. Ozawa

Tokyo's No. 1 Inquest of Prosecution Committee, an independent judicial panel composed of 11 citizens, said in its decision dated July 8 that the prosecution's decision not to indict former Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa in connection with the alleged false reporting on political...
COMMENTARY
Jul 19, 2010

Getting on the same page for 'third way' to recovery

"The third way" to economic recovery, as advocated by Prime Minister Naoto Kan, appears to have been misinterpreted by a columnist who wrote for the July 3 issue of Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a leading Japanese economic journal.
Reader Mail
Jul 18, 2010

Divergence of whaling sentiments

Recent letters share a perceptive and valid view regarding the whaling issue. It all boils down to a clash of principle vs. sentiment — between Japan and antiwhaling groups — and to maneuvering by my Japanese government. Most agonizing are the heartless hunting practices that continue for the sake...
EDITORIALS
Jul 18, 2010

Stress and the railways

Japan has long taken pride in its world-class rail system. Trains enjoy a prominent role in its culture from the Shinkansen to Kenji Miyazawa's "Ginga tetsudo no yoru" ("Night on the Galactic Railroad") to Hitori Nakano's "Densha otoko" ("Train Man"). So it is hardly surprising for strains in Japanese...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 18, 2010

Japan's media laps up poll parade

One of the funniest images to emerge from last week's Upper House election was the row of Liberal Democratic Party bigwigs pointing their forefingers to the sky in unison and flashing big stupid grins. The big stupid grins were a reaction to the party's supposed comeback, since they had just won more...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 18, 2010

Laws can lead, but society must grasp the value of childcare leave

In 1992 my wife, Susan, and I took ourfour children — then aged between 3 and 9 — from Kyoto to Sydney. The children, who until then had been going to Japanese kindergarten and primary schools, spoke Japanese among themselves. We felt they needed some time in an English-speaking environment if they...
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2010

Sumo's seamy underbelly

NAGOYA — Sumo is more than a sport to Japan. It's like a religion, a bastion of traditional culture and a matter of national pride. Wrestlers aren't just athletes — they are icons, role models and, often, larger-than-life heroes.
EDITORIALS
Jul 17, 2010

A Cold War redux

Cold War buffs slipped into nostalgia last week as the United States and Russia swapped spies. For some, the hasty exchange of 10 Russian "sleepers" convicted in the U.S. for four men held as spies in Russian jails seemed too familiar, prompting speculation that the arrests might have been intended to...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 16, 2010

Big (only) in Japan? Free fans

When the dog days are upon Japan, there's always a good chance that somebody, somewhere will be passing out free fans.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 16, 2010

'Kari-Gurashi no Arrietty (The Borrowers)'

Studio Ghibli is often assumed to be the animation house that Hayao Miyazaki built, but Miyazaki has directed only nine of its 17 features to date. Four were made by studio cofounder Isao Takahata and four by four different directors. These latter four, however, are all immediately identifiable as Studio...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 16, 2010

Kansai awash with special workshops on Japanese culture throughout the summer

The Kansai region of Japan is filled with unique culture, and the Organization of Kansai Unity hopes to share it with children and families this summer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 16, 2010

Audio Tokyo

The foreign-run Eggworm has pulled off a real coup in Tokyo by organizing the first all-day/all-night dance-music festival in the capital.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Jul 15, 2010

PR News wants you to tweet the news

Hey, want to impress everyone by tweeting press releases for random companies? Sign up today!
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2010

Hong Kong pitches school opportunities

Hong Kong's secretary for education, Michael Suen, is looking for Japanese students to study in the city.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2010

Kokumin Shinto woos SDP

Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima confirmed Wednesday that Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party), the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's minor coalition partner, has approached the SDP in a bid to form a new parliamentary group.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 15, 2010

A year to recall what made de Gaulle great

LONDON — By coincidence, this is a busy year for round-number anniversaries for France's greatest leader since Napoleon. Charles de Gaulle was born 120 years ago in Lille. He died 40 years ago at his home in Colombey-les-deux-eglises, expiring of a heart attack as he played solitaire one evening. Seventy...
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 14, 2010

The bonus is in the bank

When bonuses aren't spent then the economy stays in the doldroms and, consequently, bonuses shrink.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight