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COMMENTARY
May 13, 2011

Whirlwind shakes out Singapore minister

It may be quintessentially American to believe that elections are good things and their absence inherently bad — in theory. In reality, everyone knows that elections sometimes seem more trouble than they are worth and can produce unwanted results. This is what happened in the tiny city-state of Singapore...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 13, 2011

Aronofsky's footwork faultless in 'Black Swan'

We liked Darren Aronofsky when he was the scrappy young filmmaker from Brooklyn (via Harvard) who financed his debut, "Pi," in 1998 with $100-loans from friends and relatives, and relied on promotion that consisted of tagging Tokyo's streets with the film's logo.
JAPAN
May 12, 2011

Nuclear energy at a crossroads

The choice Japan must soon make over the future of its energy policy will determine whether it will develop safer nuclear power plants, expand reliance on other energy sources or remain in power-save mode for decades to come.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 12, 2011

Toyota predicts early rebound in production capacity

Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it expects that its damaged domestic production lines will rebound to 70 percent of capacity by June, a month earlier than initially scheduled, thanks to efforts made after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami slowed some of its plants in the northeast.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
May 11, 2011

Hamaoka impact will be far-flung

The decision by Chubu Electric Power Co. to shut down the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture is testament to the long-lasting and far-reaching impact of the March 11 megaquake.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
May 11, 2011

Road ahead won't be easy for Lakers

Oh, but it's weird and it's wonderful; here we are, forsythia is on sale for 50 percent off, and we're on the threshold of talking about "next season" regarding the Lakers instead of "next series."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
May 10, 2011

Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Hiroshi Mizohata

Hiroshi Mizohata, 50, is the Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency. A native of Kyoto and a graduate of the University of Tokyo, Mizohata entered the ranks of the prestigious kanryō, the career bureaucrats who control Japan's top-tier government offices. He worked in various ministries in Tokyo and...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 8, 2011

Hearty bunch enjoyed Japan tour

Earthquake, tsunami, radiation threat; despite it all, five dedicated fans from overseas followed through on a planned trip to Japan to watch Japanese professional baseball games in mid-April, just a few weeks after the devastating events that occurred in the Tohoku region of the country beginning...
Reader Mail
May 5, 2011

Kan serves as convenient target

Regarding the May 2 article "Kan's leadership poor" (poll): No matter how poor Prime Minister Naoto Kan's handling of the recent tragedies may or may not be, it withers in comparison with the news media's thirst for the blood of a hapless scapegoat.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
May 4, 2011

Spurs paid price after running into confident Grizzlies at wrong time

The beauty of the NBA's best-of-seven playoff format is the best teams almost always advance from the first round.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 3, 2011

It's innovate or die in today's mad mag world

In few countries are the most vital political, economic and cultural activities as geographically concentrated as in Japan. All the main institutions can be found in Tokyo — one can only shudder to think what will happen not only to this city, but to the whole country if and when a massive earthquake...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 2, 2011

Japan firms ignore foreign media at own peril: expert

Japanese companies need to improve their communication with the foreign media when attempting to expand their presence in overseas markets, says a Tokyo-based expert in corporate public relations.
COMMENTARY
May 1, 2011

The lowdown on sieverts and a healthy diet

Gastronomic habits are hard to change. That was conventional wisdom as regards Japanese food when I arrived here more than four decades ago. After all, back then, there were said to be only about a dozen Japanese restaurants in this city.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 29, 2011

Media should be included in voting for bj-league awards

It's time for the bj-league to get rid of its voting system — players and coaches have votes but the media doesn't — for the Best Five team and related awards. The current selection process reminds one of an elementary school popularity contest.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
Apr 27, 2011

World title up for grabs in Moscow after long delay

After a one-month wait following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the 2011 world championships originally scheduled for Tokyo are under way in Moscow.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Apr 26, 2011

Tokyo: What magazines do you read here in Japan?

Jenny Wright
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 23, 2011

Disasters kill appetite for travel during Japan's high season

The aftershocks of the March 11 quake will be strongly felt in the tourism industry come this Golden Week.
LIFE / Digital / TECH_JAPAN
Apr 20, 2011

In the battle with smart phones is i-mode dead?

Ever since 1999, when the Web-service/portal known as "i-mode" first appeared on Japanese keitai (cell phones), Japan has been hailed as the world leader in mobile phone technology — until recently that is.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Apr 18, 2011

Sledge leading charge for surprise-package BayStars

The Yokohama BayStars lost 95 games last season and it seemed like everybody in Japanese baseball got their licks in against the struggling team.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 15, 2011

Safer alternative bears on dollar

BERKELEY, Calif. — This is the season for international monetary conferences. In March, national leaders assembled in Nanjing, China, to speechify on exchange and interest rates. And, in early April, leading thinkers and former policymakers met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, the birthplace in 1944...
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2011

Edano denies flying family abroad

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano flatly denied rumors Monday that he sent his family abroad to protect them from radiation exposure when workers began to battle the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant crisis.
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2011

High radiation well past no-go zone: Greenpeace

Radiology experts from Greenpeace urged the government to revise their evacuation protocol Monday after they found high levels of radiation around the greater Fukushima area and in the region's fresh produce.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear