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JAPAN
Mar 12, 2011

Antipiracy law rife with hiccups

The enactment of the antipiracy law in June 2009 was a statement by Japan that it was ready to step up to the plate and take part in the global effort against piracy off Somalia.
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2011

Toyota sets profit goal of ¥1 trillion

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said Wednesday the auto giant aims to earn more than ¥1 trillion in group operating profit as soon as possible as it tries to rebound from a record loss two years ago when it was hit by the global economic downturn and massive recalls.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 9, 2011

Japanese women and the art of being alone

One of the biggest changes in Tokyo women over the past five or so years has been their new-found capacity for solitude. Tokyo joshi (女子, young girls, single women or any female who sees herself as being a relatively free-spirited individual) had been notorious — even among themselves — for their...
Reader Mail
Mar 6, 2011

Television listings offer little help

I feel confident that I speak for many readers when I say that the quality of Japanese television programming is, to put it mildly, abominable. I cannot find words to describe the tawdriness and vulgarity of the commercial channels, and NHK is increasingly aping them.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 5, 2011

Harmonia Opera marks milestone

Emiko Iinuma's voice has a distinctive sugared drawl, a sweet residue from her early years as a student at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. It is more than the drawl that attracts — her voice dances, leaps across decades, travels up and down pitch, whispers hardship and rises in forthright determination....
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2011

DPJ member bolts, ties with Nagoya mayor

A rookie Lower House member resigned Thursday from the Democratic Party of Japan to join a small group led by Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, weakening the ruling DPJ's power in the Lower House by yet another vote.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2011

Geisha cuts into kimono market

Wearing a kimono can be a daunting task, where one must follow numerous steps and protocols steeped in tradition to prevent making a fool of oneself.
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2011

Budget passed but 16 in DPJ skip vote

The Democratic Party of Japan's executive council said Tuesday it will suspend the party membership of the leader of 16 DPJ rebels who refused to attend a Lower House plenary vote on the fiscal 2011 budget, which cleared the chamber anyway in a session the opposition camp prolonged into the early morning...
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2011

Maehara sorry for quake flight flub

The government said Friday it will provide $500,000 in emergency grant aid to the New Zealand Red Cross to support disaster-relief activities in Christchurch, where dozens of Japanese students remain missing after a devastating earthquake.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 26, 2011

Here's Japan's big, white hope

I read a piece of news the other day that makes me feel that "Japan as No. 3" may finally be headed in the right direction.
BUSINESS
Feb 23, 2011

Prospects of weakening yen seen aiding exports

NEW YORK — Prime Minister Naoto Kan's wish for a weaker yen is coming true as the strengthening global economy encourages Japanese investors to send more of their money overseas in search of higher yields.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Feb 22, 2011

Monster in Blackman case still an enigma

Richard Lloyd Parry spoke about his new book, "People Who Eat Darkness: The Fate of Lucie Blackman," with Jeff Kingston. The following draws on this interview and his book.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2011

Punish Ozawa at your peril: 16 DPJ allies

Sixteen Lower House members of the Democratic Party of Japan loyal to Ichiro Ozawa applied Thursday to leave the DPJ's parliamentary group in the Diet and form a new group in an apparent attempt to pressure party leaders to back away from punishing the kingpin.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 15, 2011

Russia-held isles past point of return

Japan has failed for more than half a century to secure the return of four islands seized by Soviet forces off Hokkaido near the end of World War II, and Moscow's recent moves to bolster its hold on the territories dims the likelihood of any concessions from Russia.
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Feb 15, 2011

Remembering a supporter of refugees; discrimination a part of human nature

In memoriam: Father Kasuya Beloved Catholic priest Father John Koichi Kasuya passed away on Feb. 9 at a house for retired Catholic clergy in Japan, aged 87.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 15, 2011

Secret funds shadowed by abuse

Paying ransom to win the release of kidnapped Japanese, buying off foreign dignitaries to reach backdoor deals and giving cash in exchange for secrets.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2011

Long honeymoon over for Hashimoto

OSAKA — Three years into his first term, Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto continues to enjoy some of the highest ratings of any politician, with media polls showing 70 to 80 percent of the electorate approve of his job performance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 11, 2011

Machinery orders log first rise in months

Machinery orders rose for the first time in four months in December, a sign that companies will increase spending to meet demand from abroad, government data showed Thursday.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Japan Pulse
Feb 8, 2011

Vegetable boom growing steadily

Japan eats its vegetables!
BUSINESS
Feb 8, 2011

Japan tops France despite S&P cut

Japan is a safer investment than France even after Standard & Poor's cut the Asian nation's credit rating to three steps lower than its top-ranked European counterpart, credit-default swap prices show.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 8, 2011

Shirakawa plays up recovery signs

Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa said Monday the nation's economy is recovering and performing relatively well compared with other economies.
BUSINESS
Feb 5, 2011

Costs driving steel merger

Nippon Steel Corp. and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd.'s plan to create the world's second-largest steelmaker is aimed at gaining leverage over raw material purchases and metal pricing as costs soar.

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