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EDITORIALS
May 18, 2010

A welcome dose of transparency

In April 2001, Japan's freedom of information law went into effect. But the law has many problems. For example, it does not have a clear clause that protects and promotes people's right to know. In a welcome move, the Hatoyama administration has disclosed a basic plan to revise the law.
CULTURE / Books
May 16, 2010

A splendid tour through the 'real' Tokyo

It is likely that as many people will appreciate Donald Richie's "Tokyo Megacity" as a tasteful addition to their living room decor as will open it, and that most who do open it will assiduously avoid Richie's text in favor of Ben Simmons' photographs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 14, 2010

Soutaiseiriron: "Synchroniciteen"

In a world of information overload,in which we know what the members of our favorite bands had for breakfast thanks to an endless and unwelcome barrage of mundane information on Twitter, Facebook and a million fetid blogs, thank golly for Soutaiseiriron. The Tokyo four-piece's refusal to speak to the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 14, 2010

Mickey springs his mouse trap

Visiting the SHIMURABROS. studio in Yokohama's trendy BankART Studio NYK, one of the venues used for the 2008 Yokohama Triennale, you might think you had made a blunder and walked into a medical facility. Computer screens showing CT scans line the walls with the only one thing giving the game away —...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 7, 2010

Crime scene investigation: Edo

The original U.S. TV series "CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)," set in Las Vegas, has been so successful that it has almost grown into a franchise, with "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," and "CSI: Triology." After visiting the "Ryoma Den" exhibition at the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which looks at the life of the 19th-century...
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2010

Brand, but don't ban, credit default swaps

CHICAGO — The lawsuit filed last month by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against Goldman Sachs for securities fraud, charging the bank with misrepresenting the way a collateralized debt obligations had been formed, has revived public disgust at credit default swaps (CDS), the instrument...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
May 2, 2010

Renho: Japan's fiscal firebrand

Renho, a first-term Upper House member from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, shot to stardom in Japan last November when, as a member of a government committee tasked with screening ministries' budget requests, she had several fierce, face-to-face battles with bureaucrats.
BUSINESS / GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS SYMPOSIUM
Apr 30, 2010

Reliance on technology may leave Japan behind

Japanese firms need to change their strategy in emerging markets and know more about the consumers in those countries that serve as the new engines of global growth, scholars and business experts told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 29, 2010

Crash test dummies agree: Legacy is the one!

Subaru's Legacy won top marks in the 2009-2010 New Car Assessment Program but will that translate into higher sales?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Apr 23, 2010

Summer fun during Golden Week

The Hotel New Otani Tokyo will open its outdoor pool during the Golden Week holidays, from April 29 to May 5.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 20, 2010

Japan's vulnerability to tsunami

Rollers from the giant earthquake in Chile in February and the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 are still fresh in the world's memories, but in Japan giant tidal waves have never been far from thought.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 20, 2010

Not showing at a family court near you

I have seen the secret Japanese video. No, not the one where you die within a week of watching it, the other one — the one about how traumatic divorce and parental separation are for children.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Apr 16, 2010

Life of classical musician Chopin celebrated by exhibit, concerts

The Min-On Music Museum in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin with an exhibit dedicated to the musician.
EDITORIALS
Apr 14, 2010

Education with less latitude

The education ministry has screened and approved 148 new textbooks for use in primary schools, most of which will be introduced to classrooms in fiscal 2011.
COMMENTARY
Apr 14, 2010

Whither goes Chinese identity?

The former prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, is now called the minister mentor. He is indeed a great mentor to Singapore, as it is he who has led the nation to become one of the most affluent and most stable, disciplined societies in the world.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 11, 2010

NPB commissioner Kato has big plans for game

Nippon Professional Baseball commissioner Ryozo Kato has a vision for Japanese baseball that stretches far beyond the nation's borders.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 9, 2010

Kings of comedy yuck it up on April Fools

While satire isn't a staple among Japanese humorists, two kings of comedy are leading the way.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Apr 9, 2010

Taste the many flavors of wasabi

Until the end of May, the Japanese restaurant Shunbou in the Grand Hyatt Tokyo will feature wasabi, a ubiquitous condiment in Japanese cuisine.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / STYLE WISE
Apr 8, 2010

Return of Yohji, AMBUSH bling, LIMI feu bargains and Tokyo Girls

Coming back in style
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 4, 2010

Newspapers, broadcasters not facing facts: Web is here to stay

Nihon Keizai, Japan's main financial newspaper, launched its new Web version on March 23. As with the print version, there will be two editions, morning and evening. There will also be Web-exclusive features like videos. Subscribers who opt for the Web version only pay ¥4,000 a month, while those who...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Apr 2, 2010

Crowd-sourcing sakura viewers

For decades it was the Japan Meteorological Agency's duty to keep on eye on the nation's pink sakura front. Now it's up to everyone.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Apr 2, 2010

Spring vegetables feature at open-air market

Look hard enough at the supermarket shelves today and you may find some obscure vegetables that you will hardly see at other times of the year. Whether it be taranome (shoots of Aralia elata, known also as the Japanese angelica-tree), urui (the young leaves of a plantain lily), or kogomi (the young shoots...
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2010

Toyota takes steps to improve image

TOYOTA, Aichi Pref. — With its reputation severely damaged by safety issues, Toyota Motor Corp. announced several steps Tuesday to improve its image, including the establishment of a panel of regional and local quality-control executives that will call the shots on recalls and other steps.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Mar 28, 2010

Our man, Mr. Pound

On May 15, 1939, readers of The Japan Times were introduced to a new correspondent — although, in literary circles, at least, he needed no introduction. He was Ezra Pound, then a 53-year-old American Modernist poet who could boast accomplishments that included having launched the career of T.S. Eliot....
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2010

Wanted: more Japanese in the World Bank

WASHINGTON — My visit to Japan (through May 26) comes at a time of momentous challenges for global development. The worst of the economic crisis appears to be behind us, but the recovery remains fragile and uneven. In the developing world, 43 poor countries are suffering effects of the recession, facing...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 19, 2010

Japanese bureaucracy can be incredibly frustrating, but it also makes great entertainment

In the early summer of 2008, Japan's theater world was agog as details emerged of a decision by senior board members of the New National Theatre Tokyo (NNTT) to replace Hitoshi Uyama, its acclaimed artistic director, barely a year into the job, with the mainstream director Keiko Miyata from September...

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