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EDITORIALS
Jun 6, 2009

More lawyers needed

In the past, court-appointed lawyers, who are paid with public money, were assigned to represent indicted defendants who couldn't afford to hire a lawyer. In October 2006, lawyers started being appointed to represent suspects even before indictment in cases involving serious crimes such as murder and...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2009

Occupation orphan traces roots

For New Yorker Demian Akhan, 60, his recent visit to Japan marked the end of a decades-long journey to discover his roots.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2009

Refugees having big impact on North society

North Korea may be a hardline communist state, but it hasn't succeeded in eliminating the public's desperate urge for Hollywood entertainment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 6, 2009

Green tea Coke: when in Japan . . .

Forget Classic or New Coke. In Japan, you can soon have your cola flavored with green tea or basil.
EDITORIALS
Jun 5, 2009

Extended Diet wrangling

The Lower House on Tuesday extended the current Diet session by 55 days through July 28. Prime Minister Taro Aso had decided on the extension and got the consent of Mr. Akihiro Ota, leader of Komeito, the Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 5, 2009

Ireland, Japan unite for festival

Ireland and Japan are two countries with rich traditional and contemporary cultures, yet there has been only limited cultural exchange between them over the years. Yet both are island countries that have created a unique culture that has had an immense influence on the cultural development of other countries...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 5, 2009

'I Come With the Rain'

Vietnamese filmmaker Tran Anh Hung has a distinctive, high-contrast track record.
Reader Mail
Jun 4, 2009

No rationale for promiscuity

I would like to commend Jennifer Kim for speaking out against the glorification of promiscuity (in the film "Milk") in her May 14 letter, "Promiscuous lifestyle led nowhere." Other recent output from Hollywood, including "Brokeback Mountain," seems to be an attempt to legitimize a lifestyle that includes...
Reader Mail
Jun 4, 2009

Kowtowing to the bureaucrats

During their first Diet debate (May 27), Prime Minister Taro Aso responded to a line criticism from Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama by saying something to the effect that: "Implementing policy is the most important thing. Nothing will be accomplished if all you do is bash bureaucrats....
JAPAN
Jun 3, 2009

Letter to Obama likens North's gulags to Nazis

U.S. President Barack Obama, who will pay his respects Friday at the infamous Buchenwald Nazi concentration camp in Germany, has been sent an open letter from a Japanese citizens' group calling for the international community to denounce North Korea's notorious gulag system and not just focus on Pyongyang's...
EDITORIALS
Jun 2, 2009

Mr. Aso's faltering credibility

The credibility of Prime Minister Taro Aso as the nation's top leader has slipped another notch after he flip-flopped again — this time about whether to split up the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
EDITORIALS
Jun 2, 2009

More attention to agriculture

In the midst of a severe economic downturn, attention tends to focus on how to strengthen the nation's industrial sector. But attention also should be paid to agricultural policies. Agricultural administration is directly related to food safety and agricultural development can not only increase employment...
BUSINESS
Jun 2, 2009

French jeweler's diamond giveaway draws long lines

Lines curled around for blocks in Tokyo's Ginza district Monday for 5,000 tiny but free diamonds French jeweler Mauboussin was giving away in an attention-getting drive.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 2, 2009

The impossible idealist of Seoul

HONOLULU — The death of Roh Moo Hyun, the 16th president of the Republic of Korea (2003-2008), is a huge shock to South Korea's political world. A human rights lawyer with no college degree, Roh campaigned to revolutionize Korean politics and society by promoting clean politics, fighting corruption...
EDITORIALS
Jun 1, 2009

Effective control of child porn

There seems little chance that a law that protects children under 18 years old against sexual exploitation will be revised during the current Diet session. Both the ruling and opposition camps should strive to reach a compromise to improve the control of child pornography, since both camps have agreed...

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