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August 30, 2025
 

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JAPAN
Jan 6, 2009

Watanabe set to quit LDP as Aso rejects policies

Former administrative reform minister Yoshimi Watanabe said Monday he will leave the ruling Liberal Democratic Party if his policy proposals are not seriously considered, including calling an early general election and cancelling a cash payout program.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jan 6, 2009

Okubo equipped to make the most of his second chance

Yoshito Okubo's career may not have followed the course it seemed destined for when he burst onto the scene at the start of the decade, but a move to Wolfsburg gives the striker the perfect opportunity to make his belated mark on European soccer.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 4, 2009

A collection from Tokyo's nests of creativity

More "like a machine than a city" is how Paul Theroux recently characterized Tokyo, a city many of us see as a breeding tank for creativity. True, the more subtle voices of the megalopolis are often drowned out in the din, but this is where artists can help, by adding warmth, depth and texture. Among...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CLOSE-UP
Jan 4, 2009

Japan's 'Mr. Television'

Picture the world's busiest television presenter, and imagine yourself squinting through the glare of high-wattage celebrity, struggling to breathe in air perfumed with pampered showbiz egos.
EDITORIALS
Jan 4, 2009

A bloody new year in Gaza

So much for the idea that a new year marks a new beginning. Days into 2009, the world has witnessed another bloody attack by Israel on the Gaza Strip, an assault triggered by senseless provocations by Hamas. The death toll is in the hundreds and has only worsened the desperation felt by most Palestinians...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Jan 4, 2009

Monta Mino: Japan's 'Mr. Television'

Picture the world's busiest television presenter, and imagine yourself squinting through the glare of high-wattage celebrity, struggling to breathe in air perfumed with pampered showbiz egos.
EDITORIALS
Jan 3, 2009

A year of transition

In 2008, talk of change was everywhere. This year that talk will be realized as historic changes take place around the world. In most cases, the process will be gradual and evolutionary. But we must also be prepared for revolutionary transformations as accumulated strains and stresses produce paradigm...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 1, 2009

Will Obama's promise of change include U.S.-Japan relations?

The Jan. 20 inauguration of the U.S. administration of Barack H. Obama is not only of historic consequence for the United States in terms of his being the first black president as well as first chief executive from the post-Vietnam War generation, but it also has aroused extremely strong interest worldwide....
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2008

No sign of a 'peace agreement'

More than six months have passed since the presidential election in Taiwan. After a hiatus of eight years, the Kuomintang is in power. This actually represents the restoration of the mainland-lineage forces for the first time in 20 years — if you count the Lee Teng-hui era as rule by non-mainland-lineage...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2008

Will Europe rise to the Obama opportunity?

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Will 2009 and the beginning of Barack Obama's U.S. presidency mark the beginning of a new era in trans-Atlantic relations, or will the old divisions linger, nurtured by the depth and gravity of the economic crisis? Will the crisis lead to nationalistic and selfish attitudes on both...
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2008

Tamogami's cohorts reprimanded

The Defense Ministry on Thursday reprimanded two people involved in encouraging Air Self-Defense Force personnel to enter a controversial essay contest won by sacked ASDF Chief of Staff Gen. Toshio Tamogami and unveiled measures to prevent similar controversies.
Reader Mail
Dec 25, 2008

Questionable slang about Asia

In response to Ed Smith's opinion in his Dec. 18 letter, " 'Rice' remark hardly racist," I feel that he has fully illustrated a disturbing yet unfortunately common problem with the American English vernacular: If a word or phrase in "common usage" is not deemed as racist by the user, then this same principal...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Dec 24, 2008

Five Arrows standout Okada expands role on offense

The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with players in the bj-league — Japan's first professional basketball circuit. Yu Okada of the Takamatsu Five Arrows is the subject of this week's profile.
EDITORIALS
Dec 20, 2008

Zimbabwe's nightmare worsens

In the last few years, Zimbabwe has suffered through an economic crisis that has impoverished the entire nation, the destruction of its agriculture sector, and the theft of elections that its citizens had hoped would end the country's mismanagement. Incredibly, however, the situation continues to deteriorate....
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Dec 20, 2008

Blackburn makes smart decision by naming Allardyce new manager

LONDON — We will probably never know why Sunderland did not consider Sam Allardyce to be the right man to succeed Roy Keane, who resigned (by mobile phone text to chairman Niall Quinn) earlier this month.
Reader Mail
Dec 18, 2008

U.S.-China ties good for Japan

Regarding the Nov. 25 article reprinted from Sentaku magazine, "U.S.-China ties weaken alliances": The rise in U.S.-China relations, which primarily accounts for inseparable bilateral economic trade, in my opinion should be good news for Japan, contrary to what the writer argues. This is essentially...
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 17, 2008

D'Antoni proud of time with Suns despite team's failure to win a title

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Mike D'Antoni openly admitted Monday night's return to Phoenix, his home for six seasons, is a "big deal" to him.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Dec 14, 2008

Mystery shrouds the ancient Oshoro circle

In 1861 at Oshoro, southwestern Hokkaido, a party of herring fishermen, migrants from Honshu, were laying the foundation for a fishing port when they saw taking shape beneath their shovels a mysterious spectacle — a broad circular arrangement of large rocks, strikingly symmetrical, evidently man-made....
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2008

Ruling parties force antiterrorism, bank funding bills through Diet

Steamrolling the opposition camp, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition forced passage of a special antiterrorism bill and a bank recapitalization bill Friday by overriding the Upper House with a second vote.
EDITORIALS
Dec 13, 2008

Ending the use of cluster bombs

About 100 countries, including Japan, signed a treaty Dec. 3 in Oslo to ban cluster bombs. It goes into effect about six months after 30 countries have ratified it. Japan should start the ratification procedure as soon as possible.
COMMENTARY
Dec 12, 2008

Obama and the vets: caring for a generation

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — When Eric K. Shinseki, the first four-star U.S. Army general of Japanese- American ethnicity, was still his service branch's chief of staff, he became a symbol of doubt about official competence in pursuit of the Iraq war.
COMMENTARY
Dec 10, 2008

Don't allow terrorists to win

The horrific attacks in Mumbai have raised a number of serious questions for the Indian authorities. Why was there no forewarning? Were those responsible for gathering and interpreting intelligence negligent or did they lack adequate resources? Why was the counterterrorist response apparently so slow...
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2008

Aso losing grip on power as LDP faces crisis over budget problems

Prime Minister Taro Aso signaled last week his readiness to depart from austere fiscal policies ardently defended by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his successors.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 3, 2008

Sweden shows how to sell anti-protectionism

STOCKHOLM — The looming global recession has brought government intervention to save failing companies to the forefront of economic policy. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently warned U.S. President-elect Barack Obama against bailing out America's automakers, arguing that global competition...
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2008

Tamogami says views shared in Diet, SDF

Ousted Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Gen. Toshio Tamogami stuck to his revisionist historical views Monday, saying his justification of Japan's wartime acts is shared by many lawmakers and Self-Defense Forces personnel.
Reader Mail
Nov 30, 2008

Government should fear the people

Regarding Darryl McGarry's Nov. 23 letter, "Anachronistic arms 'freedom'": I certainly respect McGarry's right to his opinion, especially since I strongly believe in freedom of speech. In the United States, this particular right is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. I also believe...
Reader Mail
Nov 30, 2008

Japan's obvious homogeneity

I have always read Hugh Cortazzi's articles in The Japan Times with great interest and admiration. However, I think he might have gone too far in his Nov. 26 opinion, "Common sense versus PC." He starts by saying: "Presumably the recent remarks of former infrastructure minister Nariaki Nakayama about...
Most Japanese teens struggling with school find end of summer ‘painful’
Some 93.1% of Japanese teenagers who struggle with school life said they felt like they “wanted to disappear from the world" at the end of summer vacation ahead of the start of a new term, according to a recent survey released by Yokohama-based nonprofit Daisan Kazoku.
Philippine bid to acquire used Japanese warships gains steam
Tokyo is looking to transfer Abukuma-class vessels to the Philippines as part of broader efforts to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
Mitsubishi’s wind-power retreat a blow to Japan's alternative-energy goals
Wind turbines in the town of Happo in Akita prefecture. Wind power is a key part of Japan's alternative energy drive.
Can anime carry the memories of World War II?
Many schools in Japan show "Grave of the Fireflies" as educational material to tell the emotionally grueling story of a boy who has no means to prevent his sister from starving to death.
Akazawa's trip to Washington for tariff talks abruptly canceled
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, had been set to fly to Washington on Thursday.
Mitsubishi’s wind-power retreat a blow to Japan's alternative-energy goals
Wind turbines in the town of Happo in Akita prefecture. Wind power is a key part of Japan's alternative energy drive.
Virtual singer Kaf's music becomes magic in 'Kamitsubaki City Under Construction'
Virtual singer Kaf got her start in 2018 by posting songs and covers to YouTube. Now, after having performed live shows at major venues including Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, she is turning to voice acting and starring in the new anime series “Kamitsubaki City Under Construction.”
Can anime carry the memories of World War II?
Many schools in Japan show "Grave of the Fireflies" as educational material to tell the emotionally grueling story of a boy who has no means to prevent his sister from starving to death.
In pictures: Koenji Awa Odori 2025
Japan Times
Koshien’s dark summer forces reckoning for high school baseball
Koryo High School players greet their cheering section after beating Hokkaido’s Asahikawa Shiho in the first round of Summer Koshien on Aug. 7. The school withdrew three days later as a bullying scandal enveloped the team.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

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