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COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jan 6, 2009

Japan makes progress in 2009

As we start 2009, let's recharge the batteries by reviewing last year's good news. Here is my list of top human rights advancements for Japan in 2009, in ascending order:
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2009

Trying to brush away any doubts

Prime Minister Taro Aso, who over the past year drew criticism for repeatedly misreading kanji characters, may have showed Sunday he is a man of culture after all.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 4, 2009

Rounding up 2008's media

Media Figure of the Year: Tomohiro Kato
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 1, 2009

J-pop prepares an assault on the West in '09

I wouldn't want to shout about it (since it might upset your New Year's hangover), but 2009 might just be the year that J-pop goes global. Several heavy hitters have set their sights on Western domination this year, and more than ever, their chances seem good.
COMMENTARY
Dec 31, 2008

Good riddance to a bad year

If U.S. President-elect Barack Obama can walk on water, then change really is coming to the United States and the world. If there are no more big unexploded bombs buried in the world's financial systems, then this may be just an ordinary recession. But the most telling image of 2008 was Iraqi journalist...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 28, 2008

ONE for ALL

Reader Mail
Dec 25, 2008

Persistence of superstition

I read with great interest David Klinghoffer's Dec. 17 commentary (originally printed in the Los Angeles Times) "Appeal of the otherworldly remains strong." While I agree that a great interest in the otherworldly is pervasive in America and the world, I find that this hardly indicates the reality of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Dec 24, 2008

Who says you can't buy a friend?

Your new chum: Gadgets are by definition small mechanical or electronic devices with a practical function that typically are thought of as novelties. Widgets, on the other hand, have until recently been merely hypothetical gadgets, handy for illustrating hypothetical examples.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 23, 2008

Gay scene: Tolerance, legal limbo

Some countries see homosexuality as a crime punishable by death, while others are open to diversity and make no judgment on the basis of one's sexual orientation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2008

Toy company CEOs dress up to play Santa

To help boost the sagging toy market, toy company executives transformed themselves into one-day Santa Clauses on Saturday to promote their products for Christmas.
BUSINESS
Dec 10, 2008

Japan in worse shape than feared

The economy shrank much faster in the third quarter than the government initially estimated, after businesses cut spending and slashed inventories in anticipation of a prolonged recession, Cabinet Office data showed Tuesday.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 7, 2008

Graduates' security goes to pot

Last week, a 25-year-old University of Tokyo graduate was arrested for allegedly posting death threats on his blog. The police say that the man, who has been unemployed since graduating from Japan's most prestigious university, had written that he would kill members of the education ministry for misleading...
BUSINESS
Dec 3, 2008

BOJ takes steps to thaw credit crunch

In an extraordinary monetary policy meeting Tuesday, the Bank of Japan said it would help companies get operating funds toward the yearend by accepting lower-rated corporate debt from banks as collateral for loans.
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2008

Conference in Nagoya provides writing tips

NAGOYA — Japan has long been a favored destination, and a favorite subject, for Western scribes. In the 19th century, Laficadio Hearn and Isabella Bird penned books that were widely read in Europe and the United States. In the 20th century, novelists like James Michener and beat poet Gary Snyder were...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 28, 2008

A hideaway in Mito

The historic city of Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture serves as the transfer point to the JR Suigun Line, a narrow-gauge single-track line that runs along the scenic Kuji River en route to the Fukuroda Falls.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2008

Masuda defends 'hawkish' classes

The Defense Ministry will continue to provide a balanced education at its Joint Staff College, but will not immediately respond to criticism that some of its lecturers are known to hold nationalistic views, Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda said Thursday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 20, 2008

Girl puts knuckleball in spotlight; Wakefield reacts

The knuckleball — the fluttering, hard-to-hit pitch that's rare in the major leagues — is propelling a 16-year-old girl to the pros in Japan.
JAPAN
Nov 18, 2008

Beaujolais Nouveau out soon but getting old hat

Japan may not be in the big leagues as far as being a wine-consuming country, but it makes up for it with its obsession for Beaujolais Nouveau.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 12, 2008

NPB champion Lions aim for Asian crown

The Seibu Lions have already proven they are the best team in Japan.

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