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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Jun 7, 2009

Director Tran talks of moving from violence to Murakami's famed 'Norwegian Wood'

Born in Vietnam and raised in France from age 12, Tran Anh Hung made an indelible debut as a filmmaker in 1993 with "The Scent Of Green Papaya." A delicate, sensual film, where the patter of rain on garden leaves or the rustle of wind on mosquito netting was as prominent as its story of a servant girl...
CULTURE / Art
Jun 5, 2009

Striving for a more simple life

The paintings in "The Naxi Lifeworld: Native Painters in Northwestern Yunnan" by Zhang Yunling (b. 1955) and Zhang Chunting (b. 1958) proffer a simple and honest way of life, steeped in the seasons, nostalgia, and the pictographic Dongba script of the Naxi people of China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces....
COMMENTARY
Jun 2, 2009

To Obama and others of his ilk: Quit now!

MIAMI — We expected broken promises. But the gap between the soaring expectations that accompanied Barack Obama's inauguration and his wretched performance is the broadest such chasm in recent historical memory. This guy makes Bill Clinton look like a paragon of integrity and follow-through.
EDITORIALS
Jun 1, 2009

The governors' governor

Gov. Wataru Aso of Fukuoka Prefecture has been elected to a third two-year term as head of the National Governors' Association, at a time when the nation is suffering from a deep economic downturn and is in the grip of a new influenza virus. In combating these and other problems, the head of the nation's...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
May 31, 2009

Where whimsy meets wonder

Antiques tell tales of values, past and present. It's a good guess that whatever survives for a century or so in the tight confines of a Japanese home is either a work of art, a tool of cunning design, or an item of great sentimental value.
CULTURE / Books
May 31, 2009

The violence specialists of Japanese politics

Japanese voters are frustrated because even if they throw the bums out of office, they know the opposition is much the same. These days money is the root of political scandals and influence buying, but here we examine how violence became institutionalized in Japan's politics from the first parliamentary...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 30, 2009

Tourism looks for a boost

YOKOHAMA — Aiming to stimulate domestic tourism and boost foreign tourism, Tabi (Travel) Fair 2009 kicked off Friday in Yokohama with promoters and public organizations from around the nation pitching their local specialties.
COMMENTARY / World
May 28, 2009

Incompetence marks India's new ruling caste

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The largest election in history, involving more than 700 million voters, has resulted in the victory of India's ruling alliance, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Indian National Congress. The verdict disproved gloomy predictions of a hung Parliament and the further strengthening...
TENNIS
May 26, 2009

Elbow injury forces Nishikori out of action for up to three months

Although he appeared composed, with a mild smile on his face, for young Kei Nishikori, this is probably the biggest disappointment he's experienced in his tennis career.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
May 26, 2009

Are you taking any extra precautions now that swine flu has arrived in Japan?

Kristian D'ArneyDesigner, 35 Recently, I've heard this situation being compared to the 1918 Spanish flu, which got me paranoid. So now I wash my hands after going out, holding on to railings, and so on.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 23, 2009

Hull's fate resting on team Man United fields

LONDON — Hull and Sunderland will stay up if they beat Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 22, 2009

A mother alone

To launch Za Koenji, the new public theater in Suginami Ward designed by Toyo Ito, artistic director Makoto Sato made the bold decision to present "Keshou Two Acts" ("Makeup"), a one-woman play by renowned writer and director Hisashi Inoue that stars Misako Watanabe. Now 76, the veteran actress first...
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
May 21, 2009

Wild orchids

Dear Alice, Can you please find out what the heck I saw on Mount Takao on the outskirts of Tokyo? Last spring, about this time of year, I was on a trail with a lot of other hikers lugging cameras and tripods. All of a sudden everyone got very excited. Not knowing Japanese, I had no idea what they were...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 19, 2009

IC you: bugging the alien

When the Japanese government first issued alien registration cards (aka gaijin cards) in 1952, it had one basic aim in mind: to track "foreigners" (at that time, mostly Korean and Taiwanese stripped of Japanese colonial citizenship) who decided to stay in postwar Japan.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 19, 2009

Weight of Imperial world on Princess Masako

Observers often liken Crown Princess Masako to Britain's Princess Diana. They both embody the fairy tale gone tragically wrong — women outside the royal circle wooed by the heir to the throne, only to end up clashing with the establishment and surrounded by controversy and speculation that has made...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 17, 2009

Lay-judge drama, exotic real estate, and Kimutaku's 'Mr. Brain'

The new lay judge system starts on May 21, so it's not surprising that somebody decided to make a two-hour suspense drama to mark the occasion. However, the subtitle of "Hotei Suspense" ("Trial Suspense"; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.) sounds like this might not be the best way to promote the new system: "Do you...
LIFE / Travel
May 17, 2009

Do's and don'ts when you hitch in the backside of Japan

Backpack: check. Thumbs: check. Sense of adventure: check.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 17, 2009

Japan's cocktail king leaves the world reeling from his alco-antics

Pretty soon there is going to be a backlash against the Japanese for their habit of heading overseas and outshining the locals in some of their proudest vocations.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 15, 2009

Newton, Washington reunited in Ryukyu-Osaka semifinal clash

When future historians document the early years of the bj-league, they'll spend plenty of time chronicling the achievements of Jeff Newton and Lynn Washington.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 13, 2009

Shimura values experience of first season in Sendai

In the decisive game that ultimately made his season come to a disappointing end, Takehiko Shimura left too much gas in his tiny tank.
JAPAN / Q&A
May 12, 2009

Historic change puts justice in public hands

With the "saibanin" lay judge system set to take effect May 21, Japan is gearing up for an important transition in its judicial system, in which citizens begin serving as de facto jurors in district court trials involving serious crimes.
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
May 12, 2009

Kusanagi romp makes waves as real crimes go unpunished

Dear Tokyo Metropolitan Police,
Japan Times
LIFE
May 10, 2009

Blurring the boundaries

Every society has its own terminology for a young generation regarded as odd or unfathomable, and marketers are quick to give them catchy labels. It's no exception in Japan, which is now abuzz with talk of men with a soft spot who are becoming known as soshokukei, meaning "herbivorous" or "herbivores."...

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami