Search - 2005

 
 
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 6, 2007

Asakusa Jinta march into history

Unless in search of a cheap, dusty souvenir for a relative, Tokyo's historic Asakusa district isn't on the radar of too many folks under the age of 70. But Asakusa Jinta, a seven-piece band that mixes elements of ska, swing, punk and chindonya (traditional street performance), is hoping to bring the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 6, 2007

'Taitei no Ken'

Japanese action-fantasy pics have become big box office, thanks to CG effects sophisticated enough to lure not just the kiddies, but teens and adults. These films, beginning with Masahiro Shinoda's 1999 hit "Fukuro no Shiro (Owl's Castle)" and continuing to Akihito Shiota's recent smash "Dororo," use...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 5, 2007

An art market in the making

When Fukusaburo Maeda and his wife Sohaku Yamashita founded the Nihon International Contemporary Art Festival (NICAF) in 1992, they were hoping to invigorate Japan's contemporary art scene. Perhaps they were ahead of their times, though, because while people were ready to come look at what was on show,...
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2007

Japan drops to third place in global ODA behind U.S., Britain

Japan fell to third place in the official development assistance rankings in 2006, dropping for the first time in 24 years, a group of 22 developed countries said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2007

Japan-Thai FTA to phase out tariffs

Accelerating a global race to strengthen ties with Asia's economic powers, Tokyo and Bangkok inked a free-trade agreement Tuesday that will abolish tariffs on more than 90 percent of bilateral trade over 10 years.
BUSINESS
Apr 3, 2007

Livedoor will stick with its name

Livedoor Co. will stick with its corporate logo because Internet users still place great value on the firm, company officials said Monday, after the scandal-tainted company had considered a name change.
EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2007

Another historic deal in Belfast

Northern Ireland's most bitter political opponents bridged their divide last week and agreed to share power in a new Belfast government. Their agreement is a historic step toward peace for the long-divided province. Implementing the accord promises a "battle a day," but making the parties on either end...
COMMENTARY
Apr 2, 2007

The risks of not acting bold

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who took office six months ago, is beginning to reveal his true self as a dyed-in-the-wool conservative.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 2, 2007

Bulgaria's betrayal of EU norms of justice

SOFIA -- When Bulgaria joined the European Union in January, I believed that my country had finally left its repressive past behind. But the recent arrest and threatened deportation of Annadurdy Hadjiev, a dissident from Turkmenistan who sought refuge here, suggests that some things never change.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 1, 2007

More Japanese players in MLB means more games on TV

Here comes MLB 2007 with Opening Day this week and, as you might have expected, extensive coverage of games on Japanese TV featuring teams with favorite son players -- the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Reader Mail
Apr 1, 2007

Migrants are to be welcomed

In his March 25 letter, "Assimilation under strict codes," Justin Downes does a disservice to his Asian friends in London not only when he claims that migrants "put a huge strain on the educational and health facilities of the country," but also when he implies that unassimilated foreigners are responsible...
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 1, 2007

"Rebel" cartoonist Rieko Saibara

Rieko Saibara is a catoonist known for her work that has both a lyrical and "rebellious" side to it. While regarded as a rebel in the cartoonist world, at times shocking her readers with indecent expressions, she also brings them to tears by her portrayal of hopeless poverty, affection to her children...
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 1, 2007

Drawing on experience

Cartoonists in Japan are as abundant as the cherry blossoms at this time of year -- but Rieko Saibara is probably the only one who has both a lyrical and rebellious side to her work -- along with an astonishing power and what has been called a "lethal poison.''
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 1, 2007

Words to win hearts and minds the Japanese way

Over the years, the Japanese language has been called many things: inscrutably ambiguous, frustratingly vague and positively untranslatable.
EDITORIALS
Apr 1, 2007

Legal prop for a lie

A ruling Tuesday in Tokyo District Court that dismissed a damages suit filed by a former Mainichi Shimbun reporter defies common sense because of the gap between the ruling and the known facts, although the ruling has its own logic.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 31, 2007

Evessa need injured Newton

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, the first-place Osaka Evessa are right where they want to be.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2007

Urban Kyoto tries on an old look

KYOTO -- First-time visitors to the ancient capital of Kyoto usually arrive expecting to see quiet temples and rock gardens or an abundance of old wooden buildings set against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains.
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2007

CPI down 0.1% on fall in fuel prices

Affected by a drop in fuel prices, Japan's nationwide core consumer price index fell 0.1 percent in February, marking the first decline in 10 months, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said Friday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 30, 2007

Lady Sov looks to scare the heavies at Def Jam

It's not surprising that Lady Sovereign draws comparisons to Eminem. Despite the 21-year-old British MC having a vastly different sound, being a foul-mouthed Caucasian rapper who likes to stir up trouble does bring Slim Shady to mind.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 30, 2007

'Une aventure'

When reviewing a movie, critics tend to trawl through the elements that made it work, things like clever plotting, intense performances, lavish set design and the like. But we often seem to overlook one of the most essential elements of cinema: sex appeal.

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