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COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 10, 2011

With Japan at a crossroads, it's instructive to recall the Hidaka affair

Exactly 30 years ago this month, I had an encounter with a man who became innocently involved in an international incident. That incident may be all but forgotten now, but it's worth recalling here because it highlights the struggle of an individual of conscience to have the truth revealed.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jun 26, 2011

Readers offer 3/11 insights, valuable resources

As Japan has struggled with the physical and emotional challenges of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 11, and the ongoing nuclear crisis that resulted, I have written three Our Planet Earth columns related to those events: one on Japan's response (March 27); one on alternative...
Reader Mail
Jun 5, 2011

Disappointing neglect of victims

I am very disappointed, but not surprised, by the publication of the May 29 front-page AP article "Memo emblematic of disaster plan flaws." In the article, Tokyo Electric Power Co. is castigated for not knowing that there were apparent advances in science showing the potential for large earthquakes and...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
May 30, 2011

Bedfellows of those 'lax,' 'insular' Japanese

Are some of those who write for The New York Times utterly unaware of the rest of the world — including the United States?
COMMENTARY
May 1, 2011

The lowdown on sieverts and a healthy diet

Gastronomic habits are hard to change. That was conventional wisdom as regards Japanese food when I arrived here more than four decades ago. After all, back then, there were said to be only about a dozen Japanese restaurants in this city.
Reader Mail
Feb 20, 2011

Two congressmen hear Okinawans

Regarding the Feb. 17 article "U.S. Reps. Paul, Kucinich urge military pullout from Japan amid budget woes": Finally U.S. congressmen have begun to see the necessity for a U.S. pullout of military forces from Okinawa and the rest of Japan. It is an unnatural state to have foreign military in the streets,...
Reader Mail
Jan 9, 2011

Celebrating a respectful sentiment

Regarding Usman Makhdoom's Dec. 30 letter, "Overbearing demand on Christmas" (which criticized Kevin Rafferty's Dec. 24 article, "A thought for the holy day"): Rafferty's article is not the "irrelevant, bitter rant" that Makhdoom says it is. The Japan Times should be commended for printing Rafferty's...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Oct 12, 2010

Don't blame JET for Japan's poor English: responses

A selection of readers' views on "Don't blame JET for Japan's poor English" (Just Be Cause, Sept. 7) by Debito Arudou:
COMMENTARY
Aug 19, 2010

Mixed views in rising China

While voices in China continue to be raised against American naval exercises near the China coast and asserting Beijing's increased influence in global affairs, other voices are now being heard questioning the wisdom of China's increasing assertiveness.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jun 29, 2010

No need to know the law, but you must obey it

A few months ago I met with some Western diplomats who were looking for information about Japanese law — in particular, an answer to the question, "Is parental child abduction a crime?" As international child abduction has become an increasingly sore point between Japan and other countries, foreign...
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
May 30, 2010

Does democracy still count if it's conditional?

NEW YORK — With Barack Obama's military policy in the Middle East getting murkier by the day, his predecessor George W. Bush's stated goal of democratizing the region through violence has to be judged to have failed. The thought prompts the reflection that forced democratization could entail considerable...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Dec 15, 2009

Every husband a potential 'abuser': some responses

A selection of readers' responses to Colin P. A. Jones' Nov. 24 Zeit Gist article on child custody and abuse allegations:
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Nov 10, 2009

Betting your family on Japan: readers respond

Life is long, should be long Mr. Cory, I truly sympathize with your comments and experiences. Your comment about mixed feelings toward your wife really struck home with me as well. Indeed, I too am a Richard Cory, living a farcical life with all of the appearances of the enviable.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Sep 27, 2009

Hatoyama just calling it as it is

NEW YORK — I was startled to receive a letter from a friend in Tokyo earlier this month accompanied by a Sankei Shimbun article by Yukio Okamoto sharply upbraiding Yukio Hatoyama.
COMMENTARY
Sep 13, 2009

Real 'fraternity' with U.S.

Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama's article on the "Banner of Fraternity" — particularly the part that deals with globalization, Americanism and Japan's relations with her Asian neighbors — has drawn many comments both in Japan and the United States.
Reader Mail
Aug 13, 2009

'Sexcentric' jokes abound in Japan

Regarding Roger Pulvers' Aug. 9 article, "Humor may be universal, but Japan's is largely its smut-free own": I have a few problems with this article. First of all, why write an article about modern Japan using references and examples from history? The writing is far too academic. If you want to prove...
CULTURE / Books
Aug 9, 2009

Contention over the tenno system

This collection of 14 essays by 12 scholars, ranging from academic, journalistic, speculative, to advisory, makes an excellent introduction to the scope of arguments presently made about tenno, Japan's "emperors."
Reader Mail
Jul 19, 2009

Different aircraft and missions

Regarding Jochen Legewie's July 13 article "Japanese choices in aviation market reveal overreliance on U.S.": Being a pilot and aviation enthusiast, I was interested in this article, but as I began reading, my excitement faded to disappointment. The article was a biased bashing of the U.S. aviation industry....
Reader Mail
Jul 5, 2009

Approach to a stable food supply

Regarding the June 27 article " 'Veggie factories' find fertile ground": I would like to add the perspective of a farmer from the lettuce-producing village in Nagano Prefecture mentioned in the article — Kawakami — which by the way was misspelled in the article. I first heard of "veggie factories"...
Reader Mail
Jun 21, 2009

Puzzling response to coverage

I am grateful The Japan Times covered the student protests at Hosei University in David McNeill's June 9 Zeit Gist article, "Rumpus on campus." I found it to be fair and informative.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 14, 2009

Cabinet member exits after tryst

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshitada Konoike resigned Wednesday for "personal reasons" after a magazine hit newsstands with a full account of a trip he and a lover took to a hot-spring resort, during which he used a special JR pass that lets Diet members ride shinkansen for free.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Feb 24, 2009

The half, bi or double debate

Following are some of the responses The Japan Times received on the issues raised in Kristy Kosaka's Jan. 27 Zeit Gist article headlined ""Half, bi or double: one family's trouble":
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Jan 27, 2009

Burakumin, 'musical jobs': readers respond

Koseki at root of problem I wish to thank you for the excellent article "Breaking the silence on burakumin" on Jan. 20. I work for the Buraku Liberation Center in Osaka and was featured in the Aug. 2, 2008, issue (search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080802a1.html). One point I would add is that it is...
Reader Mail
Jan 25, 2009

To find an honest matchmaker

A particular sentence of the Jan. 14 article "Matchmakers' 'marriage hunts' beating out fate to secure mate" caught my attention. It reads: "Fixing faults leads to a successful marriage, and for that you need someone to think objectively." From this I am curious as to what these matchmakers define as...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 6, 2009

Otaru ruling beats 'mob rule'

Paul de Vries' treatise on group accountability in Japanese society ("Back to the baths: Otaru revisited," Zeit Gist, Dec. 2) offered a new take on the now familiar story of the court case between Japan's naturalized enfant terrible, Debito Arudou, and the managers of the Yunohana public bath in Otaru,...

Longform

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Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building