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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 30, 2006

Japan ready to battle 'culinary imperialists'

Earlier this year I was commissioned by a British newspaper to research a Japanese company called Hakudai, which was reputed to be putting whale meat into dog food.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 21, 2006

Super-natural wine is flying off the shelves

Despite being everywhere -- in every part of our bodies and our daily lives -- chemicals have got a bad rep. Pollution, allergies, additives, colorings, flavorings, you name it, if it's bad for you, then "chemicals" are blamed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 7, 2006

'One size fits all' -- if only it were true

Picture and pity this: A woman holds up a sweet pair of the latest jeans in a shop mirror . . . only to see the reflection of her own thighs bulging out from behind.
Japan Times
Features
Feb 26, 2006

Tales of two cities

The seeds of political tension in Xinjiang are not hard to find.
Japan Times
Features
Jun 12, 2005

Shotengai

When sumo elder Futagoyama, the father of former grand champions Takanohana and Wakanohana, died of cancer two weeks ago, many sumo fans were deeply saddened at the loss of the charismatic, 55-year-old former ozeki. Many people prominent in varied walks of life expressed their sadness, as did members...
Japan Times
Features
Jun 12, 2005

Feast your eyes and more

When it comes to food in the Kansai region, Kyoto is not the first place that springs to mind. Kyoto folk, the saying goes, spend their money on good clothes, whereas people from Osaka spend their money on good food.
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2005

Vinegar fad shows no signs of souring as more take to drinking it straight up

Japanese tend to be quick to warm to a new fad and just as fast to abandon it.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 10, 2005

Sushi Ouchi: There's nothing to fear in naturally good sushi

Entering an old-school Edomae sushi shop for the first time can be daunting -- even for the most self-confident of us. The welcome is often so vocal it verges on the aggressive. The cedarwood counters look scrubbed to the point of sterility, the gleaming bright interiors afford little sense of warmth...
COMMUNITY / LIFELINES
Apr 26, 2005

Chinese, a visa poser and used book sales

Chinese learning Is there a Chinese-language school in Tokyo that teaches Chinese to English speakers (only in English; my Japanese skills are beginner level)?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / THEN AND NOW
Mar 4, 2005

Happy in the haze of a hanami hour

The 1830s wood-block print below depicts hanami (cherry-blossom viewing) on the banks of the Sumida River. A group of young women and girls are on an excursion, and, with their elaborate hairstyles and fancy, uniform kimono, it appears they are apprentice geisha from licensed quarters nearby. Like teenage...
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2004

Banks' new service ploy a flop: Matsui

The latest strategy of banks to raise revenues via one-stop, across-the-board financial service shops is doomed to fail, the chief of online securities firm Matsui Securities Co. said Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 16, 2004

Life plugging back in on Miyake

Economic activity, including postal services, is resuming on Miyake Island, 4 1/2 years after volcanic eruptions forced its inhabitants to flee in September 2000.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 20, 2004

Designs for life

Whether you regard Sir Terence Conran as an ambitious visionary or a restless control freak, the fact is that this 73-year-old English designer and "lifestyle guru" stays forever busy. He designs chairs, sofas and vases; restaurants, bars and cafes; apartment rooms and hotels. He consults, he lectures...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 27, 2004

A feast of culture on Hokkaido menu

Modernization and industrialization have ensured that the traditional lifestyle of the Ainu has been destroyed as thoroughly as the traditional customs of their Japanese neighbours.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 30, 2004

How shochu got its groove back

A young woman was seated at the counter, her long hair tumbling down to her shoulders and resting softly on her beige jacket. In a matching skirt and heels, her long slim legs were revealed. Classy and elegant, she looked like she was ready for a glass of Dom Perignon.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2004

Daiei links up with other businesses to target niche customers

Daiei Inc. is collaborating with other businesses for the sake of its survival after nearly collapsing three years ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2004

Kimono makes comeback -- in used form

Every once in a while, 27-year-old Junko Nagumo and five companions visit boutiques in upmarket Tokyo districts such as Omotesando and Ginza -- not to buy trendy fashion items but to find inexpensive used kimono.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 17, 2004

Three's a (talented) crowd

The Kabukiza in Ginza celebrates the arrival of spring with two excellent programs this month, including a striking dance number titled "Dattan" inspired by the fiery Buddhist rite of the same name held every March at Todaiji Temple in Nara.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 25, 2004

Happy Ko-Edo exile

Midori Fujii calls herself a "cityscape exile."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 26, 2003

Fostering the will for a better way

MYSORE -- On the outskirts of historic Mysore -- city seat of maharajas until Indian independence in 1947 -- is a settlement called Kuduremala. A community of just 800 people, its name is testament to the former rulers of Mysore -- which occupies about a third of present-day Karnataka State -- who took...
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2003

Thai handicrafts tempt couch potatoes

The Thai government has turned to a home-shopping channel to sell traditional handicrafts to TV viewers in Japan, industry officials said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jul 19, 2003

Yuki Horibe

COCOS ISLANDS -- When Yuki Horibe was planning a university break in order to gain some overseas experience, she looked at a world map. She said: "I wanted a small, tropical island. I wanted to learn English. I wanted diving. I found Christmas Island, and thought, 'Every day is Christmas. That should...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jun 28, 2003

Doing business: the 'uchiawase' vortex

It has never been easier to start a business in Japan. These days, anyone can register a business with zero money and an "inkan" stamp. Indeed, this is what attracted me. I thought: Hey I have no money -- I'll start a business!

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes