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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
May 16, 2010

Antics of 'shadow tail' lead the great spring show

The summer birds are here! They arrive travel-weary yet eager — telling, in their courtship songs, tales of months spent in insect-filled forests far to the south, remembering the lazy droning of sweat bees, the buzz and saw of cicadas, the whine of mosquitoes, the flashing colors of tropical butterflies...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
May 13, 2010

Antique dealer Kunihiro Iida

Antique dealer Kunihiro Iida, 66, specializes in tea ceremony utensils. His tiny corner shop, Iidakojitsudo, is just 500 meters from Tokyo Station's Yaesu side, in the historical district of Kyobashi. Built in 1971 by the famed carpenter Kisaburo Fujii — who studied under Ogi Rodo, the grandmaster...
COMMENTARY / World
May 12, 2010

A dangerous deficit of democracy in Britain

HONG KONG — In spite of the United Kingdom's robust and rumbustious election campaign, once the votes were counted and the winning members of Parliament (MPs) were declared, it was clear that the U.K. is suffering a dangerous and growing democratic deficit.
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2010

Middle East peace by any means available

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Something is happening with the Middle East conflict. A breakthrough appears at hand, though all the parties still seem to be clinging to their traditional positions.
BASKETBALL
May 10, 2010

Evessa clinch West; Phoenix nab 41st win

The Osaka Evessa defeated the Rizing Fukuoka 81-79 and wrapped up the bj-league's regular-season Western Conference title on Sunday.
EDITORIALS
May 10, 2010

A better lay judge system

A 26-year-old Chinese man was given 18 years' imprisonment for stabbing to death another Chinese man on March 9, 2009, in Chiba Prefecture. Lay judges took part in his trial in Utsunomiya District Court. In an appellate trial before Tokyo High Court, his defense counsel challenged the constitutionality...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 9, 2010

Kimutaku in 'Moon Lovers'; 'unmarriageable' celebs; CM of the week: Daihatsu's Tanto EXE

In what's being promoted as his "first full-scale love story" in 10 years, SMAP heartthrob Takuya Kimura stars as a successful furniture manufacturer in "Tsuki no Koibito" (Moon Lovers; Fuji TV, Mon., 9 p.m.).
JAPAN
May 7, 2010

Removing SIM lock not so simple

While the government has been raising expectations that removing the SIM lock on cell phones will enable consumers to switch carriers but keep the same handsets, it will give virtually no immediate benefits to users under the current network environment, according to people in the industry.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 7, 2010

Understanding the bank crisis via the stage

"If you want to understand the banking crisis, you should go to the theater" — this isn't a blurb for an economics book, it's from a review for "The Power of Yes," the latest work by English playwright David Hare.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
May 4, 2010

What's your opinion of the conversation school industry in Japan?

Japan Times
Events / WHERE IT'S AT
May 4, 2010

Cyclists pedaling to Osaka for hearing-impaired pupils

Last Friday, 15 bicycle riders lined up on the campus of Meisei Gakuen School for the Deaf in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, to kick off their second fundraising charity ride to help the school purchase playground equipment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 2, 2010

The Zen nothingness of Zamami

Thinking that Japan is too expensive for them, many budget travelers eschew this archipelago for Southeast Asia. But with a mountain bike and a tent, it's quite possible to travel in Okinawa on ¥1,000 a day — and enjoy it — especially on Zamami Island.
COMMENTARY
May 1, 2010

How news skews views

BEIJING — I am not good at flying kites. But during a recent visit to the Olympic Village of Beijing, I felt compelled to do so. Despite the cold and late hour, there were many kite runners around me. A salesman insisted that I try my hand before committing to any purchase, and I did. After purchasing...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2010

A cloud over airplane safety

PRINCETON, N.J. — When airports across Europe reopened after the closure caused by the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano, it was not because the amount of ash in the atmosphere had dropped, but because the risk that the ash posed to airplane safety had been reassessed. Was it new scientific...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 30, 2010

Rising from the ashes of Pompeii

In the Christian era that succeeded the pagan one, the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD was always thought of in apocalyptic terms, much like the Biblical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by "fire and brimstone." It was felt that the...
EDITORIALS
Apr 26, 2010

The next generation of cars

Efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the face of global warming are likely to greatly alter the face of car industry. Whether automakers can produce cars with low CO2 emissions, such as hybrid or electric cars, will be a key to their survival. This consideration is clearly behind the recent...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 24, 2010

American expat finds Sierra Leone heritage

To some in Japan, the word "expat" is often associated with negative images — isolation, language and culture barriers, and a general lack of interaction, connection, acceptance and/or understanding. For California native Francesca Conate, however, the life of the expatriate means opportunity — the...
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2010

Plenty of sites already considered, rejected

OSAKA — With possible new locations for the Futenma air base being suggested or reported on a seemingly daily basis, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama now has very few political options to propose to the U.S.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 23, 2010

Thailand's political and social elite in denial?

BANGKOK — Thailand's political and social fabric is fraying. Indeed, the country's future looks as shaky as it has never been.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2010

Technically Kagoshima but Ryukyu in its soul

TOKUNOSHIMA, Kagoshima Pref. — Astute readers will notice this story is datelined "Kagoshima Prefecture." But given that this island lies just southwest of Amami-Oshima and roughly 100 km from the northern tip of Okinawa, it's no surprise that Tokunoshima feels more like a part of the Ryukyu Islands...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji