Search - (2006-01-27)

 
 
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Feb 5, 2006

Crown Prince recalls his life at Oxford University

THE THAMES AND I: A Memoir of Two Years at Oxford, by the Crown Prince of Japan, translated by Hugh Cortazzi. Global Oriental, 150 pp., 2006, £30 (cloth). "Thames and I" by the Crown Prince is a detailed account of the two years he spent at the University of Oxford in Britain. It is marked by penetrating...
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2006

Hitachi operating profit rises 14%

Hitachi Ltd. said Friday its operating profit for the October to December quarter rose 14 percent to 39.14 billion yen, as strong plant and equipment, and social infrastructure investments by customers domestically and overseas boosted its industrial business.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 4, 2006

The year 2006 -- going to the dogs

Jan. 29 was the Chinese Lunar New Year, the official beginning of the year of the dog according to the Chinese calendar. I did some dog-on-the-street interviews to find out what we can expect this year under the helm of the dogs.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Feb 3, 2006

Tableware,pottery fest

A variety of tableware will be displayed at the Tableware Festival 2006, to be held at Tokyo Dome Feb. 4-12.
EDITORIALS
Feb 2, 2006

Leading in science and technology

The government will launch a five-year science and technology development plan with the start of fiscal 2006 in April. The plan is based on the "third basic plan for science and technology" that the General Council on Science and Technology submitted to the government late last year spelling out the...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 29, 2006

Hirotoshi Ishii to put off majors

Tokyo Yakult Swallows left-hander Hirotoshi Ishii said Saturday he has decided to put off his attempt to move to the major leagues and pitch for the Central League team this year.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 28, 2006

Gamba, Urawa to open J. League

The J. League will kick off its 2006 season on March 4 with a clash between defending champion Gamba Osaka and Urawa Reds, runnerup in 2005, the league announced Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 28, 2006

U.S. Democrats urge Japan to halt nuclear fuel plan

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) Six U.S. Democrats have urged Japan to suspend its plan to begin a test operation to extract plutonium at a nuclear-waste reprocessing facility in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, Democratic congressional sources said Thursday.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 28, 2006

Japan has nine on slate

Japan will play nine games in the runup to the World Cup finals in Germany kicking off on June 9, the Japan Football Association announced Friday.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 27, 2006

Ogasawara against Messina move

Japan and Kashima Antlers midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara has declined an offer from Italian Serie A side Messina, making him likely to start the 2006 season with the J-League first-division club, Kashima officials said Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 27, 2006

Takaoka set for Tokyo Marathon

Defending champion Toshinari Takaoka, who owns the men's national record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 16 seconds, is among 11 elite runners invited to take part in the Tokyo International Marathon next month, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations said Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 27, 2006

Bravia, Vaio sales buoy Sony earnings forecast

Sony Corp. said Thursday it revised its earnings forecast for the full year through March 31 from a net loss of 10 billion yen to a net profit of 70 billion yen, buoyed by stronger-than-expected sales of Bravia TVs and Vaio PCs over the holidays.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 26, 2006

Xerox Super Cup set for Feb. 25

The Xerox Super Cup, the traditional curtain raiser for a new J. League season, will be played at Tokyo's National Stadium on Feb. 25, the league said Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 26, 2006

Preventing a flu pandemic

The chances that the avian flu virus will mutate into a form that can be transmitted from human to human is high enough for the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify the present situation as a "pandemic alert." Should a pandemic break out it would likely do so in Asia. Therefore Japan needs to...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jan 25, 2006

Saving our environment one step at a time

Having ended 2005 with a rant (see below), let me begin 2006 on a more positive note by introducing some valuable environmental education resources.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 24, 2006

DoCoMo's D902i phone, Signeo's MP3 player, Rooshopper tote bags, TEPCO's cooking heater, Stand Kamimakiki

It's the start of a new year and that often means making changes in your life. Want to be an eco-friendly shopper? Looking to make some much needed improvements in the household? Or maybe you just want to make the people around you exhibit signs of envy by sporting some new 2006 gear. Here are a few...
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 24, 2006

Can Japan absorb foreign influx?

When discussing the recent ethnic riots in France, The Economist newsmagazine ("Minority Reports," Nov. 10, 2005) posed an important question: How come some countries assimilate immigrants more peacefully than others?
COMMENTARY
Jan 23, 2006

The feud can end anytime

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi should realize that he holds the key to settling the growing discord with China even as Beijing adds fuel to the fire by urging the Japanese government to restrict news media reports on the alleged security threat posed by China.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 22, 2006

The new Japanese woman, from virginity to menopause

INSIDE AND OTHER SHORT FICTION: Japanese Women by Japanese Women, compiled by Cathy Layne, foreword by Ruth Ozeki. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2006. 237 pp., 2,400 yen (cloth). As Ruth Ozeki writes in her foreword to this very interesting collection of new writing: "Japanese society is undergoing...
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 21, 2006

Sources: Sosa to stay in MLB

Although Sammy Sosa does not have a home for next season, he likely won't be playing in Japan, according to unnamed Major League Baseball sources.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2006

Koizumi reform pitch in last Diet-opener

In his final speech as Liberal Democratic Party president to mark the opening of the ordinary Diet session Friday, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reiterated his plan to trim the civil service, consolidate state-backed financial institutions and push further administrative reforms.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2006

BOJ sees economy improving, hints at end to ultraloose policy

The Bank of Japan on Friday upgraded its view of the economy for the first time in four months, stepping up the upbeat tone of its assessment.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2006

Deflation to end in '06: government

The Cabinet on Friday endorsed the government's fiscal 2006 economic outlook, which projects that deflation will end during the year with the nominal growth rate outpacing real growth for the first time since fiscal 1999.
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2006

Minivehicle market reaching saturation: Suzuki chairman

Demand for minivehicles -- which hit a record 1.924 million units sold in 2005 -- is starting to level off, the chairman of Suzuki Motor Corp. said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2006

Yasukuni 'nightmare' for ties: Seoul ambassador

South Korea's ambassador to Japan called Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine a "nightmare" -- the sole issue damaging what could have been more amicable ties between the two neighbors.
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2006

Diet session no cakewalk for majority coalition

When the 2006 ordinary Diet session kicks off Friday, the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling alliance will face several battles to reach its goals -- from within the coalition.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Jan 20, 2006

Even a child knows better

MOSCOW -- Occasionally, we all get wrong ideas about ourselves. A middle-aged person starts dressing like Leonardo di Caprio, a pizza deliveryman begins emulating "The Godfather," a school teacher turns herself into a Gestapo interrogator.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan