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Reader Mail
Nov 8, 2007

Tired old cultural conflict

Regarding the Nov. 2 Associated Press article "American sues Dentsu USA over brothel outing": This "American" gentleman has bigger issues within himself. I have seen this attitude before -- the "shock" that Anglos show when their Japanese counterparts take them out at night, whether it be to a brothel,...
COMMENTARY
Nov 7, 2007

Three relationships the U.S. must tend to

LOS ANGELES — Three of the largest pieces in the sprawling jigsaw puzzle known as Asia are, of course, China, India and Japan. The first is the most populous country on Earth, the second is the most populous democracy and the third is the world's second-biggest economy — and (theoretically) chief...
Reader Mail
Nov 6, 2007

Fingerprinting not so stupid

In his Nov. 1 article, "Not so welcome to Japan any longer", Kevin Rafferty dwells on the fingerprinting and photographing of most aliens when entering or returning to Japan, to begin later this month, as "tedious" and "discriminatory." He wonders if Immigration Bureau officials are "so shallow and...
Reader Mail
Nov 4, 2007

Fixing blame for pension woes

Regarding the Nov. 1 front-page article "Pension woes may never be solved": As a foreigner married to a Japanese who has paid into a pension account over decades, I am appalled by the record-keeping debacle and disgusted by the cavalier assertion that pursuing responsible executives on which to lay the...
Reader Mail
Nov 4, 2007

Tokyo's silence draws suspicion

Regarding the Oct. 31 article, "Kim blasts Seoul report on '73 kidnapping": When former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung was kidnapped in 1973 (during his dissident days) while staying in Japan, you could probably accept that there were no Koreans involved other than the kidnappers acting under the...
Reader Mail
Nov 4, 2007

Threats thus far are homegrown

Regarding the Oct. 30 article "Hatoyama in hot water over 'al-Qaida connection' ": Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama stressed in a recent press conference that "It is vital that we take fingerprints (from foreign visitors) to prevent terrorism attacks." Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, all...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 2, 2007

Shins wince their way to success

In a recent article in The New Yorker, music critic Sasha Frere-Jones said that the term "indie rock" has become "an aesthetic description, and no longer has anything to do with (record) labels." If that's the case, then exactly what kind of aesthetic does indie rock describe?
Reader Mail
Nov 1, 2007

Apology late but courageous

Regarding the Oct. 24 article "Vivisectionist recalls his day of reckoning": I would like to pass along my thanks to former Japanese Army surgeon Ken Yuasa for having the courage to try to atone for what he has done. Looking at one's own misdeeds and then attempting to redeem oneself require a special...
Reader Mail
Nov 1, 2007

Requests won't move U.S.

Regarding Manuel Sandoval's Oct. 25 letter, Don't judge marines too fast": Sandoval says if we don't like Americans protecting Japan, then the American military can just leave and Japan can fend for itself. Could he? Could he ask the U.S. State Department and the Defense Department to remove their bases...
COMMENTARY
Nov 1, 2007

Trumped up war on 'terror'

My French aunt died the other day. She was lovely woman. But sadly she was also a terrorist.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2007

'Cute' cars a big turnoff

Regarding the Oct. 25 article, "Tokyo Motor Show offers peek at future": I am in the market for a new car. My 1985 Toyota has 290,000 kilometers on it and has been a wonderful car. Toyota has taken the market head on.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2007

Courage of a war survivor

Regarding the Oct. 24 article "Vivisectionist recalls his day of reckoning": I can only congratulate Japanese war survivors (like former army surgeon Ken Yuasa) for coming forward to admit to, and repent of, how far they went in putting into practice what they believed to be their orders.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2007

Leverage in showing displeasure

The Oct. 23 Lifelines article, "NHK: To pay or not to pay," was timely in that I recently told the NHK collector to return next month for payment, and informed him that this action was the only way to show my displeasure with NHK for interrupting an after-midnight program to break the news of an earthquake...
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Oct 28, 2007

Kawachi confident as bj-league begins third year

In an exclusive interview with The Japan Times, Toshimitsu Kawachi, the bj-league commissioner, spoke at length about the challenges the third-year league has in achieving long-term success, the structural problems of the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) and his vision for future expansion in the league....
Reader Mail
Oct 28, 2007

Disgusting outlook on women

I was astounded by Manuel Sandoval's Oct. 25 letter, "Don't judge marines too fast" (which was a response to the Oct. 20 article "Four marines investigated for rape"). Even for the well-respected members of the U.S. military, if wrongdoing is suspected it needs to be investigated.
Reader Mail
Oct 28, 2007

Asian residents get the short end

Regarding the Oct. 23 Views From the Street question, "Which minority groups face the worst discrimination in Japan?": I find it interesting that of the three Japanese people questioned, only one mentioned race, whereas all of the foreigners questioned answered to the effect that "Chinese and Koreans...
Reader Mail
Oct 28, 2007

Bureaucratic disaster all around

Regarding the Oct. 27 front-page article "Nova applies for court protection from creditors": Are we expected now to congratulate the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for managing to crack an egg with a colossal steam hammer?
EDITORIALS
Oct 27, 2007

Japanese men going belly up

Japanese men are suddenly overweight. The latest criticism of health, diet and fitness — "metabolic syndrome" — is aimed at men and their bulging waistlines. According to some reports, metabolic syndrome is found in a larger and larger proportion of middle-aged and young people, especially men. Their...
Reader Mail
Oct 25, 2007

Japanese pattern on display

Regarding the Oct. 20 article "Repeat offender sentenced to 14 years for confining and abusing four females": This is the most unbelievable story I have heard in a long time. It displays a common Japanese pattern: If you fake profound remorse even after having lied as long as circumstances would permit,...
Reader Mail
Oct 25, 2007

Don't judge marines too fast

Regarding the Oct. 20 article "Four (U.S.) marines investigated for rape": What does one expect from a woman who is working in a bar? Has anyone asked if she was paid for services? Why would any woman leave with four men from a bar? She must have known what kind of situation she was in from the get-go....
Reader Mail
Oct 25, 2007

Teaching staff needs diversity

Regarding the Oct. 13 article "Aussie Nova teachers to be helped by consulates": It's interesting to hear of (English-conversation school) Nova's problems due to management. I taught in Japan from 1999 to 2004 for various companies and as an independent teacher. I applied twice to Nova (once in Japan...
Reader Mail
Oct 25, 2007

The will of the Korean people

Ralph Cossa's Oct. 22 article, "Potential for Korean progress," is arrogant because it implies that South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and his administration are naive and that they need to follow Cossa's advice. It is biased because it reveals Cossa's disgust with the democratically elected Roh government...
Reader Mail
Oct 25, 2007

Missing name weakens report

In the Oct. 20 Kyodo article "Tokyo trader probed over procurement of U.S. night vision goggles," the Tokyo trading house was never mentioned by name. Yet, other parties -- none of whom were under suspicion of misconduct -- were named, including Japan's Defense Ministry and Northrop Grumman.
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2007

Lower House takes up new MSDF bill

The Lower House began deliberating a bill Tuesday to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue refueling naval ships in the Indian Ocean engaged in counterterrorism operations.
Reader Mail
Oct 23, 2007

Missile defense funds a waste

Regarding the Oct. 16 article "Russia opposes Japan missile defense": Japan should also voice its opposition. Why squander more money on a protective scheme that may or may not work?
Reader Mail
Oct 23, 2007

Nakatani aping Bush's logic

Regarding the Oct. 16 article "LDP's Nakatani calls foes of MSDF mission 'terrorists' ": I found the logic of security panel head Gen Nakatani similar to that used by the Bush administration in leading the charge into the muck of war in the Middle East with the catchphrase "You're either with us or...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 23, 2007

Ships out at sea or troops in a war zone?

The special antiterrorism law that expires Nov. 1 is the hottest dispute in domestic politics and could even determine the fate of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and his administration.
COMMENTARY
Oct 22, 2007

Let MSDF refueling law die

Late last month a gathering in Yokohama remembered the victims of a U.S. military jet crash in a residential area 30 years ago. I was stunned to learn that a Japanese Self-Defense Force helicopter that had rushed to the scene of the crash flew away with two slightly injured U.S. servicemen without looking...
Reader Mail
Oct 21, 2007

Bad month to start a new job

Regarding the Oct. 17 article "Unions want Nova, president indicted over payroll delays": My son arrived in Japan in early September after assurances from the U.K. end of the Nova (conversation school) organization that there were no real problems. He has not been paid the signing bonus he was promised...
Reader Mail
Oct 21, 2007

Training trumps escalator design

Regarding the Oct. 17 article "Boy's head gets trapped between escalator, wall": Although I can sympathize over this tragedy, when is the real problem -- children riding escalators/elevators with no training or adult supervision -- going to be addressed? You can engineer safety into these things to...

Longform

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