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CULTURE / Books
May 16, 2010

Aikido's mystical path to peace on Earth

Anyone who turns to this lovely volume hoping to learn how to perform some of aikido's legendary techniques will be disappointed. But for those disciples of the practice who wish to delve more deeply into the philosophical and religious underpinnings of its founder's cosmology, this tiny book is a gem....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 14, 2010

'Whip It' with Drew

HOLLYWOOD — "The politest thing I can say is, 'It's about bleeping time!' " says Drew Barrymore with a giggle reminiscent of Gertie, the "E.T." role that made her famous back in 1982.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 14, 2010

'Zatoichi: The Last'

The "Zatoichi" series has long been an entry point for non-Japanese into Japanese films. Guys from Bonn to Buenos Aires who nod off after 10 minutes of Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Monogatari" ("Tokyo Story") devour the 25 episodes of the original series of films (1962-1973), as well as the 1989 revival directed...
BUSINESS
May 13, 2010

Greek crisis to hit Japan indirectly

The Greek financial crisis is unlikely to wreak havoc on the Japanese economy, although a strengthening of the yen as a result of the euro's depreciation will inevitably affect exports bound for Europe, according to some economists.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 11, 2010

Football coach Kawata finds a home at Stanford

Sometimes life takes a drastic turn with a bit of determination. Football coach Tsuyoshi Kawata's tale is a good example of that.
COMMENTARY
May 9, 2010

Will the euro live through the Greek crisis?

LONDON — The British, who have not joined the single European currency, have watched somewhat complacently the development of the economic crisis in Greece. They have been happy to leave Greece's rescue to the other countries that use the euro and to the International Monetary Fund.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 9, 2010

To realize its cultural potential, Japan must celebrate its strengths

Europe received a cultural shock of major proportions during the last quarter of the 19th century. The exquisite shikisai kankaku (sense of color), the startling spatial and compositional elements and the sublime craftsmanship of the Japanese arts took the continent by storm. Many well-known collectors...
CULTURE / Books
May 9, 2010

From a public toilet to outer space, sliding in filth all the way

In his 1989 essay "Stalking the Billion-Footed Beast" Tom Wolfe argues: "It was realism that created the 'absorbing' or 'gripping' quality that is peculiar to the novel, the quality that makes the reader feel that he has been pulled not only into the setting of the story but also into the minds and central...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 7, 2010

Julian's stroke of genius

Fresh off the stage in Denver, Colorado, Julian Casablancas is contemplating the cyclical nature of his forthcoming Japanese shows. The release of his solo album "Phrazes for the Young," subsequent tour and news of The Strokes' recent reconciliation have ensured that the next six months will be busy....
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL: KEYES' POINT
May 5, 2010

Rusuban: The family oni is left holding the fort

"Daddy, when I grow up I wanna be a kyabajō (キャバ嬢, nightclub hostess)!"
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.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
May 3, 2010

Accusations about Japan's youths lacking 'animal spirits' off mark

The old are invariably critical of the young. Japan is no exception. The older generation finds much to bemoan in the attitudes and behaviors of their successors.
LIFE
May 2, 2010

Between Japan and America: time, space and remembrance

About a century ago, my grandfather departed economically depressed Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu for Hawaii, followed by my grandmother. Then came the birth of two sons, the younger my father, on the island of Maui.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
May 2, 2010

Renho: Japan's fiscal firebrand

Renho, a first-term Upper House member from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, shot to stardom in Japan last November when, as a member of a government committee tasked with screening ministries' budget requests, she had several fierce, face-to-face battles with bureaucrats.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 2, 2010

Downed in her prime, a beacon of Japan's emerging new culture

The formative culture of a country is its subculture. Mainstream culture is about the present; subculture creates the future.
EDITORIALS
May 1, 2010

China's summer showcase

Expo 2010 — a six-month event starting May 1 in Shanghai, the largest city in China — will showcase the recent economic development and internationalization of the world's most populous country, once a revolutionary nation that directly challenged the Western political and economic order. The event's...
EDITORIALS
Apr 30, 2010

Russia extends its reach

Russia has considered states on its periphery as part of its sphere of influence. Frequently, however, those neighbors have had ideas of their own and their domestic politics have been defined by the struggle between pro- and anti-Russian factions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 30, 2010

'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire'

"Precious" is a "woman's movie" — it speaks to women, rubs them rightly or wrongly, touches a few raw nerves. Male viewers may find it hard to stomach. The scene in the screening room after the lights came on reflected this. The distributors were grouped around the entrance doors, collecting the critics'...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
Apr 28, 2010

Mao's magnetism resonates on a global scale

Ever think you had a fairly good idea of the popularity of a public figure only to be completely blown away when you truly found out?
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Apr 28, 2010

Toshiba television to stream its content from the Internet

Change of view: Traditionally, the preferred methods of delivering content have been over the airwaves or on video tape or disc. In the wings, though, is the rival technique of watching TV footage sent into homes via the Web. Toshiba is trumpeting this newer method with its latest Regza LCD televisions,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
Apr 23, 2010

"Taylor Deupree: Unseen"

NADiff ClosesApril 25
CULTURE / Books
Apr 18, 2010

Troubled times call for such a hero

Japanese history is replete with heroes admired for successfully challenging the status quo. Nostalgia for such figures increases during tough times, as seen in the "Ryoma boom" borne from the TV series on Sakamoto Ryoma, the Meiji Restoration hero. However, the nation might benefit more from studying...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 17, 2010

Fuji veteran brings kids English Adventure

If you hike in the Chichibu mountains this summer in Saitama Prefecture, you may stumble across an American-style summer camp with huge tents and 50 to 60 school kids exploring nature with walks and tree-climbing adventures and enjoying campfires and roasting marshmallows.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 16, 2010

'Moon'/'An Education'

If hell is other people, as existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre famously put it, then Sam Bell has the best job in the world: He leads a solitary existence on a lunar base, where he's the only human employee in charge of a mostly robotic-controlled installation that mines fusion energy from beneath...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 14, 2010

What the nation's girl sports managers offer Japan

One of the best-selling books of the past month is called "Moshi Kokoyakyuno Jyoshi Manejyaga Drucker no Management wo Yondara"(「もし高校野球の女子マネージャーがドラッカーのマネージメントを読んだら」"If the Girl Manager of a High School Baseball Team Read Drucker's...
EDITORIALS
Apr 11, 2010

A high price for drug smuggling

On April 6 China executed a Japanese national for the first time since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1972. On Friday, three more Japanese men were executed for drug-related offenses.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 11, 2010

Enduring effects of social class

This is a great collection of essays by sociologists and anthropologists who have convincingly brought class back into our understanding of contemporary Japan. In doing so they expose the myth of the ubiquitous middle class popularized by Ezra Vogel and also reject Chie Nakane's argument that workers'...
BUSINESS / SOUTH KOREAN JOURNALIST SYMPOSIUM
Apr 10, 2010

S. Korean recovery masks tough challenges ahead

South Korea managed a relatively quick recovery from the global financial crisis — with a 0.2 percent gross domestic product increase in 2009 — but the country will need to invest in new engines of the economy to secure future growth, veteran journalists from the country told a recent symposium in...

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo