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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2011

Softbank joins Alibaba-led acquisition talks for Yahoo

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Softbank Corp. are in advanced talks with Blackstone Group LP and Bain Capital LLC about making a bid to buy Yahoo! Inc. in its entirety, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
Reader Mail
Dec 1, 2011

Unbalanced article on immigrants

Hiroaki Sato's Nov. 28 article, "Learning to live with the builders of America," is less an examination of current issues than an illustration of the author's bias.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2011

Bhutan royals trip masks rights issues

The recent visit by Bhutan's king and queen helped raise the country's profile in Japan and even spurred interest in travel to the country, but few Japanese seem to be aware that Bhutan, often portrayed as an idyllic Himalayan getaway, has forced more than 70,000 Nepalese to leave the country as refugees,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Nov 29, 2011

Thanksgiving: food, family, but hold the 'chong chew' turkey

We are flying what seems like dangerously low over Boston Harbor. From my window seat, I see waves crash into rocks, spraying foam, and colorful boats with flapping sails. After touching down safely in the city, the pilot wishes us all a happy Thanksgiving.
EDITORIALS
Nov 29, 2011

Welfare recipients hit new high

The health and welfare ministry announced on Nov. 9 that the number of people on welfare receiving livelihood assistance known as seikatsu hogo (literally livelihood protection) reached 2,050,495 nationwide as of July 2011, topping the monthly average record of 2,046,646 marked in fiscal 1951, when Japan...
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2011

Investors driving up JGB yields at hasty pace amid downgrade worries

Investors are driving up Japanese government bond yields at the fastest pace in almost 11 months, and the move may continue before two auctions this week amid concern the nation may face a credit-ratings downgrade.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 29, 2011

Make it home for the holidays ... or at least as close as possible

Yes, the Christmas season is supposed to be about intangibles like gratitude, giving, and joyful time shared with family and friends. But one must eat, too. Foreigners in Japan who aren't used to feasting on fast-food fried chicken and fancy cakes as key parts of the holiday might find themselves craving...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 28, 2011

The two pillars of the world's future

Our world is about to be transformed. It is too early to tell what changes will come about. Yet, there is a premonition that the future relationship between America and China will set the course for the entire world.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 28, 2011

Existential fear stalks M.D.s

The Japan Medical Association (JMA), once the most powerful lobby group with mighty political clout, still clings to its position of staunchly opposing any scheme to increase the number of doctors, in order to protect its own vested interests.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Nov 28, 2011

'Japanization' needn't be an economic curse word

Everybody walks in fear of Japanization these days. Everybody wants to avoid their version of the lost decade. They don't want to see their economies become locked into a never-ending spiral of deflation, Japanese-style.
Reader Mail
Nov 27, 2011

Send paternalistic types packing

As an "English gentleman," brought up in the latter days of the British Empire, I was encouraged to feel "superior" in being British. As a military officer, I was instructed to be superior to those of a lower rank, so I know much about "superiority". But we were taught NOT to feel superior in matters...
Reader Mail
Nov 27, 2011

Beware the foreign academics

Regarding the Nov. 22 Zeit Gist article by Nicolas Gattig, "MacArthur, identity theory and Japan's lingering eigo woes": I'm sure that Gattig-sensei receives many murmurs of approval as well as hidden yawns when he makes presentations at Japanese ESL conferences. This same glib message can no doubt be...
COMMUNITY
Nov 26, 2011

Tohoku kids to get Irish cheer

Irish musicians will bring songs, drawings and messages to encourage and give hope to survivors of the March 11 catastrophe — especially the children — in the Tohoku region from Dec. 6 to 8.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 25, 2011

Friendly Fires to indulge pop pleasures on tour

Friendly Fires are happy to finally be back on home turf. It's no wonder, the year has been predominantly spent living out the tale of their song "Hawaiian Air," the highlight of second album "Pala" that typifies the trio's dance-pop vision while bemoaning the monotony of tour travel. Consequently, drummer...
BUSINESS
Nov 25, 2011

S&P hints new downgrade over debt

Standard & Poor's said Thursday Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's administration hasn't made progress in tackling the public debt burden, an indication it may be preparing to lower the nation's sovereign grade.
Reader Mail
Nov 24, 2011

Reports are walloping tourism

The Nov. 18 front-page article "Cesium fallout widespread" states that there has been continued testing of soil throughout Hokkaido since before and after the March 11 nuclear accidents at Fukushima, the results of which can be found at: http://monitoring-hokkaido.info/index.php?lang=en

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight