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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Jan 1, 2012

Mayumi Kagita: A fusion of cultures revealed in dance

On Nov. 19, the Pit hall of the New National Theatre, Tokyo, in Shibuya, was filled with hundreds of eager theater-goers. They had come to see a performance of "Onna Goroshi Abura no Jigoku" ("The Women-Killer and the Hell of Oil"), a play written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1724) — Japan's greatest...
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2012

What 2011 means for Japan in 2012 and beyond

We asked three long-term foreign residents to give their thoughts about Japan's past year and the coming year.
COMMENTARY
Dec 31, 2011

Year of revolution and crisis

Every year brings changes, but some years really are turning points: 1492, 1789, 1914, and 1989, for example. Does 2011 belong in the august company of such Really Important Years? Probably not, but it definitely qualifies for membership in the second tier of Quite Important Years.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Dec 31, 2011

Spurs in position to live up to stature

Bill Shankly, the former Liverpool manager, once remarked that Tottenham is not a club which wins trophies, it loses them. Harsh but fair. Since their last title 50 years ago, Spurs have won the F.A. Cup five times, the League Cup four times, two UEFA Cups and one European Cup Winners' Cup, a poor return...
EDITORIALS
Dec 30, 2011

Resurrection of Yanba Dam project

The government and the Democratic Party of Japan on Dec. 23 decided to resume work to construct the Yanba Dam in Gunma Prefecture and to include a necessary fund in the fiscal 2012 budget after a two-year freeze. By this decision, the DPJ has broken one of the main promises in its manifesto for the August...
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 30, 2011

Miyazaki improves roster with addition of Mims

It's the time of the season for teams to add reinforcements as they begin jockeying for playoff positions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 30, 2011

Heian Period 'Godfather' brought to life on NHK

Marlon Brando's title character in the 1972 film "The Godfather" might not be the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of 12th century warlord Taira no Kiyomori, but the comparison has proven particularly effective for public broadcaster NHK, which will air a yearlong Sunday-evening drama about...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2011

Real estate unit projects 18% rise in condo sales in '12

Nomura Real Estate Holdings Inc. plans to boost its home sales by about 18 percent next year as a drop in housing inventories signaled a rebound after the March 11 earthquake.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 29, 2011

Kabuki returns to its Asakusa home for special New Year's performances

As kabuki fans will already know, for more than 30 years, the Kokaido (public hall) in Asakusa has celebrated the Tokyo district's history as a thriving entertainment area by reviving the Edo Period (1603-1867) tradition of New Year's special kabuki performances. These shows have also become a great...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 29, 2011

Best of 2011: Vampillia "Rule the World/Deathtiny Land"

Wanting to attract attention at Texas' South by Southwest music Festival in March, Osaka's Vampillia bound vocalist Psychic Yamanashi in a plastic-wrap straitjacket, tied a chain around his neck, and led him through downtown Austin. To add to the spectacle, he periodically had fake seizures. Meanwhile,...
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2011

Carmakers banking on incentives

The Japanese auto industry hopes the government's new incentives for green cars will increase overall sales by about 900,000 vehicles in 2012 at a time when exports aren't likely to grow sharply amid the strong yen and overseas economic slowdown, the head of the industry's lobby group said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2011

Few options for left-behind parents even if Hague OK'd

In July 2003, Paul Toland arrived to an empty home at the U.S. Navy's family housing facility in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. Gone were his Japanese wife and baby daughter. What was left was a note: "Contact my lawyers."
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2011

JTA ticket giveaway scrapped

The Japan Tourism Agency's plan to offer 10,000 free round-trip tickets to prominent foreign Web users has been scuttled by the Finance Ministry, which rejected its ¥1.18 billion budget request for fiscal 2012.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 29, 2011

Shonen Knife celebrates 30 years

Today we celebrate 30 years under the Knife. Yes, it was on Dec. 29, 1981, that three teenage girls — Naoko Yamano, her sister Atsuko and their friend Mitchie Nakatani — entered an Osaka rehearsal studio for the first time. They emerged as Shonen Knife.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 29, 2011

Best of 2011: 0.8 Byo to Shogeki "1-bo 2-bo 3-bo 4-bo 5-bo 6-bo Toyo no Techno"

Alternative-rock subgenres have been sabotaged by J-rock bands whose lack of uniqueness has made a once-exciting genre stale. This year, though, 0.8 Byo to Shogeki recaptured that alternative spirit from the 1990s with "1-bo 2-bo 3-bo 4-bo 5-bo 6-bo Toyo no Techno."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 29, 2011

Best of 2011: Shinpei Ruike 4 Piece Band "Sector b"

As member of the ultra-hip Naruyoshi Kikuchi Dub Sextet, Shinpei Ruike has developed an instantly identifiable sound and is arguably the best trumpeter of his generation in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 29, 2011

Best of 2011: Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto "Summvs"

Pioneers in their own respective musical fields, Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto) and Ryuichi Sakamoto began their exploration of sound and visual arts, evocatively titled the Virus Series, in 2002. Nine years on and the fifth and final installment of the collection, "Summvs," reaches the apex of their...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2011

Prepare for the Colder War

Santa Claus may see you when you're sleeping, but NORAD makes sure it sees Santa pretty much round-the-clock. The North American Aerospace Defense Command not only follows Saint Nick's sleigh ride with its famous NORAD Tracks Santa site, but it is also involved in a struggle over resources, border control...
EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2011

Budget with record-high spending

The Noda Cabinet on Saturday endorsed the fiscal 2012 budget to be submitted to the Diet. The general account spending will drop 2.2 percent from the fiscal 2011 initial budget to ¥90.33 trillion — the first fall in six years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / LIGHT GIST
Dec 27, 2011

2011: a year of disaster in quotes

This year produced more than its share of memorable quotes, many of which were inspired by the March 11 disaster and its aftermath. But figures from other fields, from sports to entertainment, also said things worth repeating. Here is a sampling, in chronological order:
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 27, 2011

Many angles to acquiring Japanese citizenship

Nationality has long been a controversial issue in Japan. For most, it is something they are born with; for others, it is something they had to fight for. For some, nationality may be a source of pride, while for others, it may be the cause of discrimination.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2011

China sales set to dip at Hitachi Construction

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., the nation's second-largest heavy-equipment maker, said Chinese demand for excavators will decline in the first half of next year as monetary tightening slows construction projects.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2011

Noda under tax hike pressure

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda faces escalating pressure to secure support for higher taxes after the budget plan for fiscal 2012 revealed the government's record dependence on borrowing.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2011

The greater evil is to expect an Asia-Pacific war

Now that the war in Afghanistan appears to be reaching an end, President Barack Obama has indicated that the United States will shift focus toward the Asia-Pacific.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2011

'Pro-Israel' doesn't mean backing status quo

Advocates of strong U.S.-Israel relations have aimed for decades to keep Israel from being a divisive issue in American politics. Yet Israel is one of very few foreign policy issues already rating attention in the 2012 presidential election.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.