Search - 2012

 
 
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2012

ODA transforming Mozambique

Japan's international aid took a back seat in 2011 as the nation was besieged by natural and man-made disasters, a historically strong yen and political turmoil that unseated yet another prime minister.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 6, 2012

'Perfect Sense'

Will the world end with a whimper or a bang? That may well depend on whether you're at the multiplex or the art house. While blockbusters continue to relish the visual bombastics of Armageddon (the most wanton example being "2012"), a number of smaller films are also delving into the dark dramatic potential...
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 6, 2012

Big man Holm gives Albirex a powerful presence inside

What was the best offseason pickup by a bj-league team?
EDITORIALS
Jan 6, 2012

SDF mission in South Sudan

The government on Dec. 20 adopted an action plan to send Ground Self-Defense Force engineers in 2012 as part of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), in which some 5,500 people from 59 countries are taking part.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 6, 2012

'Spamalot' cast hopes 2012 is Year of the Python

"This is Spam," says Eric Idle to a room full of Japanese journalists, holding up a can of the precooked meat product that he and his fellow Monty Python cast members mocked to lasting effect in 1970 in their iconic BBC TV series.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Jan 6, 2012

Hatsu Basho 2011 — time for domestic rekishi to shine

For around a decade much has been made of the lack of domestic born talent in professional sumo. No Japanese sekitori has won a yusho now for six full years — the last local winner being then ozeki Tochiazuma back in January of 2006.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2012

Toyota's U.S. sales top estimates as Kia surges

Toyota Motor Corp.'s December sales gain beat analysts' estimates and Kia Motors Corp. had the biggest increase among Asia-based brands, capping the U.S. auto industry's best year since 2008.
EDITORIALS
Jan 5, 2012

Futenma issue in impasse

Confusion surrounded the submission to the Okinawa prefectural government of an official document related to the Japan-U.S. plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the densely populated Ginowan to the less populated Henoko in Nago, both on Okinawa Island. This indicates that the relocation...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / TECH_JAPAN
Jan 4, 2012

A look back at the best games of 2011

It's that time of year again: Time to look back at all the games that were released in 2011 and sort out the best of the best. Which games won over gamers and stood out from the pack?
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."

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji