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LIFE / Language
Jun 24, 2008

Building bridges across continents and cultures

Twelve Japanese elementary-school students gathered at Yoyogi Elementary School in central Tokyo on Saturday, May 10, to play games, cooperate with and learn a little about a similar group of students at an elementary school in Seoul, South Korea via Webcam on the Internet.
Reader Mail
Jun 22, 2008

Childhood lifestyles exact penalty

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of potential (killers) in Japan today like the 25-year-old who ran amok with a knife in Tokyo's Akihabara district June 8. It is high time that we stop ignoring the problem: Japanese children and young adults have reached the edge of mental breakdown.
Reader Mail
Jun 19, 2008

New perspective on human life

I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Latin American literature and have been reading online articles about the tragic June 8 incident in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. The killing scenes were extremely shocking, and I cannot express enough condolences to those whose family members were victims.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 17, 2008

A vanishing Europe and lifestyle

BRUSSELS — What will it mean to be European 25 years from now? Unlike the United States, whose history as a "melting pot" has given Americans a truly multiethnic character, native Europeans are becoming an endangered species. Europe badly needs immigrants, yet is not culturally prepared to welcome...
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2008

Akihabara attack threat lost in message deluge

To most of Japan, the deadly stabbings in Tokyo on June 8 were an incomprehensible act of sudden and indiscriminate violence.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2008

Testing times for Malaysia

SINGAPORE — The man who once gave lectures to the West and its leaders is back again regaling his captive Malaysian audience with his trademark rhetoric.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jun 10, 2008

Chrome Hearts, Giraffe and Eley Kishimoto

Charmed, I'm sure Silver-accessories brand Chrome Hearts launched its Aoyama shop nine years ago, but has recently reopened its doors after a renewal that's given it a fresh charm — one that's much more than just something dangly for your bracelet.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 10, 2008

Health cover; donating clothes

Reader TJ writes:
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 10, 2008

Investigating the linguistic allure of hard-boiled detectives

In Japan as elsewhere, there's an enormous demand for detective fiction, especially in the realm of terebi dorama (TV serials) (テレビドラマ). A well-made keiji-mono (police detective story) (刑事モノ) always soars to the top of the ratings list, partly because viewers can never seem to get...
EDITORIALS
Jun 7, 2008

Protection from a Web of harm

The Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, the Democratic Party of Japan and the Japan Communist Party have worked out a bill aimed at shielding children from harmful Web sites. The Education Resuscitation Council had called for restricting the use of mobile phones by schoolchildren to direct calls and GPS...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jun 6, 2008

"Spa for papa," rooftop beers in Kyoto and the world's largest sake fair

Spa vacation for dad's special day For Father's Day on June 15, the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has prepared a gift ticket package that will give dads time to relax, get rid of their daily stress and check out how healthy, or unhealthy, their lifestyles are.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 6, 2008

Star-studded cast imparts sparkle to Verdi spectacular

The New National Theatre Tokyo is currently staging the opera "La Traviata" for the first time in four years. Renowned Japanese conductor Toshiyuki Kamioka, making his first-ever appearance at the NNT, will lead a cast peppered with world-famous singers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 5, 2008

Humble Harrison bucks his years

COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2008

Reaping harvests of dire hunger worldwide

NEW YORK — Lack of food is rarely the reason people go hungry. Even now, there is enough food in the world, with a bumper harvest this year, but more people cannot afford to buy the food they need. Addressing this growing crisis is the aim of the three-day Global Conference on Food Security in Rome...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Jun 4, 2008

Tokyo upstart offers freeters mobile flexibility

Ryoji Kaneko is always looking for work. It's been six years since the 25-year-old aspiring actor moved to Tokyo from his home in Hyogo Prefecture, and he's still waiting for his big break. He can't get a regular side job because the auditions and the occasional gig require him to have a flexible schedule....
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 3, 2008

Absentee ballot system up, running

Suffrage is a fundamental right of a democracy, and many countries ensure their citizens can cast absentee ballots.
Reader Mail
Jun 1, 2008

The Asian-American perspective

I enjoy many of the The Japan Times' articles online, but I do have one beef to share. I would appreciate it if you could interview more Asian Americans to get their viewpoints. You will find their views are very different from Japanese nationals and white-skinned foreigners.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 24, 2008

Nature eases journey back to one's true self

In 2002, James Heartland found himself unexpectedly on Mount Shasta in northern California. There he fell into conversation with a young Japanese woman on a journey of her own.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 13, 2008

Top medal eluded 'East L.A. Marine'

Armed but alone, U.S. Marine Pfc. Guy Gabaldon roamed Saipan's caves and pillboxes, persuading enemy soldiers and civilians to surrender during the hellish World War II battle on the island.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
May 13, 2008

Yohji Yamamoto, Tsumori Chisato and Soichiro Ito's latest moves

Summer under the sea A deep-sea dive in a coral reef may not be in the cards for your vacation this year, but you can always bring the ocean to you with clothing from Tsumori Chisato.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
May 6, 2008

Activism vs. academia

Back in January, I was a panelist at Waseda University's Global Institute for Asian Regional Integration, invited to give an "activist's perspective" to an academic crowd.
EDITORIALS
May 4, 2008

Thou shalt not steal . . . books

On the surface, Japan appears to be a relatively crime-free and comparatively safe society. One crime, though, is on the rise — shoplifting. A recent survey by the Japan Book Publishers Association for Information Infrastructure Development found that nearly ¥4 billion in books are stolen every year,...
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Apr 30, 2008

Say it with a picture, then share it wirelessly

Durable digital Ricoh has a habit of coming up with its own smart ideas as to what a camera should offer. Its latest bit of creativity is the G600, which intends to make its name for being water- and dust-resistant, not to mention possessing exceptional toughness.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2008

Surging cost of fuel, food drives 1.1% jump in retail sales

Retail sales rose in March as households paid more for gasoline and food, leaving them less to spend on clothing and furniture, government statistics showed Monday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Apr 22, 2008

A prototype in your livingroom

When architect Keiji Ashizawa decided to move his Tokyo studio into a new space last year, he wanted to do something with it before settling in. So he arranged an exhibition last December in which a group of Tokyo-based designers presented all manner of prototypes for commercial products such as the...
Reader Mail
Apr 20, 2008

Destructive Internet addiction

The April 5 article "Internet addiction recognized as 'an illness' " mentions that some people can become addicted to the Internet, spending excessive time online playing games, viewing pornography and doing e-mail.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan