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Reader Mail
Sep 1, 2011

Tea party endorses democracy

Professor Yoshi Tsurumi's Aug. 26 article, "The DPJ face of Obama perplexes Japanese voters," contains several assertions that are not factually correct. First of all, the American tea party is not "anti-government and anti-democratic." The tea party consists of Democrats, Independents and Republicans...
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2011

Strong yen damaging Toyota supplier Denso

Denso Corp., Toyota Motor Corp.'s biggest auto parts supplier, said the strong yen is undermining its recovery from the March 11 earthquake and may prevent the company from raising its full-year profit forecast.
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Aug 30, 2011

Markets relieved by Noda but obstacles remain

Market watchers and political experts welcomed the victory of Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, an advocate of a tax hike and a fiscal hawk, in the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential race Monday but the new DPJ leader, who was expected to be appointed prime minister Tuesday, faces an uphill battle...
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2011

Noda victorious in race for prime minister

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda won the Democratic Party of Japan presidency Monday and will replace Naoto Kan as prime minister, becoming the ruling party's third leader since it swept to power in the historic 2009 general election.
EDITORIALS
Aug 29, 2011

Mr. Kim goes to Russia

North Korea's reclusive supreme leader, Mr. Kim Jong Il, has ventured to Russia to meet President Dmitry Medvedev and discuss regional affairs. Mr. Kim repeated his readiness to return to the stalled Six-Party Talks "without preconditions" while Mr. Medvedev reportedly offered North Korea partnership...
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2011

Five face off over policies ahead of poll

Campaigning for the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election officially kicked off Saturday, with five candidates vying to succeed Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
EDITORIALS
Aug 26, 2011

Accelerate decontamination

Some 100,000 people are still living as evacuees away from their homes in the wake of the severe accidents at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Kyodo News has reported that some 17,000 children in Fukushima Prefecture have changed schools or kindergartens because of radiation...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2011

Five myths about Mormonism

The campaigns by Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr. for the Republican presidential nomination, along with the popular and profane Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon," are putting Mormons in the public eye. But common caricatures — not to mention some of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'...
BUSINESS
Aug 24, 2011

Toyota, Ford join in hybrid autos

Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said they will collaborate to develop a hybrid system for light trucks and sport utility vehicles.
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2011

All eyes on potential Maehara election bid

With the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election set to pick Prime Minister Naoto Kan's successor possibly in a week, a key focus has been whether former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara will throw his hat into the ring.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 23, 2011

Civics built great but seen slipping on design front

Honda Motor Co.'s reputation for world-class manufacturing may belie a slipping emphasis on design just as the automaker's North American factories are preparing to return to full production.
EDITORIALS
Aug 22, 2011

China's dream boat

China's first aircraft carrier left Dalian port in northeastern Liaoning Province on Aug. 10 and started its first sea trial. There is a speculation that if everything goes smoothly, it will be commissioned on Oct. 1, 2012, China's national founding day.
EDITORIALS
Aug 21, 2011

More money for women athletes

The women's soccer team has won more than a first place victory in the Women's World Cup. They have also won increased financial support for women athletes in Japan. The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry (MEXT) announced recently it would be increasing financial support for...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Aug 21, 2011

Veteran umpire Hirako remembered fondly after passing

Japanese sports papers and various Web sites on Aug. 17 reported the death of former Central League umpire Kiyoshi Hirako.
EDITORIALS
Aug 19, 2011

A grand coalition for what?

Finance minister Yoshihiko Noda, who is expected to run for an election to choose the next chief of the Democratic Party of Japan to succeed Prime Minister Naoto Kan, has called for the formation of a grand coalition between the ruling DPJ and the Nos. 1 and 2 opposition parties, the Liberal Democratic...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2011

Toyota yanks Yaris sedan in U.S.

Toyota Motor Corp. said it will sell its new subcompact Yaris only as a hatchback to U.S. drivers, dropping the slower-selling sedan version, as the automaker releases new models to regain lost sales.
COMMENTARY
Aug 17, 2011

Ten ways to reduce America's budget deficit

It's true: Deficit reduction isn't an economic panacea. It won't instantly boost the economy or the stock market. It won't automatically end financial turmoil. But none of this means that we should ignore deficits. Allowing the government's debt to spiral upward tempts a full-blown future financial crisis....
BUSINESS
Aug 17, 2011

JAL joins partners in low-cost carrier bid

Japan Airlines Corp., Mitsubishi Corp. and Australia's Qantas Group announced Tuesday they will jointly launch a low-cost carrier in Japan, aiming to boost their competitiveness in the market here amid an influx of budget carriers.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Aug 14, 2011

Time for bj-league to make serious push for recognition

In nearly two months, the bj-league will begin its seventh season. The fact that the league still exists is, well, an accomplishment; many upstart circuits don't survive this long.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Aug 13, 2011

Young dancers reap fruits of choreographer's expertise

Kimiho Hulbert danced before she could talk. Crawling backstage between dressing rooms of her Japanese mother and British father, both professional dancers in Belgium where she was born, Hulbert even disdained her first official ballet class at 2 years old as "too babyish."
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Aug 13, 2011

Man United still set the standard

Selecting the elite group from which the 2012 English champion will come is easy: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City.
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2011

Fewer orders seen as warning sign

A four-month slump in foreign orders for Japanese machinery may be the latest sign that waning demand is threatening to derail the global economic recovery.

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