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EDITORIALS
May 20, 2007

Don't be shy about study abroad

A recent report has found that fewer Japanese students than ever are studying abroad. After a peak in the early 1990s, the numbers have declined to the lowest level in years. Remaining in Japan without experiencing life abroad will have repercussions that may last far into the future. More students should...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Mar 25, 2007

There's a world of languages Japanese too can learn

It seems to be conventional wisdom -- if "wisdom" is the word -- that Japanese people do not excel at mastering foreign languages. Some surveys of the results of international English-proficiency tests have them occupying the murky depths, below even the likes of North Koreans. Does the "Dear Leader,"...
Reader Mail
Feb 18, 2007

High-stakes test stress unavoidable

Regarding the Feb. 11 editorial, "Exam system put to the test": Japan's use of high-stakes tests is the unavoidable outcome of its system of differentiation in education. While the anxiety surrounding these tests is unfortunate, it is unavoidable as long as students have to be sorted out.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 5, 2007

Close Europe's gender gap

NEW YORK -- Last spring, The Economist trumpeted "womanpower" as the driving force for the world economy. But if Europe's economy is to become more competitive and innovative, it is not enough that women enter the labor market in droves. To reap the full fruits of women's talents, they must be in more...
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2006

English should be an elective

The debate over whether Japanese children should be taught English at primary school deserves better consideration than it is getting.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Dec 12, 2006

Students spread their wings

Ever since Japan opened its doors to the West, English has been zealously studied in Japan's high schools, night schools, universities and companies.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2006

Keio to absorb pharmacy school

and Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy President Yoshiyuki Hashimoto face the media Monday night in Tokyo to announce their schools' plan to merge. KYODO PHOTO
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2006

Entrance exam blow-back

Some 290 high schools across Japan, most of them publicly run, were found to have not taught all compulsory subjects to students. More than 47,000 students have been affected. Third-year students who will take university entrance exams early next year will especially be in a tight spot. To be able to...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2006

It pays to join China's CCP

LONDON -- The Chinese government recently announced that membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has grown to a record 71 million; apparently there are also 17 million applicants waiting to join. Last year 2,540,000 people were admitted. Since 1990 party membership has grown by almost one-fifth....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2006

Britain to get new Japanese studies center in September

Efforts by Japan experts in Britain to boost Japanese studies in the country will bear fruit this September with the opening of the National Institute of Japanese Studies in the new White Rose East Asia Center.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
May 20, 2006

Norma Diaz de Polski

Mention Argentina, and two stereotypes spring to mind: soccer and beef.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2006

Taiwan's KMT sees stability in status quo

HONOLULU -- Chairman Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan's Nationalist Party, better known as the Kuomintang (KMT) did a marathon swing through the United States in March to deliver several pertinent messages:
COMMENTARY
Apr 13, 2006

Polish Japan's image abroad

LONDON -- Japan's image abroad ought to be better than it is. The Japanese economy has largely recovered. Reform continues. Democratic processes are working. Japanese educational standards and technical abilities are admired. Each of these statements can and no doubt should be qualified, but the overall...
LIFE / Language
Feb 7, 2006

Practical reasons for praising entrance exams

On Saturday, Jan. 21, history was made. And I was a part of it by simply taking a 30-minute listening test. It was the first time that the unified university entrance exams, prepared by MEXT's National Center for University Entrance Examinations, had included listening comprehension. This may very well...
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2006

Unified university entrance exams get under way

Two-day unified entrance exams for universities and colleges began Saturday across Japan as examinees grappled with an English listening comprehension test for the first time.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Jan 8, 2006

Shigeaki Hinohara: Doctor of reforms

Even at the age of 94, Shigeaki Hinohara's mind and memory are so clear as to put some of his medical students to shame. And even despite being Japan's best-known and most highly acclaimed physician -- and chairman of the board of trustees of prestigious St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo --...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 26, 2005

EU must act in a unified manner to catch U.S., keep lead over China and India

The European Union needs to take a regionwide approach -- in addition to independent efforts by member countries -- as it tries to catch the United States in labor productivity and remain competitive vis-a-vis emerging powers like China and India, a top economic adviser to the French government told...
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2005

Internet, animation grad schools get a thumbs down

An education ministry panel came out Monday against the establishment of two graduate schools, one aiming to provide courses over the Internet and the other for training animation experts.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 19, 2005

U.N. University takes on environmental challenges

Few realize that in the three decades of its existence, United Nations University (UNU) has been developing into a global organization comprising UNU enter in To- kyo and 12 Research and Training Centers and Programs (RTC/Ps) around the world, working in cooperation with a large, global network of associated...

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