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EDITORIALS
May 20, 2013

Tsuruga reactor's active fault

The identification of a geological fracture zone beneath a Tsuruga nuclear plant reactor as an active fault may force the decommissioning of the reactor in Fukui Prefecture.
CULTURE / Books
May 19, 2013

Ranpo's novella of a desecrated grave continues to send shivers

There has long been a taste in Japan for the bizarre and abnormal. The experimental Taisho Era was no exception. A desire for sensory experience existed even in cinema. During a funeral scene, for example, an attendant might light sticks of incense in the theater, drawing the audience into the ritual....
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WEEK 3
May 19, 2013

The other costs of concrete

Where does concrete come from? The material has become such a pervasive symbol of human alienation from nature that it's tempting to assume it's just another brutish product of the 18th-century Industrial Revolution.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 19, 2013

Taking it easy on stroll-size Omi-jima

Mr. Hirohisa had made it clear when I called him from the nearest mainland city to the island — Nagato in western Honshu's Yamaguchi Prefecture — that there would be no supper provided that night; nor would he be able to pick me up from the station as expected.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
May 18, 2013

Foreign-born professional strives to reconnect Japanese with koto music

Life in Japan just seems tailor-made for certain foreign residents, who slip into the fabric of this society as smoothly as a hand slides into a glove. American Curtis Patterson, a professional koto player and music teacher, is a case in point.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 17, 2013

Overstayers need speed, lawyer says

Since debuting in October as Japan's first law office catering to foreign nationals, Tokyo Public Law Office Mita Branch — Foreigners and International Service in Minato Ward has been deluged with appointments.
JAPAN
May 17, 2013

11 women in Diet decry Hashimoto

A bipartisan group of female lawmakers Thursday called for Osaka Mayor and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) coleader Toru Hashimoto to retract and apologize for his abrasive comments justifying the sexual enslavement of females during the war and suggesting that U.S. servicemen in Okinawa...
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2013

Hashimoto sticks to guns on sex slaves

Osaka politician Toru Hashimoto refuses to retract his remarks justifying the use of 'comfort woman' during the war and the need for legal brothels in Okinawa for U.S. service members.
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2013

Seoul envoy: Mayor is odd man out

The South Korean ambassador to Japan slams Toru Hashimoto for his remarks justifying Japan's wartime sex slave system, saying the Osaka mayor lacks historical knowledge and regard for the rights of women.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 16, 2013

Thaemlitz's mix tackles antidancing law

It's fitting that I should be meeting Terre Thaemlitz on May 1, International Workers' Day — she wryly refers to herself as a "feminist Marxist" before we begin our interview in proper.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2013

UKIP rides wave of discontent

Britain as well as Japan must contend with xenophobic anti-establishment parties and politicians who want to take their nations back to imaginary periods of isolation.
Reader Mail
May 16, 2013

Sincerely clueless in Tokyo

The thing that struck me about Tokyo Gov. Naoki Inose's Muslim-slurring remarks (May 1 front-page article "Inose apologizes for slurring Muslims") is his apparent clueless obliviousness.
Reader Mail
May 16, 2013

Don't be among the hypocrites

Regarding the May 11 editorial "Preventing use of nuclear weapons": Japan's refusal to sign the international anti-nuclear weapons statement is completely reasonable and consistent with its current defensive policy.
JAPAN / History
May 15, 2013

Hashimoto takes flak for sex slave rationale

The backlash against Osaka political maverick Toru Hashimoto escalates over his remarks justifying Japan's wartime sex slave system and his suggestion that U.S. soldiers in Okinawa use more prostitutes.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 15, 2013

Greisinger eager to make season debut against Giants

Seth Greisinger will make his first start of the season on Wednesday at Tokyo Dome. Not that it matters all that much to the Chiba Lotte Marines right-hander, who is embarking on his seventh year in Japan. After battling his way back from an injury to his right shoulder, Greisinger is just happy to be...
JAPAN
May 14, 2013

Hashimoto struggles to keep Nippon Ishin no Kai relevant, distinct from LDP

The survival of Nippon Ishin no Kai is thrown into doubt as coleader Toru Hashimoto gropes for ways to keep it relevant and distinct from the ruling LDP.
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
May 14, 2013

Interleague schedule will pit PL hurlers against Blanco

On a bright day earlier this season, Tony Blanco wrapped up batting practice and headed back to the Yokohama BayStars clubhouse after sending a litany of balls all over — and a few out of — Yokohama Stadium.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
May 14, 2013

Czech promoter sings way to cultural identity

For singer Eva Miklas Takamine, who also has been head of the Czech Center in Tokyo since March, singing both Czech and Japanese songs is a way of expressing her identity.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
May 14, 2013

Police, media must consider plight of those caught in linguistic dragnet

A national media exerts a powerful influence over the lives of members of its society. For example, rumors or untruths disseminated through print or broadcast can destroy livelihoods and leave reputations in ruins.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
May 14, 2013

On uneven ground: landfill property pitfalls

After the real estate agent unlocked the front door, the musty smell told us that the house had not been aired for some time. He laid out slippers for us and proceeded to raise the shutters and open the windows. Then, upon entering the kitchen he exclaimed, "Katamuite iru" ("It's uneven").
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 13, 2013

Shift the focus, Mr. Prime Minister

An American former prisoner of war asks Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to shift his focus from arguing about who was the 'aggressor' in World War II to an apology.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 12, 2013

Will Mount Fuji celebrate World Heritage status by blowing its top?

On May 1, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs announced it had received notification that Mount Fuji had been recommended for World Heritage status by the UNESCO-affiliated International Council on Monuments and Sites. Formal approval is expected at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Cambodia next month.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 12, 2013

On the trail of ninja in Iga's shadowy past

The bright-pink ninja-emblazoned train isn't exactly the epitome of stealth as it cuts through the forested hills and rice paddies of Mie Prefecture. Neither are visitors' pint-size offspring who race excitedly up the paths of Ueno Park in the city of Iga shrieking their excitement at the prospect of...

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