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COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 29, 2012

Safe blood requires strict, and detailed, standards

In last week's column, several people living in Japan explained that whether they were able to donate blood was primarily determined by health or safety concerns rather than Japanese language ability, which we originally discussed in our April 3 column, "Less-than-fluent foreigners may have trouble giving...
Reader Mail
May 27, 2012

The road to a volunteer culture

Regarding the May 18 editorial "Helping people help NPOs": With more companies concerned about corporate social responsibility, this is a great time to start encouraging companies to cooperate with the operations of nongovernmental organizations. I just came back from Japan after living there through...
BUSINESS
May 26, 2012

Toyota plots major push in emerging markets

Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday it plans to boost compact car sales tenfold in emerging markets by 2015 by adding seven new models and boosting local production and procurement in countries where rising wages are boosting demand.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2012

BOJ maintains rate as eurozone worries grow

The Bank of Japan maintained its zero interest rate policy Wednesday while offering a somber assessment of global financial markets, saying close attention is needed "mainly due to concern about the European debt problem."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
May 22, 2012

Minae Inahara, part-time lecturer at Rikkyo University

Minae Inahara, 39, is a part-time lecturer at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. With a PhD in philosophy from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, she has been researching disability on three continents: Australia, Asia and Europe. She is an expert in the exploration of the phenomenology of disability....
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 22, 2012

Once one and only, Sony seeks to regain that status

Despite reporting a record ¥457 billion annual loss last year, Sony Corp. earlier this month said it would return to the black in fiscal 2012 with a ¥30 billion profit.
Reader Mail
May 20, 2012

Promote respect, not sympathy

Regarding the May 16 Kyodo article "Ministry to urge employers to hire more women": I feel the motive here is incorrect. Instead of taking up this initiative to "improve [women's] employment conditions", the labor ministry should make efforts to acknowledge the value that women can add to the nation's...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 20, 2012

The sky's the limit

After the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11 last year, the performance of the spectacularly tall Tokyo Sky Tree going up in the capital's downtown Sumida Ward became a subject of heightened interest to experts, residents and the general public alike.
EDITORIALS
May 19, 2012

A rare annular eclipse

The morning of May 21 will give many people a opportunity to start becoming interested in the universe and science. An annular eclipse of the sun can be observed in large areas of Japan along the Pacific around 7:30 a.m. that day.
JAPAN
May 18, 2012

Owner OK with metro bid to buy disputed Senkaku Islands

Ever since Hiroyuki Kurihara and his family took title to the Senkaku Islands in the 1970s, they have firmly kept to the will of the previous owner: The islets are not to be sold to anyone but the Japanese government or a public organization.
BASKETBALL
May 18, 2012

Ryukyu star Newton set for seventh straight Final Four

This is arguably the most remarkable statistic in the bj-league's seven-year history: Center Jeff Newton's teams have advanced to the Final Four every season.
Reader Mail
May 17, 2012

Train lights wasting electricity

Regarding the serious shortfalls in electrical energy predicted for Kansai and other regions of Japan this summer, it troubles me to see obvious waste by those who should know better. At this time, all segments of society should be taking action to eliminate any extravagance in their use of electrical...
BUSINESS
May 16, 2012

Mixi founder seen set to unload stake

Domestic social network pioneer Mixi Inc. has stumbled and the once rising star has been eclipsed by its giant U.S. competitor Facebook and domestic social game operators.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN TIMES BLOGROLL
May 16, 2012

Tokyo Green Space

What do you see when you look at Tokyo? Hypermodern constructions of steel and concrete? Cubic, characterless office buildings? Jared Braiterman sees green ... in the back streets, in the small cracks of dirt on the sidewalks and on his balcony. He finds patches, slivers and swaths of nature that tourists...
EDITORIALS
May 16, 2012

Shaky resolve on North Korea

The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea, meeting in Beijing on Sunday, agreed to strengthen cooperation toward preventing a nuclear explosion test by North Korea and to launch talks this year on a trilateral free trade deal. But their joint statement, issued one day late, failed to mention North...
Japan Times
JAPAN / 40 YEARS AFTER REVERSION
May 15, 2012

40 years after return, Okinawa still struggling to grow up

First of five parts When people turn 40, they have reached a milestone age and one that often entails various responsibilities beyond caring just for oneself.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2012

Utilities' bond risk climbing amid nuclear shutdowns

The bond risk of nuclear power companies had the largest weekly increase in seven months led by Kansai Electric Power Co., the utility likely to face the biggest electricity shortage this summer, after the country shut its last reactor.

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