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Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 18, 2010

Lack of funds fail to stop Tokyo's young theater brigade

As a promising playwright, director and actor, 31-year-old Junichi Hirota highlights a cruel fact running through Japan's theater world — namely that once technicians such as lighting engineers, sound people and set-builders are paid from box-office profits, there's often little or nothing left for...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 18, 2010

Tokyo ballet is blooming

In its short history, the New National Theatre Ballet (NNT Ballet) has performed a total of 42 productions under the auspices of eight choreographers. It's a prolific output for a relatively young company and the company is understandably proud of this achievement.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 11, 2010

Classical pianist Allevi proves that the time is now

W ith an unruly mass of dark ringlets, blue jeans and a pair of black Chuck Taylors, Giovanni Allevi doesn't look like your average classical pianist. But as he talks about the early masters that inspire him, he lights up in a way that marks him as a truly passionate musician.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 23, 2010

What's a rogue gusher when you never had a cherry tree anyway?

Fingerpointing, dear reader, has been elevated to an art. Halliburton is pointing the finger at BP. Transocean is also pointing the finger at BP. And BP, not to be outdone, is pointing fingers at both Halliburton and Transocean.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 16, 2010

Globe-trotting Brit sets a new 'Guinness' record for itchy feet

If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing under ludicrously difficult, not strictly necessary, self-imposed rules. Such was the thinking of 31-year-old Graham Hughes when, stewing on the details of a long-dreamed of plot to visit every country on Earth, he decided to add a bit of hot sauce: He would...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 14, 2010

Here comes 'Othello': 'the best play ever'

"The tragedy 'Othello' was written by Shakespeare at the height of his powers [around 1602], its poetry is finer than 'Hamlet,' its psychology deeper than 'Macbeth,' its love story more compelling than 'Romeo and Juliet,' its heartbreaking tragedy more moving than 'King Lear.' 'Othello' might be the...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / 2010 CENTRAL LEAGUE PREVIEW
Mar 25, 2010

Dragons ready to rain fire on rivals

The following is the second of a two-part preview for the upcoming Nippon Professional Baseball season. Team-by-team previews of the six Central League clubs are listed in order of predicted finish.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 15, 2010

Beginning of new season has BayStars hoping for reversal of fortune

The Yokohama BayStars have a new manager, new players and a new attitude.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 14, 2010

Traditional Tokyo explored in mystery and quiz show; CM of the week: Docomo-Fujitsu

Traditional Tokyo gets the two-hour mystery treatment in "Yorozuya Chobei no Sumidagawa Jiken Fairu Sono Ni" (Chobei Yorozuya's Sumidagawa Incident File No. 2; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.). The hero, Chobei Yorozuya (Kotaro Satomi), is a pawn shop owner in Tokyo's Asakusa district who has quit the police force...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 6, 2010

Journalist gives voice to voiceless

Shin Yamaaki is not familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but she has long understood the plight of the underdog. A chance experience in her 20s forged Yamaaki, 38, into who she is today: a woman who takes on global issues by giving voice to people who might go unheard.
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2010

Ship collision coverage exposes media bias

This week's collision in which a Japanese whaling ship chopped off the bow of an antiwhaling boat off Antarctica not only highlights the international tussle over the contentious hunt but has also led to a clash between Japanese and Western media as well.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 22, 2009

Motorcyclists embrace the spirit of Christmas

For the kids at Elizabeth Sanders Home in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, Dec. 13 was a day they won't forget anytime soon. On that Sunday nearly 80 motorcycles came rolling into their compound carrying more than 150 presents.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 11, 2009

Coach says Singleton could become a star

For the Oita HeatDevils, Rashaad Singleton is the last line of defense.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 31, 2009

Mimi Gates brings Seattle Art Museum's Asian collection back home

When Mimi Gates moved to Seattle in 1994 to be director of the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), it was the museum's superb Asian collection that had lured her away from the Yale University Art Gallery after 19 years working there, 12 as curator and seven as director). At Yale, she had championed Oriental art...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 10, 2009

Pia puts spotlight on young talent

Pia Film Festival, launched in the 1980s to support young filmmakers, has established itself as the platform to move from zero-budget indie filmmaking and film schools to professionalism. The Grand Prix of the festival gives the winner support for their first 35 mm feature film production.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2009

Key gripes converge in Tokyo poll

With the July 12 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election drawing near, opposition parties are beginning to attack the contentious policies endorsed by the bureaucracy and Gov. Shintaro Ishihara.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Jun 17, 2009

A new, faster generation of wireless Internet

Maximum range: WiMax is a form of wireless Internet that operates in much the same way as Wi-Fi, but offers greater range, in theory up to 40 km from a central transmitter, and faster speeds than its sibling. It is also just starting in Japan, whereas Wi-Fi is ubiquitous. As part of a concerted push...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jun 12, 2009

Four Seasons celebrates fireflies

The historic Chinzan-so garden in Mejiro, Tokyo, has celebrated fireflies as a gift of summer since 1954. To coincide with the firefly season, from late May to late July, The Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so is holding a variety of culinary fairs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / TAKING A CHANCE
Jun 9, 2009

Going beyond furniture to lure in all and sundry

Focusing on something few others do can lead to business success, as Fumio Takashima has shown.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 29, 2009

Ace your Japanese proficiency test with the best free Web tools

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) comes up on July 5, so it's time to get studying. What will be your strong points? More importantly, what will be your weak points? The test is divided into three categories — writing/vocabulary; listening; and reading/grammar — and most struggle with...
EDITORIALS
Apr 20, 2009

Raising the bar at law schools

In April 2004, 68 law schools were established in accordance with the nation's legal reform. Since then, the number has increased to 74. Earlier this month, about 5,800 people enrolled in these schools. Those who have not studied law at undergraduate level will have to complete a three-year course and...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 19, 2009

North Korea's rocket test and the road ahead

WASHINGTON — North Korea's motives for its April 5 rocket launch are open to speculation: a demonstration of its ability to reach out and touch the United States; test-marketing to Iranians who are reported to have observed the launch; a "remember me" welcome to the new Obama administration; or some...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / GRAND OLD HOTELS
Mar 1, 2009

Following the footsteps of the famed in Nikko

Behind the front desk of the Nikko Kanaya Hotel hang photos of an unlikely trio: James Curtis Hepburn, Isabella Bird and Zenichiro Kanaya. Hotel President Takayasu Akiyama connected the dots over a cup of java in the Maple Leaf Lounge.
LIFE / Travel / GRAND OLD HOTELS
Mar 1, 2009

Following the footsteps of the famed in Nikko

Behind the front desk of the Nikko Kanaya Hotel hang photos of an unlikely trio: James Curtis Hepburn, Isabella Bird and Zenichiro Kanaya. Hotel President Takayasu Akiyama connected the dots over a cup of java in the Maple Leaf Lounge.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / TAKING A CHANCE
Feb 3, 2009

Globe maker president on top of the world

Terrestrial globes of various sizes fill the third floor of Watanabe Kyogu Co., manufacturer of globes and astronomy education materials in Soka, Saitama Prefecture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Jan 10, 2009

There's a day for everything

Today is Jan. 10, with Japan having now wound down its holiday celebrations and settled in for another hard year of work, work, work.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Nov 7, 2008

White truffles at the Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo will host a "Great Chefs of the World" dinner fair from Nov. 13 to 20 at the Forty Five French restaurant, featuring that rarest of delicacies, white truffles.
BUSINESS
Sep 17, 2008

Matsushita gearing up to market Panasonic brand, ditch National

Major electronics maker Matsushita will scrap its National domestic brand name and start a marketing blitz called "Hello Panasonic" in an ambitious drive to boost market share, company officials said Tuesday.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Aug 22, 2008

Get familiar with the 'G Mark' concept

Earlier this month, Toyota wowed technology watchers when it launched its Winglet — a one-person standup motorized transporter similar to, though more compact than, a Segway. The public will get one of their first glimpses of the machine when it features at Tokyo Big Sight this weekend at Japan's biggest...

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes