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CULTURE / Books
Sep 20, 2009

Ramen memoir goes down easy

THE RAMEN KING AND I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life, by Andy Raskin. Gotham, 2009, 293 pp., $26 (hardcover) "The year I was a student at International Christian University . . . Japan's automated-teller machines were open only during regular bank hours — weekdays from nine...
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Sep 20, 2009

North Pole discovery, 1923 earthquake, first trans-Pacific flight and Emperor's regret for colonial rule over Korea

100 YEARS AGO Friday, Sept 10, 1909 Discovery of the North Pole Almost any encyclopedia may be consulted for a history of Arctic exploration, and we do not propose here to take up the subject, except to touch on the latest phase of it, namely the discovery of the North Pole itself.
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2009

DPJ emissions goal needs global help: Naoshima

Although the ruling Democratic Party of Japan vowed to slash 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 from 1990 levels, the U.S., India, China and other global players must also join a worldwide framework for Japan to implement the pledge, according to Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masayuki...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 19, 2009

Tokyo rabbi gives unconditionally

"Whatever we have, we give 100 percent," says Binyomin Edery, the 33-year-old chief rabbi at Chabad House in Tokyo. "Our bank account is at zero! If we have one, we give two; if we have two, we give four. That's what we do."
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Sep 18, 2009

Beer enthusiasts gear up for massive cheers in Yokohama

Beer aficionados will be able to taste more than 120 different craft beers at the annual Great Japan Beer Festival 2009 in Yokohama.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Sep 18, 2009

Kudo hoping to find team for next season

Before Kimiyasu Kudo was reduced to mop-up duty on the worst team in Japanese pro baseball, he was one of the aces on a dynasty.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Sep 17, 2009

Statue outside Shinjuku Sumitomo Building

Dear Alice,On the premises of the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building in Tokyo there is a statue of St. Francis of Assisi. It's quite big — larger than lifesize. I've known about it for years, since the building was first constructed, but no one has ever been able to tell me what the heck a prominent saint...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 17, 2009

Why don't we eat bent cucumbers?

An aging agricultural workforce, a food self-sufficiency rate below 40 percent and the constant threat of environmental damage: How can tiny vegetable distribution companies in Chiba Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, tackle the issues facing Japan's farming industry?
EDITORIALS
Sep 16, 2009

The future of rocket business

Japan launched its biggest and newly developed H2B rocket early Friday morning. The rocket placed in orbit Japan's first unmanned space transportation vehicle — the H-2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV) — for transporting supplies to the International Space Station. Around this weekend, the HTV is scheduled...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Sep 15, 2009

Stamp out scandal of tipping in hospitals

Dear incoming minister of health,
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Sep 15, 2009

For TV anchor, learning the lingo is key

Gene Otani, a Japanese national who attended an international school in Kobe throughout his youth, had to take Japanese lessons as a salaried worker when he realized he needed more skill in reading and writing.
BUSINESS
Sep 15, 2009

Firms leery of DPJ emissions vow

Despite plaudits from the international community, Japanese business remains critical of the Democratic Party of Japan's pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Sep 14, 2009

Increasing prospects for jobless recovery will test DPJ policies

About a year has passed since the subprime-mortgage-loan debacle and the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered a global financial crisis and worldwide recession. In Japan, some indicators suggest the economy has bottomed out and may be headed toward recovery. However, the employment situation hasn't...
Reader Mail
Sep 13, 2009

Reopen military realignment talks

In her Sept. 4 article, "Futenma shift puts Hatoyama, U.S. ties to test," AP writer Mari Yamaguchi characterizes the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan as "staunchly pro-Washington." I would rather use the words "ridiculously subservient."
CULTURE / Books
Sep 13, 2009

Securing the best education for your child

GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN JAPAN: From Anxiety to Opportunity, by Caroline Pover. Alexandra, 2009, 667 pp., ¥4,762 (paper) Expatriates in some countries face a scarcity of options when it comes to educating their children, but in Japan the reverse is true: The array of alternatives and the potential...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
Sep 13, 2009

Unhappy alliance: Reeds' mom blasts JSF over funding

The Japan Skating Federation, which has been found wanting in its support of skaters in the past, is once again being called out for its lack of commitment.
EDITORIALS
Sep 12, 2009

Coalition on delicate foundations

The leaders of the Democratic Party of Japan, Social Democratic Party and New People's Party (Kokumin Shinto) agreed Wednesday to form a coalition government. It will ensure that the DPJ, which holds fewer than half of the Upper House seats, has smooth sailing in the Diet. However, the parties appear...
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2009

DPJ takes aim at budget for missile shield

The incoming government led by the Democratic Party of Japan will likely cut missile defense spending because it isn't effective in thwarting attacks from North Korea, a senior party official said.
COMMUNITY
Sep 12, 2009

Living near the Diet as it awaits newcomers

It was about 10 a.m. on a recent morning when, riding my bicycle to work, I saw a man dressed as a horse and carrying a plastic bow and arrow gallop toward the Diet building. I stopped to watch. Tourists pointed and gawked. Two baton-wielding police ran over to rein the horse-man in.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2009

Less work, more play to lift economy: DPJ

Yukio Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan swept to power last month with the promise to revive the nation's moribund economy. One way to do so may be to stop people from working so hard.
BUSINESS
Sep 12, 2009

JAL hoping DPJ doesn't cut loans

Japan Airlines Corp., the recipient of three government bailouts since 2001, will find out soon if the rules have changed.
SPORTS / BOOS AND BRAVOS
Sep 11, 2009

Matsui's August exploits prove he can still be a dependable hitter

BRAVO — Who says Godzilla has reached the point where he's no longer a valuable contributor on the baseball field?

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years