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COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 22, 2007

Preparing for . . . the Christmas that never comes

You think Christmas celebrations start too early in your country? So that when Christmas finally comes, you've already had enough of it? Where do you think "Season's Greetings" comes from?
BUSINESS
Dec 22, 2007

What every travel agent knows: 'Tis the season to splurge

Although the economy remains weak and the prices of oil and other commodities continue to rise, many Japanese consumers throw caution to the wind come holiday season.
EDITORIALS
Dec 22, 2007

'The Bulldozer' wins in Seoul

South Korea has a new president. As anticipated, former Hyundai CEO Lee Myung Bak won a landslide victory in Wednesday's election. A conservative, Mr. Lee has promised to re-examine many of the policies of his predecessors. His presidency offers Japan a chance to rebuild a crucial relationship that has...
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2007

Budget rise eyed for '08 seen as reform retreat

The Finance Ministry proposed Thursday raising the fiscal 2008 budget to ¥83.06 trillion in what may signal a retreat from the government's pursuit of fiscal reform.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2007

BOJ leaves interest rates alone, downgrades slowing economy

The economy is slowing due to weakness in housing investment and cautious corporate sentiment, the central bank chief said Thursday, hours after leaving its benchmark interest rate at 0.5 percent.
Japan Times
Reference / Special Presentations / WITNESS TO WAR
Dec 20, 2007

A long life of peace that sprung from war

Twelfth in a series
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Dec 18, 2007

Mistletoe

Dear Alice,
Reader Mail
Dec 18, 2007

U.S. doesn't own blacklists

The Dec. 9 Kyodo article "Japan-U.S. alliance seen entering period of drift" spills a lot of ink over Japan's reaction to U.S. plans to remove North Korea from the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism. That topic has caused considerable stir among Japanese people since such action by the United...
SOCCER
Dec 16, 2007

FSU's Yamaguchi finalist for top honor

Less than a week after helping to lead the Florida State University women's soccer team to the first national championship game in its history, Tokyo native Mami Yamaguchi was named a finalist for the 2007 MAC Hermann Trophy, presented to the United States' top collegiate player.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 16, 2007

Readers chime in about Giants 'jinx'

A couple of readers sent me their opinions about the subject of last week's column: the supposed "Giants jinx." It seemingly afflicts foreign players who play in Japan for one team, then cannot reach agreement on a new contract, so they move to the Yomiuri Giants, only to find bad luck, coincidental...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 16, 2007

'Kyoko' shines on as the true star she was

Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the death of a wonderful friend. Actress and author Kyoko Kishida passed away on Dec. 17, 2006, and Japan lost not only a fantastic stage presence but also an immense creative spirit and inspiration to its young actors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Dec 16, 2007

How to handle a mobster on the move

Status and fear can do a swift job of clearing a congested road ahead of you. It's a phenomenon I've seen twice on double-lane highways in Japan in the past six months. One time, crawling along at 15 kph in heavy traffic, I spotted a convoy of three black S-Class limos in my rearview mirror threading...
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Dec 14, 2007

A tycoon's field of dreams

On Oct. 16 a Japanese media tycoon was awarded the Newspaper Culture Prize by the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association (JNPEA) at its 60th general meeting in Nagano.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 13, 2007

Freed by the war

Nationalism — especially in the Japanese context — routinely gets a bad press.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Dec 12, 2007

Asashoryu Akinori — the people's champion?

The 2007 sumo season has drawn to a close, and no sumo fan in his or her right right mind would want to see a repeat of it.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2007

Tenacity, chance imported Krispy Kreme craze

The long lines of people waiting for the taste of fresh glazed doughnuts don't seem to be getting any shorter at Krispy Kreme outlets in the Tokyo area, even after the U.S. doughnut chain's third store opened last month in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture.
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2007

Machinery orders rise at double the expected pace

Machinery orders rebounded in October, rising at twice the pace economists had forecast, suggesting companies are confident sales in Asia and Europe will compensate for waning demand from the U.S.
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2007

Merchants most pessimistic in four years: survey

Merchants in November became the most pessimistic they've been in four years as stagnant wages and record gasoline prices prompt consumers to pare spending.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2007

Cabinet pair issue car-top plea to horde at Shibuya

In a rare show of desperation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura and Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba stood atop a van Sunday in the crowded main intersection of Tokyo's Shibuya district, urging public support to pass the special antiterrorism bill now stranded in the Upper House.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 11, 2007

Shipping, martial arts, health costs

Heading home HB has been teaching English in Aomori Prefecture for over 20 years and is planning to retire in the U.S.
Japan Times
LIFE
Dec 9, 2007

Eating away at a lifestyle

Tuna has been much in the news in 2007. The year began with Japan's quota for Atlantic or northern bluefin tuna being reduced by 23 percent from the 2006 level for the next four years and the nation's Pacific or southern bluefin tuna quota slashed by 50 percent for the next five years by the tuna conservation...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 9, 2007

Kroon latest player to attempt to break 'Yomiuri jinx'

Can Marc Kroon break a jinx with the Giants?
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2007

Three hanged and named in ministry first

The Justice Ministry executed three death-row inmates Friday and, in a break with its secrecy policy, released their names and details directly to the public.

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