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Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 7, 2007

The cross-cultural theater connection

John Caird doesn't see his staging of three plays in Japan this summer as making a big splash that leaves ever-decreasing ripples that then fade away.
EDITORIALS
Jun 5, 2007

Avoid the security dilemma in Asia

Military modernization is a constant process. Securing the state and protecting its citizens are the first tasks of any government. Militaries are vital to achieving these objectives, even though they are not the only means for doing so. Moreover, wise governments recognize that security is not absolute...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jun 5, 2007

Japanese system stifles foreign scientific talent

Left unchecked, Japan's aging population and decreasing birthrate will reduce domestic economic productivity and, ultimately, affect the quality of life of all those who inhabit these islands.
EDITORIALS
Jun 3, 2007

Let Japanese film out of the forest

Naomi Kawase's Grand Prix at the 60th Cannes Film festival last week for "Mogari no Mori" put the Japanese film industry once again on the front page. Kawase's honor is another in a series of reminders about how rich and rewarding Japanese films can be. But at the same time, it is a reminder of how little...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Jun 3, 2007

Thinking beyond the brain

Kenichiro Mogi would be the ideal person to find sitting next to you at a dinner party, or one bleary post-sake morning over breakfast in a Japanese mountain inn.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jun 2, 2007

V.C. Lingam

The attraction of higher education in Japan first brought V.C. Lingam here from Singapore. "I read a few books, and I thought why not?" he said. That was a very long time ago. He is 93 now, and a permanent resident of Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 2, 2007

Brit devotes lifework to the abused, abandoned

For many foreigners, living in Japan poses a host of challenges. Consider, however, the life of Elizabeth Oliver, the owner of ARK animal rescue shelter, who manages a facility that houses 300 dogs, 200 cats, 3 rabbits and one fox in a location that can be best described as the "middle of nowhere." In...
EDITORIALS
May 29, 2007

Basic Law of the Sea

A s an island nation, Japan owes its economic prosperity largely to trade via sea routes. The United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, which stipulates a 12-nautical mile territorial limit and a 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone, went into effect in 1994 and Japan ratified it in 1996.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2007

Food prices rise as more crops go into producing biofuels

The increasing demand for biofuel, which is derived from biomass — usually plants — has taken a bite out of supplies of crops and other farm products worldwide. The redirection of crops from mouths to fuel tanks is reflected in the rise of prices of ordinary food items in Japan.
COMMENTARY / World
May 23, 2007

Leave 'patriotism' out of Constitution

In October 2005, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) approved draft proposals whose main thrust is to revise the Preamble and Article 9 of Japan's Constitution. The new preamble includes "the obligation to support ourselves . . . with love for the country and society to which we belong," a veiled...
EDITORIALS
May 20, 2007

Don't be shy about study abroad

A recent report has found that fewer Japanese students than ever are studying abroad. After a peak in the early 1990s, the numbers have declined to the lowest level in years. Remaining in Japan without experiencing life abroad will have repercussions that may last far into the future. More students should...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 20, 2007

Buy a car and drive up your grocery bill

Toyota Motor Corp. made headlines when it announced that its profit for 2006 was a record-breaking 2.24 trillion yen. In the United States, the news was greeted with some bitterness, since the Japan automaker had recently surpassed General Motors in terms of worldwide sales for the first time ever.
JAPAN
May 19, 2007

Abe's panel on examining collective defense kicks off

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Friday the first meeting of a government panel tasked with debating how far Japan should be allowed to go in defending allies who come under attack, amid rising tension over security, including North Korea's nuclear programs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 19, 2007

Farm concession said key to U.S. FTA

Opening up Japan's politically sensitive agriculture market is the key to establishing a free-trade agreement between Japan and the United States, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's vice president for Asia.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
May 18, 2007

Bryant: JABBA should end nonsense toward bj-league

Outsiders often have the best "inside" view. It enables them to see the big picture without having their perspective clouded by petty differences, politics or cliques.
MORE SPORTS
May 15, 2007

Abe teaches team importance of mental focus

KAWASAKI — It was what he'd always said it would be.
JAPAN
May 15, 2007

Nuclear chief sees possible fuel contract with Russia

Japan would benefit from a proposed nuclear energy deal with Russia by gaining access to Moscow's advanced fast-breeder reactor technology and uranium enrichment services, the atomic energy chief said Monday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 15, 2007

Citizen-journalism Web sites struggle to attract reporters

Most people would probably consider park benches an unusual target for journalistic scrutiny, but Yumiko Hayakawa was determined to get to the bottom of the matter. She interviewed over 100 people, spoke to park officials, gave out a questionnaire and took photos in parks around Tokyo.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
May 15, 2007

Indented circles on roads

Dear Alice,
EDITORIALS
May 14, 2007

Freer trade with ASEAN

Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have reached an agreement in principle on the modalities of free-trade negotiations that they hope to wrap up by the end of August. If the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is signed in November as hoped, it will be Japan's first free-trade...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
May 14, 2007

Security dogging weak yen, not strong dollar

The yen has fallen to above 120 yen against the dollar and as low as 163 yen against the euro. Although a weak yen and strong dollar are often confused as the same thing, what we're looking at today is a weak, yen not a strong dollar.
EDITORIALS
May 13, 2007

Path to mutual prosperity

As the economic interdependence between Japan and China deepens, Japan needs to realize a "mutually beneficial strategic relationship" — the goal that the two countries have agreed to jointly pursue. The agreement to pursue such relations was first struck when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a summit...
COMMENTARY / World
May 10, 2007

And now to trilateralism

NANJING, China — How good are China-Japan relations today? So good that the museum here to commemorate the 1937 massacre by Japanese Imperial Army soldiers is closed for renovation. That's remarkable since this is the 70th anniversary of the massacre and criticism of historical revisionism of Japan...

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