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COMMENTARY / World
Mar 10, 2010

IMF flunks good governance

HONG KONG — On Feb. 26, International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn put forward a bold-sketch map for what he called "an IMF for the 21st century," but in the very same week he and two key members of the fund, China and Japan, flunked the most important test for the future...
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 10, 2010

Admitting worst-kept secrets all about timing?

The Democratic Party of Japan-led government effectively dragged the skeletons in the closet of postwar Tokyo-Washington diplomacy out into the light Tuesday, in the process exposing the hollowness of its predecessor administrations' long denials.
JAPAN
Mar 10, 2010

Kids at pro-North high schools fret tuition waiver snub

For Om Kwan Ja, excluding "chosen gakko" pro-Pyongyang schools from the government's tuition-waiver program would mean more than just having to shell out extra cash for her kids' education. It's a problem that touches on her family's identity, especially for her son, who is studying at Tokyo Korean Junior...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Mar 9, 2010

Belt up — protect our children

To the ministry of education,
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 8, 2010

Tax deductions and the myth of the "no-donation culture"

With few incentives to give to charities and few that qualify as NPOs, it no surprise that Japan has a bum rap as a 'no-donation' culture.
EDITORIALS
Mar 7, 2010

A marathon to take pride in

The Annual Tokyo Marathon last Sunday (Feb. 28) ran smoothly. Perhaps not every one of the 35,000 participants ran smoothly, but the event was organized and managed exceedingly well. The relatively low-tech, inclusive and international nature of the marathon makes it a much better showcase for Tokyo...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 7, 2010

Myth of Palestine's economic development

AL-BIREH, West Bank — A serious misconception is being propagated by the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah. Media, international organizations, foreign governments and Palestinians at large are being coaxed into believing that the flurry of economic activity in the West Bank is economic development...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 7, 2010

Shoplifting teens and sensei secrets; CM of the week: Aguro Bokujo

In the special two-hour drama "Garasu no Kiba" (The Glass Fang; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.), an FM radio disk jockey named Akiko (Atsuko Takahata) is asked by the authorities to monitor and supervise a troubled teen named Yuka (Moe Arai).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 5, 2010

Bigelow sticks to her guns

HOLLYWOOD — Kathryn Bigelow is only the fourth woman ever to be nominated for the Best Director Academy Award — and only the second American female. The first two nominees were Italian Lina Wertmuller and Australian Jane Campion; the third was Sofia Coppola.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 5, 2010

A16: Brick Square is hip

Spring may not be here for real just yet, but it's never too early to celebrate the first al fresco lunch of the year. So when last week's unseasonably warm spell arrived we knew exactly where to go — into the heart of the city, to grab an outside table at A16.
Reader Mail
Mar 4, 2010

Tiger Woods owes public nothing

Tom Plate's March 1 article, "Woods' apology whips up media incapable of behaving with class," has to be the best article I've seen written on the Tiger Woods scandal. I agree with every word. I am so worried about Woods, although he does still have a lot of friends as well as that God-given talent that...
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2010

DPJ-led bloc's vote passes 2010 budget

The Democratic Party of Japan-led coalition passed the fiscal 2010 budget in the Lower House on Tuesday evening, having survived relentless grilling from the opposition over a series of political funding scandals.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 2, 2010

Attorney glut may hit foreign firms

COLIN P. A. JONES One of the interesting things about being part of Japan's new law school system and its role in greatly increasing the number of Japanese attorneys is this: Nobody seems to have bothered asking the Japanese people if they actually need more attorneys. The original target of increasing...
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 1, 2010

Do your part and take a vacation

Japan tends to vacation en masse at the same times annually, which isn't great for an ailing tourism industry.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 28, 2010

Dramas based on song themes and raising a bounty; CM of the week: toto BIG

The linking theme of the four episodes of "Sotsu Uta" (Graduation Song; Fuji TV, Mon-Thurs, 11 p.m.) is a radio show hosted by DJ Hitomi (Masami Nagisa), who plays songs popularly associated with graduation.
Japan Times
LIFE
Feb 28, 2010

The business of pets

Japan's pet boom over the last decade has brought considerable benefits to the nation's economy. At the same time, however, it has led to problems involving both unscrupulous breeders and traders.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Feb 28, 2010

Bulking up in Bush Warbler Valley

I'd like to improve my grip on sumo wrestling, so when a friend invites me to watch the big boys tussle through a morning practice, I jump at the chance. I get off at Uguisudani (Bush Warbler Valley) Station on the Yamanote Line, where the station-identity jingle is of this warbler's mellifluous chortle...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 27, 2010

Toyoda's tears win over Japan

He hasn't bowed in apology. He hasn't resigned. But this week Toyota President Akio Toyoda did perform one of the typical rituals of a Japanese executive under attack: He wept publicly.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 27, 2010

The mysteries of counting islands

Today I'd like to uncover some of the mysteries of the Seto Inland Sea. The Inland Sea, or Seto Naikai, is a 450 km-long sea with 700 to 3,000 islands, or sometimes 2,000 islands, depending on who you talk to. Why such a discrepancy? Island counting is a special skill and the way you count them depends...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 27, 2010

Teaching visitors traditional ways

Upon meeting Michi Ogawa, who is deftly aligning the collar of a kimono that she has tucked around her guest, a few adjectives might come to mind, like "graceful" and "soft-spoken," but "feminist" or "outspoken" probably wouldn't be among them. But speak with her about her concerns and some of your preconceptions...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / ART BRIEF
Feb 26, 2010

Hirazaki Eiho 130th Anniversary Exhibition

Yayoi Museum Closes on March 28

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?