Search - 2005

 
 
EDITORIALS
Aug 1, 2007

Revise the personal information law

The Personal Information Protection Law, which went into effect in April 2005, in principle bars organizations that possess or handle personal information from providing it to third parties without the consent of the people concerned. Good intentions are behind the law.
JAPAN / UPPER HOUSE SHOWDOWN
Jul 25, 2007

Shimane voters: Has Tokyo helped us?

National polls may show that voter outrage over the pension records fiasco is the primary issue in Sunday's Upper House election.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 20, 2007

Ryan Adams "Easy Tiger"

The latest offering from the prodigious Ryan Adams, "Easy Tiger," is a warning to slow down. Adams has been trying to kick a much publicized alcohol and drug habit, though the title just as easily refers to his output (he released three albums in 2005 alone).
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2007

White collar criminals on notice

The actual prison time handed down Thursday to flamboyant fund manager Yoshiaki Murakami and to Livedoor Co. founder Takafumi Horie in March appear to signal that white collar criminals now face much harsher punishments, some legal analysts say.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 19, 2007

Is Frank Hsieh a moderate?

WASHINGTON — Frank Hsieh Chang-ting has been nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as their presidential candidate. Many in Taipei now believe he has a good chance of winning the election, assuming he does not withdraw as he has said he would if indicted on the corruption allegations...
COMMENTARY
Jul 18, 2007

The terrorists in our midst

LONDON — The terrorists who committed the atrocities in London on July 7, 2005, seemed to have been of limited education and from relatively poor backgrounds. The four terrorists who were convicted recently of plotting mass murder on the London transport system on July 21, 2005, were refugees from...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Jul 15, 2007

'Tasty science' puts mystery on the menu

Fed up with foie gras; tired of truffles; and simply sick of sturgeons' eggs? If you're one of those gourmets who's gagging for a new and taste-transporting experience, Tapas Molecular Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo hotel may be the eatery of your dreams.
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2007

Are SIA workers the pension scapegoat?

Naoyuki Haga, chief secretary of the Social Insurance Agency employee union, fears he and many of his coworkers will lose their jobs when a new government-backed corporation begins handling pension payments in 2010 and the SIA is closed down.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2007

Political funds law can stand as is: Abe

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday the heavily criticized Political Funds Control Law needs no further revision and again voiced support for his new farm minister, Norihiko Akagi, who like his predecessor is under fire over reported expenditure claims.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jul 8, 2007

Stuffing of All-Star ballot boxes goes back at least 50 years

Were you surprised to see eight members of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles elected to the 2007 Pacific League All-Star team by fan balloting?
JAPAN / PARTY LINE
Jul 7, 2007

Tanaka won't disband party, despite defections

New Party Nippon leader and ex-Nagano Gov. Yasuo Tanaka announced Friday his party would carry on even though its only two lawmakers said they are going to leave and become independents.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 5, 2007

Angelina Jolie true to her 'heart'

The Japan Times gets close and personal with Hollywood's hottie-cum-humanitarian on making films with a message, being hounded by the media — and life with Brad Pitt.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 3, 2007

How Japanese tax-payers' money is lost in bid-rigging

Every few years, politicians, bureaucrats and construction company bigwigs get embroiled in bid-rigging scandals — and the public's faith in government sinks deeper.
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2007

Expense-reporting bill passed, slammed

The Diet on Friday enacted a revision to the Political Funds Control Law aimed at keeping better tabs on how lawmakers use their funds, though critics charge the legislation is riddled with loopholes and will not result in increased transparency.
BUSINESS
Jun 27, 2007

Jasdaq gets FSA order to improve controls

The Jasdaq Securities Exchange for venture firms, run by the Japan Securities Dealers Association, was ordered Tuesday to improve its internal controls, the Financial Services Agency said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jun 26, 2007

The war according to Aso Co.

'Japan the Tremendous,' the new book by Foreign Minister Taro Aso, highlights the peaceful nature of postwar Japan and calls the country a "fount of moral lessons" for Asia. It might even help Aso become Japan's next prime minister.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / U.S. BUSINESS SCHOOL SYMPOSIUM
Jun 23, 2007

Educators school Japan in global management

Japanese executives should look at the introduction of new U.S.-modeled rules on corporate governance as an opportunity to increase the value of their companies, rather than fret over the negative costs of compliance, an American accounting professor told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / TAKING A CHANCE
Jun 23, 2007

Handbag entrepreneur owes success to quality, celebrities

From the start, entrepreneur Kazumasa Terada had his eye on the global market. Using celebrities like the Hilton sisters in 2002 to promote his handbag label, Terada has turned Samantha Thavasa into a household name in Japan, and is on the verge of bigger things abroad.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight