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CULTURE / Music
Nov 14, 2008

Asian Kung-Fu Generation "Surf Bungaku Kamakura"

To Japanese music fans, Yokohama indie-punk four-piece Asian Kung-Fu Generation need little in the way of an introduction, with their colorful sixth album, "Surf Bungaku Kamakura," being released onto an existing backdrop of widespread commercial success and critical favor. With previous albums flying...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 14, 2008

Japanese women in the wine world

"A man's approach to drinking is totally different from a woman's: Men think about color, what grapes were used, compare the taste and consider its place of origin. Women think about what kind of food a wine will go well with, where we might like to drink it, the kind of company it'd be good to drink...
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

Aso raises eyebrows with nonwords and wrong words

Prime Minister Taro Aso may want to set aside his comic books and cut down on the bar-hopping in exchange for some kanji tutoring.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2008

Tora-san in English

This year marks the 40th birthday of arguably the most popular character in Japanese cinema — Tora-san. To celebrate the occasion, Shochiku is releasing the complete set of its Tora-san films, remastered and subtitled in English.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2008

'Happy Flight'

Films that purport to go behind the scenes of an industry or institution — with the enthusiastic support of the folks they are supposedly unmasking — are almost by definition PR exercises if not outright recruiting tools.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

Opera contest awards first Japanese

International Opera Competition, the first Japanese to take top honors in the contest, according to organizers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

Education woes beset Brazilian children

Securing employment for Brazilians and making sure their children receive a proper education are crucial issues the government must work out with municipalities and the private sector, according to experts involved in the Brazilian community in Japan.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

LDP panel mulls easing law on dual citizenship

Liberal Democratic Party member Taro Kono said Thursday he has submitted a proposal to an LDP panel he heads calling for the Nationality Law to be revised to allow offspring of mixed couples, one of whom being Japanese, to have more than one nationality.
JAPAN / History
Nov 14, 2008

Aso: What POW servitude?

Prime Minister Taro Aso was forced to defend his family firm's alleged wartime deeds Thursday, as the revisionist essay by ousted Air Self-Defense Force chief Gen. Toshio Tamogami continued to cause a political stir.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 14, 2008

Zazen Boys

At 35, Shutoku Mukai is practically the elder statesman of Japanese indie rock. The guitarist and singer, whose nerdy demeanor suggests an off-duty salaryman rather than a rock star, has been behind some of the most abrasive and inventive music to make a dent in Japan's pop charts during the past 10...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 14, 2008

From Mitsukuni to natto

Mito, the historic seat of ancient Hitachi Province — present-day Ibaraki Prefecture — has all the right prerequisites for a nonstrenuous daylong excursion from Tokyo: convenient access, plenty of attractive sites, exotic foods and hospitable people.
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2008

Industry use down at Chubu Electric

Chubu Electric Power Co., the utility that supplies power to Toyota Motor Co., said sales to industrial users may have fallen in October for the third straight month as the slowdown in the U.S. economy hits Japanese exports.
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2008

Pertamina, Medco to sell LNG to Japan from Indonesian plant

PT Pertamina agreed to sell 2 million metric tons a year of liquefied natural gas from a Mitsubishi Corp.-led venture building Indonesia's fourth LNG plant to two Japanese companies, a company official said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 14, 2008

Getting scrappy with jazz-punks Midori

"I don't really listen to punk or know too much about what constitutes Japanese punk," declares Mariko Goto. "That said, if we're going to categorize ourselves, I'd say we're a punk band. But the sort of punk we make is nostalgic and lonely. It's like a four-tatami room with just one door and one window;...
EDITORIALS
Nov 13, 2008

Mr. Tamogami toes his line

Mr. Toshio Tamogami, who was sacked as Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff over a controversial essay, testified Tuesday before an Upper House committee. His statements show that he does not understand what civilian control of the Self-Defense Forces means and how his essay could damage the reputation...
COMMENTARY
Nov 13, 2008

Advice on Asia for Obama

Foreign policy bloggers and pundits are already gushing forth with advice for President-elect Barack Obama. Allow me to add some of my own, at least as far as Asia policy is concerned.
EDITORIALS
Nov 13, 2008

Enabling decentralization

Prime Minister Taro Aso has instructed Cabinet ministers to push for the abolition and integration of their ministries' regional offices. His instruction is in line with the call by the government's devolution panel for drastic reform of such regional offices. Since the reform is a main pillar of overall...
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 13, 2008

Unsung heroes deserve spotlight

Gamba Osaka's Asian Champions League win may not be greeted with the same fanfare that heralded Urawa Reds' groundbreaking triumph in last year's edition, but then understated elegance has always been Gamba's style.
Reader Mail
Nov 13, 2008

Sad repetition of argument

It is sad to see again an attempt to justify what the Imperial Japanese Army did before 1945. The most difficult aspect of the essay written by former Air Self-Defense Force chief Toshio Tamogami is that his view is uchimuki (inward-looking) -- only from the Japanese side. Japanese must think of the...
Reader Mail
Nov 13, 2008

Let's pay to maintain Mount Fuji

Regarding the Nov. 8 article "Towns float Mount Fuji 'entry fee' ": Having climbed Mount Fuji from both the Yamanashi and Shizuoka (Prefecture) sides a total of four times, I can guarantee that most visitors would prefer to pay a modest fee -- say, ¥1,000 -- in return for adequate restrooms and officials...

Longform

Members of the nonprofit group Japan Youth Memorial Association search for the remains of dead soldiers in a cave in Okinawa Prefecture in February.
The long search for Japan’s lost soldiers