search

 
 
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2008

Prewar detective classic looks back at the mean streets of feudal Japan

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to "The Curious Casebook of Inspector Hanshichi."
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2008

SDF mission comes to 'successful' end

Government officials expressed satisfaction Friday over the successful conclusion of the Self-Defense Forces missions in and near Iraq, but some experts complained that the pullout was long overdue.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Nov 29, 2008

Second Harvest gets the food to those who need it

Sitting at the wheel of a 4-ton truck, Charles McJilton suddenly says, "Oh wait, wait!" before pulling off his T-shirt and swapping it for a white one with a bright orange Second Harvest Japan logo on the chest and "Food for all people" spanning his back. "It's all about branding," he jokes, as he slips...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 29, 2008

Festival takes cryptic turn

I was walking home when I saw, up in the distance, four Buddhist priests dressed in purple and gold robes. "Hey, Amy!" they called to me. "We hope you don't mind that we tied our boat up next to yours in front of your house," one said, pointing to their 30-foot (9-meter) motorboat tied to the dock. No...
EDITORIALS
Nov 29, 2008

Mr. Obama steps up

The standard response from any U.S. president-elect about his policies prior to inauguration is that there is only one president at a time. That deference is designed to avoid undercutting the current officeholder, to keep from marginalizing him and prevent confusion about who is in charge. President-elect...
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2008

Fingerprint screening stops 846

The new biometric system that fingerprints and photographs all incoming foreigners at airports and seaports prevented 846 undesirables from entering the country over the past year, the Immigration Bureau said Friday.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2008

'The Curious Casebook of Inspector Hanshichi'

Beginning Tuesday, The Japan Times will serialize the classic Japanese detective story "The Curious Casebook of Inspector Hanshichi: Detective Stories of Old Edo," or "Hanshichi Torimonocho" in Japanese. Written by journalist-turned-novelist Kido Okamoto, sections of the novel, which is told through...
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2008

J-Power, Marubeni ink China deals

J-Power, Marubeni Corp. and JGC Corp. are among Japanese companies that signed agreements Friday to develop water and power projects in China and gain from increased demand in the fastest-growing major economy.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2008

Japan Post Bank logs first-half profit

Japan Post Bank Co., the world's biggest deposit holder, reported half-year profit of ¥150.1 billion Friday, beating listed rivals that have been struck by rising bad loans and investment losses.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2008

Morimoto folds, failures hit record

Property developer Morimoto Co. filed for bankruptcy protection Friday with ¥162 billion in debt, bringing the number of bankruptcies among publicly traded companies in Japan to a postwar record.
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2008

Idemitsu plans 15% quarterly cut in oil processing as demand wanes

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Japan's second-largest oil refiner, said Friday it plans to cut crude oil processing by 15 percent in the quarter ending Dec. 31 as demand for gasoline and other petroleum products declines.
EDITORIALS
Nov 28, 2008

Supplementary budget shelved

Prime Minister Taro Aso finally made it clear that he will not submit a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008, which is necessary to implement the ¥26.9 trillion economic stimulus package, to the current extraordinary Diet session. Instead, he will submit it to an ordinary Diet session to be convened...
EDITORIALS
Nov 28, 2008

Confusing remarks about grants

The Cabinet of former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in May decided to free up road-related tax revenues from fiscal 2009 for use in such fields as education and social welfare. At the same time, it decided that care should be taken so that road construction is not hampered and that local governments do...
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2008

Diet extended for key bills as DPJ relents

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc officially ordered an extension to the current extraordinary Diet session until Dec. 25 to secure passage of two key bills.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2008

Top court notifying lay judge candidates

Over the next few days, some 295,000 Japanese can expect to find a large envelope from the Supreme Court in their mailboxes with the following notice: "This is to inform you that, as a result of a lottery, you are listed as a prospective lay judge of the court (between May 21 and Dec. 31, 2009)."
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Nov 28, 2008

Kansai's many Christmas highlights

Streets in the Kansai region have already started to sparkle with the cheerful spirit of the season. Yes, the Christmas and New Year's holidays are coming around soon. Here are some ideas on where you can get into a jolly, festive mood.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 28, 2008

A hideaway in Mito

The historic city of Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture serves as the transfer point to the JR Suigun Line, a narrow-gauge single-track line that runs along the scenic Kuji River en route to the Fukuroda Falls.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 28, 2008

Defense of an artist who had lived as a slave

NEW YORK — Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the collapse of communism in Europe. Liberated from the complexity of knowing too much about the cruel past, the young people of Eastern Europe's postcommunist generation seem uninterested in what their parents and grandparents endured.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo