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LIFE / Language
Jul 29, 2008

Turning to rock 'n' roll for lyric-sheet linguistics

They say you should always open with a joke, so how about this one: a music journalist with only conversational Japanese writing for The Japan Times' Bilingual Page. Try not to laugh too much, though, as I'll be sticking to what I know: music.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jul 29, 2008

Navigating the 'keigo' minefield

You've probably heard of blunders by Japanese businessmen in English, such as translating "hitotsu yoroshiku" as "one, please" instead of "I look forward to working with you." Less known, but no less common, are the slip-ups foreigners make in Japanese, especially when using that dreaded form of honorifics...
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2008

Nippon Oil to raise fuel oil prices 28%

Nippon Oil Corp. is reportedly planning to increase fuel oil prices by as much as 28 percent to a record level for buyers, including Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Oji Paper Co., because of rising crude oil costs.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 29, 2008

It came, it saw, and it bowled over Japan

It has slurped its way into becoming Japan's favorite food.
COMMENTARY
Jul 28, 2008

EU, Japan should try to make up for lost time

BRUSSELS — After the Cold War, in which Europe and Japan played subordinate political — and military — roles to Washington, the European Union and Japan found themselves in the position of being "economic giants" but "political dwarves."
COMMENTARY
Jul 28, 2008

Injustice of labor shortages

One of America's virtues is its willingness to dispense candid advice even to its closest ally in the name of justice and humanitarianism. One good example is in recent comments by Dr. Mark P. Lagon, director of the U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2008

Believe it or not, Mugabe still has supporters

HIROSAKI, Aomori Pref. — The world can't understand how Robert Mugabe has support left in Zimbabwe. After violence and intimidation against his opponents he was able to steal a victory, but at great cost. Why do his people put up with it and why did he gain over 40 percent of the vote in the first...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Jul 28, 2008

Failure to address climate change like spitting in the wind

The Toyako G8 Summit held from July 7 to 9 with the participation of leaders from 23 other countries exposed the wide rift between the developed and developing worlds and failed to reach concrete agreements on key issues ranging from climate change to surging oil and food prices and the weak dollar....
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 28, 2008

Peoria pitcher released from jail

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) Peoria Chiefs pitcher Julio Castillo was released from jail Saturday, one day after he was arraigned on a charge of felonious assault for hitting a fan in the head with a thrown baseball.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jul 28, 2008

The U.S. Supreme Court's risible reasoning

Laws are subject to interpretations, courts are official interpreters, and the Supreme Court has the last word. That is a fact of life, though it is also a fact of life that you sometimes wonder if there is anything "supreme" about the Supreme Court. Yes, you know that individual justices come with individual...
EDITORIALS
Jul 28, 2008

Reforming the Defense Ministry

An experts' panel, formed in December 2007 in the Prime Minister's Office to push reform of the Defense Ministry following a series of scandalous incidents involving the Self-Defense Forces, has handed its report to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. The report proposes drastic organizational changes, yet...
EDITORIALS
Jul 28, 2008

DPJ's show of vitality

The Democratic Party of Japan has set Sept. 8 as the date for accepting candidates in the election of its next party chief. The vote will take place Sept. 21. The likelihood that Mr. Ichiro Ozawa will continue to lead the party is strong. Still, other DPJ politicians besides Mr. Ozawa should run in the...

Longform

A mushroom cloud from the atomic bombing on Hiroshima taken from a U.S. military aircraft on Aug. 6, 1945. Copying the photo without permission is prohibited.
80 years on, a Japanese American hibakusha recalls the day the bomb dropped