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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2008

'Blindess'

When chaos hits, no one is morally or philosophically unscathed. Such is the moral of "Blindness," based on Portuguese author Jose Saramago's 1995 best seller and adapted to the screen by Brazil's Fernando Meirelles ("City of God").
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 14, 2008

'Born into Brothels'

A few weeks back, I reviewed "American Teen," an intimate documentary of one school year in the lives of some Indiana teens. It was an amazingly candid portrait of the lives of these kids, with hazing, breakups and breakdowns portrayed completely unguarded.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 14, 2008

Beyonce "I am . . . Sasha Fierce"

A two-disc concept album charting the sense of detachment Beyonce Knowles feels between her stage presence and the "real her"? The record industry must really be in turmoil for Sony to have let her get away with releasing this — everyone knows double albums tank, particularly when pushed by performers...
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

TV comedian turns hero with burning-building rescue

Braving smoke and explosions, Iranian entertainer Rahim Arvanaghi, 40, better known as Randy Muscle, made another name for himself Wednesday when he ran into a burning building in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and rescued its injured owner, Shinichi Yokoyama.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Nov 14, 2008

Wilde's satirical 'Canterville Ghost' to be staged as musical comedy

A comedic musical based on Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost" will be performed in Tokyo on Nov. 18 and 21.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / SHORT TAKES
Nov 14, 2008

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Director: Chris Carter
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2008

Capital-hungry Mizuho to issue preferred shares

Mizuho Financial Group Inc. said Thursday it will issue preferred stock to up the group's capital base amid the ongoing global financial turmoil.
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.

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