search

 
 
EDITORIALS
Oct 7, 2008

A year after privatization

Oct. 1 marked the first anniversary of the privatization of the nation's postal service. In April 2003, the Postal Service Agency became Japan Post, a public corporation. Then, in January 2006, Japan Post created Japan Post Corp., a stock company.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 7, 2008

'New politics' of Thai opposition

SINGAPORE — Somchai Wongsawat, Thailand's 26th prime minister, has assumed the top position amid an unresolved political crisis. Unfortunately, the appointment of Somchai guarantees the continuation of massive protests by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which accuses the new premier of being...
BUSINESS
Oct 7, 2008

MMC chief sees rough road ahead for autos

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. President Osamu Masuko said Monday that the auto industry can expect to face a harsher business environment over the next few years.
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2008

Ministry rebuts Aso editorial in N.Y. Times

The New York Times printed a letter Sunday from the Foreign Ministry criticizing an editorial that described Prime Minister Taro Aso as a pugnacious nationalist.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Oct 7, 2008

'Gaijin' mind-set is killing rural Japan

Allow me to conclude my trilogy of columns regarding the word "gaijin" this month by talking about the damage the concept does to Japanese society. That's right — damage to Japanese society.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2008

Yes, we have no bananas, as dieters peel away stocks

Dieting appears to be a nationwide trend. Spurred on by TV shows, people have taken various approaches, including upping their intake of "natto" fermented soybeans, which later proved fruitless, to adding agar to food.
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2008

Extra budget first, general election later: Aso

Prime Minister Taro Aso said Monday he is not considering dissolving the Lower House for now, as the Diet began deliberations on the ¥1.8 trillion extra budget.
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2008

Japan steps up China feed tests

Japan has stepped up inspection of Chinese-made animal feed and pet food that may be laced with a chemical that has caused a global food scare with tainted milk, agriculture officials said Monday.
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON THE BOOK TRAIL
Oct 7, 2008

'Nurk', 'A Beginning, A Muddle, and An End'

"Nurk," Ursula Vernon, Harcourt; 2008; 131 pp. What makes "Nurk" such a readable little tale? There's nothing tingly and new about an adventure story in which the hero is a reluctant adventurer. A quiet homebody finds himself thrown into a situation where he must display his inner courage (if he has...
BUSINESS
Oct 7, 2008

Utsumi pans rate cuts, dollar props

Makoto Utsumi, a former top currency official at the Finance Ministry, said he doesn't see the need for joint interest-rate cuts and coordinated intervention to support the dollar by the United States, Europe and Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 7, 2008

Spicy food, sexy idols and now . . . fashion

SEOUL — In the late 1990s, the Korean Wave — "Hallyu" as it's referred to in its native tongue — began as South Korea's television, film and music industries gained greater international followings, especially among its Asian neighbors.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 7, 2008

New Japanese makes inroads into Chinese vocabulary

In my last column, on Aug. 5, I discussed how Japanese people still find it practical to use kanji (Sino-Japanese ideographs) when adopting new foreign terms and modern concepts.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Oct 7, 2008

What do you miss about Japan when you go abroad?

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