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BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 22, 2008

Timely hitting helps Swallows tame Lions

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — Against the Pacific League leader's gorgeous offensive lineup, a group whose big bats usually score a lot of runs, there was no way the Tokyo Yakult Swallows could've countered with the same force.
JAPAN / Q&A
May 22, 2008

New insurance plan ups burden on 'later-stage' seniors

Following are questions and answers about the new health insurance plan the government introduced in April for people aged 75 and above:
COMMENTARY / World
May 22, 2008

Remember the black swans

The great global economic establishment is once again divided as to what is going to happen next. Half say we are lurching toward a new bout of world inflation. Half say the danger is deflation and world recession, even depression.
Reader Mail
May 22, 2008

Struggling with a dying art

In his May 18 letter, Grant Piper makes some very good remarks on letter writing in Japan. Letter writing is a dying art. I think quantity and varying quality is a good thing and allows for more varied opinions. It also does not exclude anyone based on someone else's prejudices. The problem with The...
BUSINESS
May 22, 2008

Nonlife insurers lashed by steep profit hits

Four of Japan's six major nonlife insurance companies saw their group net profits plunge in business 2007 as the U.S. subprime loan crisis and the subsequent fall in global stock prices pushed down profits from their investments, the firms said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 22, 2008

Rwandan troupe investigates societies' failures

I n 1994, Hutu militias began the systematic genocide of the Tutsi people of Rwanda. In just 100 days, an estimated 1 million people had been butchered and whole families, villages and towns destroyed. Once Tutsi rebels regrouped and took control of the unstable country, many of the Hutus responsible...
JAPAN / G8 SUMMIT 2008
May 22, 2008

Japan to push all polluters

As it plays host to a series of international meetings on conservation, Japan will urge all greenhouse gas emitting nations, including developing countries, to take concrete action against climate change, Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2008

Winding up in bondage

Consider, for a moment, tattoos. Removable and temporary tattoos are gaining in popularity. But there goes the whole cachet of tattoos, really. The very reason they're worth having is, in fact, the ordeal you go through to get them and the finality of the decision. Therein lies the line that separates...
Reader Mail
May 22, 2008

The bond that all humans share

In response to the article "If there is a god, then why is there suffering?," I would say not only does God exist but also that he is all-good, all-powerful and all-knowing.
Reader Mail
May 22, 2008

Encourage clear, critical thought

Grant Piper's May 18 letter, "A little slack for letter-writers," starts off with the inaccurate claim that my May 8 letter ("Use fewer letters when quality lags") specifically cited him by name for poor writing. He then proceeds to make the argument that letters to the editor constitute a genre of...
Reader Mail
May 22, 2008

Release imported-rice stockpile

Regarding the May 19 article "Fukuda sets $10 billion climate aid to Africa": Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's investment, coupled with sound oversight and accountability, should indeed provide a model for other Group of Eight nations to consider.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 22, 2008

A life on the streets

'I'm not always a stray dog. Sometimes I'm a cat," says Daido Moriyama. "Or an insect."
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2008

It is easy to find lashings of rope on show in Japan

The Tokyo kinbaku (bondage) scene can seem all but invisible to the uninitiated, but, like with all subcultures, if you poke around a bit, you'll be amazed at just how deep this rabbit-hole goes.
JAPAN
May 22, 2008

Loose, savvy parrot returned — but didn't sing to cops

When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.
JAPAN
May 22, 2008

Tokyo Station face-lift adds old, new looks

JR Tokyo Station is in the midst of its first major reconstruction work since the end of the war as part of efforts to revitalize the heart of the capital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2008

'Selling women's nakedness'

Asagi Ageha meets me on a back street in Kabukicho in dramatic fashion, sirens blaring from two arriving ambulances just as she steps out of the shadows.
EDITORIALS
May 22, 2008

A dispiriting Middle East tour

I t is often said that U.S. presidents go overseas when their domestic standing goes down. With U.S. President George W. Bush's approval ratings hitting record lows, it should come then as no surprise that he seems to be racking up the miles as his term in office winds down.
Reader Mail
May 22, 2008

Long life was never guaranteed

Discussion of God and the inequities of Christian life in the real world always presents well-meaning Christians with a powerful dilemma. Anyone looking for a perfect life as a Christian, God-fearing person has to face the unpleasant reality that life isn't often fair and rewarding according to good...
JAPAN
May 22, 2008

Health costs of aged at a premium

Mitsue Nozaki has enjoyed a comfortable life as a senior living on a pension for the 15 years since she retired from a major company, where she had worked for about 40 years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 22, 2008

A screen as canvas

In 1965, pioneering video artist Nam June Paik made the bold statement that "just as the collage technic has replaced oil paint, the cathode ray tube will replace the canvas." Like any provocation, it has not aged well as the passage of time has whittled away at its importance.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear