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CULTURE / Books
Mar 16, 2008

Hope for Burmese reconciliation

PERFECT HOSTAGE: Aung San Suu Kyi and the Generals, by Justin Wintle. London: Arrow Books, 2007, 464 pp., £8.95 (paper) In January, Aung San Suu Kyi, 62, voiced her growing frustration with the lack of progress in "national reconciliation" talks with the ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development...
COMMENTARY
Mar 16, 2008

Is Obama another JFK, Bush, or both?

LOS ANGELES — Admirers of Barack Obama who glibly and favorably compare the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency to John F. Kennedy always assume that they are doing the former a favor. But there's another way to look at it — and it's less pretty.
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2008

World needs revolution in climate change: Blair

CHIBA — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Saturday urged both developed and developing countries to break their stalemate and reach a global deal that will allow all major carbon dioxide emitters to take collective action on climate change.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Mar 16, 2008

Ireland wrestles with a plethora of polemics

First of two parts
Reader Mail
Mar 16, 2008

A Japan that can say 'no' to Ishihara

Regarding the March 9 article "Shinginko loan defaults hit 28.5 billion": There's more than a hint of irony in the name of the failed bank, the creation of which Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara virtually forced Tokyo taxpayers to cough up for.
Reader Mail
Mar 16, 2008

Living with Japanese controls

Regularly reading letters from foreigners who feel alienated and frustrated might convince one that our host country is doing all to alienate its "so desperately needed" guests. A serious look at the facts, though, shows that the usual examples cited on how bad Japan is fall short.
EDITORIALS
Mar 16, 2008

Underwhelming pay raises

Most leading carmakers, electronics manufacturers, shipbuilders and steelmakers have concluded this year's spring wage talks. Although they offered wage raises for the third straight year on improved earnings, the raises remain at last year's levels, failing to meet union demands for the most part. The...
Reader Mail
Mar 16, 2008

Homogeneity no excuse for profiling

Emerging with arrivals at Narita Airport earlier this month for a welcome breath of fresh air, I was approached by a police officer (riot police was his description) and asked to show my passport or alien card. He was exceedingly polite and looked quite sweet wearing a surgical mask and a Band-Aid on...
EDITORIALS
Mar 16, 2008

Renewable energy surges forward

Renewable energy is developing rapidly in terms of investment and energy production. The Renewable Energy 2007 Global Status Report made public in late February is food for thought for energy policymakers, citizens, and power and other companies. Renewable electricity generation capacity reached an estimated...
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Mar 16, 2008

Why some of Japan's top cars can't be found here

Ever wondered why some of the best automotive achievements from Japanese carmakers never make it to Japan?
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 16, 2008

Nature documentary, candid camera reality, history documentary

With every passing day, scientists learn more about the Earth's past, but the future always remains a mystery. Is the extinction of species being accelerated by mankind, or is it part of nature's plan?
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Mar 16, 2008

Ultraman the hero ... again!

SCENE ONE — Television production company Tsuburaya Productions' "Monster Archive," a two-story wooden shed used for storing "monsters" from long-running TV and film franchises such as "Ultraman." The location is Kinuta, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo; the date is mid-February 2008.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 16, 2008

Car industry hitting the bumps as wheels lose their cachet of cool

Anew TV commercial for insurance company Tokyo Kaijo Nichido features two newborns lying next to each other in a hospital maternity ward, telepathically discussing the "pleasures" that await them in life.
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 16, 2008

Grampus thump disjointed Reds

SAITAMA — Urawa Reds slumped to their second straight defeat of the new J. League season on Saturday as Nagoya Grampus hit them with a high-tempo onslaught to claim a 2-0 win at Saitama Stadium 2002.
Reader Mail
Mar 16, 2008

Leave immigration to Darwin

Roger Pulvers, in his March 9 Counterpoint column, "Surely it's time for Japanese to stop being so parochial," continues to distort facts while racializing people in stereotypical "ethnic" categories. Taiwanese and Koreans did not become "citizens" of the Empire of Japan. Japanese law did not then, and...
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Mar 16, 2008

Time for Takahashi to read the handwriting on the wall

There is nothing sadder in sports than seeing a once-great athlete who has hung around too long.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2008

G20 energy chiefs push for more egalitarian climate pact

CHIBA — Energy and environment ministers from 20 top emitters of carbon dioxide kicked off a discussion Saturday to explore the creation of an international framework for fighting global warming to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Mar 16, 2008

A purrfect place for fanciers of felines

The 20th of this month marks the first anniversary of Cat Cafe Calico's opening to the public.
Reader Mail
Mar 16, 2008

Plea for better judgment this time

With the remaining term of the George W. Bush administration getting shorter by the week, I would like to ask a simple question as a pure political amateur, hoping that the comments of some wise pro -- a Democrat, Republican or other -- could enlighten me and other amateurs a bit.
LIFE / WEEK 3
Mar 16, 2008

Skeptics nix 'comedy' drive to officially fight the flab

A sharply besuited young woman comes home and finds her dad downing a mug of beer in the kitchen, with an assortment of snacks on the table. She playfully warns him, pointing to his potbelly: "Oto-san (Daddy)! You're drinking again! You are eating too much, aren't you? Metaborikku Shindoromu (Metabolic...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Mar 16, 2008

Poetic reasons to take a card game seriously

ONE HUNDRED POETS, ONE POEM EACH: A Translation of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, by Peter McMillan with a foreword by Donald Keene and an afterword by Eileen Kato. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007, 280 pp., with line drawings, $39.50 (cloth) This is a new translation of one of Japan's most famous...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Mar 16, 2008

Seeing is disbelieving

One, two, skip. Three, four, jump. Five, six, do a back flip. Seven, eight, now break dance.
BASKETBALL
Mar 15, 2008

Kashiwagi named JBL's MVP

Aisin Sea Horses guard Shinsuke Kashiwagi is the Japan Basketball League's 2007-08 MVP, the league announced on Thursday. Kashiwagi, who was third in steals (2.21 per game) and free-throw shooting percentage (82.72) and eighth in both assists (3.33) and 3-point percentage (37.16), was also selected...
BASKETBALL
Mar 15, 2008

Apache outplay Rizing in fourth

The Tokyo Apache used a strong fourth-quarter run to take control of a tight game against the host Rizing Fukuoka on Friday, earning an 87-77 win in the process. Leading 61-60 with 8:59 to play, the Apache outscored the Rizing 18-3 over the next six-plus minutes to take control of the game and improve...

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years