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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 29, 2011

Local galleries move to fore at Art Fair Tokyo

On the Japanese cultural calendar, visual-art events tend to take place in the more pleasant seasons of spring and autumn. Classical music and ballet have winter sewn up, with dozens of performances of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 or "The Nutcracker" being held over the Christmas-New Year period,...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2011

Japan's opportunity for global re-engagement

Few would doubt that Japan's economic relevance was already being questioned by some in the global community before the tragic events of March 11.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 28, 2011

Vaccines bring shot of rock to Fuji

Even before the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake caused concert cancellations en masse, The Vaccines had to start pulling out of overseas tour commitments due to singer Justin Young's throat operation. Now "100 percent better," the band will show the audience at this year's Fuji Rock Festival what...
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Jul 28, 2011

Tis the season for some girl-pop classics

In Japan, observation of the seasons is an ingrained cultural trait that not only forms the basis of haiku poetry and many classic works of art, but also marks the calendar for cultural ephemera from special-edition Kit Kats to alcoholic drinks to pop music. Since summer is now at full burn, here are...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 28, 2011

Growing up with photography and picturing youth

You know how difficult it is to get good photos of children. They fidget. They cry. And just when you think you've got the perfect shot, they turn the other way. Now try to imagine how challenging it must have been for early photographers, who had to contend with exposure times of minutes rather than...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 28, 2011

"RongRong & Inri: Three Begets Ten Thousand Things"

Shiseido Gallery Closes Aug. 14
EDITORIALS
Jul 27, 2011

Second extra budget passes

The Upper House on Monday enacted the ¥1.998 trillion second supplementary budget for fiscal 2011. It includes ¥800 billion for reconstruction of areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, ¥545.5 billion in grants to local governments and ¥275.4 billion to cover expenses related to...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2011

Toadies to the debt-to-GDP ratio

Economists like to talk about thresholds that, if crossed, spell trouble. Usually there is an element of truth in what they say, but the public often overreacts to such talk.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jul 25, 2011

The self-inflicted costs of a 'war of choice'

In mid-July when Mumbai was attacked with three explosions, The New York Times carried photos of some of the bloodied casualties up front — at least in its online version — and I wondered: If the newspaper for "all the news that's fit to print" had carried photos of victims of American bombing and...
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 25, 2011

Hidden pachinko industry workers make some noise

A labor strike draws attention to the shadowier side of the pachinko business.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2011

Links between Pakistan and post-3/11 Japan

During my tenure there, Pakistan went through the heightening of tension resulting from the Islamist resistance to the U.S.-led military action in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and the near-war with India in May 2002.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 24, 2011

What a difference a friend's tales of 'hair on the heart' can still make

"Shinzo ni Ke ga Haeteiru Wake" is the intriguing title of a book published in April by Kadokawa. The book was written by my good friend, Mari Yonehara, and its title in English would be "That's Why Hair Grows on the Heart."
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 24, 2011

Today is D-Day for analog television

Sony recently announced it would discontinue production of the MiniDisc Walkman in September. It was just over a year ago that the company dropped the cassette Walkman, so within the space of 18 months two media will have bitten the dust. Though audiophiles may lament the end of another era, to most...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jul 24, 2011

What chance a 'free market' would cure all the world's ills?

An old friend is a successful investment banker who makes more money in a year than I will make in my lifetime. Like many people, though, he would like to make even more.
COMMENTARY
Jul 22, 2011

China takes credit for human rights progress

Two years ago, China issued a human rights action plan for 2009 and 2010. Last week, it announced that all targets have been met.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jul 22, 2011

Hotter days, bigger dining discounts

Summer has started and the temperature and humidity in Tokyo is high. The Peninsula Tokyo welcomes the season by offering a special dinner discount called Heating Things Up. Every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday through Aug. 30, the highest temperature reached each day will be the rate of the discount for...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 22, 2011

Orchestrating a ska paradise for the summer

It's a standard response for bands to say they are surprised by their longevity and accomplishments, but Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Japan's best-known ska act, are unlikely to be overly humble.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2011

Ichihashi trial bares translation woes

The lay judge trial of accused rapist and murderer Tatsuya Ichihashi, whose verdict is expected Thursday, has captured a lot of media attention since it started July 4, but one element that has escaped notice is the quality of the language translation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 21, 2011

Years in the making, Warpaint to hit Fuji

Even when enjoying some downtime in her Los Angeles home, Jenny Lee Lindberg still feels as if she is "whirlwinding around." But then, it has been that sort of year for the bassist in Warpaint: her band has spent 12 months carrying the "next big thing" tag.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jul 20, 2011

'Nadeshiko' Japan feted upon return

Japan's Women's World Cup-winning soccer team made a triumphant return on Tuesday, with captain and tournament MVP Homare Sawa shrugging off suggestions she may retire in order to target gold at next year's London Olympics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2011

Kan meets soccer champs, perks up

It looks like the victory of the "Nadeshiko" Japan women's national soccer team not only gave hope to a nation still recovering from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami but also energized unpopular Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who vowed Tuesday to persevere.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2011

Brittleness factor of aging reactors key restart criterion

In the world of nuclear reactor science and safety, the ductile-brittle transition temperature, which is used to measure the strength of the inner wall of a reactor pressure vessel, is a critical factor.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 19, 2011

Biker trio's Belgium-Japan jaunt over; hurdles cleared

The idea of a transcontinental motorcycle trip came up when Carl Tricke, a 41-year-old Belgian, was drinking beer with his biker friend and fellow countryman Johan Cole, 43, in Singapore in April last year.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 19, 2011

Challenges for Indonesia's diplomatic ambition

Indonesia has been busy recently in a number of international events. First, Jakarta hosted the East Asian World Economic Forum from June 12 to 13. Second, the incumbent President Yudhoyono attended the International Labour Organization Conference in Geneva on June 14 and delivered a keynote speech on...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 19, 2011

Kamakura, Kanagawa: Is it better to own a car or not in Japan?

Reader Mail
Jul 17, 2011

Throw out the 'what if' scenarios

I'm sorry to say that the July 13 article "Fukushima plant site originally was a hill safe from tsunami" is mere speculation, a "what if" scenario and thus 100 percent irrelevant.

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