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Reader Mail
Jul 25, 2007

U.S.-Japan ties of convenience

Regarding the July 4 article "U.S., SDF face new challenges 50 years on": The relationship between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and America's armed forces would appear to be a marriage of convenience.
JAPAN / UPPER HOUSE SHOWDOWN
Jul 25, 2007

Shimane voters: Has Tokyo helped us?

National polls may show that voter outrage over the pension records fiasco is the primary issue in Sunday's Upper House election.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2007

Election loss no matter for Abe

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe does not plan to resign even if his ruling party fares badly in this weekend's House of Councilors election, his top spokesman said Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Jul 25, 2007

Democracy wins in Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed a second five-year term last weekend. His government's record since 2002 should have made victory a given, but fears that it would drift toward more Islamic fundamentalist rule had tempered enthusiasm for his Justice and Development Party, or AKP. The...
Reader Mail
Jul 25, 2007

Few signs of price inflation

I read that the Bank for International Settlements has recommended that the Bank of Japan raise the discount rate to head off inflation. But I must say that a price spike in the volatile energy sector hardly amounts to inflation. Consumer prices are actually deflating, only less than before. Also remember...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jul 25, 2007

Our world is being driven by denial

As an environmental columnist, one question that repeatedly comes to mind is, "How much denial is humanly possible?"
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Jul 25, 2007

Carpenter bee

* Japanese name: Kumabachi * Scientific name: Xylocopa appendiculata * Description: A large, stout, noisy insect, the carpenter bee spooks most people when they see one. It should not spook any reader of this column, though: the bees are mostly harmless. In fact, males are completely harmless, and females...
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2007

Toyota leads pack back to full output

Toyota, Honda and Mazda resumed production Tuesday at their domestic factories after key parts supplier Riken, damaged by last week's quake, resumed operations.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2007

Nissan profit fell again in first quarter

Nissan Motor Co. reported Tuesday another year-on-year drop in consolidated operating profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2007, mainly due to falling sales of trucks in the United States and rising raw material costs.
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2007

Victor, Kenwood ready for merger

Victor Co. of Japan, a struggling subsidiary of electronics giant Matsushita, said Tuesday it will officially start negotiations as early as next month to merge with Kenwood Corp. in 2008, possibly in the form of creating a joint holding company that will hold all shares of the two firms.
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Jul 25, 2007

Glowing mini-fridge/heater, the world's smallest robot

Miniature fans are just so standard fare as office accessories for the long hot days of summer. International Trading Kansai Co. has crafted something rather more compelling, a minifridge that looks like a giant egg. Available in 6-liter and 10-liter sizes, the gadget gives you the option of keeping...
COMMENTARY
Jul 25, 2007

The death of Iraq's Christian community

WASHINGTON — Although Islam long has been in the ascendancy in Iraq, the so-called Assyrians, who speak a neo-Aramaic language, predate the rise of Islam. Today, however, the Iraqi Christian community faces possible extermination.
BASKETBALL
Jul 24, 2007

Evessa, KBL champ set for series

The Osaka Evessa will represent Japan in the 2007 bj-league/KBL Series. The two-game tournament pits the two-time defending bj-league champion against the Mobis Phoebus, the Korean Basketball League's reigning champ. The teams will play a two-game exhibition series. The first game will be played on...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji