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BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2007

Machinery orders rise at double the expected pace

Machinery orders rebounded in October, rising at twice the pace economists had forecast, suggesting companies are confident sales in Asia and Europe will compensate for waning demand from the U.S.
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2007

Merchants most pessimistic in four years: survey

Merchants in November became the most pessimistic they've been in four years as stagnant wages and record gasoline prices prompt consumers to pare spending.
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2007

Lending growth slowdown continues

Bank lending failed to pick up in November even after machinery orders rose at twice the pace forecast by economists, suggesting companies may continue to shun debt for financing expansion.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2007

Cabinet pair issue car-top plea to horde at Shibuya

In a rare show of desperation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura and Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba stood atop a van Sunday in the crowded main intersection of Tokyo's Shibuya district, urging public support to pass the special antiterrorism bill now stranded in the Upper House.
EDITORIALS
Dec 11, 2007

'Student' comes before 'athlete'

Sports are supposed to build a sound mind and a sound spirit. But recent marijuana incidents involving rugby players at Kanto Gakuin University raise the suspicion that many student athletes have forgotten the true meaning of sports. Rugby fans may ask: Where is the pride of rugby players whose tenets...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 11, 2007

Shipping, martial arts, health costs

Heading home HB has been teaching English in Aomori Prefecture for over 20 years and is planning to retire in the U.S.
LIFE / Language
Dec 11, 2007

Yearend love stories cap a yucky 2007 for girls

Here's a toshinose renai hora banashi (yearend love relationship horror story) -- always a favorite topic of conversation during the season's more casual nomikai (drinking parties).
BASKETBALL
Dec 9, 2007

Osaka beats Ryukyu

Mikey Marshall scored 29 points and Matt Lottich added 25 to lead the Osaka Evessa to a 96-84 win over the visiting Ryukyu Golden Kings on Saturday. Danny Jones had 21 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
Reader Mail
Dec 9, 2007

Addressing the bullying tendency

Regarding the Dec. 6 editorial, "The reality of bullying": Ever read "Lord of the Flies"? Put a lot of people together in a small space with few external constraints and you will have bullying. It happens everywhere, irrespective of age or gender.
Reader Mail
Dec 9, 2007

Picking up after the collapse

After the collapse of the English-teaching company Nova at the end of October, my wife and I wanted to do something to help ex-Nova teachers and students. I was a Nova teacher myself until early 2006 so I knew how bad the situation could get.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Dec 9, 2007

Oh's love for game, people endures

Sometimes the reality really is greater than the legend.
Reader Mail
Dec 9, 2007

Howard swept out on issues

Having endured years of Alan Goodall's tireless cheerleading for Australia's Howard government, I turned eagerly to his Dec. 3 article to see if there would be some hint of apology for getting the election so wrong. After all, before the election, Goodall was enthusing about Howard's tax-cut promises...
Reader Mail
Dec 9, 2007

Japanese seem easy to brainwash

I agree with Jeffrey Snow's remarks in his Dec. 2 letter, "The media's view of foreigners" -- about the media's successful role in brainwashing the Japanese public about immigrant foreigners. Politics, the media and the public are awash in mistaken notions about foreign crime, the relationship between...

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes