Search - special

 
 
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 21, 2007

TV in cahoots with the shamed Kameda boxing clan

In the fuss over the Oct. 11 WBC flyweight title match between 33-year-old world champion Daisuke Naito and 18-year-old contender Daiki Kameda, the media has been the object of criticism as much as Kameda, who has since been punished with a one-year suspension by the Japan Boxing Commission for rules...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Oct 21, 2007

Cop thriller, celebrity talk show, murder mystery

On Wednesday at 8 p.m., TV Asahi launches the sixth season of its popular cop show "Aibo (Partners)" with a special two-hour drama entitled "Fukugan no Hotei (A Courtroom of Many Eyes)."
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2007

DPJ stays on offensive in refueling mission debate

The Democratic Party of Japan stepped up its criticism Friday of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling operation in the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom in the Indian Ocean, as the Pentagon admitted it is difficult to trace the fuel provided by Japanese vessels.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Oct 19, 2007

In hot water at the seaside

I'd heard about the "bath in the sea" in Aomori Prefecture, Honshu's northernmost prefecture and a mere 600 km north of Tokyo. But this kaichuburo, as they call it in Japanese, isn't about splashing in the waves; it's a hot spring, and it's named Furo Fushi Onsen (hot spring of eternal youth and eternal...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 18, 2007

A film director in the theater

Daisuke Tengan is an acclaimed filmmaker, but search for him on the Internet and the first thing you'll discover is that he's the son of director Shohei Imamura, who won the Palme d' Or at the Cannes Film Festival for "Narayamabushiko" in 1983 and "Unagi" in 1997.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 18, 2007

Putting students' works on the block

The evening was a festive red that illuminated the enthusiastic bidding by the 300-plus attendees at Japan's first ever university-run contemporary art auction. At the Kyoto University of Art and Design (KUAD) last Saturday, 18 students and three teachers, dressed in student-designed fire-red outfits,...
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2007

New MSDF bill to have one year limit

A joint ruling-bloc panel paved the way Tuesday for Cabinet approval of a bill to continue logistic support for antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan for a another year.
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Oct 17, 2007

From Big Brother marketing tools to powered Kitty-chan collectibles

Looks alone might not determine a person's character, but for marketing they are at least a good start. NEC certainly believes in the power of appearances, with its new FieldAnalyst camera. The device, in essence, judges passersby on the basis of their looks, determining their gender and approximate...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / 2007 NPB PLAYOFFS
Oct 16, 2007

Nishioka, Morimoto spark ballclubs as leadoff hitters

SAPPORO — Chiba Lotte's Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Nippon Ham's Hichori Morimoto are two of the biggest stars in Japanese baseball, despite neither really hitting for a lot of power or driving in a lot of runs.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Oct 14, 2007

Obscure family drama, prefecture identities, national food issues

Idol-actress Aya Ueto does a serious number on her image in the new drama series "Abarenbo Mama" (Rowdy Mama; Fuji, Tuesday, 9 p.m.). Ueto plays Ayu, a tomboy from the countryside who speaks like a man and lacks feminine wiles. However, she falls for hairdresser Tetsu (Yo Oizumi), who's 12 years her...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 14, 2007

To embrace political renewal or cling to continuity

Every four years Americans want to believe they can reinvent themselves. Elections for the presidency offer them the opportunity, as they faithfully see it, to renounce the past and "get this country moving again."
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / 2007 NPB PLAYOFFS
Oct 13, 2007

Will mercurial Tigers end slump?

Here are five questions heading into the first stage of the Central League Climax Series between the Hanshin Tigers and Chunichi Dragons:
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 12, 2007

Fukuda could resolve issue over Yasukuni by visiting

I believe it would be good for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to visit Yasukuni Shrine during the annual autumn festival. I am very well aware that the prime minister himself is extremely cautious about the visit. But, objectively speaking, the time is getting ripe to resolve the Yasukuni problem.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Oct 12, 2007

9/11 through Japan's eyes

In the Japanese theater world, Rinkogun merits a special mention for its concern for socio-political issues and its focus on increasing audiences' awareness rather than merely eliciting laughter or tears as many other companies are content to do.
COMMENTARY
Oct 12, 2007

Forcing defeat from the jaws of victory

LONDON — This week is the sixth anniversary of the start of U.S. airstrikes against al-Qaida and its Taliban hosts in Afghanistan. It was a very clever political-military operation, and by December of 2001 all of Afghanistan was under the control of the United States and its local allies for a total...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Oct 12, 2007

Cleansing your mind with a little creativity

Nasu Kogen is proudly promoted as a vacation spot of the Imperial family. Judging by the numerous pamphlets at the station's welcome center, the area, about an hour and a half north of Tokyo, certainly wants to offer something for the whole family — but not necessarily the royals.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / ANIMAL TRACKER
Oct 10, 2007

Freshwater blue goby

* Japanese name: Ruri-Yoshinobori * Scientific name: Rhinogobius sp. * Description: Gobies have a slender body with a rather large head, bulbous eyes, fleshy cheeks and a full-lipped mouth, giving them something of a cartoon appearance. Males have shining bright blue spots on their cheeks and body....
EDITORIALS
Oct 10, 2007

Refueling bill undercuts Diet

The ruling coalition has presented the opposition bloc with an outline of a new law to continue the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. The new law, if enacted, will replace the current special law, which expires Nov. 1. Although similar to the current law, the new law...

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’