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JAPAN / Q&A
Aug 28, 2010

Shedding light on death penalty

Justice Minister Keiko Chiba, who will probably be replaced next month because she lost her Diet seat in the July 11 Upper House election, allowed journalists for the first time Friday to enter the Tokyo Detention House's execution chamber.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2010

Relax arms export ban so firms can profit: panel

Japan should consider relaxing its ban on arms exports so defense companies can participate in international projects, a special advisory panel to Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2010

Demand for autopsies reflects suspicions over causes of death

A vast majority of the public thinks more autopsies are necessary to determine if a death was due to foul play, according to a Cabinet Office crime survey released Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2010

Ozawa to challenge Kan for DPJ helm

Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa broke his silence Thursday to announce he will run against Prime Minister Naoto Kan in the ruling DPJ's Sept. 14 presidential election, raising the possibility of a third prime minister in a year if he wins.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 27, 2010

Ramirez: Record is 'blessing from God'

Yomiuri Giants slugger Alex Ramirez carved out a place for himself in Japanese baseball history by recording his eighth consecutive season with at least 100 RBIs with a two-home run, five-RBI performance against the Chunichi Dragons on Thursday at Tokyo Dome.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Aug 27, 2010

Special Imperial knife ceremony

On Sept. 12, the Hyatt Regency Tokyo will hold a special dinner event featuring a rare Imperial Court tradition called hocho shiki (kitchen knife ceremony).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 27, 2010

Klaxons

Klaxons divide opinion like few others. Emerging in 2006 to a crescendo of hype, they were held up as leaders of the nu-rave movement even before their debut album "Myths of the Near Future" was busy thrilling and irritating in equal measure.
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Aug 26, 2010

Cerezo, Albirex come from behind to enter title race

Nagoya Grampus finally managed to consolidate their position at the top of the J. League last weekend, but behind them the field is getting crowded.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2010

Taiji mayor defends dolphin hunt

TAIJI, Wakayama Pref. — As kids in inner tubes bob on the calm waters of this small ocean cove, a 250-kg dolphin zips through the crowd in pursuit of squid tossed out by a trainer.
COMMENTARY
Aug 23, 2010

Shameful road to the Commonwealth Games

CHENNAI, India — India's Commonwealth Games, which are set to roll in New Delhi from Oct. 3, have turned into the nation's biggest shame. At a cost of $7.5 billion — excluding improvements and additions to city infrastructure — these will be the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever.
EDITORIALS
Aug 21, 2010

Bid to boot a unilateralist mayor

Citizens of the city of Akune, Kagoshima Prefecture, have started collecting signatures in an effort to initiate a referendum to recall Mayor Shinichi Takehara, who repeatedly made unilateral decisions on matters that in principal require approval of the assembly. His decisions include those on a budget...
BASKETBALL
Aug 20, 2010

HeatDevils add three new imports

Forward Wellington Smith, who starred on West Virginia's Big East Tournament champion and Final Four squad in the spring, has signed a contract with the Oita HeatDevils for the coming season under new head coach L.J. Hepp. The announcement was made on Tuesday.
JAPAN / JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Aug 20, 2010

Educators fret fate of nation's language

Last year, more than 10,000 people spoke out against the government's apparent disregard for Japanese-language education when it submitted a bill to effectively abolish the National Institute for Japanese Language.
JAPAN / JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Aug 20, 2010

Rewards, roadblocks for volunteer teachers

Ikuko Sahara, representative of a volunteer group teaching Japanese to foreigners in Tokyo, knows it's no picnic living in a foreign country without being familiar with the language.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 20, 2010

'Colorful'

One of the iron rules for Hollywood scriptwriters is that the audience must root for the hero. Character flaws and bad behavior are permitted, but, in the final analysis, the hero should not be a jerk.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 20, 2010

Philip Selway

Over the years, rock-star side projects have not fared particularly well. More often than not they are a self-indulgent mess or an ill-advised ego-trip, having little worth to anyone other than devoted disciples. So what to make of the news that Philip Selway, the unassuming Radiohead drummer, is to...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 20, 2010

Going back to school for alternative art

A first-time visitor to 3331 Arts Chiyoda might be equally intrigued and confused. To the left of the entrance, there's a wide open space with only tables and chairs; in the center, a small booth with shelves stuffed with toys; to the right, a stylish cafe; and, around the corner, huge photos of expressionless...
EDITORIALS
Aug 18, 2010

High hopes for new sumo chief

The Japan Sumo Association, which has been rocked by gambling and other scandals suggesting the existence of ties with organized crime, elected stablemaster Hanaregoma, the former ozeki Kaiketsu, as its new chairman in an emergency board meeting late Aug. 12. It is hoped that under his leadership, the...
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2010

Shrine decision draws both praise and protest

Peace activists rejoiced Sunday over the fact that Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet didn't visit Yasukuni Shrine this year, while conservatives slammed the decision.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Aug 16, 2010

Asian community needs self-sufficiency to become a reality

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's high-level meeting on growth strategy in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, wrapped up with a chairman's statement on actions to be taken by 2015. That strategy is to be formally adopted at the APEC summit in November, with revisions due by the end of the year.

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