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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 5, 2007

'Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai'

Like many other foreigners here, I have had my brushes with the Japanese justice system, from ID checks by cops wanting to practice their English to one memorable appearance on a witness stand. I have also seen it in action as a moviegoer, from prison comedies (Yoichi Sai's "Keimusho no Naka [Doing Time]"...
EDITORIALS
Jan 5, 2007

Clean process for governors

Last year saw 15 local government heads arrested in connection with corruption in the bidding process for public projects. Three of them were the governors of Fukushima, Wakayama and Miyazaki prefectures. The elimination of bid rigging will help local government heads regain the trust of local residents....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 5, 2007

Rancid

It's been said many a time that all good things must come to an end. In the case of punk mainstays Rancid, 2006 saw two chapters in the band's career coming to a close.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 5, 2007

Win a chance to 'do' the Awa-odori

"Yokoso! Japan" is the government-led campaign that aims to increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan. As part of the campaign, on the third Friday of every month, it organizes a Japan Night.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 5, 2007

'Les metamorphoses du choeur'/'Je ne suis pas la pour etre aime'

As far as documentaries go, "Les metamorphoses du choeur (The Metamorphosis of the Choir)" is a lesson in understatement. In fact, director Marie-Claude Treilhou seems motivated by a simple, unassuming love of music. Hers is a low-temperature fascination. Along with cinematographer Pierre Stoeber, she...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 5, 2007

Donizetti's bel canto greats hit high notes

The Donizetti Theatre, one of Italy's best-known spaces for traditional opera, is currently touring Japan for the first time.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 5, 2007

'Les amants reguliers'

There's a conversation I frequently fall into with musicians I know; one that assumes there is a clear polarity between art and commerce. On the one side is "selling out," making art that is closer to product, often with corporate backing, and designed to meet a given market's needs. (Think Ayumi Hamasaki)....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 5, 2007

Absolving their sins

Following in the footsteps of the U.K. band Oasis, Kasabian -- from Leicester, England -- have set themselves up as working class heroes.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 5, 2007

Kamakura: slow food on the coast

We spent this new year, as is our custom, in Kamakura. We helped to toll the joya-no-kane bell at our favorite hillside temple. At a little shrine under a steep, wooded cliff, we made our ritual hatsumode obeisances. And then, needless to say, we feasted in auspicious style.
CULTURE / Music
Jan 5, 2007

Lullatone ". . . Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous"

Recorded for over two years in a bedroom, probably at 11 o'clock on only the laziest of Sunday mornings, the Nagoya duo Lullatone's newest album is quite possibly the cutest thing that you will hear all year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / WALKING THE WARDS
Jan 5, 2007

Chiyoda's good circulation

Many consider Chiyoda the heart of Tokyo, and no wonder. The ward pumps lifeblood in and out with circadian regularity.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 4, 2007

Police look for killer of Williams

"Darrent was a guy that was always upbeat, always had a smile and he was a fierce competitor," said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, fighting back tears.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2007

Foes of female reign bask in prince's birth

"It's a boy!" The news spread like wildfire on red-letter Sept. 6 with the birth of Prince Hisahito, the first male born into the Imperial family in 41 years.
EDITORIALS
Jan 4, 2007

Deja vu in 2007

Readers should be prepared for a recurring sense of deja vu in the year ahead. Few of the problems that dominated international affairs in 2006 were resolved. The headline issues that absorbed decision makers will continue to demand time and attention in 2007. There is little hope for resolution as neither...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 4, 2007

NHK to unveil next-generation 3-D technology by next year

NHK, Japan's giant public broadcaster, has become a world leader in 3-D technology, in partnership with the private sector. NHK researchers have been developing 3-D systems since 1990 and NHK Technical Services, an NHK group company, has made more than 300 3-D programs to date, from live sports shows...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 4, 2007

Cinema goes back for the future

Cinema is on the ropes. So much so that a cabal of top Hollywood moguls are putting their faith in a very old idea -- one usually dismissed as a fad -- to save the day.
Reader Mail
Jan 3, 2007

Revolution was good for Cuba

Cuban leader Fidel Castro is ailing and increasingly absent from Cuban government and Communist Party functions such as the recent National Assembly session in Havana. At the age of 80, let's face it, he's not coming back. And I feel sad, because I look on Castro as a great leader. The persistence of...

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