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JAPAN
Jan 3, 2007

History, North Korea set to test Japan-China ties

will be a crucial year for Sino-Japanese ties as the two nations will see if their relations can really be on a good track and determine if they can indeed elevate their ties into a relationship of shared strategic interest," said China expert Tomoyuki Kojima. "The situation however is volatile and depends...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Jan 3, 2007

Pied piping for the parsnip

Thanks to the great Roman naturalist and writer Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79), we know that parsnips were brought to Rome each year from imperial provinces across the Rhine, and that they were destined for the Emperor's table.
Reader Mail
Jan 3, 2007

Make it easier to call for help

The Oct. 28 editorial, "Bullying still a school problem," suggested that teachers should reduce the tasks that overload them and prevent them from paying attention to their students, and "open their eyes and search for bullying in places and situations where it may not be obvious at first glance." But...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jan 3, 2007

'Superavians' scrape a high life in the suburbs

BRISBANE, Australia -- Summer has arrived in the leafy Brisbane suburb of St. Lucia. The only things falling from the trees are exquisitely scented frangipani flowers and the odd possum. Not much to rake up, but somebody next door has been at it half the day by the sound of it.
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2007

Asia beckons for some skilled retirees

in Taiwan, as many people of the same generation speak Japanese, and Taiwan is generally friendly toward Japan," he said. The shortage of skilled engineers comes at a time when Asian economies are pouring vast sums into research and development in response to growing global competition.
SUMO
Jan 1, 2007

Great expectations

For many sumo fans, the January Hatsu Basho at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan is the most important tournament in a given year.
SOCCER
Jan 1, 2007

Goat head sent to Palermo GM

PALERMO, Sicily (AP) Palermo general manager Rino Foschi received a surprise in the mail for Christmas -- the severed head of a young goat, covered in blood.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Jan 1, 2007

Dreaming of a Japan of United States

A time to dream impossible dreams. The New Year holiday season is surely such a time. And one such dream might be a Japan of United States.
EDITORIALS
Jan 1, 2007

A political showdown year

Mr. Shinzo Abe's administration at first seemed to have smooth sailing. By visiting China and South Korea and holding summits with their leaders, the prime minister managed to improve Japan's relations with the two neighbors. The relations had soured as a result of his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi's...
COMMENTARY
Jan 1, 2007

Unwise gantlet for teachers

Certain professionals must pass state examinations to obtain licenses for their jobs. They include medical doctors, dentists, jurists, certified public accountants, architects, pharmacists and registered nurses, as well as primary, middle and high school teachers. Amid the severe employment situation,...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 1, 2007

Defusing the dangers of nuclear proliferation

North Korea test-fired a series of ballistic missiles and carried out a nuclear test in 2006. If the policy goal of the Bush administration was to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, it has failed.
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Jan 1, 2007

Blackwell, Marshall should be All-Stars

Twenty players were chosen to appear in the first-ever bj-league All-Star Game on Jan. 27, and for each of them the day will be special.
BASKETBALL
Dec 31, 2006

Minatoya powers Rakunan to title

Kyoto's powerhouse Rakunan High School crushed Hokuriku High School of Fukui Prefecture 104-82 in the final of the 37th All Japan High School Basketball Tournament (the Winter Cup) at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Saturday.
BASKETBALL
Dec 31, 2006

Haraguchi joins Albirex BB

The Niigata Albirex BB have signed shooting guard Masahide Haraguchi, the bj-league announced Saturday.
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2006

Poaching fine paid; Russia frees boat

A Japanese fishing boat seized two months ago by Russian authorities near disputed waters off Hokkaido was released Friday after its owners paid a 10.47 million yen fine, the Foreign Ministry said.
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2006

Cops mark unsolved 2000 family killing

, speaks at the squad's meeting Saturday at Seijo Police Station in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. KYODO PHOTO
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2006

Cops mark unsolved 2000 family killing

, speaks at the squad's meeting Saturday at Seijo Police Station in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. KYODO PHOTO
EDITORIALS
Dec 31, 2006

Japan turns a corner

The year 2006 will go down in history as a turning-point year during which Japan experienced a resurgence in nationalist sentiment and felt a weakening in the influence of the lessons from its modern wars (1930s through 1945). As a result, concerns have mounted that the pillars of Japan's postwar democracy...
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2006

First lady blog talks of Christmas with Abe, Bush bulb

The latest addition to a collection of Christmas ornaments at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's home this year came from American first lady Laura Bush, and the Abes enjoyed a cozy Christmas dinner at a singer friend's house, according to a blog recently started by Japan's first lady.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight