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COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 6, 2010

E-books look set to swamp us just as microwave ovens once did

The "microwave phenomenon" is with us again. I use this term to describe a product that arrives on the market before its time, then disappears for a while before returning with a vengeance to strike at people's hearts and wallets.
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2010

All things have finally come to veteran who waited

New Prime Minister Naoto Kan never hid his ambition to one day take up the post and empower ordinary citizens by ousting the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 5, 2010

BP disaster's lesson for government regulators

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — As the damaged BP oil well continues to spew millions of gallons of crude from the depths of the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, the immediate challenge is how to mitigate an ever-magnifying environmental catastrophe. One can only hope that the spill will be contained soon, and that...
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2010

Voters hope new chief is a better fit

Voters were mixed Friday on whether Naoto Kan would be a better fit than his Democratic Party of Japan predecessor, Yukio Hatoyama, as the nation's leader.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jun 5, 2010

Haishima — abandoned islands

It's springtime on the island and the fishermen have their boats up on stays above the water. During high tide, they can drive their boats onto the stay and tie it down. As the tide goes out, the boat is left on the stay, exposing the bottom of the boat for cleaning. As they scrape off the fuzzy green...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 5, 2010

Niseko's real estate boom: Bigger picture in sight for local development

For some it was a flash in the pan, at best an experiment destined to fail, at worst a mini-bubble hyper-inflated by greedy "outsiders" with little interest other than the type accumulating in the bank.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jun 4, 2010

Online shopping sites for women on the go

Calling all shoppers: KDDI enters into the growing market of cell-phone sites catering to female consumers on the go.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 4, 2010

'Survival of the Dead'

Director George A. Romero kicked off the zombie genre in 1968 with his "Night of the Living Dead," and from the outset he used the undead menace to channel contemporary fears.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 4, 2010

'Entre les murs'

Times may have changed, but a few things remain stolidly the same — and one of them is the middle- school classroom. Whatever else is happening out there, the classroom continues to pack a bunch of teenagers into a confined space, prop a teacher at the head of the room, and shut the door hoping for...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 4, 2010

Shizuoka festival takes the stage

The annual Spring Arts Festival Shizuoka is keenly anticipated by theater lovers across Japan thanks to its high quality of program selection.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 4, 2010

Singer-songwriter Nozuka's 'train' picks up speed

In the fall of 2007 and 2008, the Canadian Independent Record Production Association (CIRPA) hosted Asian Trade Missions in Tokyo to cement stronger footholds in Japan for Canuck music companies and acts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 4, 2010

Artistic daring from a retired prime minister

This story may sound like the ultimate anecdote about "slumming it," a phenomenon in which the rich and privileged willingly choose to endure conditions much harsher and more squalid than they are used to. About 10 years ago, following his retirement from politics, ex-Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa...
JAPAN
Jun 3, 2010

Voters mixed over sudden resignation

Voters interviewed Wednesday by The Japan Times on the streets of Tokyo and Osaka had mixed reactions about the resignation of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, speculating the ruling Democratic Party of Japan was growing deeply worried about next month's Upper House election.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 3, 2010

Battling performance leaves Nakamura's place in doubt

After the trauma of last week's defeat to South Korea, Japan salvaged some much-needed confidence — if not a result — against England. But if manager Takeshi Okada decides to stick with the revamped formation that served him so well on Sunday, where does that leave Shunsuke Nakamura?
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 3, 2010

Who's subscribing to Tokyo's new creative Tabloid?

If you want to launch a new cross-discipline creative space, you could do worse than invite pop diva Lady Gaga and flamboyant New York-based artist Terence Koh.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 2, 2010

BayStars break out of slump, defeat Lions

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — The Yokohama BayStars finally found some offense.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jun 1, 2010

Japanese Twitter marketing campaigns make some noise

New followers line up for the next creative Twitter campaign. Where will the tweeting flocks fly next?
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 1, 2010

Hoped-for Chinese stand against North not in cards

Officially, Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing have vowed to keep in close contact over North Korea's alleged sinking of a South Korean warship, but critics don't expect China to join other countries in adopting a United Nations resolution against Pyongyang.
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Jun 1, 2010

Fighters' hitters not getting job done for team or Darvish

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters are getting what they paid for in terms of power numbers this season, which unfortunately for them isn't a whole lot.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jun 1, 2010

Gunma city does battle with beards

I would like to draw readers' attention to the outstanding work of the municipal government of Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture. After receiving complaints that citizens find bearded men unpleasant, Isesaki — just as all levels of Japanese government often do — took decisive action to address an important...
CULTURE / Books
May 30, 2010

A double dose of haiku

Of the many cultural exports from Japan, the haiku has been one of the most successful, if recognizability is anything to go by.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
May 30, 2010

Pearl farmers look to satoumi to save their way of life

One bright blue February afternoon, Akira Harajo stood on a concrete pier and surveyed Mie Prefecture's Ago Bay. With dyed black hair, a zippered sports shirt and immaculate V-neck sweater, Harajo, 75, hardly looked the part of the farmer that he is. Then again, his crop isn't exactly ordinary: Harajo...
Japan Times
LIFE
May 30, 2010

How can it get too late to learn?

Professor Ryusuke Yoneyama was in the middle of explaining to the members of his music-production class why Baroque-era violin bows, which resembled loosely strung archery bows, produced a weaker sound than their contemporary counterparts when he paused to ask a question.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
May 30, 2010

Miso happy in Nakamurabashi

I hear somewhere near Nakamura in Nerima Ward, miso is still made in the age-old traditional way. I figure I'll just wander around the tidy little neighborhood and find it.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 30, 2010

Studies highlight a 'heartwarming' resu of the real thing in Japan

Nothing gets the circulation going like sex.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 30, 2010

IKKO's professionalism; Hidehiko Ishizuka returns to `Doyo Wide Gekijo'; CM of the week: Kincho

The theme of the profile series "Kokoro no Idenshi" (Genes of the Heart; NHK-G, Mon., 10 p.m.) is the "development of professionalism." This week's subject is TV personality IKKO, whose main appeal is his flamboyant feminine behavior and appearance. This being NHK, the focus is on his career as a hair...

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear