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COMMENTARY / World
Jan 15, 2006

Infamous English word is just an import

HONG KONG -- Apart from Thatcherism and the creation of the modern game of soccer, some cynics say that the major English contribution to modern international life has been the widespread promulgation of the dreadful "F" word.
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Go shop where it's Christmas every day of the year

As memories of festive fun fade and the world returns to its regular routine, spare a thought for the man behind the all-year-round Christmas shop in Takanawa, near JR Shinagawa Station in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 15, 2006

Spreading the word on popular literature

THE BAMBOO SWORD AND OTHER SAMURAI TALES by Shuhei Fujisawa, translated by Gavin Frew. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2005, 254 pp., 2,400 yen (cloth). Japanese critics have long made a distinction between taishu bungaku, "popular literature," which is simple entertainment, and jun bungaku, "pure literature,"...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 15, 2006

Two writers, two very different North Koreas

NORTH KOREA: The Struggle Against American Power, by Tim Beal. Pluto, 2005, 352 pp., £18.99 (paper). NORTH KOREA: The Paranoid Peninsula, by Paul French. Zed Books Ltd., 2005, 352 pp.,£17.95 (paper). The subtitles of these books reveal the sharply differing points of departure on North Korea for writers...
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Full of the fittest intentions

I nervously typed the numbers onto the Web site -- first my height, then my weight. I held my breath and clicked "Calculate."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 15, 2006

Fighting on the beaches peels away Aussie veneer of tolerance

It has already been a long hot summer in Sydney, Australia, where I am writing this article, and the season still has at least two months to go.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Home sweet 'death-defying' condo homes

Scandal continues to swirl around erroneous -- and potentially lethal -- structural assessments of hotels and condominiums by former architect Hidetsugu Aneha. Few, however, would detract from the universally accessible, "barrier-free" design of most modern Japanese condos. Few except Shusaku Arakawa,...
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Solo savior on the streets

For the past 14 years, former high-school teacher Osamu Mizutani has had no rest as he has devoted himself to helping troubled youths put their lives back in order.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 15, 2006

NHK has a public duty so how about free streaming from its library?

Since last August the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan (NAB) has been running a nationwide TV ad campaign to promote television commercials.
SOCCER / World cup
Jan 14, 2006

World Cup tickets on sale Sunday

Tickets allotted for Japan's matches in the 2006 World Cup soccer finals in Germany will go on sale beginning Sunday, the Japan Football Association said Friday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 14, 2006

Can Newell prove sensational bung allegations he claims?

Mike Newell has either been very brave or very foolish.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 14, 2006

Inada, Koshi effectively secure Olympic berths

Japan has secured two spots for the men's skeleton team in the Turin Olympics as it stood sixth in the World Cup rankings after Thursday's event in Koenigssee, Germany.
SUMO
Jan 14, 2006

Asashoryu picks up fifth win of basho

Grand champion Asashoryu of Mongolia defeated compatriot Kyokutenho on Friday to remain one win off the pace at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 14, 2006

Japan to meet Saudi Arabia in Asian Cup qualifier

Japan will meet Saudi Arabia on Sept. 1 in an away match in the qualifying round of the 2007 Asian Cup tournament instead of the originally scheduled March 1 date, the Asian Football Confederation said Friday.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 14, 2006

Wie to play in Japanese men's tour event again

U.S. teenage golf star Michelle Wie, who missed the cut by a stroke at last November's Casio World Open, will play in the top-tier Japanese men's tour event again this year, organizers said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2006

No-cost childbirth mulled to boost population

The government will consider introducing a system to bear all direct costs for childbirth -- including hospitalization for mothers -- in a bid to encourage young couples to have more kids, a government minister said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 14, 2006

Catching the kabuki spirit

Kabuki, which dates back some 400 years to Izumo no Okuni, the leader of a women's theatrical troupe that caused a sensation in Kyoto, now appears to be riding an upsurge. Recently, the kabuki world saw a series of events that have caught people's attention and increased their interest.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2006

Aso also wants Yasukuni to be LDP poll nonissue

Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Friday he thinks visiting Yasukuni Shrine should not be an issue in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential race this fall, echoing remarks by the prime minister and the top government spokesman.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2006

WWF faults Sydney parley for fostering fossil fuel dependence

The Japanese branch of an international environmental watchdog on Friday blasted an agreement struck the previous day in Sydney by Japan, the United States and Australia to transfer to the developing world advanced technologies to combat global warming. The technologies are cleaner, but are still based...
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2006

Niigata U. protein-mapping project gets nod from HPO

An international organization aiming to create a database of all human proteins has chosen a project submitted by a Niigata University team that is designed to map out all the proteins in the human kidney and urine as one of its scientific initiatives, sources said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2006

LDP ranks must back succession bill

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Friday his Liberal Democratic Party will require all member lawmakers to vote for a bill to revise the Imperial House Law to open the way for female monarchs.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2006

EU favors more labs over stockpiles of flu drugs

International donors at a two-day rapid response conference in Tokyo said Friday they are ready to help poor Asian countries prepare for a potential flu pandemic, but a delegate from the European Union said it will not fund the stockpiling of drugs and instead focus on improving animal health measures....

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