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Events / KANSAI: WHO & WHAT
Jan 31, 2014

'Setsubun' ceremonies in Kyoto and Nara

Many temples and shrines in Kyoto and Nara will hold a "setsubun" ceremony this Monday 3 to celebrate the last day of winter in the traditional lunar calendar.
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2014

Japan, Russia discuss territorial issue

The deputy foreign ministers of Japan and Russia met Friday in Tokyo to resume talks for settling the long-standing territorial dispute over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.
LIFE / Japan Showcase / GREAT TAMBA AREA
Jan 31, 2014

Sightseeing off the beaten track in rural Kyoto

Mere minutes after the Sagano Scenic Railway train leaves its terminus in the popular suburb of Arashiyama just outside Kyoto, civilization abruptly falls away. Behind us lies a metropolis of at least a million people; out the windows, the only signs of life are a few Japanese macaques cavorting among...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 30, 2014

Fifteen minutes . . . and counting

Across the ages, individuals standing at the peak of each society's pyramid of power and fame have depended on artists to ensure their immortality: Khafre, pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, conscripted an army of artisans to carve his likeness into the Great Sphinx to preserve it through the eternal...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 30, 2014

Film provides some food for thought

New documentary 'Drops of Heaven' focuses on Yoshiko Tasumi, the woman whose 'soup of life' made her culinary efforts famous.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 30, 2014

Nagasaki lights up for the Chinese New Year

Enjoy the Chinese New Year celebration in style at the Nagasaki Lantern Festival 2014, which kicks off on Jan. 31 and runs for two weeks in the city's Chinatown and surrounding areas.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jan 30, 2014

Music to the ears of audiophiles

Music technology has advanced rapidly, leaving vinyl singles and LPs behind, and the bump of a needle landing on a record a nostalgic sound. Now we have high-quality audio, boosted bass and virtually no distortion in digital music.
EDITORIALS
Jan 30, 2014

Calling Abe to account

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito should refrain from ramrodding their proposals through the Diet as they did with the state state secrets bill during the recent extradordinary Diet session.
Reader Mail
Jan 29, 2014

Statement will haunt NHK chief

It is regrettable that the new NHK chairman made such a controversial statement about "comfort women" during the war.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 29, 2014

Skylark said working with Nomura, BoA on IPO

Restaurant operator Skylark Co., which is controlled by Bain Capital LLC, is working with Nomura Holdings Inc. and Bank of America Corp. to prepare its initial public offering, two sources said.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 27, 2014

A death in detention in Tokyo and a bitter belated farewell

What was the back story to this Ghanaian's death from pneumonia? A pre-existing condition? Or something the immigration authorities wanted hidden? Without an autopsy, there would be no answers to these gnawing questions. We already knew all we would ever know.
EDITORIALS
Jan 26, 2014

Leadership change at Keidanren

Keidanren has selected a new leader just as its clout declines and it faces challenges to its role as the nation's most powerful business lobby.
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Jan 26, 2014

No plan best plan in Kansai nuclear disaster

Ten months after regional governments were required to submit nuclear disaster evacuation plans, a lack of central government guidance and local-level cooperation is generating concern that Kansai will be ill-prepared to respond if any of Fukui Prefecture's 13 commercial reactors suffers a meltdown....
WORLD
Jan 26, 2014

Former leader reignites simmering debate about his role in Iraq conflict

Tony Blair reignited the debate about the West's response to terrorism Sunday, with a call on governments to recognize that religious extremism has become the biggest source of conflict around the world.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jan 25, 2014

Is altruism our hope, and growth a curse?

My day job is at Chuo University in western Tokyo, and January at Japanese universities is chaotic, what with final classes, reports and grading as our second term comes to an end and the academic year winds down toward its conclusion in March. Among the words that come to mind, "happiness" is not usually...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 25, 2014

Baye McNeil: 'Always endeavor to do ... what you love to do'

Do what you have to do if you truly have to do it, of course, but always endeavor to be yourself and do what you love to do. That way, you'll come to the realization sooner that the life you're living is actually the product of your actions and decisions, and you'll be much less likely to waste a precious moment of it.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 25, 2014

Spinmeister Abe: crisis-mongering and distractions

The news media tends to hyperventilate because this generates a buzz that attracts attention.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2014

U.S. regulators undermining Net neutrality

The U.S. has the most innovative people in the world working in an increasingly information-based economy, yet its Internet service providers are subject to neither competition nor oversight.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 24, 2014

As Western leaders decide to shun Sochi, Abe will go

Many Western leaders have decided to skip the Sochi Winter Olympics in February, but not Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 24, 2014

Kabuki reviews shed light on Edo theater culture

Seven compilations of acting reviews for kabuki shows performed in Nagoya during the Edo Period have been found in the storeroom of Misono-za, an old theater in the city that is under renovation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 23, 2014

Getting a hustle on the Oscars

David O. Russell's "American Hustle" is cleaning up in the early part of an awards season that was meant to belong to Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave." And that ain't no con.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 23, 2014

The oyster can be your world in Ishikawa

Fresh, plump oysters are the tempting offerings at this weekend's Secchu Jumbo Kaki Matsuri 2014 (Jumbo Oyster Festival in the Snow 2014) in Ishikawa Prefecture's city of Anamizu.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 23, 2014

Don't flap about when it comes to ensuring a year of good luck

This weekend, Osaka Tenmangu, a shrine in Osaka's Kita Ward, is hosting its annual festival where visitors can trade bullfinch shaped good-luck charms to bring about future prosperity.

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