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CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
May 21, 2006

Lurking in the shadows, following in Edgar Allan Poe's footsteps

THE BLACK LIZARD AND BEAST IN THE SHADOWS, by Edogawa Rampo, translated by Ian Hughes, introduction by Mark Schreiber. Fukuoka: Kurodahan Press, 2006, 284 pp., $15.00 (paper). Edogawa Rampo, the pen name Taro Hirai (1894-1965) adopted in homage to Edgar Allan Poe (think phonetically), is the father of...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
May 21, 2006

Yukio Mishima's prequel to the end

YUKOKU (Patriotism), 1966, produced, written and interpreted by Yukio Mishima, associate producer Hiroaki Fujii, associate director Masaki Domoto, photographed by Kimio Watanabe. Tokyo: Toho DVD, 2006, Disc One: 28 minutes, Disc Two: 175 minutes, 6,300 yen. In 1961 Yukio Mishima published a short story,...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 21, 2006

See how Japan's TV entertainment evolved in Fuji TV's drama "The Hit Parade" and more

The model for the modern Japanese talent agency or "production company," which dominates all aspects of show business in Japan, was created by the late Shin Watanabe and his wife, Misa, in 1955. This Friday and Saturday Fuji TV will present a special two-part drama, "The Hit Parade" (9 p.m. each night),...
JAPAN
May 21, 2006

Coalition to move ahead on 'Defense Ministry' bill

The government is expected to submit a bill to the Diet this legislative session on upgrading the Defense Agency to ministry status, political sources said Saturday.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 21, 2006

Super-natural wine is flying off the shelves

Despite being everywhere -- in every part of our bodies and our daily lives -- chemicals have got a bad rep. Pollution, allergies, additives, colorings, flavorings, you name it, if it's bad for you, then "chemicals" are blamed.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 21, 2006

Hopes and fears fuel soccer fans' far-flung parties

Walking up Gaien-Higashi Dori, the road that begins at Tokyo Tower and cuts through the Roppongi entertainment district, at 7 in the morning last Saturday there was more than the usual bags of garbage being torn at by crows, bleary-eyed hosts and hostesses knocking off work, or resting ticket touts and...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 21, 2006

Ishihara flies over the hurdles toward his own 2016 Olympic gold

Politicians often get elected because of promises they make. In his one term as governor of Tokyo, comedian Yukio Aoshima didn't accomplish anything noteworthy, but he did keep the one promise that got him elected: He canceled the World City Exposition that many constituents thought would be a waste...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
May 21, 2006

Vision from the other side

It's not every day that you walk into a room to find yourself standing face-to-face with a skinned cadaver. It's the kind of thing that can change your whole day . . . or your whole life.
SOCCER / World cup
May 20, 2006

JFA to name successor to coach Zico in July

The Japan Football Association intends to appoint the national team's new coach by the end of July, JFA President Saburo Kawabuchi said Friday.
EDITORIALS
May 20, 2006

Business profits pose challenges

One company after another is announcing good business results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006. Firms listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange are reporting increased revenues and profits for the fourth consecutive year. They are expected to post record recurring profits for the...
JAPAN
May 20, 2006

Opus Dei revels in chance to explain itself

Inc., the film's distributor for Japan, is putting the film on 863 screens nationwide and hopes to make 10 billion yen at the box office, which translates into 8 million viewers. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," released in December 2002 in Japan, is currently the highest-grossing foreign...
JAPAN
May 20, 2006

Corporate social responsibility seen gaining favor in Japan, experts say

Growing awareness of corporate social responsibility was praised as favorable progress for Japan at a symposium in Tokyo earlier this week.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
May 20, 2006

How sweet it is -- or isn't

My wife bakes in flurries and when the storm hits hardest, our kitchen becomes a virtual hurricane of flour and dough, not to mention Category 5 aromas.
JAPAN
May 20, 2006

2005 saw fewer crimes targeting elementary school kids

Although crimes committed against elementary school children fell overall last year, the number of murder and attempted murder cases in which elementary school pupils were victimized rose by one to 27 in 2005, compared with the previous year, the National Policy Agency said Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 20, 2006

It's a dog's life and I wan it!

The last time I went home to the U.S., my parents told me sternly over the telephone: "This time when you come home, bury your dog. He's been on that shelf in the garage for years now." And they were right. My dog, Dammit, had died while I was in Japan, and the few times I went home, I was either too...
BUSINESS
May 20, 2006

Steady as she goes at BOJ on interest rates

The Bank of Japan opted Friday not to do anything with interest rates, after the central bank determined that economic activity and price developments had little changed.
COMMENTARY / World
May 20, 2006

Rethinking ties with ASEAN

Japan-ASEAN relations, which have traditionally been underpinned by trade, tourism, investment and official development assistance (ODA), appear to have reached a turning point. This is because most, if not all, 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have become economically mature...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 20, 2006

Glass artist still in search of a place for a flower

Dressed in a neat black skirt, white blouse and wraparound apron, Joy Suzuki offers a bow of welcome from her kitchen, where she is preparing lunch with raw materials from her wild garden near Kamakura-gu Shrine.
COMMENTARY / World
May 20, 2006

Is Europe turning toward a strong euro?

PALO ALTO, California -- European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet made news at the press conference following the May meeting of the ECB Governing Council not by what he said, but by what he did not say.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes