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COMMENTARY
Feb 17, 2008

China's path deserves respect, not fear

LOS ANGELES — Let's not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Congressional grumblings about currency and balance-of-trade issues, and equal grumps from the U.S. Democratic Party's leftwing (over human-rights issues), could leave the impression that U.S. policy toward China has been a dismal failure....
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2008

Sarin killer's death penalty is finalized

Rejecting his appeal, the Supreme Court on Friday finalized the death sentence of senior Aum Shinrikyo cultist Yasuo Hayashi, a key figure in the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack on Tokyo's subway system.
COMMENTARY
Feb 15, 2008

U.S. campaign fires up Brits

LONDON — "A woman president, a black president or the oldest president — which would you prefer?"
COMMENTARY
Feb 13, 2008

A growing laundry list against Beijing

LOS ANGELES — Some double-standards are two-faced in the extreme, but not all.
JAPAN
Feb 13, 2008

Election of new Iwakuni mayor may speed U.S. realignment

IWAKUNI, Yamaguchi Pref. — Sunday's mayoral election, in which Yoshihiko Fukuda, a former Diet member, narrowly defeated former Mayor Katsusuke Ihara, is expected to ease tensions between Tokyo and Iwakuni over the planned relocation of U.S. military aircraft to a base here.
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2008

U.S. base proponent takes Iwakuni mayoral race

IWAKUNI, Yamaguchi Pref. — Voters here Sunday put hopes for economic revitalization ahead of concerns about a U.S. military base by electing Yoshihiko Fukuda, a former Liberal Democratic Party member of the Lower House, as mayor.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 10, 2008

Chinese women striving through history, hero cop docu-drama, African history game show

Chinese women get respect in the two-hour Nihon TV special "Onnatachi no Chugoku (Women's China)" (Monday, 9 p.m.), which looks at the country's female citizens and 4,000 years of history.
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2008

Noda wins 'madonna' turf war as LDP shunts Sato to Tokyo

A political dispute between two "madonna" lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party both contesting a ticket to run for Gifu's No. 1 district finally came to an end Friday after the party announced that Yukari Sato will run for Tokyo, rather than Gifu, in the next Lower House election.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Feb 8, 2008

Perryman, Peñate and Pinsalocks rock Shibuya

Feb. 3 saw the launch of "Future Lounge," a new radio show on InterFM hosted by Guy Perryman and syndicated to stations in Osaka (FM Co.Co.Lo), Fukuoka (Love FM) and Nagoya (Radio i). The show focuses on fresh new music from around the globe and is broadcast every Sunday night, 9-11 p.m.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 8, 2008

Watt's going on — a punk at 50

Mike Watt doesn't look like a punk. With his fondness for plaid shirts and bushy mustaches, he looks, actually, more like a regular working-class guy — a steel worker, or a sailor like his father.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 8, 2008

Lee gives Japan hope for united front against North

The inauguration of a new South Korean administration this month will bring Tokyo, Seoul and Washington closer to a unified position on how to deal with North Korea, while Japan's concerns that it might be left behind by the U.S. diminish as Pyongyang delays disclosing its nuclear programs, experts and...
BUSINESS / CHINA SYMPOSIUM
Feb 7, 2008

Will Beijing's military spending lead to 'security dilemma'?

Uncertainties over China's intentions behind its rapidly rising defense spending — or how it will use the new capabilities — are seen as a source of potential instability in Asia. Participants at the Jan. 23 symposium discussed whether this will cause a "security dilemma" in the region and how China's...
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2008

Overriding vote passes '07 extra budget

The Lower House on Wednesday overrode the Upper House's rejection of a ¥1.78 trillion supplementary budget for fiscal 2007 and rammed it through the Diet, the first such move pertaining to an extra budget in 15 years.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2008

Crown Princess panned for living high life

First, Crown Princess Masako feasted on classy Mexican fare from a 13-dish special menu in her honor. Then it was roast duck and shark's fin soup at a top Chinese eatery. A month later, she enjoyed a sumptuous repast at a French restaurant where the course featured exquisite black truffles.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 7, 2008

The individuals come together

As is befitting of an exhibition of a corporate art collection at Tokyo's premier corporate gallery space, the Mori Art Museum has decked itself out in office chic: cool, understated spaces that feature the height of contemporary art to tickle the tired mind. Like the most privileged of office workers...
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2008

'Gyoza' poisoned after leaving factory: China

The head of the Chinese delegation in Japan for talks over recent food poisonings said Wednesday he believes the Chinese-made frozen "gyoza" dumplings were deliberately tainted with pesticide after being shipped from the factory and not during the production process.
BUSINESS
Feb 7, 2008

G7 unlikely to discuss joint rate cuts, Hirano says

The world's richest nations are unlikely to discuss joint interest-rate cuts this week as a step to ease turmoil in global financial markets, a former Bank of Japan official said.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 6, 2008

Did development strategy fail in Kenya?

NAIROBI — A month ago, Kenya fell prey to a sudden burst of post-electoral violence that has left over 1,000 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. The violence has stunned the world.

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.