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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Apr 29, 2012

Kamakura's historic 'flowering garden'

When I meander through the gardens of Zuisen-ji Temple, I'm always reminded of a particular haiku by the 17th-century poet Matsuo Basho, which goes: Fading temple bell / The fragrance of flowers strikes / At evening.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 23, 2012

For a challenge guess unknown kanji

A mastery of written Japanese comes not through rote memorization, but by developing your inductive reasoning so as to nurture a "kanji-oriented thought process."
COMMENTARY
Mar 24, 2012

China must rein in N. Korea

Now what? Just when we thought things were getting better, North Korea pulled the rug out from under everyone, including itself, by announcing a planned satellite launch to commemorate Great Leader Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday celebration.
EDITORIALS
Mar 12, 2012

Loosening up on animal cafes

Every country has its own cafe culture, but Japan's may be the most regulated in the world. Recently, cat, dog, rabbit and bird cafes, where customers can sip a cup of tea or coffee while watching, photographing or playing with animals, have caught the attention of authorities.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 2, 2012

'Henge'

Movie trailers and TV commercials both exist to sell, but unlike ads for toothpaste or instant ramen, trailers offer a direct experience, however manipulated, with the actual product. So websites that post links to trailers are not just shilling for distributors, but also offering their visitors, always...
EDITORIALS
Feb 25, 2012

Support for child-rearing families

Actualization panel has proposed a new set of support measures for children and child-rearing families. A main pillar of the proposal is to create a new type of preschool facility by integrating the two existing types of preschools: yochi-en (kindergartens), which are for the education of preschoolers,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / INDIA-JAPAN SYMPOSIUM
Feb 15, 2012

Rising consumerism in India offers Japan huge potential, experts say

India is rapidly evolving as a consumer market and Japan, whose trade and investment relations with the emerging South Asian giant have so far been limited, should take advantage of the huge potential created by the new trends of consumerism in the country, scholars and experts from Indian universities...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jan 30, 2012

Japanese coaches soaking up NFL experience during Pro Bowl week

Though the NFL players and coaches at the Pro Bowl are in relaxed mode with their season wrapped up, a pair of Japanese coaches are as serious as can be, trying to absorb every moment of this valuable opportunity.
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2011

Immigration changes to come as new law takes effect in July

The revised immigration law will take effect next July 9 and the government will start accepting applications for new residence registration cards on Jan. 13, the Cabinet decided Tuesday, paving the way for increased government scrutiny through a centralized immigration control of foreign nationals....
Japan Times
LIFE
Nov 27, 2011

Yoshimoto Kogyo's New Star Creation: Comedy's a funny business in Japan

Downtown, Ninety-Nine, Cream Stew, Neptune, Bananaman, Penalty, Black Mayonnaise, Tutorial, License, King Kong, Peace, Punk Boo Boo, Slim Club, Oriental Radio . . .
COMMENTARY
Nov 16, 2011

Methane time bomb is ticking

Scientific research shows that the need for resolute action to curb global warming from fossil fuel burning is become increasingly urgent. Yet policymakers in Japan and many other countries find it more difficult to take the necessary measures because they are costly and unpopular with many voters.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Oct 14, 2011

Gardow has expansion Jets prepared for takeoff

The bj-league's Eastern Conference is overflowing with newness this season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 7, 2011

Hosokawa: Weather the fall with an old Edo classic

Now that summer has been blown away, we finally have the appetite not just to eat but to venture further afield. Time to head across the Sumida River into the shitamachi (old downtown) heartland of Ryogoku, home to the national cult of sumo and its central shrine, the mighty Kokugikan stadium.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 30, 2011

Sake circle raises a glass for Tohoku victims

A buzzy atmosphere of excitement hung in the air as sake fans lined up for the Wa ni Naro Nihonshu charity sake tasting last Friday afternoon. As attendees streamed through the front doors of Tokyo Dome City's vast Prism Hall, gasps of astonishment mingled with the spirited rhythms of live taiko drumming...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2011

America's self-inflicted economic decline

If the broad post-World War II prosperity that has endured for six decades comes to an end, both the United States and Europe will be responsible. With rare exceptions, politics has become a discredited profession throughout the West.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2011

Quake-rebuilding boon stretches across the Pacific

Longshoremen at ports in Washington state and Vancouver, British Columbia, are set to load more timber and lumber onto vessels bound for Japan as it rebuilds from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 8, 2011

'Bal'

As Hollywood films become ever more breathless — with special effects sidelining nearly all plot and character development, and digital-editing abuse leading to few shots that last beyond a second — art cinema has moved just as extremely in the opposite direction, with slow, meticulous pacing; long,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Apr 10, 2011

From salamanders to little green men?

When I was a child, I remember wondering why there were no animals that could photosynthesize. Maybe that's a bit odd, but it's not that I was especially geeky; I just felt almost indignant that there weren't animals with green skin. It seemed to make so much sense.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 4, 2011

Korean craft works that embody our desire to live forever

Something that all cultures share is a fascination with longevity and immortality, and the art world is filled with imagery that addresses this. In Korean works of the Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1910) dynasties, this often took the form of auspicious symbolism.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 10, 2010

Fukuoka harbors hotbed of new talent

Despite its far westerly location (being closer to Seoul than it is to Tokyo), the Kyushu city of Fukuoka has for a long time been one of the musical powerhouses of Japan.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
Dec 5, 2010

Kim reveals new programs, targets return at worlds

While world champion Mao Asada struggles to regain her form and adjusts to a new coach, archrival and Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu Na is quietly eyeing next March's world championships in Tokyo for her competitive return.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 2, 2010

Japan facing uphill struggle as World Cup decision looms

Thursday marks the end of a long and vicious battle for hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but Japan will look to Zurich more in hope than expectation of winning the latter.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Nov 30, 2010

Nakaima victory helps Kan, U.S.

NAHA, Okinawa Pref. — The re-election of Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima on Sunday is a much-needed victory for Prime Minister Naoto Kan's government, which clearly wanted him to win, and the United States, who saw his opponent as a threat to the entire U.S. military presence in the prefecture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Oct 9, 2010

One possible sign of aging

Japan, long a society obsessed with age, is now obsessing about — old age! By 2055, it is predicted that half the population will be over 65! OMG, what can you do?!
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Sep 16, 2010

Level playing field keeps Grampus' feet on ground

Nagoya Grampus opened up a seven-point gap at the top of the J. League last weekend, but manager Dragan Stojkovic has been around the Japanese game far too long to start celebrating yet.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2010

Pakistan's effect on Iran

WATERLOO, Ontario — The United States, no more but no less than other countries, tends to make self-centered assessments of other countries' policies. This is one reason Washington missed the Iran factor as the most likely explanation for Saddam Hussein's deliberate ambiguity about a weapons-of-mass-destruction...
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Aug 20, 2010

Time for bj-league to slow down on expansion

In a mad rush to expand, the bj-league is ignoring a number of real concerns, including the pressing need to aggressively market itself in Tokyo, this nation's entertainment, government, financial and media capital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 13, 2010

Man Ray: The bright ideas of an original

"Unconcerned but Not Indifferent" reads the gravestone epitaph of American-born artist Man Ray, who was buried in his adopted hometown, Montparnasse, Paris. The same phrase is used for the title of an exhibition of the enigmatic artist now showing at the National Art Center, Tokyo. It can be applied...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 20, 2010

Expat clubs boast bygone cachet

OSAKA — In the years following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when Japan ended nearly 2 1/2 centuries of isolation, Tokyo, Yokohama and Kobe in particular saw a large influx of Western men in uniform, merchants, teachers and clerics.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Jul 18, 2010

Bathing in northern 'megaherbs'

When I first visited New Zealand in 1994 I was impressed by its astounding landscapes — the stunning beauty of its landforms, coasts and islands. However, I was soon not so enamored of its much-publicized "clean green" image when I realized the incredible destruction wrought on the ecosystem by its...

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami