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JAPAN
Apr 19, 2012

Doubt in Kansai grows over plant restarts, blackout predictions

Distrust of the central government's conclusion that the Oi No. 3 and No. 4 reactors are safe to restart and doubts over Kansai Electric Power Co.'s predictions of possible blackouts without them have grown in Kansai this week.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 19, 2012

Rustie to bring hyperactive set to SonarSound Tokyo

When Rustie (Russell Whyte, 29) makes his Japan debut at SonarSound Tokyo this weekend, it will mark the culmination of a remarkable few years that has seen the Scottish producer swap house parties in his hometown of Glasgow for headline spots at some of the biggest clubs in the world.
COMMENTARY
Apr 18, 2012

Dam-building disputes roil Asia

Dam building on shared rivers has emerged as the leading source of water disputes and tensions in Asia, the world's driest continent whose freshwater availability is less than half the global annual average of 6,380 cubic meters per inhabitant. Dam-building activities by China and Central, South and...
LIFE / Digital / TECH_JAPAN
Apr 18, 2012

Why good Wi-Fi is so hard to find in Japan

Friends visiting Japan often ask me why there are no, or very few, Wi-Fi hotspots available at hotels and cafes in Tokyo. They mention that in their countries, many places offer free Wi-Fi for guests — often it is completely open, or you simply need to ask the staff for the password.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2012

More rice brands join top ranks

Famous rice brands such as Koshihikari and Hitomebore usually come from the Tohoku region and Niigata Prefecture, but varieties grown in northern and southern ends of the country are building tasty reputations as well.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Apr 17, 2012

Texan's magic transforms verandas

When you step out onto the veranda of Theodore Jennings' penthouse apartment in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, it almost feels like you're on vacation in some other location — be it New York or some European resort.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Apr 17, 2012

Pampered pets

Dear Alice,Don't you think it's time you did a column on the crazy pet products and services available in Japan? I can't believe the lengths some dog owners go to — dressing their pets in frilly clothes, pushing them around in baby carriages and taking them into cafes. My wife says I'm crazy but I...
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Apr 16, 2012

U.S. digs in to hold Futenma

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has asserted that a Japan-U.S. agreement struck in February will help resolve the issue of relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which now sits in the middle of densely populated Ginowan City in the central part of Okinawa Island.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2012

U.S. vet pries lid off Agent Orange denials

Thousands of barrels of Agent Orange were unloaded on Okinawa Island and stored at the port of Naha, and at the U.S. military's Kadena and Camp Schwab bases between 1965 and 1966, an American veteran who served in Okinawa claims.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2012

'Texas Killing Fields'

Having an iconic Hollywood filmmaker for a dad isn't always a cool thing. The dad in question: Michael Mann, the guy who brought us such notable gangster tales as "Public Enemies," produced the gritty, testosterone-infused "Heat" and has more than a dozen blockbusters to his name. Granted, Michael Mann...
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2012

SDF, leaders on 24-hour alert for North's rocket launch

Japan and its missile defense system remained on high alert Thursday as the first day of North Korea's launch window for what is believed to be a long-range ballistic missile test passed without incident.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2012

Big in Taiwan: Island singer Atari makes his own Taipei exchange

Ever since his major debut in 2006, singer Kousuke Atari — known for his masterful fusion of shima-uta (folk songs native to Amami Oshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture) with J-pop — has done remarkably well outside Japan, particularly in mainland China and Taiwan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 12, 2012

The Cigavettes "We Rolled Again"

The Cigavettes have opened for the likes of British rock act 22-20s and Asian Kung-Fu Generation's Masafumi Goto and have appeared at Osaka's Minami Wheel festival. Originally from Fukuoka, two years ago the quintet decided to make Tokyo their home base. "We Rolled Again" is their sophomore offering....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 12, 2012

Fluterscooter brings a new shine to the flute

Without knowing it, you may have already seen a concert featuring Andrea Fisher. The Juilliard School of Music graduate has performed with John Legend and Herbie Hancock, and has spent time in the studio with hip-hop mainstays such as 50 Cent and Wiz Khalifa.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 12, 2012

Voina points to the art of dissent

The photo shows an unshaven Russian glaring into the distance from behind prison bars. It's a striking shot, so it is hardly surprising that when it was printed on a 4×6-meter banner and unfurled at an entrance to the 20-km exclusion zone around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the police officers...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 12, 2012

Voina points to the art of dissent

The photo shows an unshaven Russian glaring into the distance from behind prison bars. It's a striking shot, so it is hardly surprising that when it was printed on a 4×6-meter banner and unfurled at an entrance to the 20-km exclusion zone around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the police officers...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 10, 2012

Rape victim marks 10 years on lonely crusade for justice

It surely isn't very often that elite Japanese bureaucrats hear the words to the national anthem quoted at them — by a foreigner. Earlier this year, Australian national Catherine Fisher says she pulled the words of "Kimigayo" from her head during a frustrating meeting with officials from the ministries...
COMMENTARY
Apr 10, 2012

World Bank could use a competitive advantage

From a turn of phrase by Jim O'Neill of Goldman Sachs in 2001, a grouping was born in 2009. BRICS (Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa) make up two-fifths of the world's population, one-fifth of world gross domestic product and one-seventh of world trade. Yet, they account for two-thirds of...
EDITORIALS
Apr 10, 2012

Publish or perish

A U.S. government panel has concluded that findings from two avian flu studies can be published even though there is a risk that the work could be misused by governments or terrorists to create biological weapons. The weight of the panel's expert opinion is that the "real and present danger" of naturally...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 8, 2012

Lack of strong ties spurs business of dying alone

New businesses arising to meet new needs tell us much about the times we live in. A cleaning company named Green Heart, for example, thrives on a peculiar expertise. Its website explains: "Sadly, it often happens that unclaimed bodies go long unnoticed. In summer after two days, in winter after four...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 8, 2012

21st-century schizoid menswear

Never before has the creative schism at the heart of Japanese menswear been more evident than during the recent Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 7, 2012

Fighting the good fight for a healthy natural diet

Mamiko Matsuda, the best-selling author, translator and nutritional expert who divides her time between Japan and Houston, overcame an early struggle with poor health and disease to become an advocate for healthy diets and "natural hygiene."
BASKETBALL
Apr 7, 2012

Washington in limbo week after exoneration

It's been a week since Osaka Evessa star Lynn Washington was cleared of all drug charges by Osaka Prefectural Police after 18 days in custody. Yet there still has been no formal announcement by either the Western Conference team or the bj-league about Washington's status.
EDITORIALS
Apr 7, 2012

Tough job market for new graduates

For university students graduating this spring, finding jobs is not an easy task. As of February, about 80 percent of them had found work, the third lowest percentage on record. The situation for students graduating next year is expected to be a little better.

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