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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 26, 2013

The dark side of Japanese fashion made in Bangladesh

While it's not clear if any Japanese firm had interests in factories operating in the building that collapsed in Dhaka last month, it is natural to infer that there are Japanese companies in Bangladesh taking advantage of lower wages and less stringent safety regulations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 26, 2013

Xenophobia stretches from the street to the dinner table

The territorial disputes between Japan and its nearest neighbors over the islands of Takeshima (Dokdo in Korean) and the Senkakus (Diaoyu in Chinese) have gradually faded from the front pages; but this does not necessarily mean there have been no repercussions.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 21, 2013

Fukushima No. 1 can't keep its head above tainted water

More than two years into the triple-meltdown crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, workers continue to wage a desperate battle to keep the stricken reactors cool while trying to contain the 400 tons of radioactive water produced by the process each day.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 20, 2013

Japan must boost credibility of bonds as exodus to stocks hikes rates: Amari

Japan's government must demonstrate a commitment to fiscal rehabilitation to boost the credibility of government bonds and prevent a spike in long-term yields as soaring stocks damp the allure of the nation's sovereign debt, Economy Minister Akira Amari said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 19, 2013

Family drama is reimagined for today's Japan

"Kazoku Game (The Family Game)," directed by the late Yoshimitsu Morita and released in 1983, remains a movie milestone. A cynical black comedy, it presented to the world a distillation of the less edifying social outcomes of Japan's postwar economic miracle. The Numata family are invaded by a private...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 14, 2013

New thugs on block sidestep the usual suspects

Japan's underworld, namely the "boryokudan" (gangster organizations) better known as yakuza, have been targeted with crackdowns in recent years focused on cutting their funding and expanding their criminal liability. But a new type of thug appears to be acting with impunity by operating in a legal void....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 12, 2013

Will Mount Fuji celebrate World Heritage status by blowing its top?

On May 1, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs announced it had received notification that Mount Fuji had been recommended for World Heritage status by the UNESCO-affiliated International Council on Monuments and Sites. Formal approval is expected at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Cambodia next month.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 10, 2013

'Chugakusei Maruyama (Maruyama, the Middle Schooler)'

Acclaimed as a comic genius in Japan, actor/scriptwriter/director Kankuro Kudo has been slower to find recognition abroad. His brand of hyperactive comedy, with its machine-gun dialogue and many references to local pop culture, is not the easiest for foreign audiences to understand, though his two previous...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2013

LA and Tokyo mix it up at Dublab

As cities, Tokyo and Los Angeles could not be more different. But as creative places, both cities resonate with one another as creative partners.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 8, 2013

Spring fever hits workers, students hard after Golden Week

It's now a month since freshmen, finally freed from the stressful life of studying to pass rigorous university entrance exams, began their new lives at their new schools.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 5, 2013

Media weighs in on LDP's English education plan

The Liberal Democratic Party has a thing for archery. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's financial policies comprise "three arrows." The symbolism is based on the old Japanese saying, "Three arrows are harder to break." Since "Abenomics" has proven to be a PR success, at least with the electorate, he's using...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 4, 2013

Antinuclear drive in search of new strategies

The Fukushima nuclear crisis struck a nerve with Japan's normally passive public, prompting many to raise their voices against atomic power and take to the streets to voice their anger.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 4, 2013

Shimane's Davis stands tall in Game 1 win over Hamamatsu

Shimane center Jeral Davis dominated defensively in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series, helping the Susanoo Magic rout the visiting Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix 80-67 on Friday afternoon.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 30, 2013

People's award: glittering honor or political tool?

The People's Honor Award, bestowed on those who have made tremendous achievements in their careers, has often drawn criticism for its vague nomination criteria and opaque selection process.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2013

Anniversaries, talk shows showcase division in Russia

Opposition critics, left and right, of Russian President Vladimir Putin seem to be loud but toothless opportunists. In many cases, they are nostalgic for Josef Stalin.
ENVIRONMENT
Apr 30, 2013

California refines way to gauge water supply

Like a pitcher taking the mound on opening day, Frank Gehrke gets the media spotlight in California every April, when the otherwise obscure state water official trudges into the Sierra Nevada mountains and plunges aluminum tubes into the snow.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 28, 2013

An avian flu outbreak in Japan could kill 'Abenomics'

No one has ever fully explained why, in 2002-3, the virulent pathogen known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) ran rampant in mainland China (5,328 cases, 349 deaths) but only infected four people in South Korea, with no fatalities, and none in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 27, 2013

Can you really train your brain to be more intelligent?

My week has been pretty hectic so far. On Monday, I manned a busy beach bar and had to remember a range of ice-cream and pizza orders for a constant stream of customers.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 26, 2013

Newton's return sure to solidify Ryukyu's run at title

The reigning champion Ryukyu Golden Kings have been so good for so long that veteran forward/center Jeff Newton's recent monthlong absence due to a knee injury was far from a crisis.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 23, 2013

Is legislation weighty enough to rebalance election system?

While the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe enjoys high support rates, hovering around 70 percent, its very legitimacy is being questioned.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 19, 2013

Kyoto's Hamaguchi proving again he is an elite coach

For Honoo Hamaguchi and Dai Oketani, longevity is one part of their success story as the bj-league's longest-tenured coaches. What's more, their quality teams are always competitive year after year.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2013

Pulvers wins Noma translation prize

Roger Pulvers, a noted writer and veteran contributor to The Japan Times, has won the 19th Noma Award for the Translation of Japanese Literature, major publishing house Kodansha Ltd. said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2013

Top French officials disclose personal wealth

The wealthiest member of France's Socialist government, French people learned Monday, is Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who inherited a $7.8 million fortune from his family's trade in art and antiques. But Michele Delaunay, minister for the aged, also disclosed a comfortable stash: $7 million, mostly...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 16, 2013

Startups find there's financing in numbers

In a country where a stubbornly stagnant economy has turned the adventurous away from high-risk investment, fundraising has become one of the highest hurdles a startup can overcome.
EDITORIALS
Apr 16, 2013

Improving teaching at universities

The University of Tokyo seeks to improve the quality of university class instruction with a graduate course on preparing presentations and lesson plans.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 14, 2013

Net TV expresses views the mainstream ignores

Last week's column mentioned "Pack-in News," a current-affairs talk show that used to stream on the Internet TV channel Kinkin.tv, which is the personal project of veteran actor-emcee Kinya Aikawa. It was a continuation of "Pack-in Journal," a show hosted by Aikawa on the satellite station Asahi Newstar...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 13, 2013

How keeping it real took Matt Damon to the top

In 1987, when Bruce Springsteen wrote the song "Ain't Got You," he was the biggest rock star in the world. He had vast estates in New Jersey and Beverly Hills, and he had not long returned from a honeymoon at Gianni Versace's villa in Lake Como. "Ain't Got You" was Springsteen's attempt to make a self-aware...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 12, 2013

Disaster did little to shake up status quo, expert says

Disappointing expectations that the megaquake and tsunami two years ago — and subsequent nuclear calamity — would trigger a rebirth of politics and government, Japan's key policies remain largely unchanged, says Richard Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies at Massachusetts Institute...

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