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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
May 3, 2014

Oysters offer pearls of wisdom within

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, our C.W. Nicol Afan Woodland Trust, based in Kurohime, Nagano Prefecture, has been helping to relocate an elementary school in Miyagi Prefecture that was destroyed by the huge tsunami that followed.
COMMENTARY / World
May 3, 2014

China starts, loses unprovoked Twitter war

China loses an unprovoked war on Twitter after a semi-retired Twitter account of mostly Sinophiles suggests that a solemnly worded Twitter message fron the People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's official mouthpiece, is a parody.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 2, 2014

Matsusaka, Hida cows now shine in shoe biz

Leather shoes made out of high-quality hides from such cows as Hida and Matsusaka are becoming increasingly popular in Japan.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2014

Watch out for colleges with 'free speech zones'

Designating a limited 'free speech zone' is one way in which American colleges try to squelch spontaneous action or immediate responses to controversial news.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Apr 25, 2014

'Dream' rice expected to yield excellent sake

Aichi Prefecture has officially launched sales of Yume-ginga, a type of brewer's rice used to make high-quality sake.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 22, 2014

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'lost' political legacy

Two pet themes of the late writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez was the abusive relationship between big industrial powers and Latin American and Caribbean countries, and the state of human rights on the continent.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 22, 2014

'Jazz mecca' Osaka to host star-studded global concert

What comes to mind when you think of Osaka? Maybe takoyaki (octopus dumplings), the Hanshin Tigers, Universal Studios Japan, wacky comedy and down-to-earth, unpretentious people.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Apr 20, 2014

Evacuees still wary of returning

An evacuation order for part of the Miyakoji district of Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, was lifted April 1, but many residents haven't returned yet because of lingering concerns about radiation. They are also worried about the lack of jobs, shops and medical services.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Apr 20, 2014

To teach to test or for communication — or both?

Which is more important: to communicate in a second language or to test well?
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 20, 2014

Why not teach students what's going on now?

Who do textbook publishers think it's smart to start a fourth-grade history textbook with prehistoric humans who lived 10,000 years ago? Why not begin by teaching students what's going on now?
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 18, 2014

Abe, U.S. Vice President Biden touch base on Ukraine, trade

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke by telephone to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden Friday on topics including the situation in Ukraine and trade negotiations, an Obama administration official said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Apr 18, 2014

Nagoya appliance recycling drive reaps success

The city of Nagoya started collecting small household appliances for recycling in February and announced April 11 that it had received more than 31,000 kg of machinery in just two months — five times more than anticipated.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 18, 2014

Weibo's Nasdaq debut highlights Chinese censorship

Weibo Corp. executives on Thursday toasted the Chinese social media firm's debut at Nasdaq's New York headquarters.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Apr 11, 2014

Bike can turn into wheelchair if disaster strikes

Junji Nagayama, the head of a heavy equipment delivery company in Nagoya, has developed a bicycle that, in just a few minutes, can be transformed into a wheelchair.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Apr 4, 2014

Chubu airport retools to attract foreign tourists

Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya has started various new services to cater to foreign visitors, including new bus services to the city, tourist information and announcements in Chinese and Korean.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 22, 2014

Motley crew of foreigners backing Japan's revisionists basks in media glare

In the war of words — particularly with South Korea and China — over World War II-era issues that has intensified over the past 18 months, foreigners — both Westerners and Asians — have also waded into the fray.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 21, 2014

Abe, Park to meet at Obama's urging

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet next week with his South Korean counterpart, Park Geun-hye, the first Tokyo-Seoul summit in two years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Mar 21, 2014

Kagome turns to Tohoku to grow its tomatoes

Nagoya company Kagome Co. is promoting tomato cultivation in areas affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 18, 2014

Babymetal "Babymetal"

It's not surprising that Babymetal has gone viral. The trio, bringing the seemingly disparate worlds of idol pop and heavy metal together, is a visually striking project perfect for the "weird Japan" fans on the Internet.
JAPAN
Mar 17, 2014

Yokota couple: Meeting a 'miracle'

The parents of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korean agents in 1977, say their dramatic meeting in Mongolia last week with her 26-year-old daughter was 'like a miracle' and they were also very happy to see her 10-month-old baby, both for the first time.
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Mar 16, 2014

New and improved radiation detectors headed for Fukushima

Starting in April, Fukushima Prefecture will introduce easy to use radiation detectors for food produce at municipalities so that residents will no longer have to cut up items into small pieces to check cesium levels.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Mar 14, 2014

Dahl still drawing on the joys and absurdities of expat life

For over 20 years, Roger Dahl has been making Japan Times readers laugh — and think — with his Opinion Page political cartoons and “Zero Gravity” comic strip, which pokes gentle fun at the foreign experience in this country.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Mar 14, 2014

Youths taking to auto repair classes

Toyota Motor Corp. is conducting a class in Aichi Prefecture so young people can discover the fun of building cars by learning how to repair popular old cars such as the Publica and Sports 800.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NOTEBOOK
Mar 11, 2014

Globalization in depth, Complimentary Coffee

symposium

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past