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JAPAN
Jan 28, 2011

Two abductees 'alive' in '06

KAGOSHIMA (Kyodo) Two Japanese abducted by North Korea were reported alive there as of 2006, despite Pyongyang's claim they died decades earlier, a relative of one of them claimed Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 28, 2011

Hirayama: Paying simple tribute to the Silk Road

Recently Stephen Fry's BBC comedy quiz show "QI," was in trouble over panelist's comments regarding Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a survivor of both atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Amid generally admiring chit chat about Yamaguchi, panelists treated the bombings with a degree of levity typical of the show, prompting...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 28, 2011

There's always art behind design

For some, life-changing moments involve a traumatic experience or a piercing epiphany. For others, something as simple as a teapot can elicit transformation.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2011

Economics for the people

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — We are in the midst of a boom in popular economics: books, articles, blogs, public lectures, all followed closely by the general public.
COMMENTARY
Jan 26, 2011

Universal values do matter

NEW DELHI — With a Nobel Peace Prize to his credit, U.S. President Barack Obama was widely expected to advance universal values. Yet he has signaled that promotion of human rights is a tool to be used only against the small kids on the global block who hold no major economic benefits for the United...
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 25, 2011

Hilton Hotels bag white elephant, turn it around

What is a luxury brand hotel like Hilton doing with a hot spring resort in the mountains of Shizuoka?
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2011

Whither Tunisia's 'Jasmine Revolution'?

NEW YORK — As I try to grasp the meaning of the Tunisian Revolution and gauge its future, I am looking at my desk, where I have spread two issues of The New York Times, both featuring Tunisia on their front pages. The two issues are dated 23 years apart.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 23, 2011

The countdown: six months and a day till TV goes digital

Quick: what happened in Japan on Sept. 10, 1960? A few people might recall that was the day Japan commenced color TV broadcasting. At the startup, color programs were few in number, but consumers still had four years and one month to buy a color set before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jan 23, 2011

Forests worldwide: a primer

For those living in Japan, it's easy to forget that forests are not a given.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 23, 2011

Why did Japan crash as Asia's lead goose?

ASIA'S FLYING GEESE: How Regionalization Shapes Japan, by Walter Hatch. Cornell University Press, 2010, 304 pp., $24.95 (hardcover) As we slog into the third decade of the Lost Decade, the enigma of Japan is why, given dire developments, change and reform happen so slowly, if at all.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 23, 2011

An inside look at selection for Japan's Hall of Fame

When Hiromitsu Ochiai is inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame this coming summer, it will be a very convenient situation. As manager of the defending Central League champion Chunichi Dragons, Ochiai will also pilot the 2011 CL All-Star team, and the HOF induction ceremony will take place...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 22, 2011

How you twist and shout in Japanese

If you like to twist and shout, you'll love the Japanese language. Even if you don't know any Japanese at all, here are some easy expressions that can launch you into premature scream mode with little effort, with just a tad bit of grunting on the side. Charge on, shall we? Shrills: Kawaii!
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 21, 2011

Taking the tango across the country

A renowned Argentine tango orchestra and dancers from that country and Japan are bringing their passion for the art to audiences across Japan through March.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 21, 2011

The Mornings reveal new depths on debut

"I was in a mosh pit at (Tokyo concert venue) Koiwa Bushbash when Shingo landed on top of me and dislocated my shoulder."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 21, 2011

New National Theatre, Tokyo, hopes 'Yuzuru' will help Japanese opera soar

Imitation may be a form of flattery, but it is also an important first step for creative genesis. The 1952 premiere of "Yuzuru" by Ikuma Dan — half imitation of Western operatic traditions and half Japanese creative innovation — marked a milestone in the development of opera in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 21, 2011

Okamoto's plot new album release before summer

After being courted by record labels while still in high school in Tokyo, inking a deal with Sony subsidiary Ariola Japan was an easy decision for Okamoto's.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / IN THE RECORD
Jan 21, 2011

Groove Patrol

Creator of the Audio Tokyo Electronic Music Festival and director of Eggworm, Groove Patrol (aka Nick Clarke), gives The Japan Times a peek into his record bag.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 21, 2011

'The Green Hornet'

They say that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That pretty much sums up me and superhero movies; I keep going to see the damn things, attracted by the latest tantalizing hook, only to wind up feeling like Dr. Doom has trapped me in some...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 21, 2011

'Aki Sasamoto: Strange Attractors'

Take Ninagawa
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 21, 2011

Takashimaya branch to celebrate girls day with doll display

The hina matsuri (doll festival) on March 3 is still a while off. However, displays commemorating Japan's young daughters will end promptly on that day, because, according to tradition, if they stay up — those daughters might lose their chance at marriage.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’