author

 
 
 Eric Johnston

Meta

Eric Johnston
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2001
School takes steps to combat intruders
IKEDA, Osaka Pref. — The senior vice education minister and the principal of Ikeda Elementary School announced Saturday that they are taking a series of steps immediately to increase security, including the stationing of guards around the school beginning Monday, and providing counseling to parents...
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2001
Ethnic Koreans get home spin on history
OSAKA — "Imperial Japan pillaged our country and instituted a cruel, repressive colonial regime. This went beyond acquiring food, resources and labor, and developed into a policy of obliterating the Korean people from the face of the Earth."
Events
May 29, 2001
Mayor feels heat as Olympic bid falters
OSAKA -- Officially, Osaka's quest for the 2008 Olympics is not over until the International Olympic Committee meets in Moscow in mid-July to name the host city.
CULTURE / Books
May 27, 2001
Japan's traditions aren't lost, they're buried
DOGS AND DEMONS: Tales From the Dark Side of Japan, by Alex Kerr. Hill and Wang, 2001, 432 pp., $27 (cloth). An ancient Chinese tale holds that dogs are difficult to draw because they are ubiquitous; demons are easy to create because they spring from the artist's imagination. Or, to put it more plainly,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 20, 2001
The importance of being Osakan
"Osaka? You think Osaka is the same as Tokyo?"
JAPAN
May 16, 2001
Three days of Bush bombardment ends
AWAJI ISLAND, Hyogo Pref. — In what turned into three days of criticism of U.S. foreign policy under President George W. Bush, former world leaders wrapped up the 19th plenary session of the Interaction Council on Tuesday.
Events
May 15, 2001
Japan's ancient capital looks for new-tech entrepreneurs
KYOTO -- Size doesn't matter -- it's how good you are.
JAPAN
May 15, 2001
U.S. foreign policy under fire from council
AWAJI ISLAND, Hyogo Pref. -- Concerns over China, the East Asian region and U.S. attempts to act unilaterally were the focus of talks here Monday at the 19th plenary session of the the InterAction Council.
JAPAN
May 14, 2001
InterAction Council opens summit in Awaji
AWAJI ISLAND, Hyogo Pref. -- The InterAction Council, a group of former heads of state and government, opened its 19th plenary session Sunday at the Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center by criticizing the United States for turning its back on a number of global issues.
JAPAN
May 5, 2001
Aging U.S. POWs still await slave labor redress
OSAKA -- For 56 years, Ben Comstock, 82, an American captured by Japanese forces on Wake Island in December 1941, has been waiting.
Events
May 1, 2001
Baseball fans clear air about stars 'Spaceman' Shinjo, 'boring' Ichiro
OSAKA -- While most of Japan has celebrated the American success of Ichiro Suzuki, baseball fans in the Kansai region are sharply divided in their enthusiasm for the Seattle Mariners newest superstar.
Events
Apr 17, 2001
Kansai leaders brainstorm on ways to kick-start the region
OSAKA -- Since the end of the bubble era, the Kansai region's economy has fared worse than many other parts of Japan.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2001
USJ attacked over disclosure stance
OSAKA -- Only a month into its grand opening, the management of Universal Studios Japan is under fire from citizens groups and the local media for refusing to divulge information about the park's operations.
Events
Apr 3, 2001
Osaka a tale of two 'Americatowns'
OSAKA -- Many cities in Japan, Europe and the United States have a Chinatown. But Osaka now finds itself with two "Americatowns" that, although not competitors, are keeping an eye on each other.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2001
Universal Studios opens in Osaka
OSAKA -- The power of Hollywood arrived in Osaka on Saturday as the Universal Studios Japan theme park opened its doors to the public.
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2001
Kobe Declaration a thorn in the side of diplomacy
Staff writer OSAKA -- Last year, Robert Ludan, U.S. consul general for the Osaka-Kobe region, began pursuing an issue that had lain dormant for 25 years: U.S. naval visits to Kobe.
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2001
Kansai mulls ways to attract U.S. cash
OSAKA -- Discussion on America's relationship with the Kansai region generally centers on business investment or the lack thereof.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2001
Osaka to emphasize dangers of lighting up
OSAKA -- Forget the bid for the 2008 Olympic Games or the opening of Universal Studios Japan. For those Osaka residents who have long suffered in the presence of cigarette smokers, a recent announcement by the city came as some of the best news in years.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2001
Residents fear Olympic bid will be mired in politics
OSAKA -- Osaka residents are voicing hope that their city will be viewed favorably by a group of International Olympic Committee officials visiting this week.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2001
IOC inspectors arrive in Osaka
OSAKA -- Members of the International Olympic Committee's bid-city evaluation committee arrived in Osaka on Sunday evening to begin a four-day inspection tour of sports and other facilities.

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’