author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 17, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Twitter

@philipbrasor

Philip Brasor
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 18, 2010
Is one subway system better than two?
Would merging the Tokyo Metro and Toei produce a profit, or more importantly, lower fares for commuters?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 16, 2010
Government organ sets sights on student-loan scofflaws
The knock-on effect of the recession has led to less job openings for college graduates and more delinquent student loans.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 15, 2010
Wedding planners make killing despite recession, population drop
The recession doesn't appear to be deterring couples who want to spend yen on the Big Day.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 12, 2010
Could public polls sway DPJ vote?
According to major media opinion polls, if the choice of who will lead the country was up to the populace, Prime Minister Naoto Kan would retain his position against fellow Democratic Party of Japan member Ichiro Ozawa's challenge to the party presidency and the premiership.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 10, 2010
Roberts finally makes it to Japan — but was it worth the wait?
Does Julia Roberts hate Japan? The local media were obsessed with this question prior to the Hollywood star's first-ever trip here last month to promote her new film, "Eat Pray Love," based on Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir about her journeys to Italy, India and Indonesia.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 9, 2010
Car makers try to stave off the inevitable
The offer of tax rebates on eco-friendly cars ends Sept. 30, but car makers, happy with high sales, are sweetening the deal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 6, 2010
Tower of Power: Record stores aren't dead yet
Another record chain bites the dust, but as Tower Records is proving, that doesn't mean there isn't money to be made in the music retail biz.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 5, 2010
Fertility issue pregnant with discord
In 2004, Diet lawmaker Seiko Noda wrote a book titled "Watashi wa Umitai" ("I Want to Give Birth"), which chronicled her years of infertility treatments and the subsequent pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. Two years later she ended her six-year relationship with fellow politician Yosuke Tsuruho, who...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 2, 2010
The upside and downside of the heat wave, fruit-wise
When global warming gives you a heat wave, grow more tropical fruit.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 30, 2010
Do you know Yucho?
Japan's post office launches a campaign to promote the convenience of opening postal savings accounts. City folk, too, might want to look into it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 29, 2010
Racy pop distracts from lip service
In April, China's Culture Ministry fined two young women 50,000 yuan (¥625,000) each for lip-syncing during performances in the city of Chengdu last year. The authorities characterize this edict against "fake singing" as a kind of truth-in-advertising rule, but most people think it was an overreaction...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 24, 2010
Last resorts: Vacation condos dirt cheap
If you're looking to buy a little hideaway in the mountains, the time is right. 'Resort mansion' can currently be had for bargain basement prices.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 22, 2010
Families dictate Japan's economic fate
Though everybody saw it coming, the announcement last week that China's economy supplanted Japan's as the second largest in the world shocked many people. It matters little that China's sheer size makes its dominance inevitable. What matters is that Japan's 42-year run as the world's No. 2 is over, and...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 20, 2010
McDonald's sticks its Big Mac where it's not wanted
Taking a tip from the gyudon wars earlier this year, McDonald's drops its Big Mac price to a low u00a5200.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 18, 2010
Redefining the minimum wage in an age of no expectations
The DPJ wants to raise minimum wage to u00a5800 but is that high enough to decrease the number of 'working poor'?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 16, 2010
Annals of cheap: High yen supermarket discounts
The strong yen hasn't exactly translated to lower prices on imported goods but supermakets are passing along the profits nonetheless.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 15, 2010
Missing seniors unravel family ties
The Japanese media are currently obsessed with the notion of old people disappearing from the face of the Earth without anyone knowing about it, including loved ones.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 13, 2010
Finding fun in Summer Sonic's odd lineup
In May, Japanese Web site Netallica reported that advance tickets for two of the big rock festivals, Fuji and Summer Sonic, were not moving. Both feature foreign artists, and Netallica implied that the latter added the grand old man of Japanese rock, Eikichi Yazawa, and best-selling J-pop hip-hop group...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 11, 2010
Summertime, and the dying is expensive
Japan ranks No. 1 in average funeral prices. So just what makes the deceased here so special?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 8, 2010
A warm embrace for ruff justice
Some years ago, a Belgian woman named An van Dienderen wondered why so many Japanese tourists visited her hometown of Antwerp, and particularly its cathedral. She learned that they wanted to see the place where the boy Nello and his faithful dog Patrasche died in the story "A Dog of Flanders." This thin...
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
Japan finds a 'stealth' cure for zombie businesses: Let them fail
A worker at Sakai Seisakusyo prepares to transport metal rods at its factory in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, on July 8.
Trump makes his grand RNC entrance with a bandaged ear and a VP pick
Former U.S. President Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Festival overcomes a nuclear accident and COVID
Festival overcomes a nuclear accident and COVID

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER