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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 6, 2008

The key to Joseon times

Known as pungsu in Korean, feng shui was transmitted from China into Korean culture during the Unified Silla Dynasty (668-935). The system of aesthetics taught that proper placement of the home in relation to natural elements would facilitate a flow of positive energy through space and ensure well-being...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 6, 2008

A place for women

Seian Shima's "Untitled" (1918), in "Women Artists in Osaka" at the Osaka City Museum of Modern Art till Dec. 7, is a remarkable work. A self-portrait — uncommon in Japanese painting generally — it conforms to no ideal form of beauty, unlike images done in the bijinga (beautiful woman pictures) genre....
BUSINESS
Nov 6, 2008

Obama victory to boost Japan, experts predict

At least in the short run, the Japanese economy is likely to benefit from Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election, as large-scale economic stimulus packages loom, economists said Wednesday.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Nov 5, 2008

'The proudest day of my life'

Apart from a few experimental trees, it is not our policy to grow non-native plants in our woodland trust here in the hills of Nagano Prefecture.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2008

Citizenship for kids still tall order

Many observers of the Nationality Law have welcomed the government's proposed revision approved Tuesday by the Cabinet that will soon allow hundreds of children born out of wedlock to Japanese men and foreign women to obtain Japanese nationality if the father recognizes paternity even after birth.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 4, 2008

A beautiful cultural blend: African kimono

Wander past a certain kimono store in Aoyama and center stage in the window is a riotous splash of canary- yellow cotton, with bright cubes of grass green and swirls of earthy brown. A tribal red-and-black obi tied high around the waist completes a perfectly styled kimono that on close inspection evokes...
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Nov 4, 2008

Truth: a delicate matter of give and take

Every activist and essayist must deal with a singular phenomenon when addressing the public: just how "truthful" one should be.
COMMENTARY
Nov 3, 2008

Different playbooks aimed at balancing Asia's powers

NEW DELHI — The Japan-India security agreement signed recently marks a significant milestone in building Asian power equilibrium. A constellation of Asian states linked by strategic cooperation and with shared common interests is becoming critical to instituting stability at a time when major shifts...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 3, 2008

Giants sluggers bring crowd into the action

The ushers blow whistles to call the fans' attention when batters hit into the outfield stands during the batting practice. And with the powerful Giants, the whistles are particularly heard more often when Michihiro Ogasawara and Alex Ramirez take the cages.
Reader Mail
Nov 2, 2008

Taking a proven myth as fact

In his Oct. 23 article, "Remember the China lesson," Brahma Chellaney mentions four times the alleged Tiananmen Square "massacre" of June 1989. But there is now a wealth of eyewitness material -- much of it cited in my July 21 article, "Birth of a massacre myth" -- proving that there was no massacre,...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 2, 2008

Pondering the process of filling in the final page of a person's life

In the late 1980s, the mother of a close female friend of ours in Tokyo went into hospital for a hysterectomy. This is major, if fairly routine, surgery.
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2008

ID-less arrest thought to be drug kingpin

An Iranian man under arrest since July is believed to be the ringleader of drug dealers who sold an estimated ¥200 million worth of narcotics to 20,000 customers on the streets of the ritzy Azabu, Shirokane and Takanawa neighborhoods in Minato Ward, Tokyo, since last November.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2008

International sense in Japan

Regarding the Oct. 19 letter "Tourists treated differently": If Japan really wants to attract foreign tourists, it needs to acquire an authentic international sense. In my opinion, that means being able to appreciate foreign visitors as they are without relying on information from the media.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2008

Itoham's wells clean, Kashiwa says

The city of Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, said Wednesday that no alarming levels of toxic cyanogen compounds have been found in water from seven wells at a local Itoham Foods Inc. factory amid embarrassing reports that the plant is within walking distance of a wartime chemical weapons training facility....
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2008

No 'concrete' intelligence on Kim

Prime Minister Taro Aso wasn't citing specific intelligence reports when he speculated that North Korea's Kim Jong Il is still running the hermit state, the government's top spokesman said Wednesday.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2008

Internet can save people

Regarding Jun Numayama's Oct. 19 letter, "Internet crisis of communication": Numayama says the Internet worsens young people's ability to communicate, and that this is connected with loneliness in real life and suicide. I disagree. I think the Internet is saving young people. Japanese people are shy....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 30, 2008

Golden glories

One of fall's annual pleasures is the Big Autumn Exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum, and this year the organizers have pulled out all the stops with "Treasures by Rinpa Masters," a breathtaking show of Rinpa art in celebration of the 350th anniversary of Ogata Korin's birth. Korin (1658-1716) is...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 30, 2008

Going abroad to make it at home

Mugensha Theatre Company is based in Tokyo, but it is probably better known in Britain. The company has played three London seasons — in 2002, '05 and '06 — since it was founded by director and actor Soun Kotakebayashi in 1995 with the intention of taking contemporary Japanese drama to Europe.
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2008

Nomura posts loss but expects gains via Lehman acquisitions

Nomura Holdings Inc. said Tuesday its group net loss widened to ¥72.9 billion in the quarter that ended in September due to losses related to the global financial turmoil.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2008

Dolphin activist keeps up fight against slaughter

OSAKA — Renowned American dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry has dedicated his life to freeing captured dolphins worldwide. In a new documentary, he hopes to educate both Japanese and international audiences about the slaughter of the mammals in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, and the hazards of eating dolphin...
BUSINESS
Oct 28, 2008

Aso's call for action fails to buoy Nikkei

Tokyo stocks renewed their plunge on Monday, with the key Nikkei index falling 6 percent to a fresh 26-year low despite Prime Minister Taro Aso's call earlier in the day for emergency measures to help stabilize the market.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 2008

Flight fuel surcharges to linger till year's end

People hoping to travel abroad will have to wait until January for cheaper flights even though oil prices are plunging and the yen is rapidly strengthening against the dollar and euro.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 2008

Strong yen takes a toll on visitors

The yen's recent surge is hitting many foreigners hard in the wallet.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 28, 2008

A peep at video parlors

In the predawn hours of Oct. 1, a fire broke out at an Osaka video parlor, killing 15 people and injuring nearly a dozen others, including one who died later. Kazuhiro Ogawa, a 46-year-old unemployed man who had been in the parlor, was arrested on suspicion of arson and murder.
EDITORIALS
Oct 26, 2008

NGOs on the go

Japan's election as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council in mid-October means that Japan will again be able to make positive marks around the world. Though this is the 10th time for Japan to serve, the current problems in the world mean that Japan's interactions with foreign countries...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 26, 2008

The 'tough love' of sumo and the military can turn ugly

Euphemism is a required art for anyone who communicates with the public, be they politicians or PR flacks. The idea is to change or otherwise soften concepts that may be considered too blunt. Matters regarding sex, bodily functions and death are often euphemized so as not to offend delicate sensibilities,...

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go