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Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Oct 4, 2008

Watanabe tames PL in first season at helm

Earlier this season Seibu Lions second baseman Yasuyuki Kataoka donned a Spiderman mask and entertained the crowd before his hero interview after hitting a "sayonara" home run off Hokkaido Nippon Ham's Yu Darvish.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 31, 2008

Legend Moses launches Web site

Track and field legend Edwin Moses has launched a new Web site, www.edwinmoses.com, the two-time gold medalist announced in a press release.
Japan Times
SPORTS / ODDS AND EVENS
Aug 31, 2008

Beijing Games chock full of memorable moments

Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series. The second part will focus on Japan's 2008 Olympic experience.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Aug 31, 2008

Results in Beijing prove that baseball has a place in Olympics

After watching that cliff-hanging, nail-biter, barn-burner of a victory by South Korea over Cuba in the gold medal game at the Beijing Olympics, I am more convinced than ever that baseball — and softball — belong in the Games.
COMMENTARY
Aug 27, 2008

Showcasing best of China

It's been like watching the coverage of the Beijing Olympics on a split screen. Much of the Western media comment in the main news and opinion pages has been written up by the "nattering nabobs of negativism," in the immortal words of Vice President Spiro Agnew (albeit written by William Safire). The...
Japan Times
SPORTS / ODDS AND EVENS
Aug 21, 2008

China taking small steps to baseball success

BEIJING — Baseball is experiencing growing pains in China. In order to take a big step forward, China needs time to establish a foundation for the future.
SPORTS / ODDS AND EVENS
Aug 16, 2008

Phelps on doorstep of unthinkable feat

BEIJING — This column begins with terrific inspiration: the Olympic flame, steadily casting a bright light high above the track at the National Stadium in Beijing.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Aug 12, 2008

Cool Wade sparkles in return to spotlight

BEIJING — I've attended hundreds of basketball games at the high school, college, and professional level in the United States, as well as the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan and a few dozen bj-league games over the past two seasons.
OLYMPICS / ODDS AND EVENS
Aug 11, 2008

Li inspired gymnasts with his high-wire act

BEIJING — It was a magical moment, and it's worth taking a moment to revisit.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 10, 2008

Celebrity rules as the Olympics strays far from its ideal

The big story this year in competitive swimming is the LZR Racer swimsuit, which was developed by the British sportswear manufacturer Speedo. At least six world records have been set by swimmers wearing the suit. Studies have shown that its drag-diminishing properties lower racing times by 1.9 to 2.2...
OLYMPICS / 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2008

Beijing joyfully steps forward

BEIJING — There are numerous slogans plastered on walls and Web sites with equal frequency in Beijing. The "One World, One Dream" Olympic motto and "Light the passion, share the dream" theme for the torch relay are prominently featured.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 7, 2008

Stop criticizing China, it has come so far

BEIJING — When I was at school, sports lessons included an exercise where we threw hand grenades (made from wood topped with metal to resemble the real thing) against a wall over which a red slogan had been stretched offering the reason for such a militaristic pastime: "Exercise our bodies and protect...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 20, 2008

Kobayashi chases Olympic dream

Yuriko Kobayashi is Beijing-bound, but that's not her terminal station.
Japan Times
Features
Jul 13, 2008

Japan's culture policy lingers in limbo

It's a fact that has long puzzled devotees and plain old tourists alike. Japan's manga and anime arts have been wowing the world for more than a decade, and yet the national government still hasn't got around to setting up a proper museum for their enjoyment, preservation and study.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jul 11, 2008

NBA hires a general, NFL signs a colonel to tackle credibility crisis

NEW YORK — David Stern was deep in the bowels of Staples Center, holding an impromptu press conference next to the loading dock when he should have been in a luxury suite upstairs getting ready to enjoy Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Jun 22, 2008

Women drive today's car industry

There's a common misconception that cars only interest men — and that the secret to success in the automotive industry is therefore to find new and better ways to build vehicles that appeal to them.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2008

The Album Leaf at Metamorphose

Although The Album Leaf started in 1998 as a side project to Jimmy LaValle's work in another band (San Diego's Tristeza), his postrock power-pop solo venture has since evolved into his main gig. The band's lineup often changes — multi-instrumentalist LaValle even performed as a one-man band on live...
EDITORIALS
Jun 16, 2008

Vying to be the Olympic host

Tokyo, Chicago, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro have been chosen final candidates for the 2016 Olympic Games. Japan's capital city has received the top rating in the International Olympic Committee's preliminary selection round, but this only marks the start of a long race. The climax comes Oct. 2, 2009, when...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 15, 2008

Nuggets of 'wisdom' can speak volumes beyond what's said

"Biting Comments, Curious Statements and Famous Misstatements" is the headline on the lead article in the June 5 issue of the popular Japanese weekly magazine Bungei Shunju. It features dramatic ejaculations of famous politicians, sports figures and entertainers, among others.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2008

Otsuka to buy 49% of French water bottler

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., the maker of Pocari Sweat sports drinks, will spend ¥120 billion for 49 percent of French water bottler Alma as it seeks to counter slowing drink sales at home.
BUSINESS
May 27, 2008

MMC to cut workers in U.S. as sales drop

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will eliminate 105 factory jobs by August at a U.S. plant as it cuts production on slowing sales there.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Apr 20, 2008

Soccer that's played the wheely way

I like soccer. I like to watch it. I even tried to play it a few times when I was a kid, though I was not good at sports that didn't require me to use my hands, so I switched to tennis and basketball. But I can imagine how skillful you have to be to play football well, and how much fun and how exciting...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 20, 2008

Sojourner promoting game on and off court

There are professional athletes in all sports who fit this bill: They are outgoing, passionate about their chosen profession and more than willing to speak their mind about what they think the powers that be can do to improve the sport on levels.
BASKETBALL
Apr 15, 2008

Osaka's Lottich is special guest

Osaka Evessa point guard Matt Lottich is slated to join sports reporter Ed Odeven from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday for The Japan Times' sports chat. Lottich, a former Stanford University player, will discuss his team's quest for a third straight bj-league title, help break down the upcoming playoffs and...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Apr 13, 2008

Why Japan finally got its foot off the brake

No other phrase more eloquently captures the essence of Japan's car industry than jishu-kisei, or "mutual self-restraint."
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2008

Toyota to raise Fuji Heavy stake to 16.5%

Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's top carmaker, said Thursday it will raise its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. to 16.5 percent from 8.7 percent to improve joint product development amid fierce global competition.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 8, 2008

Japan's holidays and their meaning

Following are Japan's national holidays and what they recognize under the Law Concerning National Holidays:
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Apr 6, 2008

Japan's most jam-packed year at the track

Atitan in the field of car manufacturing, Japan has also long been a magnet for international-level motor racing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / ON THE ROAD
Mar 30, 2008

General Motors banks on an Aussie invasion

If you were fortunate enough to score an invite to a Hollywood party these days, you'd be hard-pressed to avoid rubbing shoulders with an Australian actor. Tinseltown is awash with them. Academy Award winners Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush lead an ever-growing...
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Mar 23, 2008

JFA gives cold shoulder to Premier League proposal to play games overseas

From a soccer perspective, the upcoming Major League Baseball season-opening series between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics at Tokyo Dome feels like a glimpse into a parallel universe.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?