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BUSINESS
May 18, 2002

Economy has hit bottom, report says

The Japanese economy has bottomed out, the government declared Friday for the first time during the current recession. The government gave no indication, however, of whether they expected economic recovery.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 24, 2002

De Ferranti opens the door to a musical Other

JAPANESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, by Hugh de Ferranti. Oxford University Press, 2000, 104 pp., $13.95 (cloth) It would be perfectly possible for a foreigner to live in Heisei Japan for quite some time without ever becoming aware that Japan has an original music of its own, so low is the profile of "hogaku"...
EDITORIALS
Feb 24, 2002

Fit words for unsung heroes

For those whose job or pleasure it is to get English words right, sift their meanings or just generally hit the nail on the head, now is a good time to reflect how much they owe a single book: Roget's Thesaurus.
EDITORIALS
Feb 5, 2002

Mr. Bush's battles

American President George W. Bush's first State of the Union address, delivered last week, will be remembered for one striking phrase: his reference to Iraq, Iran and North Korea as "an axis of evil." It is a powerful notion and one that perhaps reveals more than was intended. Yet for all its simplicity,...
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 30, 2001

Delicious plum choices from 2001

In a city the size of Tokyo, it is simply impossible to visit every single new restaurant or to keep track of changes at all the established places. For that reason, the Food File does not presume to assign year-end rankings or pronounce its best-of lists for the year, especially since, in the end, it...
EDITORIALS
Nov 21, 2001

An ambiguous SDF dispatch plan

The Cabinet's approval last Friday of a basic Self-Defense Forces deployment plan, designed to provide noncombat support for U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, opened the way for the first "wartime" mobilization of SDF troops overseas. The government emphasizes that the plan is within the framework...
COMMUNITY
Aug 12, 2001

Excuse me but is that your foot in your mouth?

In Japanese, the word ashi (whose kanji can also be read soku) is used to refer to both the legs and feet, and often has a negative meaning when used idiomatically. For some Japanese idioms that employ it, there are identically phrased expressions in English, though their meanings sometimes differ. Here...
CULTURE / Books
Jul 15, 2001

Hunting for justice in the Tokyo war tribunal

JUDGMENT AT TOKYO: The Japanese War Crimes Trials, by Tim Maga. University Press of Kentucky, 2001, 200 pp., $25 (cloth). Fifty-six years since Japan's surrender, World War II's legacy continues to make headlines: Compensation sought by sex slaves; Controversy rages over history textbooks; Prime minister's...
Events
Jun 26, 2001

Guide pens temple-viewing booklet

OSAKA — Paul Satoh, a 70-year-old veteran tour guide and interpreter, is keen to introduce his English-speaking clients to traditional Japanese culture.
Events
May 15, 2001

Itami's no-smoking goal draws fire

ITAMI, Hyogo Pref. -- The Itami Municipal Government's decision to target total elimination of adult smoking in its 10-year health plan has caused an uproar among tobacco lobbyists.
BUSINESS
Mar 21, 2001

Economists unconvinced by leaders' talks

Economists reacted coolly Tuesday to Monday's Japan-U.S. summit, which saw economic issues take center stage and Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori pledge to embark on structural reforms to mend Japan's ailing economy.
COMMENTARY
Feb 17, 2001

Filling in Bush's Asia policy

With one notable exception, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's Senate confirmation testimony outlining the Bush administration's Asia policy signaled a remarkable degree of continuity. Powell identified America's bilateral-alliance network, and particularly the U.S.-Japan relationship, as the bedrock...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 17, 2000

Reconciliation on the horizon

The joint declaration signed between North Korea leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Kim Dae Jung during the latter's just-concluded visit to Pyongyang is a truly historic document. It will, and should, require a complete reassessment of what is and is not possible regarding North-South reconciliation...
COMMENTARY / World / GUEST FORUM
Aug 7, 1999

For the Japanese, the future is now

There has been much soul-searching among the Japanese in recent years, following the collapse of the bubble economy and the recession it triggered. Economic woes aside, a crisis of confidence exists at the most fundamental level. People have come to doubt not only the ability of society as a whole, but...
LIFE / Travel
Apr 7, 1999

Preserving a pocket of Fiji

LEVUKA, Fiji -- Thirteen-year-old Una Turaganicolo's strong, clear voice filled her family's timber-frame home, rising to the corrugated roof visible through the rafters. Her sister, Rose, hummed along as she battled with her math homework by the light of a flickering candle.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 1997

Supreme Court backs Ienaga in textbook suit

The Supreme Court on August 29 ordered the central government to pay 400,000 yen in damages to 83-year-old historian Saburo Ienaga in the last of his three lawsuits against the Education Ministry, although it ruled that the system of screening school textbooks is constitutional.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 1997

Sex-slave fund to publish its stance

Amid smoldering opposition from some circles to the planned reference to military "comfort women" in school textbooks, the government-initiated fund to distribute atonement money to the wartime sex slaves will release a paper later this week to state its case.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 18, 2023

Failed North Korean rocket is intelligence win for Kim’s foes

A North Korean satellite launch that ended in failure will provide a trove of information about the secretive state’s rocket program as South Korea salvages large sections from the bottom of the sea.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jun 15, 2023

Seoul holds firm as Beijing slams South Korea for moving closer to U.S.

Long wary of alienating China, the push by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to build closer security and economic ties with Washington and Tokyo has raised concern in Beijing.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 3, 2023

Japan defense chief calls for mix of deterrence and dialogue to head off conflict in Asia

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has called on the international community to ramp up efforts to prevent conflict and maintain peace and stability in the region.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
May 26, 2023

Winning without fighting? Why China is exploring 'cognitive warfare.'

The term refers to operations based on tech such as AI aimed at influencing the minds of adversaries, thereby creating a strategically favorable environment.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Apr 30, 2023

Sudan risks long conflict as entrenched rivals struggle for control

Even with hundreds of people killed and the capital Khartoum turned into a war zone, there has been little sign of compromise between leaders of the two warring factions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2023

Le Makeup gives himself a sonic glow up on 'Odorata'

The Kansai-based artist digs deep on his latest album, using sensory details as the backdrop for his self-reflection and exploring new sounds through rap collaborations.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2023

Japan delegation wraps up China visit as nations fine-tune ties 

Despite admonishing Tokyo over trade and geopolitical disputes, Beijing welcomed the Japanese delegation amid efforts to encourage economic and cultural cooperation. 
Tokyo Gendai is described by fair organizers Art Assembly as Tokyo Bay’s first international contemporary art fair in 30 years.
CULTURE / Art
Jul 22, 2023

Can a new art fair finally put Tokyo on the map?

Tokyo Gendai puts on a good event but still needs to change Japanese opinions on contemporary art.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on Friday
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 28, 2023

Hawkish tone in Japan is all it takes to rattle global markets

Pain is spreading across a number asset classes as traders come to grips with the fact the last major central bank to resist restrictive policy appears to be caving in.
An American F-15 jet takes off from Anderson Air Force Base in Guam earlier this year. The U.S. is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 30, 2023

U.S. hunts Chinese malware amid military disruption fears

The U.S. believes the malware could give China the power to disrupt or slow military deployments or resupply operations.
English players in all competitions could receive yellow cards for invading the personal space of a referee under new guidelines released by governing bodies on Monday.
SOCCER
Aug 1, 2023

English soccer authorities launch measures to tackle poor behavior

New rules have also been introduced to address offensive chants, gestures and the display of offensive messages based on "football tragedies."

Longform

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