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Japan Times
JAPAN
May 25, 2009

Proposed foreigner card protested

More than 200 people rallied in Tokyo's Shinbashi district Sunday to protest government-sponsored immigration bills they claim would violate the privacy of foreign residents and strengthen government control over them.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 24, 2009

Explaining Oya's break for 'rest' and ban on balloons

Yokohama manager Tatsuhiko Oya took a "kyuyo" on Monday, the eve of opening day for Japan pro baseball's interleague season, replaced by Tomio Tashiro, previously manager of the BayStars farm club, the Shonan Searex.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
May 24, 2009

Students share hopes for nation's future environment

Each year on May 5, Japan celebrates Children's Day with waves of young families flooding local parks, playgrounds and amusement centers.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 24, 2009

Was Japan's first Western screen star shameful to his homeland?

The Japanese have a term for certain types of movies made outside the country featuring Japanese actors who play Japanese characters. It is kokujoku eiga. Eiga means "movies," and kokujoku, derived from the words for "country" and "insult," means "disgrace" or "denigration." In other words, kokujoku...
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 24, 2009

Maki proves point, but JEF must settle for draw

CHIBA — JEF United Chiba striker Seiichiro Maki had a point to prove — and although he did so with a trademark goal against Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday night, it was not good enough to secure all three points as the visitors fought back to draw 1-1.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 24, 2009

Hitching through Japanwith friends at every turn

Second in a two-part series
JAPAN
May 23, 2009

Flu policy given more flexibility

The government adopted a new policy Friday that designates infected regions under one of two categories so local governments, hospitals and schools can react with greater flexibility.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 23, 2009

Flu virus starts to take toll on businesses

The spreading H1N1 swine flu virus is having an ill effect on a wide range of businesses from tourism to retailing, particularly in the western regions where the outbreak was first detected, industry sources said Friday.
JAPAN
May 22, 2009

Lawmakers question 'saibanin' system

A group of nonpartisan lawmakers gathered Thursday, the first day of the new lay judge system, to call for a moratorium on the new criminal trial system that every political party voted unanimously to institute five years ago.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
May 22, 2009

PL looking to extend interleague win streak

The NPB kicked off koryusen (interleague season) this week with the first round of games taking place in Pacific League stadiums on Tuesday and Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
May 22, 2009

Life of coalition extended

DELHI, OPINION ASIA — The outcome of the just-concluded 2009 national poll in India reflect continuity because the verdict was clearly in favor of an incumbent coalition government that presages political stability. Equally, the results are indicative of change because voters rejected regional parties,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2009

'The Soloist'

"The Soloist" is a film that easily could have sucked, so it's almost shocking how good it actually turned out to be. I mean, just take the premise: calloused, professional journalist, used to filing his "human interest" stories and moving on, meets a funky, fuzzy-brained homeless dude who's also a musical...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 22, 2009

Collector steps into the void

How a psychiatrist from Yamagata came to possess one of the world's most important collections of Japanese contemporary art — meaning art made in the last 15 years — is almost embarrassingly simple. Ryutaro Takahashi had the savings and liked the art, so he bought it. As far as the 62-year- old is...
BUSINESS
May 22, 2009

Services demand falls at fastest pace since '97

Demand for services fell at its fastest pace in 12 years in March as job cuts discouraged consumers from spending.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 22, 2009

Love hotel industry shrugs off recession

At 6:30 p.m. on a Friday, Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" fills the lobby of the Hotel Mario outside Tokyo. A couple scans a board showing photos of the 50 rooms, which can be rented for a few hours. Only three are left.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 21, 2009

Economy shrinks at record-setting pace

Gross domestic product plunged at a record annual pace of 15.2 percent in the three months to March as exports collapsed and businesses cut production, the government said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY
May 21, 2009

The way forward in Afghanistan

So far, 157 British troops have died in Afghanistan and many more have been injured. These are significant and worrying losses. How long will British public opinion accept these losses when it is not clear whether the war in Afghanistan can be won?
EDITORIALS
May 20, 2009

Guns fall silent in Sri Lanka

It's over. Asia's longest running civil war has ended. After a vicious offensive by the Sri Lankan government, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have laid down their weapons. This is a long-sought end to a savage and bloody conflict. The test now is whether the Sri Lankan government will address...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
May 20, 2009

Aerial mice, speaker/stands and hi-def Macs

Wave your hands in the air: Wireless is just the headliner in the campaign to free computers from electric cords. While touch screens threaten to make the mouse extinct, some are trying to give traditional pointers a new lease on life. Filco has crafted the recently released BTLS900 Air Mouse (¥9,200),...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
May 19, 2009

Tackle gender gap in mathematics, reading

Dear ministry of education,
COMMENTARY
May 19, 2009

Parliament under attack

LONDON — The Mother of Parliaments at Westminster is in deep trouble. Housed in its venerable Thames-side palace — an instantly recognized icon of democracy around the world — it is today filled with anxious legislators who feel a mixture of anger, apprehension and bewilderment.
EDITORIALS
May 17, 2009

Fixing the statute of limitations

There is a move to review the statute of limitations on serious criminal cases. A Justice Ministry panel, which has made public an interim report on its study, hopes to present a proposal by August after hearing opinions from the National Police Agency, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and other...
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2009

Co-opting terror in Saudi Arabia's neighbor

LONDON — In a prominent hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said: "If disorder threatens, take refuge in Yemen." The prophet was referring to the prosperous and civilized Yemen. But today disorder and radicalization in Yemen are beginning to infect Saudi Arabia, and thus the safety of the world's largest...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
May 17, 2009

Mayhem, madness and bumps in the night

Picture this: Darkness; a strong wind blowing; fog thickening and swirling; the ceaseless crashing of waves against a rocky shore. Not a night for nature observation you may think, but think again.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
May 16, 2009

Diplomacy in love, life and work

Aiko Tanaka, 27, met Olegs Orlovs, 27, for the first time when she visited his home country, Latvia, as a tourist with her family in 2002. Olegs was her tour guide.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat