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BASKETBALL
Mar 12, 2008

Diouf receives weekly accolade

Saitama Broncos small forward Mamadou Diouf played a pivotal role in his team's two-game sweep over the two-time defending champion Osaka Evessa last weekend.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 11, 2008

Solar power shines through as energy option

Solar power is in the spotlight as concerns over global warming mount. Many European countries, especially Germany, as well as Japan and others have embraced solar technologies as a green alternative to fossil fuels.
LIFE / Language
Mar 11, 2008

Smart tips for avoiding those 'White Day' blues

This coming Friday, March 14, is Howaito Dei (White Day), when males follow the custom of reciprocating the Valentine's Day chocolates (or other gifts) they received a month earlier.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 9, 2008

Crown Prince could lead the way in effort for mutt emancipation

Next month, the environment ministry and the health ministry will jointly implement a new law that provides subsidies to local government health centers for the feeding of abandoned or captured dogs and cats. The money is designed to make it possible for these centers to take care of the animals an extra...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 4, 2008

Politics in game of never-ending musical chairs

A nearly unbroken line of Liberal Democratic Party politicians has headed the government since the party's 1955 formation. This dominance, however, was shaken by the stunning victory of the Democratic Party of Japan in the July 2007 House of Councilors election. In this reshaped political landscape,...
EDITORIALS
Mar 2, 2008

Education reform in reverse

The education ministry has unveiled drafts of revised courses of study for elementary and middle schools. The new courses of study will become effective in fiscal 2011 for elementary schools and in fiscal 2012 for middle schools. For the first time in 30 years, the drafts call for increasing the number...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 26, 2008

Japan needs imports to keep itself fed

After a spate of food mislabeling frauds and the recent scare over pesticide-laced "gyoza" dumplings imported from China, consumers are perhaps more conscious than ever of the origin of what they eat. Many routinely check the origins of the foods they buy, especially imported products, which Japan relies...
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA / STYLE WISE
Feb 26, 2008

Harajuku's "Style Deficit Disorder," model Irina Lazareanu gets wicked and more

Cure for disorder The popular fashion hub Harajuku is the subject of a fascinating new book by Tokyo-based editor and creative consultant Tiffany Godoy. Rich in detail and accompanied by some remarkable images, her book, "Style Deficit Disorder" (Chronicle Books), documents the history of the area from...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 24, 2008

Coming of age mini-series, cop-thriller-drama, Kazakhstan documentary

Owing presumably to TV viewers' dwindling attention spans, drama series are becoming shorter. This week, Fuji TV presents a four-part dramatization of an award-winning novel over the course of four consecutive nights rather than four consecutive weeks.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2008

'Talk' therapy helps against inhibitions

Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy are widely known abroad to be effective in treating depression.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 19, 2008

CO2 trading mirrors, but still smoke?

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, the world has been spewing out greenhouse gases that now threaten the global ecosystem. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 379.1 parts per million in 2005, or 35 percent higher than the estimated level before...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 17, 2008

Vultures circle as idol Koda licks her wounds

If the furor over comments that J-pop superidol Kumi Koda made on the radio a few weeks ago teaches us anything, it's to "be careful what you joke about." There are two problems with using humor in public: Either the joke falls flat and nobody laughs, or the topic is beyond the pale and people are offended...
BASKETBALL
Feb 13, 2008

Oita's Ellis receives weekly award

Oita HeatDevils big man Andy Ellis missed all seven of his 3-point shots in Saturday's game against the Niigata Albirex BB. But he made his final shot of the game: a slam dunk with one second left after he grabbed an offensive rebound. That gave Oita a 73-72 victory. Ellis finished with 22 points and...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2008

Crown Princess panned for living high life

First, Crown Princess Masako feasted on classy Mexican fare from a 13-dish special menu in her honor. Then it was roast duck and shark's fin soup at a top Chinese eatery. A month later, she enjoyed a sumptuous repast at a French restaurant where the course featured exquisite black truffles.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 5, 2008

WiMAX set to alter wireless landscape

Now that the government has licensed use of the 2.5-gigahertz bandwidth, Japan will soon be joining South Korea, Taiwan and others in offering next-generation wireless services for users of mobile phones and computers.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 2, 2008

Celebrating black Americans in Yamanashi

American diplomat Ayanna Hobbs is a dynamo of energy and enthusiasm. She's just finished her weekly Japanese class, and thinks it the most amazing coincidence that her wonderful teacher happens to be from Yamanashi, the prefecture that lies so close to her heart.
Reader Mail
Jan 31, 2008

Justice minister's cultural brains

David McNeill's Jan. 27 article, "Justice minister talks in death-penalty riddles," cites a clunky and faulty translation of an interview with Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama. However one may disagree with Hatoyama's civilization theories, his arguments are clear. According to the interview, as published...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 29, 2008

G8: Meaningful or anachronistic forum?

Over the next six months, Japan will host a series of meetings of the Group of Eight countries, culminating in the Leaders' Summit at Lake Toya, Hokkaido, in July. Along with leaders of the G8 — Japan, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia — the European Commission...
Reader Mail
Jan 29, 2008

Sexist take on mother's role

Regarding Barry Ward's Jan. 24 letter, "Empathy, common sense lacking": Blaming women for the chikan (groping) problem on trains is like blaming the victim of rape for wearing a short shirt. Placing the burden of society's ills on the shoulders of mothers is not only sexist, but ignorant as well. Children...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 22, 2008

Japan's hot springs part of social, geologic, historic fabric

Japan is dotted with mineral-rich natural "onsen" hot springs, both indoors and outside, many offering a warming dip amid a frozen setting.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 20, 2008

'Three ecologies' pioneer fought Japan's rape of nature

Second of two parts
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 17, 2008

The faithful student

"I love Las Vegas shows," says kabuki actor Ichikawa Kamejiro. "I go to Las Vegas because I think they use the most advanced techniques to create stunning productions. I find their attitude toward show business completely different from ours."
BASKETBALL
Jan 16, 2008

Blackwell earns weekly award

Sendai 89ers guard/forward Ryan Blackwell, who helped his team earn a two-game sweep over the Rizing Fukuoka last weekend, is the Circle K Sunkus Player of the Week, the bj-league announced on Tuesday. Blackwell, averaging 17.8 points per game in 18 starts, maximized his productivity in the home series,...
LIFE / Language
Jan 15, 2008

Kyushu dialect, golf prince top 2007 buzzwords

The end of every year, publishers and other media organizations love to turn out lists of people, things and words that made the news. Back in 1984, publisher Jiyu Kokumin-sha organized a poll to recognize and award the Ryukogo Taisho (Buzzwords of the Year).
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 15, 2008

Japan, Brazil mark a century of settlement, family ties

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of a Japanese migration to Brazil. In 1908, hundreds of farmers moved to the South American country, dreaming of making their fortunes there before returning to their hometowns.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 13, 2008

Japan's wild genius of slime-mold fame and more

First of two parts
Japan Times
LIFE
Jan 13, 2008

Shimmying to fitness in South Seas style

Their hips swathed in tight, colorful skirts, and their shoulders bare above tight tube tops, about 30 women shimmy and shake sexily to fast, powerful drum rhythms and the cheerful melody of Tahitian banjo.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.