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Reader Mail
Mar 22, 2009

Apologies instead of posturing

Tomoko Otake's March 8 article, "U.S. shows way to medical apologies," describes an important reform long overdue. Other professional fields could gain from this approach as well, particularly police forces. Few things are more likely to undermine public trust and support for the police than contrived...
Reader Mail
Mar 22, 2009

Questions remain in murky case

Regarding a reader's response to my March 3 article, "Rape victim fights for justice against U.S. military, Japan": It's generally a bad idea to get involved in spats with anonymous letter writers, but the March 12 letter "Questions about an alleged rape" contains such a litany of accusations, I feel...
Reader Mail
Mar 19, 2009

What are the costs of hygiene?

"High food hygiene costs choking export growth" has got to be the most unresearched article I have read in The Japan Times in 20 years. The article contradicts itself: "According to JRO, only 21 companies . . . are authorized to export to the European Union, as they do not comply with the EU's Hazard...
EDITORIALS
Mar 17, 2009

A maritime police action

Two Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers, each carrying two patrol helicopters and two speed boats, are steaming to the Gulf of Aden on an antipiracy mission off Somalia. The government has evoked Article 82 of the Self-Defense Forces Law, which allows the SDF to take "maritime police actions" in situations...
Reader Mail
Mar 15, 2009

'Anime' needs new business model

The March 4 article "Future of 'anime' industry in doubt" highlighted many of my own growing frustrations. I moved to Japan from the United States as an English teacher a little more than two years ago. I was a casual anime fan who had just completed a degree in literature and film studies, including...
Reader Mail
Mar 12, 2009

Questions about an alleged rape

Regarding David McNeill's March 3 Zeit Gist article, "Rape victim fights for justice against U.S. military, Japan": McNeill should hire a fact-checker before he submits such an article. The victim's name is withheld probably for privacy, yet the name of her alleged attacker is revealed in full. Why?...
Reader Mail
Mar 8, 2009

Student individuality gone to seed

The Feb. 5 opinion-page article "Why can't Japanese kids get into Harvard?" explains why it is more difficult for Japanese people to get accepted at Harvard University than for Korean people. The article says it is partially because of culture and partially because of education.
Reader Mail
Mar 1, 2009

Unfortunate katakana shortcuts

The Feb. 18 Kanji Clinic article, "A rainbow of kanji brightens Japan's palette of colors," was very interesting and delightful news. As a former teacher in Japan, I used to struggle with getting my students to forget about those hideous katakana. I still don't understand why Japan's education system...
Reader Mail
Feb 26, 2009

Poor motivation to learn English

In his Feb. 15 letter, "Suggestion for teaching English," David Wood seems completely to misunderstand the thrust of my Feb. 5 article, "What's wrong with the way English is taught in Japan."
Reader Mail
Feb 22, 2009

Compensation to Allied POWs

Regarding Masami Ito's Feb. 7 article, "Aso Mining POWs seek redress": The Japanese government should clarify without delay a misleading statement it made Feb. 6 in response to a series of questions by Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Yukihisa Fujita. The statement, as paraphrased, implies that the...
Reader Mail
Feb 15, 2009

Model for enterprising youths

Alex Martin's Feb. 11 article, "Shoe shiner buffs his trade into fine art," is a remarkable story of determination, humility, entrepreneurialism and a sharp mind for business growth. Yuya Hasegawa has raised shining shoes to an art form. The article doesn't mention the fact that there's a definite psychological...
COMMENTARY
Feb 15, 2009

Immorality of bushfires

Australia will recover from its recent bushfire tragedy damage. But can it recover from the shock of discovering how much of the damage was due to arson? Japan could provide some answers, though not all optimistic.
Reader Mail
Feb 12, 2009

Poor motivation is inefficient

Regarding Gregory Clark's Feb. 5 article, "What's wrong with the way English is taught in Japan": If I spent 15 minutes carefully showing someone how to do the simple act of juggling three golf balls in the air, and then handed him the golf balls so he could demonstrate how much he had learned, I would...
Reader Mail
Feb 8, 2009

Bridging the English learning gap

What's most problematic about Gregory Clark's Feb. 5 article, "What's wrong with the way English is taught in Japan?," is that we've heard it all before: overcrowded classrooms, high school teachers with poor English ability, and the relentless comparisons of Japanese people's English ability with that...
Reader Mail
Feb 5, 2009

Sustaining fish stocks and quality

The Jan. 25 article "What future for fish as Japan's daily fare?" reports that fish and seafood consumption is rising worldwide and many countries are taking action to sustain wild fish stocks. It seems that the cause of rising fish consumption is Japanese- influenced. Sushi, for example, is now popular...
COMMENTARY
Feb 3, 2009

Aso deserves high praise

Allow me to cite from a private conversation held with former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi around the summer of 2004, following the the Upper House election in July and ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle in September. I had made two requests of Koizumi: Revise the government's interpretation of the Constitution...
Reader Mail
Feb 1, 2009

The gantlet to language exchange

I don't really agree with the contents of (Thomas Dillon's) Jan. 24 article, "The language game — here's what not to do." Although language exchange is a poor substitute for a real language school — unless of course you exchange with a real teacher — it is, and should be, a wonderful addition to...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2009

Diet poised to OK second extra budget

The Diet was set Monday to approve over the strong protests of opposition parties a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 that includes Prime Minister Taro Aso's controversial ¥2 trillion cash handout.
Reader Mail
Jan 18, 2009

Consider treatment overseas

Regarding Gregory Clark's Jan. 15 article, "Antiforeigner discrimination is a right for Japanese people": I presume the author does not anticipate ever desiring to use the "bathhouse" mentioned in the article, or he does not have a problem with being excluded. Perhaps he has the illusion that he is one...
COMMUNITY
Jan 13, 2009

Have your say: Back to the baths

Following are a selection of responses to Paul de Vries' "Back to the baths: Otaru revisited" (Zeit Gist, Dec. 2).
Reader Mail
Jan 11, 2009

Respect for dual nationality

Some points of Jun Hongo's interesting Jan. 5 article, "A convenience in peace becomes matter of conflict in war," may demand clarification. While providing insights into the extremes of this issue, few potential applicants for dual nationality in Japan would imagine themselves facing conscription,...
Reader Mail
Jan 1, 2009

Why attend an Indian school?

Regarding the Dec. 28 article "More parents send kids to Indian, Chinese schools": This would perhaps be very encouraging news to the Indian community in Japan and to Indians in general. But I am only in partial agreement with the views of Little Angels International School founder Angelina Jeevarani....
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 1, 2009

Is Aso only postponing the inevitable?

The political news that will have the most far-reaching repercussions into the new year is the plummeting approval rating of Prime Minister Taro Aso and his Cabinet, and his delay in dissolving the Lower House of the Diet for a general election.
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2008

No sign of a 'peace agreement'

More than six months have passed since the presidential election in Taiwan. After a hiatus of eight years, the Kuomintang is in power. This actually represents the restoration of the mainland-lineage forces for the first time in 20 years — if you count the Lee Teng-hui era as rule by non-mainland-lineage...
Reader Mail
Dec 25, 2008

Moderate our fish consumption

Regarding the Dec. 19 article "Singing the bluefin tuna blues": Most of the blame has been heaped on Japan, which reportedly consumes about three-quarters of the world's bluefin. But could that just be the truth according to Greenpeace? I think it's closer to the truth to say that the global spread of...
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Dec 23, 2008

DPJ has a foot in the door

As the odds grow that the No. 1 opposition Democratic Party of Japan will take the reigns of government after the next general elections, the focus in the Japanese political arena is shifting to the lineup of a Cabinet headed by DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa, and to who would succeed him if he retired early...
Reader Mail
Dec 11, 2008

Students could use civics courses

I agree with the Dec. 5 article "Politicians failing to engage youth," but one main issue is ignored. As with most articles published about Japan's lack of political participation, this one neglects to address the school's role in citizens' political involvement. As an assistant language teacher (ALT),...
Reader Mail
Dec 11, 2008

Flawed model of climate change

Gwynne Dyer's Dec. 7 article, "Four harsh truths about climatic change," is a great piece of fluffery. The article claims "scientists are scared." Which scientists? Where? All I see is the blathering of resident hacks who have taken a flawed model and extrapolated made-up "facts" to suit a political...
Reader Mail
Dec 7, 2008

The burden of assimilation

Regarding the Dec. 2 Zeit Gist article, "Back to the baths: Otaru revisited": Kudos to Paul de Vries for an excellent article. While there will doubtless be a backlash from readers more supportive of the likes of activist Arudou Debito, I applaud The Japan Times for providing a platform to someone who...

Longform

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