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Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 16, 2006

Behold a make-believe world

The work of Tokyo-born filmmaker Junichi Okuyama, widely known by his nickname of "Mr. Experimental Film," will be marked at the weeklong "Anarchy Film Festival," from June 16.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 15, 2006

Livedoor execs meet with shareholders

CHIBA -- Livedoor Co. investors finally had their say Wednesday as the scandal-tainted firm held its first shareholders' meeting since its top executives were arrested in January.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 9, 2006

Supernatural pathos

The International Theatre Institute is offering half-price tickets for its July 21-23 program at the Kabuki-za theater in Ginza, Tokyo, as part of its "kabuki appreciation for foreigners" campaign. The program features Bando Tamasaburo presenting "Tenshu Monogatari," also known as "The Legend of Himeji...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 6, 2006

Cleaning, ID checks, 'Kimigayo'

Help! Louise writes is looking for a good housekeeping crew or individual in Saitama. She sees ads for the Tokyo area, but not locally.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 30, 2006

Japan ready to battle 'culinary imperialists'

Earlier this year I was commissioned by a British newspaper to research a Japanese company called Hakudai, which was reputed to be putting whale meat into dog food.
Japan Times
LIFE
May 28, 2006

Manga by any other name is . . .

With the video-game business now outgrossing Hollywood's box office, and anime being distributed to destinations as diverse as Patagonia and Phuket, the influence of Japan's entertainment industry on young people worldwide has never been as powerful.
BUSINESS
May 26, 2006

FSA orders Sompo suspension

The Financial Services Agency on Thursday ordered Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. to suspend most of its operations for two weeks at all of its offices nationwide for illegal sales practices.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 23, 2006

Making certain of a positive I.D.

Last weekend, I visited three major retail outlets in Shinjuku, Tokyo, to inquire about the purchase of a cell phone.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 16, 2006

Second-class citizens

Rogelio Buscio's shoes were missing. It was the evening of July 27, 2005, and 30-year old Filipino Bucio was getting ready to leave the dormitory he shared with other Sanjo Metal Company Ltd. trainees to start his evening shift. He looked everywhere, asked everyone. Nobody was giving up the shoes.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 12, 2006

Designing for life

Asia's biggest art event, Design Festa, returns for its spring installment to Tokyo Big Sight on May 20-21 when it hopes to attract 60,000 people to its 2,600 booths. Approximately 6,000 exhibitors from around the world will be participating in Design Festa Vol. 23, showing off everything from flower...
SPORTS / E-LIST
May 10, 2006

Interleague play on the horizon

Japanese baseball is getting ready to roll into Interleague play. The novel concept has done a lot for scheduling in Nippon Professional Baseball, as six-team leagues can get pretty tired of each other after a couple months of the usual slate of opponents.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
May 9, 2006

Local fury at Hardy perennial

Last month, as they have every year for decades, a small crowd of people gathered under fat cherry blossoms in Tokyo's Aoyama Park, carrying red lanterns, placards and peace symbols.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 7, 2006

Japanese being ensnared in ill-suited U.S. trappings

Back in the 1960s and '70s, the Japanese people were being raked over the coals from West Virginia to the Ruhr Valley and beyond for, chiefly, two things.
JAPAN
May 3, 2006

Japan Post defies efforts to slim down swollen ranks

Japan Post Corp. drafted a privatization plan Tuesday that calls for hiring more employees, directly contradicting one of the main reasons for its privatization.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Apr 29, 2006

A boom time for Japanese electronics

Recently the day that my wife had long been predicting finally arrived -- sort of.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Apr 28, 2006

Crafts collective opens up studio

The artisans of the Akeppiroge crafts collective will open up their homes and studios for the only time this year to visitors for an exhibition event to be held May 12-14 in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture -- a small scenic city on the western shore of Lake Biwa. Visitors are welcome from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m....
EDITORIALS
Apr 27, 2006

Elections bode poorly for LDP

The results of three elections earlier this week could be a bad omen for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his Liberal Democratic Party. Ms. Kazumi Ota of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan defeated a candidate fielded by the LDP and supported by its coalition partner Komeito in a Lower House...
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Apr 26, 2006

Media's vilification of Bonds shows lack of objectivity

It's a question that has to be asked.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2006

DPJ win helps Ozawa, reflects anti-LDP mood

The narrow victory of a Democratic Party of Japan candidate in Sunday's by-election in Chiba Prefecture has given a boost to the main opposition force's new president, Ichiro Ozawa, virtually assuring his re-election in the DPJ's presidential poll in September, political pundits say.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Apr 25, 2006

Temples, air cons and food

To begin, some responses to earlier columns:
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 25, 2006

Aso family's 'slave' link under scrutiny

While Taro Aso's public statements as foreign minister have done little to help ease tensions between Tokyo and the rest of Asia, a family connection to wartime forced labor has raised further questions over his ability to oversee good relations with Japan's neighbors.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 23, 2006

Giants hope Glover has golden touch

In last week's column, I mentioned five key players who have triggered the phenomenal start this season by the Yomiuri Giants: second baseman Makoto Kosaka, outfielder Kenji Yano, first sacker Lee Seung Yeop, starting pitcher Jeremy "J.P." Powell and closer Kiyoshi Toyoda.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 22, 2006

Enjoying life to the fullest during cherry-blossom viewing time

Imagine an entire old folks home on sake. That's what living on this island has been like ever since the cherry blossoms opened up. The first cherry-blossom viewing started last Sunday and the party hasn't stopped.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Apr 18, 2006

Sound trucks

Dear Alice,
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 18, 2006

Musical match for Japan Goliath

Tetsuo Tanaka has been protesting his dismissal from an electronics company for a quarter of a century. Now his struggle, one of the longest one-man campaigns in Japanese history, is to be the subject of a documentary
COMMENTARY
Apr 17, 2006

Ozawa confronts the LDP

The Democratic Party of Japan has made a fresh start under new chief Ichiro Ozawa, known for his "iron fist" leadership. His first priority is to revitalize the top opposition party, which has lost public trust following the fiasco over a fake e-mail.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Apr 16, 2006

What's really 'Chinese' about fortune cookies?

Try this for fun next time you're in New York City: Walk into any sushi bar, eat your fill and then ask for a fortune cookie.

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