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LIFE
Aug 10, 2008

Some look forward to a harmonious future

The following is from the text of an e-mail sent to Jeff Kingston from Cindy Yang, a Chinese university student.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 10, 2008

Celebrity rules as the Olympics strays far from its ideal

The big story this year in competitive swimming is the LZR Racer swimsuit, which was developed by the British sportswear manufacturer Speedo. At least six world records have been set by swimmers wearing the suit. Studies have shown that its drag-diminishing properties lower racing times by 1.9 to 2.2...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Aug 10, 2008

Best notes for the bamboo flute

THE SHAKUHACHI MANUAL FOR LEARNING, Revised Edition, by Christopher Yohmei Blasdel. Printed Matter Press, 2008, 202 pp. with many illustrations, musical notations, and an attached CD of practice exercises. ¥3,990 (paper) The shakuhachi is a vertical bamboo flute with five finger holes and a notched...
EDITORIALS
Aug 10, 2008

Death of a difficult man

Mr. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Prize winner, prophet and Russian nationalist, has died at the age of 89. Mr. Solzhenitsyn's life was marked by extraordinary adversity that he channeled into prolific writing. As is often the fate of such voices, he was alternately applauded and ignored, a source of...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 10, 2008

Engineering a historical oblivion for soldiers of the wrong wars

My dad was a lucky man. Born in 1903, he was just too young for service in World War I and a bit too old for the same in World War II. Not that he couldn't have volunteered for the latter. He certainly could have, but decided not to.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 9, 2008

Matsui begins running program

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui began a running program Thursday for his sore left knee at the team's spring training facility in Tampa.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Aug 9, 2008

Putting Cool Biz to the test

Here we are in the middle of Kuuru Bizu. Cool what? you say. There is nothing cool about the hot and humid summer in Japan. Perhaps they meant "cool busy" as in busy trying to find someplace cool to hang out.
SPORTS / ODDS AND EVENS
Aug 8, 2008

Selection of runner Lomong to carry U.S. flag particularly poignant

BEIJING — After a tasty buffet meal at a nearby hotel restaurant followed by a few cups of delicious green tea — I had plenty of choices; there was a separate tea menu, featuring at least a dozen varieties — I'm content to return to job-related duties.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Aug 8, 2008

Ronaldo to stay, for now

MANCHESTER, England (AP) Cristiano Ronaldo pledged Wednesday to stay with Manchester United for at least the coming season but still wants to join Real Madrid.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 8, 2008

15 minutes with the Grandmaster

If you are a fan of hip-hop, then you have Grandmaster Flash to thank. He is one of the art form's earliest exponents, and the first hip-hop artist in history to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 8, 2008

'Bottle Shock' leaves a nasty aftertaste for the organizer of the Judgment of Paris

Due to be released in American theaters this month is "Bottle Shock," a new wine movie based on the story of the Judgment of Paris. The wine event, which was organized by Steven Spurrier back in 1976, upset the received wisdom of the wine community at the time.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 8, 2008

'The Dark Knight'

Like a plague of locusts, the superhero movies descend on us this summer. August brings us "Hancock," with Will Smith as an alcoholic, irresponsible and quite unfunny superhero; "The Incredible Hulk," which is practically a remake of 2003's "Hulk (presumably Ang Lee's version wasn't stupid enough); and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / SHORT TAKES
Aug 8, 2008

"The Incredible Hulk"

Director: Louis Leterrier
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 7, 2008

Stop criticizing China, it has come so far

BEIJING — When I was at school, sports lessons included an exercise where we threw hand grenades (made from wood topped with metal to resemble the real thing) against a wall over which a red slogan had been stretched offering the reason for such a militaristic pastime: "Exercise our bodies and protect...
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2008

ANA set to suspend or reduce 11 routes

All Nippon Airways Co. said Wednesday it will suspend or reduce 11 international and domestic routes beginning this fall as it struggles with surging jet fuel costs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 7, 2008

The Ventures: Still rocking after 50 years

The Ventures have just finished playing 33 songs in the space of two hours in front of some enthusiastic, though seated, middle-aged fans at the Hokutopia concert hall in Tokyo. Kazushi Kojima, who calls himself a "philosopher," is there with his son. He's been attending Ventures shows for 30 years....
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 7, 2008

Tanigaki touts foreign tourism to boost economy

Attracting more foreign tourists can help offset the loss of economic vitality foreseen as the nation ages and the population declines, tourism minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2008

LDP election chief cool to near-term campaign

The Liberal Democratic Party needs more time to promote its policies before entertaining any idea of a Lower House election, the chairman of the LDP Election Strategy Council indicated Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 6, 2008

Ailing regions at top of agenda: METI chief

The government needs to take measures this summer to stimulate the weakening economy amid surging fuel prices, Toshihiro Nikai, the new minister of economy, trade and industry, said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Aug 6, 2008

Make a splash with your music

Pool jam:
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 5, 2008

Yasukuni in spotlight as Aug. 15 nears

Aug. 15 marks the 63rd anniversary of the end of World War II. For the people of Japan, including relatives of the war dead, it is a day of remembrance and of peace.
EDITORIALS
Aug 4, 2008

Tough budget environment

The Cabinet last week adopted the guideline for fiscal 2009 budgetary requests — at a time when tax revenues are expected to decline due to sluggish economic activities. This is a completely different picture from when the fiscal 2008 guideline was adopted. Therefore, budgetary negotiations will not...
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Aug 4, 2008

Keeping the global circus in business a matter of balance

Does the presence of a safety net make people too reckless, lazy and dependent? Or does it allow people to experiment, develop skills in a secure environment and prevent the penalization of healthy high spirits.
Reader Mail
Aug 3, 2008

Bamboo wood best for chopsticks

I'm sure the article on waribashi made many of us feel guilty for all the times we've used them. Certainly the concept of always using your own hashi is a great contribution, not only assuaging our sense of guilt but also perhaps helping the forests that are being cut down to supply the wood.

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