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SOCCER
Jul 18, 2007

Ankle bothering Becks

CARSON, Calif. (AP) David Beckham was limited to some stretching and kicking drills because of a lingering ankle injury in his first practice Monday since joining the Los Angeles Galaxy.
JAPAN
Jul 18, 2007

Ban on online campaigns further besieged

of the Democratic Party of Japan takes part in an event to promote Internet election campaigning in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on June 15. HIROKO NAKATA PHOTO
Reader Mail
Jul 18, 2007

Flair can't pass for substance

One of the few perks I enjoy living so far from Hollywood, and everything else associated with "La-La Land," is that I no longer have to endure the sycophantic ramblings of movie critics and the opinions of self-righteous actors. Or so I thought.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 17, 2007

How to survive summer fatigue

Imagine being in a sauna for a few hours. Then imagine getting out of it and walking straight into a giant freezer for another few hours. Do this several times a day and continue the routine for a couple of months. Some people say that's what spending summer in Japan is like.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 16, 2007

Collins preaches patience in building a winning ballclub

For young players, there may not a more unforgiving sport than baseball. In a sport that masks its complex nature beneath an overlaying simplicity, even the best players fail more than they succeed.
COMMENTARY
Jul 16, 2007

Miyazawa knew economics

Obituaries for former Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, who died recently at age 87, agreed that he was a statesman and a genuine internationalist. But some — those from Nikkei, Japan's leading economic media group, especially — also criticized him as a Keynesian economist responsible for Japan's economic...
SPORTS / MULLY'S MISSIVES
Jul 15, 2007

Quenching thirst hard work in Hanoi

HANOI — Covering the Asian Cup finals is proving to be thirsty work for the many soccer journalists in hot and humid Hanoi.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jul 15, 2007

Baseball oddity: a pitcher winning and losing the same game

How can one player be the winning and losing pitcher in the same game?
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 15, 2007

Former foes find common ground in court together

The shoot of "Ashita e no Yuigon (Best Wishes for Tomorrow)" that began on June 2 has ended. The film is in the can — as they say — and is now being edited.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Jul 15, 2007

Bulbous hair gives 'Brand King' a head start

People aligning themselves with a unique hairstyle is nothing new. But Tsutomu Morita is likely the first pitchman via pompadour. "Some people don't believe it is real," Morita says in a back room of his discount luxury-brands store, referring to the black bulbous bob that hangs over his eyes. "Others...
EDITORIALS
Jul 15, 2007

The wonder of wonders

The votes, 100 million of them, are all in. The most wondrous human constructions in the history of the world have been determined by an elaborate and multilingual online voting system. The results for these new Seven Wonders of the World, splashed across newspaper headlines worldwide, reveal a great...
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2007

U.S. sex slave resolution about human rights, not Japan-bashing: Honda

and Rep. Jim Costa talk as they wait for a markup session on the sex slave resolution to start in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on June 26 on Capitol Hill. AP PHOTO
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 13, 2007

Journeys of self-discovery

While many young Japanese go to Canada to study English and some retirees enjoy holidays there, the number of Canadian theater companies staging performances in Japan are few and far between.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 13, 2007

'The Fountain'

Is it possible to feel a love so great that the chains of death cannot bind it? Of course we don't know, but the feeling of love — that one, true love — can be so powerful that it's tempting to think that two souls, so united, will meet again. Whether that's in this world or the next, nobody knows,...
COMMENTARY
Jul 13, 2007

Breaking point of China's Communists

LOS ANGELES — It's not always easy to do right by China. Should you choose the path of unthinking flattery, you will eventually lose self-respect.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 13, 2007

Taking a stroll back through time

TAKAYAMA, Gifu Pref. — In a country that deems houses well past their best-by date after 20 or 30 years, and fit only for destruction and reform, it is a minor miracle of sorts that wooden private houses built in the Edo Period (1603-1867) remain almost intact here, and that most of them are still...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 13, 2007

Step into her world

For more than a decade, DJ Mary Anne Hobbs has built a reputation at BBC Radio 1 for having musical tastes that are as cutting edge as they are eclectic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PARTY LINE
Jul 12, 2007

JCP will go own way regardless of election outcome

The Japanese Communist Party will not form an alliance with the Democratic Party of Japan or any other party regardless of how the July 29 House of Councilors election turns out, according to party leader Kazuo Shii.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PARTY LINE
Jul 12, 2007

Komeito to stay firmly in coalition camp

For New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota, the priority in the July 29 election is maintaining the ruling bloc's control of the Upper House, but he won't say if he will resign if the coalition falls short.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 12, 2007

Neither heroes nor villains

The director and producer of a new film on Japan's WWII suicide pilots tell The Japan Times that the doomed warriors of myth were actually teenagers made to die for a lie.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 12, 2007

From a whim to pottery passion

Masayuki Inoue's repertoire includes sky-high monoliths and massive sculptures that span several meters. Many of these monumental works are held together by metal bolts and industrial adhesive, which in itself is not particularly unusual in the world of contemporary art. But here's the twist: Inoue is...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 12, 2007

Japan's saucy chameleon of Modernism

Japanese modernist art is often described as being derivative of its Western counterpart, but beneath the surface a real difference between them can be likened to that between religion in Japan and the West.
Japan Times
JAPAN / PARTY LINE
Jul 11, 2007

SDP sees Upper House race as vital in protecting Article 9

The Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9 is in danger of being revised by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the upcoming Upper House election is an opportunity to put a stop to this effort, Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima said.
Reader Mail
Jul 11, 2007

No sweat in being averse to hugs

Regarding Mark Schreiber's July 1 translation ("Will 'free hugs' take hold in Japan?") of a Weekly Playboy article: I accept that the Japanese are not likely to hug each other in public, but neither is it common practice in Australia. The concept of "personal space" is very prevalent, and one does...
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jul 11, 2007

Satellite of love

Empress Michiko has a habit of gazing at the moon on New Year's Day. How do I know? Well, here's the poem the Empress wrote for this year's New Year poetry reading:
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2007

Pro-Taiwan, not anti-China

TAIPEI — In 2003, while still serving as U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, I was asked by Taiwanese reporters what the U.S. view would be on the proposal for Taiwan to hold a national referendum with the 2004 election. My convoluted answer could have been summarized more concisely...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2007

Political funds law can stand as is: Abe

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday the heavily criticized Political Funds Control Law needs no further revision and again voiced support for his new farm minister, Norihiko Akagi, who like his predecessor is under fire over reported expenditure claims.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jul 10, 2007

Wronged employees seek redress through mediation

Imagine you feel wronged by your employer and find simply sharing your work woes with friends and chat groups inadequate. You want compensation and acknowledgment that your employer acted unjustly.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 10, 2007

No price cut planned for 'competitive' Xbox console

Insisting its prices are competitive, Microsoft Corp.'s Japan unit announced Monday it has no plans to reduce the price of the Xbox 360 game console.

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