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Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 14, 2013

Hobsbawm's last words

FRACTURED TIMES: Culture and Society in the 20th Century, by Eric Hobsbawm. Little, Brown, 2013, 336 pp., £25 (hardcover)
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 12, 2013

Gunma making progress under Blackwell's leadership

The Gunma Crane Thunders' entire history consists of 46 regular-season games — 12 wins, 34 defeats. A standard of excellence and habits, good or bad, generally take longer to form.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 12, 2013

'Nutty' U.S. researcher champions oddball science

Patricia Brennan received $384,949 from the U.S. government to study duck genitalia. Last month, that made her a national joke. Now, it's made her a little bit of a folk hero.
Reader Mail
Apr 11, 2013

Aversion to blue-collar work

Regarding The Washington Post feature article that ran in The Japan Times April 8 under the headline "India students' aspirations, job market don't match": The writer has perhaps made a sincere attempt at bringing up a serious problem. But how novel is this problem? Many graduates are known to have gone...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 9, 2013

Broncos' energy, desire carry team to solid sweep over Crane Thunders

Neither team has a shot at making the playoffs. Neither team will finish anywhere near .500. But both teams personify the spirited competitor who happens to be their head coach, former players Ryan Blackwell of the Gunma Crane Thunders and Tracy Williams of the Saitama Broncos.
Reader Mail
Apr 7, 2013

Shameful coverage of rape case

Regarding The Observer feature published March 30 in The Japan Times under the headline " 'If girls look sexy, boys will rape': Do Indian men believe this?": It is a case of shame for the British that, even after exploiting India for 200 years by creating man-made famines, killing ruthlessly and destroying...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 5, 2013

'Extreme' characters fuel the plot of 'The Master'

Critics have called 'The Master' a triumph of style over substance. That is, the acting wins out over direction and writing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 31, 2013

The 'eternal modern' gardens of Matsuo-taisha

When new buildings were constructed in 1971 at Matsuo-taisha in Kyoto, one of Japan's oldest shrines, the largely self-taught landscape master Mirei Shigemori was commissioned to create a series of gardens on the site.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FORUM ON AFRICA-JAPAN RELATIONS
Mar 30, 2013

The evolution of Japan-Africa relations through TICAD

The fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) will be held in Yokohama from June 1 to 3 to discuss various issues regarding the continent with political and business leaders from around the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FORUM ON AFRICA-JAPAN RELATIONS
Mar 30, 2013

Regional challenges: what Japan can do to help

The second session dealt with Africa's regional challenges and development in the overall African economy. Ambassadors Ito, Comberbach and Arrour were joined by Ambassador Wasswa Biriggwa of Uganda, chairman of the ADC TICAD Committee; Ambassador Godwin N. Agbo of Nigeria, vice chairman of the ADC Trade...
EDITORIALS
Mar 28, 2013

More rulings against vote disparity

Six courts declare apportionment for the Dec. 16 Lower House election unconstitutional, signaling more judicial irritation with vote-value disparity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 27, 2013

LDP undaunted by vote-value rulings

Despite a spate of high court rulings that last year's general election was unconstitutional and even invalid due to large vote disparities, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party doesn't think it is necessary to hold another Lower House campaign as long as it works on election reform, Secretary General...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 26, 2013

If corporal punishment works, where are all the champions?

In the final scenes of Aaron Sorkin's powerfully written film "A Few Good Men," one of the U.S. Marines on trial for the murder of a fellow serviceman is bewildered as to why he has not been cleared of all charges after his commanding officer admits ordering the attack. "We did nothing wrong," cries...
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 25, 2013

U.S. gun deaths — and tougher laws — shaped by race

Gun deaths are shaped by race in the United States: Whites are far more likely to shoot themselves, and blacks are far more likely to be shot by someone else.
Reader Mail
Mar 24, 2013

University rankings too sweet

The March 14 front-page article "Universities to boost classes in English" states: "According to Times Higher Education's World University Rankings, only two Japanese colleges make the top 100 — the University of Tokyo (No. 27) and Kyoto University (No. 54)."
Reader Mail
Mar 24, 2013

No bones to pick with God

Grant Piper's March 21 letter, "Honorable human destination," was another very well-reasoned response to my March 14 letter on the subject of bullying and religion ("Giving compassion a chance"). By contrast, my letter elicited a hostile response from Jennifer Kim on March 17 ("Odd condemnation of religion")....
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Mar 24, 2013

Be inspired: One person can help foster sustainable lives for millions

Last month, this column introduced Bangkok-based Midori Paxton, who is currently a regional technical adviser for biodiversity and ecosystems with the United Nations Development Programme — and who, I'm delighted to say, was a model student of mine here in Japan more than 20 years ago.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 22, 2013

Tokyo art blossoms in spring

It seems that this year everything is coming together for the Tokyo art world, literally.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 22, 2013

'Helicopter' Humphrey flying high again after injury

The Saitama Broncos find themselves in a familiar place as the season heads into its stretch run — near the bottom of the pack. And they will miss the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 17, 2013

Toddler-toting invaders no match for this castle's defenses

Most visitors are awed by Kumamoto Castle's imposing walls; myself, I am more preoccupied with the stairs. According to the map board just inside the Hazekata Gate, there are many of them, tracing a convoluted path up to the raven-black donjon.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Mar 16, 2013

Kuroda rides in on high hopes, high-set bar

"Abenomics" looks ready to bloom just in time for spring, given the Diet's approval Friday of Haruhiko Kuroda as the next governor of the Bank of Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 16, 2013

The Facebook executive on a self-help mission

Sheryl Sandberg does not do things by half-measures. So when the chief operating officer of Facebook and the most high-profile businesswoman in the world publishes a book she does not sit back, give a few interviews and let the glowing reviews flow in. No, Sandberg tries to start a fully fledged social...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2013

Vote-value disparity issue puts cloud over Abe's ambitions

With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet enjoying astronomically high approval ratings compared with recent leaders, the prospects of his Liberal Democratic Party winning a critical Upper House election this summer look bright.
BASKETBALL
Mar 11, 2013

Jets soar in win over Lakestars

The Chiba Jets delivered a vivid definition of their team nickname on Sunday afternoon in the second half of their series finale against the visiting Shiga Lakestars.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 11, 2013

Toxic management erodes safety at 'world's safest' nuclear plant

On Jan. 30, 2012, Byron Nuclear Generating Station lost operability to all of its safety-related equipment. At the time, Jim Hazen was the nuclear station operator responsible for the affected reactor, one of two at the Exelon-owned nuclear plant in Byron, Illinois.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 10, 2013

No clearing the air over neighbor's pollution

Pollutants from China and their resultant problems are nothing new to Japan. Acid rain, principally caused by high levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in industrial pollutants, has been a concern for several decades.

Longform

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