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EDITORIALS
Nov 17, 2010

Uphill on trade policy, diplomacy

As its relations with China and Russia are deteriorating over territorial issues and its domestic opinion is sharply divided on further opening of its markets, Japan hosted and chaired the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit on Saturday and Sunday in the port city of Yokohama — the first...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ASEAN JOURNALIST SYMPOSIUM
Nov 16, 2010

Japan urged to cope with changing landscape in Asia

Japan needs to come to terms with its declining influence in Asia and readjust its strategy toward Southeast Asia, where its once-dominant position has been replaced by rising China, veteran journalists from the region said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2010

Obituary: Frederick Harris

Artist and community leader Frederick Harris, a resident of Japan for more than 50 years, died early Monday of heart failure. He was 78 and is survived by his wife, Kazuko.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Nov 2, 2010

'Homogeneous,' 'unique' myths stunt discourse

Last month I attended an international lecture by one of Japanology's senior scholars. I'll call him Dr. Frink. Decorated by the Japanese government for his contributions to the field, he talked about Japan as a "unique" state that never really changes, even as it slips to third place behind China's...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 24, 2010

Flood control: Destroying neighborhoods to save them

If there was ever an example of government overspending, the long-term flood control project involving super-levees would be it.
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2010

Senkaku history provides 'proof' for both sides

Last weekend, angry young protesters in China and Japan took to the streets to demonstrate to the international community their countries' claims over what Tokyo calls the Senkaku Islands and Beijing refers to as the Diaoyu.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2010

Ainu have biodiversity bone to pick with host Japan

NAGOYA — Given its historical treatment of the Ainu and the widespread belief that the nation has but one race, can Japan as host of COP10 effectively deal with indigenous rights, which are at the heart of the most contentious issue of the conference?
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 22, 2010

Entrepreneurs' best friend growing long in the tooth

HONG KONG — Standard Chartered Bank has an advertisement currently running on television that is eye-catching and thought-provoking. Its central message is that "not everything that counts in life can be counted" and that the bank wants to be "here for people; here for progress; here for the long run;...
Reader Mail
Oct 17, 2010

Kyoto petition looks like nonstarter

At the risk of isolating myself to a community of one, I would like to comment on how weak and, most likely, ineffectual the efforts are by some in the international community in Kyoto to stop the building of an aquarium. At present, work on the aquarium in Umekoji Park, west of Kyoto Station, has actually...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Oct 12, 2010

Don't blame JET for Japan's poor English: responses

A selection of readers' views on "Don't blame JET for Japan's poor English" (Just Be Cause, Sept. 7) by Debito Arudou:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Oct 10, 2010

Creative battle for boost in regional tourism heads to Japan's big screen

In recent years, many regional governments in Japan have set up "film commissions" to help production crews shoot motion pictures and TV dramas in their neighborhoods, in the hopes of attracting tourists and revitalizing local communities.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Oct 5, 2010

Census blind to Japan's true diversity

It's that time of the decade again. By now, all households in Japan should have received and submitted Japan's National Census (kokusei chosa), a survey taken every five years expressly to assist in policymaking, drawing up electoral districts and other matters of taxation and representation. This of...
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 5, 2010

Kids' camps; more on Baha'i

Baha'i outreach MN thanks us for writing about her community (Lifelines, Sept. 21).
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 30, 2010

Senkaku spat hurt Beijing as well

The weakness of Japanese diplomacy was exposed last week when Tokyo gave in to Beijing and released a Chinese trawler captain arrested earlier this month near the Senkaku Islands.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2010

Local politics cries out for partisan competition

OSAKA — With its constant factional infighting and Cabinet shuffles, Japanese national politics is a disheartening affair for the concerned voter. Last year's historic elections, however, demonstrated that voters can oust unpopular governments, and that party competition and accountability is emerging...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Sep 26, 2010

Asia is surely gaining an unquenchable thirst

G. Kallupatti is a small village in the Theni District of western Tamil Nadu, tucked up against the rocky foothills of the Western Ghats in southern India.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 25, 2010

English teacher brings joy to orphans

Young kids running amok, dancing crazily, jumping on adults' backs demanding piggyback rides.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Sep 24, 2010

The constructor: Pierce using Shiga experience to help in Akita

Bob Pierce is the first head coach in bj-league history to be handed the reins of two expansion teams in their first seasons.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2010

Thinking in Tehran suggests West overplaying nuclear fears

MELBOURNE, Australia — Is Iran hellbent on becoming a nuclear-armed state? Or will it settle for nuclear capability, able to make weapons but choosing not to? Does that matter?
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Sep 17, 2010

Apache facing tough start with extended road trip

The bj-league's sixth season begins on Oct. 16, but the Tokyo Apache's first home game isn't until Jan. 6 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 2.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Sep 7, 2010

Don't blame JET for Japan's poor English

The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, touted as the world's largest cultural exchange scheme, has brought thousands of non-Japanese into the country to teach at local boards of education. These days, with many government programs being told to justify their existence, a debate is raging over whether...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Sep 7, 2010

U.S. Navy 'Friendship Festival' draws line at the French

Could it be that the Friendship Day festivals held at the U.S. Navy Negishi Housing Base are not as friendly as the name suggests?
COMMENTARY
Sep 6, 2010

The Australian 'distance'

"Beauty of Distance" is the title of this year's Sydney Biennale of modern arts. The title is obviously an echo and ironic association with the famous book written about Australia titled "Tyranny of Distance," which depicted the dilemma of Australia associating mentally with Europe (England) yet being...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Aug 31, 2010

Tsukuba: What are the challenges when observing Ramadan in Japan?

Fatma HachaniStudent, 30(Tunisian)Ramadan is the hardest month for me to be away from my family and country. I spend weekdays working in the lab. From 2 p.m. I start to feel tired. Not eating is not a major problem for me, but not drinking in such an exceptionally hot summer is a challenge! I realize...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Aug 31, 2010

Fingerprint all Japanese, for safety's sake

If you're a noncitizen and have entered or re-entered Japan in the last couple of years, you've undoubtedly been invited to participate in the wonderful, fun-filled world of biometrics. It's safe to say that many of you felt as though you were being treated like criminals — not to mention the humiliation...
JAPAN / JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Aug 20, 2010

Educators fret fate of nation's language

Last year, more than 10,000 people spoke out against the government's apparent disregard for Japanese-language education when it submitted a bill to effectively abolish the National Institute for Japanese Language.
JAPAN / JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Aug 20, 2010

Rewards, roadblocks for volunteer teachers

Ikuko Sahara, representative of a volunteer group teaching Japanese to foreigners in Tokyo, knows it's no picnic living in a foreign country without being familiar with the language.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Aug 15, 2010

Pavlicevic sets sail in Shimane

The Japan Times will be featuring periodic interviews with personalities in the bj-league, which begins its sixth season in October. Coach Zeljko Pavlicevic of the expansion Shimane Susanoo Magic is the subject of this week's profile.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2010

Cities scrambling to find centenarians

It all began last week when a mummified corpse was found at a house in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. If the man, Sogen Kato, were still alive he would have been 111 years old.

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