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Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / ICE TIME
Jan 28, 2009

Tokyo confirmed as host of 2009 Grand Prix Final

World champion Mao Asada's last international competition before heading to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games should be in Tokyo at the Grand Prix Final next December, according to the schedule recently released by the International Skating Union for next season.
ENVIRONMENT / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jan 25, 2009

A west side love story

With Valentine's Day approaching, Tokyo's lovers dust off chocolate-tempering pots, scope out sweet shops and reserve bouquets of roses. Of course, savvy romantics know a midwinter stroll along a back street, with requisite snuggling for warmth, works nearly as well to stoke affection as edible or olfactory...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jan 25, 2009

A west side love story

With Valentine's Day approaching, Tokyo's lovers dust off chocolate-tempering pots, scope out sweet shops and reserve bouquets of roses. Of course, savvy romantics know a midwinter stroll along a back street, with requisite snuggling for warmth, works nearly as well to stoke affection as edible or olfactory...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Jan 24, 2009

Neumann analyzes Curry, recalls Pistol Pete

Every dozen years or so, a young athlete arrives on the scene — Cristiano Ronaldo, Usain Bolt or LeBron James, for instance — with the demeanor, athleticism and poise beyond their years to be the next standard-bearer of excellence in that sport.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 20, 2009

Breaking the silence on burakumin

For those who don't know — and you would be forgiven considering the lack of coverage the issue receives — a buraku is the term used to describe an area where some, but not all, of the residents have ancestral ties to the people placed at the bottom of feudal society in the Edo Period. These people...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 20, 2009

'Exam hell' now not so hot

The annual university entrance examination season kicked off Saturday and Sunday as some 540,000 high school students and graduates nationwide took the standardized National Center Test for University Admissions.
COMMENTARY
Jan 15, 2009

China steps up global diplomacy

Almost two decades ago, China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping issued a series of instructions regarding the orientation of Chinese foreign policy in which he emphasized the need for Beijing to keep a low profile and never take the lead. Up until a few years ago, China has for the most part maintained...
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA / STYLE WISE
Jan 15, 2009

Goocy and Gozi but no more Green

Genki at Goocy Goocy (pronounced "goosey") is the local answer to the Western "fast-fashion" invasion that has recently swept Japan. It's a pet project by brand director Harumi Fukuda and designer Mary Fukumoto of high-end label Triptych.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
Jan 10, 2009

Irishman lets chips fall, finds love

Neither Frankie Lafferty nor Saika Kojima ever thought they would wed a foreigner. But nine months after their first encounter in 2004, the two registered for marriage in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture.
COMMENTARY
Dec 30, 2008

No sign of a 'peace agreement'

More than six months have passed since the presidential election in Taiwan. After a hiatus of eight years, the Kuomintang is in power. This actually represents the restoration of the mainland-lineage forces for the first time in 20 years — if you count the Lee Teng-hui era as rule by non-mainland-lineage...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 30, 2008

Half century on, Tokyo Tower still dazzles as landmark

Tokyo Tower, a long-standing landmark of the capital, celebrated its 50th birthday on Dec. 23. It still attracts about 3 million visitors a year and has provided the metropolis with good TV reception for decades.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 26, 2008

2008 in Double vision

Since well before R&B became established in Japan I've been championing it through all my activities. This year was the 10th anniversary of my debut, so for me it was a celebratory year — with a "Best Of" release ("10 Years Best — We R&B"); a special collection celebrating all the collaborations...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Dec 26, 2008

Two capitals accommodation plan

The Hyatt Regency Kyoto, in collaboration with the Park Hyatt Tokyo, is offering an accommodation package that will introduce guests to two of Japan's most fascinating cities — Kyoto, the ancient capital, and Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Dec 23, 2008

What's the best Christmas present you've ever given?

Midori Tsunekawa HousewifeI made a scarf for my husband 35 years ago. It took a while to knit, but it turned out really well. It's now my daughter's favorite winter item. She loves it.
EDITORIALS
Dec 22, 2008

What did the ASDF do there?

A unit of the Air-Self Defense Force has withdrawn from Iraq after completing its five-year-long transportation mission. Fortunately the ASDF unit suffered no casualties despite constant danger. Still, the Diet should examine whether the ASDF's activities in Iraq were proper from the viewpoint of the...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 20, 2008

NPO chief helping out other charities

Daigo Sato, the man who founded the NPO that set up Japan's first political internship program, Dot-JP, 10 years ago, has embarked on a new mission this year to help the nonprofit organizations themselves.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Dec 19, 2008

Debut offers from the Shangri-La

The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo, scheduled to open in March, has started taking reservations through its Web site ( www.shangri-la.com ).
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 5, 2008

In Fukuoka, we're walking in a winter ramen land

Winter whistles through the streets, slips its icy fingers down your coat, and you search for something, just about anything, to ward off the damp chill of a Japanese winter. Suddenly, you know with all certainty the one true cure — ramen.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2008

Order issued to pull ASDF from Kuwait, end airlift mission

The government finalized the order Friday to end the Air Self-Defense Force's airlift mission in the Middle East, terminating a nearly five-year Japanese military presence in Iraq.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2008

Diet extended for key bills as DPJ relents

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc officially ordered an extension to the current extraordinary Diet session until Dec. 25 to secure passage of two key bills.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 25, 2008

Harajuku in peril?

As a dedicated follower of Japanese pop culture and the coauthor of a book on Japanese teen fashion, I confess that I'm getting a bit concerned about the direction in which the Harajuku district is headed these days.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Nov 23, 2008

'Tarento' on parade, featuring Sanma-san, Akiko Wada and Beat Takeshi

These days the ideal TV personality is someone who can talk nonstop about any subject for a long period of time. The person doesn't necessarily need to be knowledgeable about the subject, but he or she should certainly be funny. In this regard, comedian Sanma Akashiya is the gold standard. Several weeks...

Longform

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Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat