Search - special

 
 
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...
EDITORIALS
Nov 17, 2008

Heavy burden for disabled people

Twenty-nine disabled people and one parent of a disabled person from eight prefectures — Tokyo, Saitama, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Hiroshima and Fukuoka — filed lawsuits Oct. 31 with district courts in their prefectural capitals contending that a law designed to help disabled people violates the...
EDITORIALS
Nov 15, 2008

Test for Taiwan's judiciary

Mr. Chen Shui-bian, an advocate of pro-independence policies vis-a-vis China, symbolized the democratization of Taiwan by winning a presidential election in March 2000. His victory ended the monopoly rule of the Nationalist Party, which opposes any moves to formally declare Taiwan's independence. He...
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2008

Opera contest awards first Japanese

International Opera Competition, the first Japanese to take top honors in the contest, according to organizers.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Nov 9, 2008

Plastic surgery, ethical doctors and disability discrimination in public schools

Cosmetic-makeover show "Beauty Colosseum" (Fuji, Tues., 7 p.m.) returns to the airwaves this week with a two-hour special that features examples of some of the newest technological advances in plastic surgery.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Nov 5, 2008

'The proudest day of my life'

Apart from a few experimental trees, it is not our policy to grow non-native plants in our woodland trust here in the hills of Nagano Prefecture.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 3, 2008

Giants sluggers bring crowd into the action

The ushers blow whistles to call the fans' attention when batters hit into the outfield stands during the batting practice. And with the powerful Giants, the whistles are particularly heard more often when Michihiro Ogasawara and Alex Ramirez take the cages.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Nov 2, 2008

Probing the real Japan with Kenneth Pyle

Kenneth Pyle says his first memories of Japan were of watching war films when he was a child — "all the dogfights with Zero fighters and all that."
EDITORIALS
Nov 2, 2008

Handling info in the MSDF

The Yokohama District Court on Oct. 28 gave a suspended 2 1/2-year prison term to a lieutenant commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force for passing information on the U.S.-developed Aegis weapons system to another lieutenant commander, an instructor at an MSDF school in Etajima, Hiroshima Prefecture....
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2008

Economic damage control

Prime Minister Taro Aso on Thursday evening announced a ¥26.9 trillion economic stimulus package in an effort to minimize damage to the Japanese economy from the global financial crisis. The current economic turmoil could have a devastating effect on people's lives. As Mr. Aso said, "The economy is...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 1, 2008

The secret of living to 200

It takes a special kind of person to live on a small island of 688 people — a crazy person. And it takes a special island to put up with 688 crazy people.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 31, 2008

Equaling Oh's HR record proved difficult

Third in a three-part series
EDITORIALS
Oct 30, 2008

Unconvincing MSDF report

Last week the Defense Ministry made public an interim report on the death of a petty officer 3rd class from an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage 16 days after a "training fight" on Sept. 9 at the Maritime Self-Defense Force's First Service School in Etajima, Hiroshima Prefecture. The petty officer, who had...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 30, 2008

Tokyo film competition rewards tantalizing tales

When I was at the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea a few weeks ago, I discussed the Tokyo International Film Festival with some journalists, who disagreed with my assertion that TIFF's Competition section was a dumping ground for movies that couldn't make it at other film festivals. They...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Oct 26, 2008

TV tributes to an artificial heart innovator, Picasso and Sadaharu Oh

The subject of this week's edition of "Professional: Shigoto no Ryugi" ("The Professionals") (NHK-G, Tuesday, 10 p.m.) is 56-year-old Chisato Nojiri, the leader of a special-project team that recently developed a new type of artificial heart.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2008

Lower House passes MSDF antiterror bill

The Lower House approved a special antiterrorism bill Tuesday to enable the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue refueling multinational warships engaged in counterterrorism operations in the Indian Ocean — a key goal of Prime Minister Taro Aso for this Diet session.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 16, 2008

Tokyo International Film Festival offers rough but ambitious lineup

Though it's eight years older than PIFF, the Tokyo International Film Festival, which runs Oct. 18 to 26, has always come across as the neglected little brother in terms of Asian film events. For years, TIFF had the reputation of being mainly a showcase for Japanese studios and distributors, who trot...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Oct 2, 2008

MSDF mission above Diet politics: Hamada

Japan's involvement in antiterrorism efforts in the Indian Ocean must continue regardless of which party holds power in the Diet, new Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said in an interview.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2008

Web society opts to stay anonymous

Like a lot of 20-year-olds, Kae Takahashi has a page on U.S.-based MySpace, and there is no mistaking it for anyone else's.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Sep 30, 2008

Jitensha odantai

Dear Alice,
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Sep 28, 2008

Fall dramas about geisha, Ganesha and funereal pandemonium

NHK starts a new six-month-long asa-dora (morning drama) on Monday. These popular serials traditionally launch the careers of the young actresses who play the heroines, but "Dan Dan" (More and More; NHK-G, M-F, 8:15 a.m.; BS-2, M-F, 7:45 a.m.) stars twins Mana and Kana Mikura, who appeared in an asa-dora...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / SHORT TAKES
Sep 26, 2008

"Wanted"

Director: Timur Bekmambetov
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2008

Nakasone, Hamada face tough issues right away

Prime Minister Taro Aso filled the key foreign and defense portfolios with hereditary Diet members, perhaps in the hope their prominent family names will serve the Liberal Democratic Party well in the looming Lower House election.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 25, 2008

Aso policies seen as short-term fix

Prime Minister Taro Aso's choices for finance and economic ministers failed to impress economists Wednesday, who said they are not likely to take bold measures to shore up an economy threatened by the global economic downturn.
EDITORIALS
Sep 24, 2008

Secretive mission to wind down

The government has decided to terminate the Air Self-Defense Force's aerial transportation mission in Iraq by yearend, citing the expiration of the United Nations resolution authorizing multinational forces' deployment in Iraq as well as the improved security situation there. Fortunately, the ASDF has...

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