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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 13, 2007

Akiko Yamada

Considered one of the most exciting young violinists, Akiko Yamada is renowned for the breadth of her concert repertoire. For a one-off recital at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Yamada narrows her focus to the works of J.S. Bach, Schubert, Debussy and Cesar Franck, accompanied by celebrated Ukrainian...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2007

'Koishikute'

Okinawa and the other Ryukyu islands are to the rest of Japan somewhat like what Hawaii is to the mainland United States. Both are sun 'n' surf destinations for the multitudes, with local cultures that are perceived as exotically different, but not threateningly so. The natives speak your language, use...
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 13, 2007

Life altering experience came early for Oita's Allen

They say the older you get, the wiser you become.
BASEBALL / MLB'S EFFECT ON JAPAN
Apr 13, 2007

NPB needs major reform, vision to prosper like MLB

This is the third installment in a four-part series.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 12, 2007

Reds down Shenhua, stay atop group

SAITAMA -- An early attacking flurry had promised goals aplenty for Urawa Reds but their victory margin over Shanghai Shenhua was limited to a solitary Yuki Abe header just before halftime in their AFC Champions League Group E match on Wednesday evening.
EDITORIALS
Apr 11, 2007

The benefits of delayed divorce

On April 1, a system that allows divorced couples to divide retirement pensions went into effect. It has been reported that many housewives had postponed divorce in order to benefit from the new system. But they should be aware that the amount they will receive will be smaller than they had probably...
MORE SPORTS
Apr 8, 2007

Big plans for hockey during centennial year in Japan

Those who follow the sport of hockey in Japan will be as enthusiastic as ever from now on.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 8, 2007

Seeing yourself through the literary ways of others

With the 2007 academic year now about to begin in Japan, it's a good time to take a look at English-language teaching in the nation's universities. Yes, the tides are indeed running there. The emphasis is shifting determindly toward the utilitarian: English as a tool for Internet communication; English...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Apr 6, 2007

Love triangles

Setagaya Public Theatre (SEPT), Japan's foremost municipal arts venue, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 6, 2007

El-P "I'll Sleep When You're Dead"

Few labels reflect the sensibility of their founders as completely as Definitive Jux, whose stable of hip-hop artists tend toward a dense, dark sound and a dystopian vision best represented by the work of producer-rapper-company president Jamie "El Producto" Meline. On his second solo album, El-P revisits...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 4, 2007

Giants down Dragons at Dome

Championships aren't won in April, but the Yomiuri Giants sure made one heck of a statement. The Giants scored four runs and batted around in the fifth inning en route to a 7-2 win over the Chunichi Dragons on Tuesday night at Tokyo Dome.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 3, 2007

Time up for bag-happy stores, users

Retailers have long considered plastic bags basic to good service. Supermarket clerks toss tofu, eggs and ice cream into individual clear plastic bags to prevent a mess should the products' own wrapping somehow break. More plastic bags are often provided just in case, then it all goes into bigger shopping...
EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2007

Another historic deal in Belfast

Northern Ireland's most bitter political opponents bridged their divide last week and agreed to share power in a new Belfast government. Their agreement is a historic step toward peace for the long-divided province. Implementing the accord promises a "battle a day," but making the parties on either end...
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 1, 2007

Drawing on experience

Cartoonists in Japan are as abundant as the cherry blossoms at this time of year -- but Rieko Saibara is probably the only one who has both a lyrical and rebellious side to her work -- along with an astonishing power and what has been called a "lethal poison.''
EDITORIALS
Apr 1, 2007

Legal prop for a lie

A ruling Tuesday in Tokyo District Court that dismissed a damages suit filed by a former Mainichi Shimbun reporter defies common sense because of the gap between the ruling and the known facts, although the ruling has its own logic.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 31, 2007

Evessa need injured Newton

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, the first-place Osaka Evessa are right where they want to be.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 30, 2007

'Byosoku 5 Centimeters'

As the boundaries between animated and live-action films blur and finally become meaningless (see the graphic-novel look of "300" for a recent example), perhaps a new category is needed -- call it live-mation. In any case, animators in Japan are breaking free of whatever limits on theme and treatment...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 30, 2007

Guns N' Roses

In their prime, Guns N' Roses were all about excess: Substance abuse, controversial lyrics and inciting riots earned them the title "world's most dangerous band" in the late 1980s. However cliched, GNR's gloriously over-the-top sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll antics endeared them to millions.
LIFE / Language
Mar 27, 2007

Sakura songs home in on the reassuringly familiar

It is late March, and the crowds are about to descend in droves on the parks and gardens for hanami, or cherry-blossom viewing.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2007

Hepatitis C plaintiffs win 259 million yen

The Tokyo District Court ordered the state and three drugmakers Friday to pay a combined 259 million yen in damages to 13 of 21 plaintiffs infected with the hepatitis C virus from tainted blood products.
COMMENTARY
Mar 24, 2007

Baseless threats of cold war

HONOLULU -- U.S. plans to deploy an antiballistic missile defense system in Europe have raised fears of a new Cold War. Russian responses to the proposal have been fierce: Moscow has warned countries that hosting interceptors would make them targets in the event of conflict. In fact, the planned deployments...
MORE SPORTS
Mar 23, 2007

Joubert claims gold

Brian Joubert validated that there is such a thing as a lucky charm. Daisuke Takahashi, meanwhile, gave the host nation another athlete named Daisuke to be passionately proud of -- someone who doesn't throw a wicked assortment of pitches.
EDITORIALS
Mar 23, 2007

Try learning from a critical mistake

It was revealed last week that Hokuriku Electric Power Co. failed to report a "criticality accident" at a nuclear-power plant in Shiga, Ishikawa Prefecture, eight years ago. The accident involved a 15-minute uncontrollable fission chain reaction.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 23, 2007

World Toy Museum brings out the otaku in you

The World Toy Museum, situated in the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, is currently holding an exhibition on model trains, "Amazing Model Train Exhibition 2007," that will appeal to iron-horse enthusiasts young and old. The exhibition runs through June 18 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

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