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COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2008

Russia's oil treasure shows signs of decline

SINGAPORE — In the eight years of Vladimir Putin's presidency, Russia's energy riches were used as a lever to rebuild the country's influence and power. As his successor, Dimitry Medvedev, took over last week and Putin became prime minister, both leaders will worry about signs that this energy muscle...
BUSINESS
May 13, 2008

JPMorgan to start yen inflation swaps as prices increase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has hired Takuma Kitajima from Merrill Lynch & Co. to start trading yen inflation swaps as Japan emerges from a decade-long bout of deflation.
EDITORIALS
May 12, 2008

Smaller enterprises falling behind

The fiscal 2007 government white paper on small and medium-size enterprises points to hard times. While the expansion of the Japanese economy slowly pushes up their profitability, the gap between them and large enterprises is widening. Largely dependent on domestic demand and public works, they suffer...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 11, 2008

Minchey comes back to Japan as scout for Indians

One-time Hiroshima Carp and Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Nate Minchey was back in the country this week in his current capacity as a scout for the Cleveland Indians.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 11, 2008

Alma mater addresses wartime treatment of its Japanese-Americans

When it comes to making amends, it's never too late. If there were a single principle to guide us in our relations with others — either on a personal or a broader scale — it would be this.
BASKETBALL
May 10, 2008

Brex acquire veteran center Ito

The Link Tochigi Brex announced the acquisition of Japan National Team player Shunsuke Ito on Friday. The 204-cm center has previously played for the Toshiba Brave Thunders, and helped the team win the JBL Super League title in the 2004-05 season. The 28-year-old has played for the national squad since...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
May 10, 2008

Finest Premier League season ever wrapping up in fantastic fashion

LONDON — Kevin Keegan said the Premier League was boring.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
May 10, 2008

Kamei, Sakamoto capitalize when given chance to shine with Giants

While the Yomiuri Giants' All-Stars have gotten off to a slow start this season, two unheralded players have stolen the spotlight.
EDITORIALS
May 10, 2008

Mr. Brown gets battered

Even though he was not on the ballot, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown took a beating in local elections last week. His Labour Party suffered its worst election loss in 40 years, animating Conservatives who now smell blood and prompting calls for Mr. Brown to hand over the reins of power to a more...
BUSINESS
May 10, 2008

Japan still good place to invest: Nikko Asset

Despite the possibility that the government may block a hedge fund's bid to increase its stake in a power utility, Japan remains an attractive place to invest because of low valuations, Nikko Asset Management Co.'s president said recently.
COMMENTARY
May 9, 2008

How to succeed in Burma with a practical approach

NEW DELHI — Such is the tragedy that Burma symbolizes that, in one week, it has been hit by new U.S. sanctions and by a tropical cyclone that left thousands dead.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2008

South Korean punk band Gumx regroups after military service

"Gumx is back!!" proclaimed the T-shirt for Seoul punk band Gumx's short Japan jaunt in late February. The band's first foreign gigs in more than three years, it had good reason to be excited about returning to the live circuit in its biggest market.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2008

Toshiba announces plan to double profit

Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it plans to double its group operating profit to ¥500 billion in business 2010 from ¥238 billion it booked in business 2007 by expanding its NAND flash memory and nuclear power plant endeavors.
BASKETBALL
May 8, 2008

Ex-Grouses player rejoins Duke

Ex-Duke University captain Nate James, who played for the Toyama Grouses during their inaugural season in the bj-league in 2006-07, has returned to the program as a Blue Devils assistant coach, the ACC powerhouse school announced on Tuesday.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 6, 2008

Finance Ministry losing its luster

The Finance Ministry has long been known as the most powerful and elitist of Japan's bureaucracy. When Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda repeatedly tried in March to appoint a former vice finance minister as the new Bank of Japan governor — only to be rejected by the opposition-controlled Upper House —...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 2, 2008

Voice of angels from Vienna

Get ready, Japan. The sopranos are coming. And they're bringing 10 altos as muscle. No, not "The Sopranos" from the U.S. TV drama series, but the Vienna Boys' Choir. Their angelic voices will grace concerts across Japan from May 3 until mid-June.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 2, 2008

Canadian ambassador brings a lifelong love of Japan to his post

Joseph Caron, Canada's ambassador to Japan since 2005, remembers his first day here — a Saturday in late August 1975. He stayed at the Hotel New Otani and visited Ginza, Nihonbashi and Omote-sando.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 2, 2008

Real estate deflation looms

Akira Mori, Japan's richest man, spent a record ¥231 billion buying Tokyo's Toranomon Pastoral Hotel last September. He now says it's worth closer to ¥200 billion.
Reader Mail
May 1, 2008

Death penalty is no deterrent

The April 23 article "Kamei seeks to undermine death penalty" states "A 2004 government opinion poll showed that 81.4 percent of respondents supported the death penalty, on the grounds that only capital punishment can provide true closure to the families of the victims, and that executions act as a deterrent...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2008

State of Korean democracy

Recent National Assembly elections laid bare both the strengths and weaknesses of South Korean democracy. South Korea proved once again to be one of most dynamic democracies in the world, but unless both lawmakers and citizens confront shortcomings in the election rules and political parties, South Korea's...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 29, 2008

Luxury fashion finds a friend

Collaborations have become such a widespread fashion marketing tactic in the last 20 years that some in style circles have dubbed the practice "the C word."
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Apr 26, 2008

Liverpool facing uphill climb against Chelsea

LONDON — If John Arne Riise believes there is a football god, the Liverpool substitute will have prayed to it every night since his stoppage time own-goal handed Chelsea a 1-1 draw in last Tuesday's Champions League semifinal, first leg.

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