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EDITORIALS
Oct 4, 2007

Flawed reliance on confessions

With the lay judge system scheduled to be introduced by May 2009, a system should be developed to ensure that investigators' records of suspects' oral statements are trustworthy. Recent cases involving false confessions highlight the urgent need for such a system.
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2007

DHL calls for change of views

Asked to name the largest German employers in Japan, names most likely to come to mind would be car makers, auto parts manufacturers, or pharmaceutical giants. The second-largest is, in fact, DHL, the world's leading international express and logistics company. In Japan, DHL aims to continue its double-digit...
EDITORIALS
Oct 4, 2007

Raise the bar at law schools

Results of the second national bar examination held under a new system were announced Sept. 13. Just 1,851 graduates of the law schools established under the system passed for a success ratio of 40 percent — down eight percentage points from last year. This suggests that the quality of law school students...
BUSINESS
Oct 3, 2007

Sony, Qimonda agree on joint venture to develop high-performance DRAM

Sony Corp. and Germany's Qimonda AG said Tuesday they have agreed to form a joint venture to design high-performance DRAM memory chips for consumer and graphic applications.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2007

Japan may pull envoy if talks tank

we have to wait and see for a while to decide if we should apply sanctions or not," Fukuda told reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. "We won't immediately apply sanctions because much of Japan's aid is humanitarian." Tokyo has traditionally used a policy of engagement with Myanmar,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Sep 29, 2007

Putting the red light on human trafficking

"Neary grew up in rural Cambodia. Her parents died when she was a child, and in an effort to give her a better life, her sister married her off when she was 17. Three months later, they went to visit a fishing village. Her husband rented a room in what Neary thought was a guest house. But when she woke...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 28, 2007

'La vie en rose'

Even if you've never listened to a single song by Edith Piaf, it's impossible to be unmoved by this biopic — in all probability the film will have you rushing to buy a CD as soon as the lights come on.
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2007

LDP executives opt for talk, not action, on tax system overhaul

Apparently testing the waters before backing a possible consumption tax hike, the new top executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party soft-pedaled the sensitive topic in separate interviews Thursday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 27, 2007

Giants stage comeback to beat Dragons at Dome

The much anticipated pitching duel between Kenta Asakura and Hisanori Takahashi fizzled early but Ryota Wakiya and Takahiko Nomaguchi still put on a show.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2007

'Military geek' Ishiba returns to friendly territory

takes over as defense minister from Masahiko Komura on Wednesday. KYODO PHOTO
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 26, 2007

LDP appointments illustrate Fukuda's isolation

The appointments of four executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party highlight a weakness of Yasuo Fukuda — the lack of close allies within his own party.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Sep 26, 2007

Turning waste into rich resources

Visit Calcutta, even briefly, and you soon learn the rules of the road — or rather that there aren't many, if any. You will also meet some of the planet's most resourceful people, from street children to scientists who are masters of making very little go a long way.
SOCCER
Sep 25, 2007

United outclasses Chelsea

MANCHESTER, England (AP) Carlos Tevez suffered for six months before finally scoring for West Ham last season.
COMMENTARY
Sep 25, 2007

Ugly truth of antiwar lefties

NEW YORK — Although its appearance in The Nation guaranteed it would receive scant notice, a July 30 essay by Alexander Cockburn was one of the first to seriously address the most troubling internal contradiction of the anti-Iraq War left. War, everyone knows, is a zero-sum game. For one side to win,...
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2007

Fukuda's pragmatism to prevail

will surely mean a step back from constitutional revision," said political analyst Takao Toshikawa, editor of the newsletter TokyoInsideline. That is as much due to timing as any personal convictions Fukuda may hold. Following the setback to Abe's LDP in the July election, the LDP-New Komeito ruling...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 25, 2007

Pachinko seeks to shed shady image as market shrinks

Filled with noise, bright lights and cigarette smoke, the attraction of the pachinko parlor is hard for many to fathom.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Sep 23, 2007

Nomura deserves credit for making Eagles respectable

A few words of praise this week for the 2007 performance of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Sep 23, 2007

Japanese: A language in a state of flux

Languages are never static. They change and evolve with people over time. They also interact with other languages, and through an endless cycle of loaning and borrowing of words, ideas and concepts are shared, exchanged and nurtured across national and cultural boundaries.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2007

Greater mobility for smaller wage gaps

PRAGUE — From its earliest days, the European Union has aimed for balanced economic development across its regions. The Maastricht Treaty contains the striking phrase "overall harmonious development." But however admirable this sentiment may be, there is no "scientific truth" about the "right" level...
SOCCER
Sep 22, 2007

Speculation begins on Mourinho's future

LONDON (AP) Jose Mourinho already is waiting for his next job offer.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2007

Mob leaders found liable for botched hit

The Tokyo District Court on Thursday ordered the two top executives of Japan's second-biggest crime syndicate, including its "Godfather" and three hit men, to pay a combined ¥59 million in damages to the family of a South Korean student killed in a botched revenge shooting in 2001.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2007

MSDF fuel was used in Iraq war, group charges

supplies fuel to a Pakistani vessel in the Arabian Sea on Sept. 13 as part of Japan's refueling activities in the Indian Ocean. KYODO PHOTO

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