Search - opinion

 
 
Reader Mail
Jan 29, 2012

Greater things than test scores

Regarding Japan's education system as discussed in Jason Pierre's Jan. 15 letter, "Lack of motivation for studying": I believe that the destiny of many younger students depends too much on the results of academic tests that they take at grade schools, cram schools and college preparatory schools.
Reader Mail
Jan 29, 2012

A less ascetic word for 'monk'

There must be a better word to apply to some male adherents of Buddhism than "monk," as used, for example, in the Jan. 19 Kyodo article "Matchmaking service gives Buddhist monks a boost in dating market." If there isn't, then perhaps we ought to make one because, in English, "monk" denotes a man living...
COMMENTARY
Jan 28, 2012

Can Romney the turnaround artist do it again?

An Illinois lawyer who had a way with words once characterized a particular argument as weaker than soup made from the shadow of a pigeon that died of starvation. The argument for Mitt Romney benefiting from South Carolina's voting is almost as weak as Lincoln's soup, but here it is:
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 28, 2012

Aichi's denizens warm to foreigners

Most Aichi residents like the idea of having many foreign residents living among them, according to a prefectural survey.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 28, 2012

Veteran of two wars — in two different armies

Minoru Ohye, 86, is a rare veteran: He served in both the Imperial Japanese Army, fighting the Soviet Red Army during World War II, and in the U.S. military during the Korean War.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Jan 28, 2012

Okada: Officialdom must sacrifice to sell tax hike

Winning the public's support to hike the consumption tax is the government's priority as their backing would force opposition parties to drop their stance against tax reforms, new Deputy Prime Minister Katsuya Okada said.
EDITORIALS
Jan 26, 2012

Tax plan ill-timed and ill-thought

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made a policy speech before the Diet on Tuesday as it started a regular session for 2012. His main theme was a raise of the consumption tax and he called on opposition parties to take part in consultations on the matter with his ruling Democratic Party of Japan.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 25, 2012

Desperate Knicks could use Tinsley

Kobe Bryant recently "pinpointed" Jamaal Tinsley as an ideal conductor of offensive arrangements, exactly what the Lakers (and Knicks) distinctly lack.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2012

Debunking five myths about Barack Obama

The president is a socialist.
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Jan 24, 2012

Japanese must tap their 'inner Israeli': readers' responses

Some readers' thoughts on the Jan. 3 Zeit Gist column by Glenn Newman, headlined "Japanese must tap their 'inner Israeli' ":
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 23, 2012

Spring erosion of Seoul's ruling party forecast

The ascension to power of the pudgy 29-year-old Kim Jong Un in North Korea has grabbed headlines around the world, but the most important story involving Korean young people and politics is taking place in the South.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 20, 2012

Condors fly in the face of contemporary dance scene

The Japanese are often described as being inward-looking and stoic, with a sense of humor that often fails to connect with people from overseas. However, there are still rare birds among that bunch.
EDITORIALS
Jan 20, 2012

New Kimigayo ruling

In lawsuits brought by 171 current and former teachers and other staff members at public schools in Tokyo who were punished for not following orders that principals issued in connection with the Hinomaru national flag and the Kimigayo national anthem at school events, the No. 1 Petit Bench of the Supreme...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 19, 2012

Plasticzooms dress up new sound on 'Starbow'

Sho Asakawa is visibly excited. The vocalist from Tokyo rock band Plasticzooms has just come from Tower Records in the capital's trendy Shibuya district, where an exhibition of his artwork and clothing are accompanying the promotional display for his band's new album, "Starbow."
COMMENTARY
Jan 18, 2012

Loyalty alone is not enough

Japanese have been taught over the centuries that loyalty is the supreme virtue. Loyalty to Japan and to the emperor was inculcated into every child in prewar Japan. The emphasis now seems to be on loyalty to the company employing you, loyalty to your section in the company and loyalty to your immediate...
COMMENTARY
Jan 16, 2012

Finer details of atmospheric science in Beijing

In July 2009, China's Foreign Ministry made a demand of the American embassy: Stop taking measurements of air pollution in Beijing available to ordinary Chinese since they conflicted with official data and could lead to "confusion" among the public and undesirable "social consequences."
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 15, 2012

Rigged online food reviews should come as no surprise

NHK has a regular travel series called "Quiz de Go," which sends TV personalities to far-flung corners of Japan and then asks them questions about the area's local qualities. Several weeks ago, three celebrities were exploring Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, and were turned on to a local delicacy called Curry-yaki....
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 14, 2012

Triumphant return fitting for Henry

There are moments in football that remain in the memory. Your team or country has won a major honor, perhaps a goal by a home-produced striker or maybe a debutant's hat trick.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 12, 2012

U.S. overlooks the true tolls of its wars

As the United States officially ended the war in Iraq last month, President Barack Obama spoke eloquently at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, lauding troops for "your patriotism, your commitment to fulfill your mission, your abiding commitment to one another," and offering words of grief for the nearly 4,500...
COMMENTARY
Jan 11, 2012

Are protests loosening Putin's grip on power?

Russia cannot be understood with the mind alone,
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Jan 9, 2012

China's Un-relenting watch

The entire world was shocked by the news of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who was as vicious a dictator as Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin or Mao Zedong.
Japan Times
LIFE
Jan 8, 2012

Fukushima lays bare Japanese media's ties to top

Is the ongoing crisis surrounding the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant being accurately reported in the Japanese media?
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2012

When China rules, Chinese will not set the rules

For a European these days, thinking about the future is disturbing. America is militarily overstretched, politically polarized and financially indebted. The European Union seems on the brink of collapse, and many non-Europeans view the old continent as a retired power that can still impress the world...
Japan Times
JAPAN / NUCLEAR AWAKENING
Jan 4, 2012

Mothers first to shed food-safety complacency

The disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and the threat of radioactive fallout changed the lives of many people, including Mizuho Nakayama and other mothers of young children whose primary goal suddenly became that of keeping their kids out of harm's way.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NUCLEAR AWAKENING
Jan 3, 2012

Fukushima meltdowns set nuclear energy debate on its ear

The Fukushima nuclear crisis changed the national debate over energy policy almost overnight.
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2012

58% of poll respondents oppose consumption tax hike

Fifty-eight percent of respondents in a nationwide survey in Japan are opposed to the government's policy of doubling the consumption tax rate in stages by the mid-2010s, according to The Tokyo Shimbun daily Sunday.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?