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BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2009

Minor GDP upgrade fails to lift gloom

The economy shrank a bit less than first estimated in the fourth quarter, but the revised data released by the government Thursday offer little good news and only underscore an increasingly grim picture.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2009

Tourists snap up goods in Seoul as yen rally lingers

Yukiko Saito spent three days in Seoul loading up on cosmetics last month because she has little confidence the yen's rally to a record against the South Korean won will continue.
COMMENTARY
Mar 10, 2009

Warming up for the bottom line on climate

SINGAPORE — Researchers from around the world meet in Denmark this week to discuss the latest scientific findings on climate change, following recent warnings that the severity of global warming this century will be much worse than previously expected and that changes to the climate will be difficult...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 4, 2009

Is Mexico disintegrating?

MEXICO CITY — Shortly before America's elections last November, then Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden was widely criticized for predicting that an Obama administration would almost certainly be tested by what he called a "generated" international crisis, in much the way that the...
COMMENTARY
Feb 17, 2009

Former saviors racking up losses

SINGAPORE — A year ago, before the financial crisis started to bite hard, the United States and Europe were worried that Asian and Middle East nations, armed with a mighty war chest of surplus foreign exchange reserves from their exports of manufactured goods and oil, would gobble up so-called strategic...
COMMENTARY
Feb 17, 2009

Rumsfeld prosecution could set precedent

NEW YORK — There is now enough evidence to try former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for war crimes, Manfred Nowak, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture, recently told "Frontal 21," a German television program.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2009

U.N. official urges steady presence in East Timor

The United Nations should extend its peacekeeping operations in East Timor for at least another year to establish long-term security in the fledgling nation, a high-ranking U.N. official said in a recent interview in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Feb 10, 2009

A young life in legal limbo

For years, Arlan and Sarah Calderon fretted over when to tell their daughter, Noriko, that she was different.
BUSINESS
Feb 10, 2009

Machinery orders off a third month

Orders for machinery fell for a third month in December as businesses scrapped investment plans amid a collapse in exports and deteriorating earnings.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 28, 2009

China's clout grows as U.S. economy weakens

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After 9/11 when China sided with the United States in the war on terrorism, Chinese leaders expected a quid pro quo: Perhaps Washington might make some concessions on the "Taiwan issue." But then U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell emphatically dismissed this idea.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Jan 28, 2009

Can Japan afford the DPJ?

With the Aso administration's approval rating continuing to plunge, there appears to be a growing likelihood that the No. 1 opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, will defeat the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the next general election and take the reins of government under the leadership...
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
Jan 10, 2009

Irishman lets chips fall, finds love

Neither Frankie Lafferty nor Saika Kojima ever thought they would wed a foreigner. But nine months after their first encounter in 2004, the two registered for marriage in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture.
EDITORIALS
Jan 8, 2009

Escalation of conflict

Following a massive air assault against Hamas in Gaza that began Dec. 27, Israel on Jan. 3 launched a ground invasion of the small strip of land inhabited by 1.5 million Palestinians. Casualties are sure to rise as the fighting moves into densely populated areas. Gaza medics have reported that some 660...
Japan Times
JAPAN / THE MANY FACES OF CITIZENSHIP
Jan 5, 2009

A convenience in peace becomes matter of conflict in war

Last in a series
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 1, 2009

Growing challenges to Asian stability

NEW DELHI — U.S. President-elect Barack Obama takes office at a time when a fundamental and qualitative reordering of power is under way in the Asia-Pacific, with tectonic shifts challenging strategic stability. The impact of such shifts on U.S. foreign policy is bound to be accentuated by America's...
COMMENTARY
Dec 27, 2008

Is the end of oil in sight?

Worried about "peak oil?" The International Energy Agency's annual report, "The World Energy Outlook 2008," admits for the first time that "although global oil production in total is not expected to peak before 2030, production of conventional oil . . . is projected to level off toward the end of the...
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 26, 2008

Tokyo's Aquavit mixes it up, in both superb drinks and food

Chef Marcus Samuelsson is known in New York City for his highly acclaimed Aquavit restaurant, which has been serving top-level contemporary Swedish cuisine for more than 20 years. We are happy to report that his first venture in Japan, which opened in Tokyo's Gaienmae neighborhood in early October, measures...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Dec 22, 2008

WBC organizers happy with event's progress

There's talk of revenge ahead of the 2009 World Baseball Classic and it's music to the organizers' ears.
Japan Times
JAPAN / READERS' FUND
Dec 13, 2008

NGO helps improve Afghan females' lives

Second in a series
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2008

Armitage calls for active role

U.S.-Japan relations will remain the pillar of president-elect Barack Obama's foreign policy in Asia, but Tokyo must play its part if it hopes to remain in the "driver's seat," former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Friday in Tokyo.
EDITORIALS
Dec 4, 2008

Stellar U.S. security team

Whatever doubts may have existed about U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's foreign policy should be put to rest since he announced his national security team. The group is notable for its experience and levelheadedness. Perhaps most significant is the self-confidence the selections reveal: Mr. Obama...
BUSINESS
Nov 26, 2008

Nissan to skip Detroit, Chicago auto shows

Nissan Motor Co. said it is pulling out of the Detroit and Chicago auto shows, citing the tough economy and the lack of new vehicles to unveil.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji