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COMMENTARY / World
May 24, 2012

Beijing's North Korea policy only emboldens Pyongyang

Discussions in Beijing about North Korea are always frustrating. It's not so much due to the sharp divergence in U.S. and Chinese thinking about how to deal with Pyongyang; the two sides differ on many issues. No, the real problem, from our perspective, is the illogic of the Chinese position. Indeed,...
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
May 22, 2012

Newton, Golden Kings know what it takes to excel

Seven seasons are in the record books now, and the only numbers that truly resonate are championships.
JAPAN
May 22, 2012

Spooked lemurs avoid the ground after celestial event

Possibly influenced by the annular eclipse Monday morning, 23 ring-tailed lemurs at the Japan Monkey Center in Inuyama stayed in palm trees and on poles instead of coming down to eat as usual around 7 a.m., said Akira Kato, general manager of the zoo in Aichi Prefecture.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 22, 2012

Canteens put employees' health on the menu

Until just a few years ago, shashoku — short for shain shokudō (company canteens) — were sources of convenience food, where meals was gulped down, not chewed and savored, and where the offerings were cheap but bland.
BUSINESS
May 22, 2012

All seems in limbo until Greek polls

The butterfly effect triggered by Greek voters left its mark on Japan's economy last week as stocks took their sharpest drop of the year and the yen soared against the dollar amid deepening concern over the eurozone's debt crisis.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / MIXED MATCHES
May 22, 2012

'Cutest' girl counsels 'distinguished' Ohioan to aisle

Nicholas Canalos, 31, from Ohio, and Akiko, 29, who hails from Saitama Prefecture, both studied and aspired at university to become English teachers — in their respective home countries.
COMMENTARY
May 21, 2012

Bipartisanship alive and well for the 'entitled'

Bipartisanship, the supposed scarcity of which so distresses the high-minded, actually is disastrously prevalent in the United States.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 21, 2012

Save face when taking the expressway

Foreigners in Japan often encounter conversations in which Japanese terms or concepts are expressed in English in ways that, while not necessarily idiomatic, still get the meaning across effectively. One such example would be the Japanese expression 強い (tsuyoi, strong), which in addition to physical...
EDITORIALS
May 21, 2012

True prosecution reform

In the trial of former Democratic Party of Japan chief Ichiro Ozawa, charged with conspiracy to falsify political fund reports, the Tokyo District Court said his testimony could not be trusted because it contained changes in time and other irregularities. (He was acquitted but faces an appellate trial.)...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 20, 2012

Time-travelling reporters; celebrity genes; CM of the week: Schick

As if there wasn't enough news to cover now, NHK has started sending reporters back in time on the variety show "Time Scoop Hunter" (NHK-G, Tues., 10:55 p.m.). Journalists use "warp technology" to travel to different eras to collect information about how people really lived in the past.
Reader Mail
May 20, 2012

Stupidity of planners and builders

I was distressed, but not shocked, to read in the May 14 Jiji article "Extra work jacking up disaster housing costs" that homes for tsunami victims were not being built with the cold in mind.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
May 20, 2012

The wonder of feathers

A soft flake of seeming sky falls, wafts and floats earthward catching the light. Lightly, and soft as gossamer, it lands to add a splash of color to the greenery of spring. It may be no more than a tiny feather that's fallen from a passing bird, but it carries with it a message of mystery and miracle...
CULTURE / Books
May 20, 2012

A tour de Japan

Japan on Foot, by Mary King.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 19, 2012

Hot springs puffer fish enjoy taste of success

Innovative attempts to raise tiger fugu in water originating from hot springs have been a great success in Nagano Prefecture.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 18, 2012

Japan Post would prefer to let sleeping dogs, and accounts, lie

With a trillion yen sitting dormant, government is eyeing so-called sleeping savings accounts and banks are getting nervous.
JAPAN / 40 YEARS AFTER REVERSION
May 18, 2012

Jurisdiction over remote Senkakus comes with hot-button dangers

Fourth in a series In January, Hitoshi Nakama, a member of the municipal assembly of Ishigaki, Okinawa, and three others landed on Uotsuri Island, one of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
COMMENTARY / World
May 18, 2012

Enabling Asia's women to fulfill their potential

Everyone's eyes are on Asia's rise. China, once dismissed as poor and backward, is now the world's second-largest economy. India, with its huge population, scientific prowess and entrepreneurial vitality, is another powerful engine of Asian growth.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 18, 2012

Dancer to honor late artist who balked at death

Shusaku Arakawa (1936-2010) was an enigmatic man. The late Japan-born, New York-based artist and his partner, Madeline Gins, once jointly declared they had decided "not to die," and even added that it was "immoral" for people to have to die. Based on their philosophy, the two created a series of houses...
BASKETBALL
May 18, 2012

Ryukyu star Newton set for seventh straight Final Four

This is arguably the most remarkable statistic in the bj-league's seven-year history: Center Jeff Newton's teams have advanced to the Final Four every season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
May 18, 2012

Hyatt Regency Kyoto cooking classes

The Hyatt Regency Kyoto is again offering its popular small-group cooking classes this year, through Nov. 21.
JAPAN / BULLETIN BOARD
May 18, 2012

Fulbright orientation sessions for students heading to U.S.

Fulbright Japan will host two sessions in Tokyo in June for people who will enter undergraduate or graduate programs at U.S. universities this fall.

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?