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COMMENTARY / World
Sep 21, 2011

Game show challenge in India

India's government survived a challenge last month from an unexpected source, a frail 74-year-old former army driver with no formal political power base, who nevertheless brought the powerful politicians to their knees with his campaign against corruption.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 21, 2011

Raise cigarette tax to cover medical costs: health chief

Tobacco taxes should be raised until the average price for a pack of cigarettes is about ¥700, or 75 percent more than the present level, to cut medical costs, according to health minister Yoko Komiyama.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 20, 2011

You name it: Rights for more municipal sites go on sale

C.C. Lemon isn't just the name of a soft drink — it's also the name of a famous concert hall in Tokyo more popularly known as Shibuko — a mecca for aspiring rock stars throughout Japan.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Sep 20, 2011

Anzan kigan

Dear Alice,
Reader Mail
Sep 18, 2011

Muslim prayer for peace

Ten years since the war against terrorism was launched, the world is still suffering the regrettable loss of innocent lives in many countries. Many who supported the war in Iraq and Afghanistan later became disillusioned with the reasons for the war. Peace is still far away. It is unfortunate that the...
Reader Mail
Sep 18, 2011

More mellow pitch on wines

Regarding the Sept. 9 Weekend Scene article, "Going crazy for vintage wines": Amid the global economic problems for the average person and the sad effects of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents, I am sorry to see an article about very high-priced wines that are out of the reach of...
EDITORIALS
Sep 18, 2011

Slacker in public education funding

Japan's spending on education as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) is the lowest among 31 member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a comprehensive survey released in September by the OECD found.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Sep 18, 2011

Sakana-kun in Tohoku; Sanma x Okamura; CM of the week: Sukiya

Although he's now teaching and consulting for aquariums, the TV personality and fish expert Sakana-kun has not lost any of his bubbly, childlike demeanor. A marine otaku (obsessive) since he was a boy, Sakana-kun is basically self-taught, and much of his learning was acquired by talking with fishermen...
BASKETBALL
Sep 18, 2011

Big Bulls beaten in franchise's first game

The Iwate Big Bulls dropped their first-ever game on Saturday afternoon, falling 72-61 to the visiting Niigata Albirex BB as the bj-league teams began the preseason portion of their 2011-12 schedule.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Sep 18, 2011

Reflecting on icons of 'cute'

Although watching wildlife is not for everyone, countless hordes of visitors flock to zoos when tiger cubs or a Giant Panda baby first go on show, when penguins are on parade, or when young animals are present in the petting section. Why is that?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 18, 2011

Castles and Crafts on the Yomitan Peninsula

Most people come to the Yomitan Peninsula on Okinawa's main island for the sand and the scuba opportunities. I, however, am one of those island residents on whom paradise is wasted — I like neither a sweltering day at the beach nor an afternoon spent exploring the intimidating world beneath the waves....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / WEEK 3
Sep 18, 2011

Expat filmmaker knows what Japanese cult movie fans expect

French-Canadian Alex Paille came to Japan in 2006 to teach English, study martial arts and try his hand as a manga artist. His artistic drive took a new direction when one of his English students turned out to be internationally renowned filmmaker Sion Sono ("Cold Fish," "Love Exposure," "Suicide Club")....
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Sep 17, 2011

Fuel cell generator for homes takes off

Nagoya-based Toho Gas recently announced that it sold its 1,000th fuel cell unit since the household power generators hit the market in May 2009.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Sep 17, 2011

Villas-Boas proving wise beyond years

The oldest manager in the Premier League goes head-to-head with the youngest at Old Trafford Sunday when Manchester United plays Chelsea in a match that will do much to determine the early pecking order of what is building up to be a fascinating season.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 17, 2011

American out to save boat-building art

Douglas Brooks is a man on a mission. A boat builder and craftsman originally from Connecticut, Brooks is committed to helping keep afloat the dying craft of traditional boat building in Japan.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Sep 16, 2011

Fun is brewing in Yokohama

More than 9,000 people slurped and swilled at last year's 200-beer extravaganza in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, but this time there's added incentive to sip up. The Japan Craft Beer Association invites you to raise a glass toward those in their industry suffering in the aftermath of the Great East...
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2011

Noda accepts blame for Hachiro

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Thursday acknowledged his responsibility for appointing Yoshio Hachiro, who stepped down within days of becoming trade minister to atone for a verbal gaffe, and vowed to strive to regain public trust.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 16, 2011

The gun proves mightier than the pen

I have one name for you: Nicholas Sparks. Depending on who you are and whether you have immediate access to a restroom, you may, like my brother, wish to throw up immediately. Nicholas Sparks ... Some names can kill.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 16, 2011

Expect tons of surprises at Tokyo Game Show

For gamers, this weekend will feel like Christmas. Tokyo Game Show (TGS), Japan's biggest gaming event, began Thursday at Chiba's Makuhari Messe convention center and will continue through Sept. 18 (on Saturday and Sunday it will be open to the public). More than 140 exhibitors are on hand, off-site...
Reader Mail
Sep 15, 2011

No other city can beat Tokyo

Regarding Satoshi Sato's Sept. 11 letter, "Tokyo doesn't get a enough respect": As an Englishman who has visited both Tokyo and Osaka, it is my honest opinion that not only is Tokyo Japan's No. 1 city; it is also the world's No. 1 city.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Sep 15, 2011

Building future cities from grains of sand

As the last of the debris is cleared from the Great East Japan Earthquake and plans are drawn up to reconstruct the devastated towns and communities, architects and planners are pondering not just to how replace what was lost, but how to improve upon it. With fortuitous timing, Tokyo this September is...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 15, 2011

Will the real Dick Cheney please stand up?

He's been called Darth Vader, feared or derided as a trigger-happy, torture-loving puppet master who called the shots over the eight years of the George W. Bush presidency. And now, with the publication of his memoir, "In My Time," Dick Cheney has once again grabbed the media spotlight. But what about...
BUSINESS
Sep 15, 2011

Toyota says its parts woes are 'behind us'

Toyota Motor Corp. resumed full production at all North American plants this week and said it will expand U.S. output of small engines as Japan's largest automaker works to boost sales slowed by a March earthquake.

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?