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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 15, 2011

The Bawdies get ready for their Beatles moment

Dropping their fifth full-length album, "Live the Life I Love," at the beginning of June made The Bawdies prime candidates for Japan's continually expanding summer festival circuit. The Tokyo four-piece have spent the last two months showcasing their infectious brand of throwback 1950s- and '60s-styled...
EDITORIALS
Sep 14, 2011

Denuclearize despite the gaffes

Trade and industry minister Yoshio Hachiro resigned from his post Sept. 9, only eight days after his Cabinet appointment, over remarks that offended people affected by the Fukushima nuclear accidents. Mr. Yukio Edano, chief Cabinet secretary under former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, was sworn in as Mr....
JAPAN
Sep 14, 2011

Noda to face grilling about appointments

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is expected to face conflict in the Diet session that kicked off Tuesday as opposition parties prepared to grill him over his Cabinet appointments, most notably about short-term trade minister Yoshio Hachiro, who stepped down after making jokes about the Fukushima nuclear...
EDITORIALS
Sep 14, 2011

Big picture on evidence tampering

Ms. Atsuko Muraki, a former health and welfare ministry official, was acquitted in September 2010 of a charge of forging an official document concerning postage discounts for an organization for the disabled. Mr. Tsunehiko Maeda, a prosecutor of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office's special...
JAPAN
Sep 13, 2011

Noda taps Edano for trade minister

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Monday appointed former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano to replace trade minister Yoshio Hachiro, who stepped down after only eight days in the post over his controversial remarks on the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 13, 2011

3/11: no excuse for skipping your re-entry visa

Shortly after the March 11 disasters, Hans left Japan without a re-entry permit. He came back on a tourist visa and is wondering if he can easily regain his previous visa status:
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Sep 13, 2011

Japan gets vital chance to rethink energy policy

Dear Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda,
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 13, 2011

Despite mounting debt, yen still a safe haven

The yen climbed to and has remained at a historic high since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster. On Aug. 19 it hit a postwar high of 75.95 to the dollar, an event that has led the government to intervene in the foreign exchange market twice.
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2011

Noda apologizes for minister's resignation over gaffes

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda apologized Sunday for his industry minister's resignation over remarks which offended people affected by the Fukushima nuclear crisis, and pledged to make efforts in regaining public trust in his government.
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2011

Japan may create nuclear safety training institute

Japan will consider setting up a nuclear safety training institute to improve the quality of human resources involved in nuclear safety, according to an updated government report on the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Reader Mail
Sep 11, 2011

Toxic legacy on fourth generation

Regarding Roger Pulvers' Sept. 4 Counterpoint article, "As 9/11 nears, morality dictates we recall victims of America, too": While all will sympathize with the 3,000 victims of the Twin Towers, the article is correct to point out the many deaths caused by the actions of the United States. Unfortunately...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Sep 11, 2011

An English school for orangutans

You may have seen the YouTube footage of an orangutan cooling her face with a wet towel. Filmed on a sweltering day in August at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo, the ape is seen dipping a towel in a pond, wringing it out, and patting it on her face.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 11, 2011

The annual Kerala festival in Tokyo

This is the traditional season for the Keralan festival called Onam, the one time a year when the mythical King Mahabali leaves the netherworld where he now rules and visits his people to help them celebrate the harvest and their traditions.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Sep 11, 2011

Insurance investigator crime drama; ping-pong prodigy; CM of the week: Yamasa

Insurance policies are classic plot devices in crime stories and at the center of the new seven-part drama series, "Last Money" (NHK-G, Tues., 10 p.m.). Hideaki Ito plays a corporate insurance investigator named Mukojima, whose job is to check life-insurance claims and ensure they're legitimate.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 11, 2011

High profile case highlights the delicate issue of foster care in Japan

On Aug. 20, police arrested voice actress Shizuka Suzuike at her home in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of causing injuries that led to the death of 3-year-old Miyuki Watanabe in August 2010. At the time of her death, Miyuki had been in Suzuike's foster care for almost a year. The suspect denies...
EDITORIALS
Sep 10, 2011

Switzerland wages war

In a move that jolted currency markets, the Swiss National Bank, the European nation's central bank, pledged this week to drive down the value of its currency, the Swiss franc. The move was prompted by the rising value of the franc against the euro, a trend that has pummeled Swiss exporters.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Sep 10, 2011

Makers of roof tiles ride postquake boom

Makers of Sanshu Kawara roof tiles in Aichi Prefecture have been boosting production since the March 11 disasters to meet huge demand spurred by the reconstruction drive.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Sep 10, 2011

Capello can't get his message across

It was the kind of incomprehensible, muddled display we have become used to when England plays.
BUSINESS
Sep 10, 2011

IPOs to boom on quake rebound

Initial public offerings in Japan will climb to the highest in three years as investors regain confidence sapped by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, according to Nomura Holdings Inc., the top-ranked arranger of Japanese stock sales.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Sep 9, 2011

Geary looking forward to coaching B-Corsairs

Reggie Geary brings a big smile, lots of energy, a well-rounded basketball background and a desire to build a winner as he steps into the spotlight as the first coach in Yokohama B-Corsairs history.

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?