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CULTURE / Music
Jan 13, 2006

The Strokes "First Impressions of Earth"

When The Strokes first emerged from the N.Y. underground scene in 2001 they were hailed as the saviors of rock 'n' roll. It's no surprise that they were unable to live up to such expectations. Who could? Their second release, "Room on Fire" (2002), was an album arrested in development, with the same...
CULTURE / Music
Jan 13, 2006

Ai Otsuka "Love Cook"

Good bubblegum pop is a bridge between childhood and teenagerdom. Based in a synthetic, brightly colored pre-teen world of nursery rhymes and cotton candy, it's also a metaphor for its audience's growing sexual maturity. When Ohio Express sang, "Yummy yummy yummy, I've got love in my tummy" we all knew...
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2006

Mabuchi slaying duo face new charge

Tokyo police said Thursday they plan to serve fresh arrest warrants Friday on two men already accused of killing three people, on suspicion of murdering a dentist in Tokyo in 2002.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 13, 2006

Director reworks Russian epic with gender twist

Ten years ago, then aged 40, contemporary theater actor/director Hideki Noda was, even by his own standards, bold to write a play based on "Crime and Punishment," the lengthy 19th-century masterpiece by the Russian writer Feodor Dostoevski. His "Gansaku Tsumi to Batsu (Fake Crime and Punishment)" runs...
EDITORIALS
Jan 12, 2006

Turbulent times for Mr. Bush

For U.S. President George W. Bush, 2005 turned out to be an unusually tough year. Having won re-election -- something his father had failed to achieve, Mr. Bush had started out on his second term as a historic second-generation president of the United States. But the initial euphoria proved short-lived....
BUSINESS
Jan 12, 2006

Sharp to invest 275 billion yen

Sharp plans to invest 275 billion yen next fiscal year to maintain its top spot in the liquid crystal display TV market, President Katsuhiko Machida said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Jan 12, 2006

WONDER SITE: Strong words in Shibuya fail to bring a crowd

In 2001, a peculiar contemporary-art space called Tokyo Wonder Site opened in a disused building in Bunkyo Ward in Northeast Tokyo. Supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the project attracted a measure of initial interest, but never developed into anything like a hot spot for art. This is probably...
MORE SPORTS
Jan 11, 2006

Okazaki to captain Japan party

The Japanese Olympic Committee on Tuesday named veteran speed skater Tomomi Okazaki as captain of the country's delegation for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Turin.
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2006

Copyright labyrinth snags iPod TV hopes

Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod digital music and video players have been an explosive hit in the United States and Japan, but sales of the product may be eventually hampered by the complicated copyright system here.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 11, 2006

Suzuki gets offer from Red Star

J. League first-division club Kashima Antlers have received an offer for Japan striker Takayuki Suzuki from former European champion Red Star Belgrade, Kashima officials said Tuesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jan 11, 2006

I.D. 'revolution' gets its comeuppance

The year 2005 was when, shockingly, "intelligent design" almost got on the syllabuses of American science classes. But then 11 rational parents in Pennsylvania took their school board to court, and, just before Christmas, the presiding judge delivered a crushing verdict.
EDITORIALS
Jan 10, 2006

A vacuum in Israel

A massive stroke has felled Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Recovery is uncertain, and most observers believe his political career is over regardless. The loss will be felt not only by Israel but also by Palestinians and the world. For all his shortcomings, Mr. Sharon has been a leader with a vision,...
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2006

Prince raps panel over female monarchs

Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, a cousin of Emperor Akihito, has criticized a government panel on Imperial succession for rushing to propose that females be allowed to ascend the throne, according to a magazine that goes on sale Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2006

Moot 'right' raises risk of dying at home

NEW YORK -- Under the slogan "If you have a weapon you have a problem," the Ministry of Justice in Argentina has initiated a campaign against gun ownership in the country. It began as a response to a request from several nongovernmental organizations concerned about the high levels of violent deaths...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2006

Keys to greater prosperity

WASHINGTON -- As we begin a new year, we look for guideposts to help governments and business improve economic performance. In a world of global competition, the platform provided to firms and individuals is crucial to growth and prosperity. From observations comparing countries that do well with those...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 8, 2006

The ups and downs and ins and outs of Japan's media in 2005

* Media persons of the year: Takafumi Horie and Taizo Sugimura.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 8, 2006

Unsparing view of Indonesia past

IN THE TIME OF MADNESS by Richard Lloyd Parry. London: Jonathan Cape, 2005, 315 pp., £12.99 (paper). This firsthand account of fin de siecle Indonesia, an era of widespread chaos and violence, takes us into the heart of darkness, searing our consciousness with images of deprivation, fear and mayhem...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 7, 2006

Portsmouth set to get influx of cash from Russian investor

LONDON -- Imagine you won the lottery and suddenly had wealth beyond your wildest dreams.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 7, 2006

Fukudome joins Japan WBC squad

The Japanese baseball commissioner's office said Friday it has approved Chunichi Dragons outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to join the nation's squad for the World Baseball Classic.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 7, 2006

Japan to meet Saudi Arabia

Japan Football Association technical director Kozo Tashima confirmed Friday that Japan will face Saudi Arabia in an away match on March 1 in the preliminary round of the 2007 Asian Cup tournament.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2006

Condo scandal shakes engineering industry

As people begin to feel that they can no longer trust their streets to be safe, they have discovered that even the roofs over their heads may also not be secure.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 7, 2006

Kagura theater: talking with gods

Every four years on our island, we have a New Year's kagura performance. You don't just sit back and watch kagura; you become a part of it whether you intend to or not. All the other events on the island over the past four years seemed like mere practice sessions compared to kagura.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2006

Tokyo talent sings about kids rights in U.S. debut

Agnes Chan wears many hats -- singer, actress, child-rights activist, academic, and mother of three.
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2006

Government eyes 30% cut in energy use by 2030

The government will try to cut the ratio of energy consumption to gross domestic product by 30 percent by 2030 to ensure the nation will have a stable supply of energy amid intensifying competition for resources, sources said Thursday.
CULTURE / Music
Jan 6, 2006

Mono/World's End Girlfriend: "Palmless Prayer/ Mass Murder Refrain"

Since their inceptions, Japan's Mono and World's End Girlfriend have created moving, cinematic songs. Although their approaches differ -- Mono tends to fall into the realms of crashing post-rock while WED's music has a slightly more electronic and symphonic feel -- both craft mesmerizing, epic soundscapes...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / WALKING THE WARDS
Jan 6, 2006

Tokyo's 'Toontown' is game for a laugh

Outsiders often associate Adachi, Tokyo's northernmost ward, with the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult (still in residence), the recent Tobu Railway Co.'s Takenotsuka crossing accident that cost two women their lives, or the fact that the ward's alluvial ground makes it especially vulnerable if an earthquake...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 6, 2006

Kanda Matsuya: pick your century of soba

New Year in Japan brings with it all manner of ritual and circumstance. Observing the first sunrise. The all-important hatsumode shrine visit. Receiving (and assessing) nenga greetings. Perhaps even the sipping of otoso, the medicinal-tasting sake that guarantees health throughout the next 12 months....

Longform

Wealthier women in the prewar era had been the targets of various media-related health campaigns that mistakenly encouraged them to avoid everything from riding bicycles to reading novels when their monthly cycles came around.
Menstruation in Japan: Breaking the silence, slowly