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LIFE / Language
Aug 25, 2010

'Ii' is a perfectly good way to say, 'No, thank you'

When I was in elementary school, a certain comma was the bane of my existence. No, not the serial comma. I learned (and later unlearned) that one relatively easily. It wasn't the comma before "too," either. Nor was it the one between multiple adjectives modifying a single noun. No, it was the comma in...
COMMENTARY
Aug 24, 2010

Save overseas assistance

LONDON — The British government, faced with the need to make drastic cuts in government expenditure, has nevertheless decided to ring-fence the overseas aid budget and has pledged to continue to work toward the U.N. target of providing aid equivalent to 0.7 percent of GDP.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Aug 23, 2010

LDP riding out momentum with unhappy campers

The mood within the No. 1 opposition Liberal Democratic Party is far from jovial even though the July 11 Upper House election saw it regain some of the ground it lost to the Democratic Party of Japan in last year's general election.
BUSINESS / JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES
Aug 23, 2010

'Bottle Imp' poses warning for currency and bond markets

Watching the dollar's recent plight in the foreign-exchange markets, I am reminded of a fascinating story I came across some years ago in an anthology of supernatural tales called "The Bottle Imp." It has its origins in German folklore and goes something like this:
CULTURE / Books
Aug 22, 2010

Indonesia intrigue, Tokyo high-tech high jinx

While such enduring bad guys as Nazis, KGB agents, Cosa Nostra gangsters, sinister Asiatics and the occasional vampire still receive top billing in U.S. popular fiction and cinema, the events of 9/11 have not surprisingly inspired a stream of works featuring villains of Middle Eastern and/or jihadist...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 22, 2010

Sarufutsu: As far north as you can go in Japan

If you're trying to get to Sarufutsu in a hurry, the best way is to fly into Wakkanai, a blustery little fishing town on the extreme northern tip of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, then rent a car or take the bus east. From Tokyo the whole trip takes just over three hours.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Aug 22, 2010

'Family History' of Kimimaro Ayanokoji; profile of the Glover House; CM of the week: Gin no Sara

Bewigged comedian Kimimaro Ayanokoji made it the hard way; not on TV or even in theaters, but at sightseeing destinations where he would board tour buses and pass out cassettes of his act to middle-aged women, who tended to be the target of his humor. They loved it, and word-of-mouth eventually made...
EDITORIALS
Aug 20, 2010

Dealing with disaster

Every day another deluge. Pakistan is battling what the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs calls "the worst monsoon-related floods in living memory." Rains have triggered landslides in China that have claimed more than 1,000 lives. In Russia, rain would be welcome: Wild fires have...
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2010

Rwanda envoy pledges to work on improved business relations

Rwandan Ambassador Antoine Munyakazi-Juru, who took his post last October, says his main mission is improving business relations between his country and Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Aug 20, 2010

Detoxify amid views of Tokyo Bay

The Conrad Tokyo hotel has a new accommodation plan. Conrad Fasting — Reset Yourself, created under the direction of skin care professionals, that comes with a program to cleanse the body with a special diet.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Aug 20, 2010

Films about Sen no Rikyu and wagashi could be your cup of tea

There's nothing sweeter than being introduced to a foreign culture than through tea and confectionary.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Aug 20, 2010

Drinking a brew or two for a charitable cause

As if the heat wasn't enough. Now there's another reason to chug down a beer on the beach this summer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 20, 2010

Rising Sun Rock from the fans' point of view

Hiromi and Naoto, from Saitama, Friday afternoon: Who did you come to see?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 20, 2010

Japan's first film nude still radiant decades after getting skirty

Arranging an interview with Michiko Maeda took nearly a month — she has long been media-shy — but when she finally agreed to meet film writer Yoshiaki Suzuki and me at a Tokyo beer hall, she epitomized kimonoed grace and charm, while saying this would be her final interview.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 20, 2010

Going back to school for alternative art

A first-time visitor to 3331 Arts Chiyoda might be equally intrigued and confused. To the left of the entrance, there's a wide open space with only tables and chairs; in the center, a small booth with shelves stuffed with toys; to the right, a stylish cafe; and, around the corner, huge photos of expressionless...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 20, 2010

August Beer Club: Beers that taste great in August

In this punishing heat, a lot of people complain they have lost all appetite for food. We say: Change your definition of the word "food." At this time of year, we gain a significant proportion of our nourishment from that most essential of food groups: beer.

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?