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COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Mar 21, 2014

Cracks in the ruling coalition

The exercise of Japan's right to collective self-defense has become Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's political creed, but ruling coalition partner New Komeito wants Abe to slow his approach, and others close to Abe have grown apprehensive about the rise of anti-American conservatism within Abe's Liberal Democratic Party. The ruling coalition is showing cracks.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 20, 2014

'Lone Survivor'

The French have Camerone, the British Isandlwana, the Greeks Thermopylae, but Americans seem particularly enamored of heroic last stands, from the Alamo and Custer's Last Stand through the "Black Hawk Down" debacle in Somalia. Add a new name to that list: Operation Red Wings, where four Navy SEALs operating...
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 19, 2014

War crimes evidence in Syria solid enough for indictment: U.N.

U.N. investigators said Tuesday they had expanded their list of suspected war criminals from both sides in Syria's civil war and the evidence was solid enough to prepare any indictment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 18, 2014

Feed their tummies and minds with a back-to-school bentō

April marks the start of the school year in Japan. If you're a parent, this may mean that you're faced with the task of making bentō (boxed lunches) for the first time. While bentō are virtually a national institution that come in many formats and are enjoyed by almost everyone, making them for small...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 18, 2014

Saru: Fresh ingredients take center stage at bistro

The little enclave underneath the expressway flyover at the intersection of Shirokane and Ebisu has always attracted an interesting and idiosyncratic selection of restaurants. Saru fits in there perfectly.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 16, 2014

U.S. senator's criticism of bitcoin is misguided for playing down investors' love of the game

It isn't clear why bitcoin deflation matters to the U.S. economy. Goods and services aren't priced in bitcoins. The buyer who 'spends' bitcoins at a restaurant or store is just exchanging them for dollars, which do the buying.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 15, 2014

JR Nagoya Station: Almost a town within a city

Of the 193,000 people who pass daily through the main station of Japan's third city, Nagoya, most are probably unaware they are in a building with no rival in the entire world. The station complex, known as the Twin Towers, is a Guinness World Records holder complete with a plaque proclaiming, "The JR...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 15, 2014

Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii

The international success of Japanese animation films at the box office over the past two decades can largely be put down to the work of two men: Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki and the self-proclaimed "stray dog of anime," Mamoru Oshii.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 13, 2014

Surviving the latest trend in American cinema

Who is this man? The protagonist in "All is Lost" is also its sole character — an older (but astoundingly fit) stranded sailor portrayed by 77-year-old Robert Redford. He's unnamed, and does not speak except for right at the beginning of the film when he's reciting a letter to persons unknown. The...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 13, 2014

'Idai Naru, Shurara-bon (The Great Shurara-bon)'

Superheroes by definition have super powers. In Japan, instead of leaping tall buildings with a single bound, these heroes often shoot energy projectiles from their hands — easy and effective, save when your opponent has more wattage. This may seem childish, but it can be fun, as shown by all those...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 12, 2014

From loyal aides and 'inner voice,' Putin hears no dissent on Crimea

Surrounded by faithful aides, President Vladimir Putin hears no opposition to his plans in Crimea, allowing him to drive Russia's bid to reclaim Ukraine's southern region guided by little more than his "inner voice."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KYOTO RESTAURANTS
Mar 11, 2014

Ristorante t.v.b: Italian fare worthy of affection

Lunch at Ristorante t.v.b is a measured and timely affair. While it wasn't as long as an opera, it was lengthy, stretching to nearly two hours. This is slow food; I mean that in the flattering and not the pejorative sense. Good food takes time.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 9, 2014

Crimea crisis leaves Ukraine troops in limbo

The two Ural trucks, full of troops, arrived under cover of darkness and a thick blanket of fog at the Ukrainian missile defense base outside Sevastopol late Friday night, and rammed their way through the gates. Once inside, the Russian troops fanned out and screamed that they would shoot to kill if...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2014

Aum victim Kariya's son not seeking vengeance for death

He says he isn't seeking vengeance on those who tortured and killed his father. Nor does he intend to hate them forever. The only thing Minoru Kariya wants is the simple truth about how exactly his father, Kiyoshi, died nearly 20 years ago.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health / FOCUS
Mar 7, 2014

Era of personal genomic medicine dawns at last

When President Bill Clinton announced in 2000 that Craig Venter and Dr. Francis Collins of the National Human Genome Research Institute had succeeded in mapping the human genome, he solemnly declared that the discovery would "revolutionize" the treatment of virtually all human diseases.
EDITORIALS
Mar 6, 2014

Trimming U.S. military spending

The headline-grabbing cuts in America's 2015 fiscal budget, unveiled by President Barack Obama this week, involve the downsizing of the U.S. military. The plans are controversial in light of recent events on the Crimean Peninsula and the so-called rebalance of U.S. forces to the Asia-Pacific region.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 6, 2014

All-genre focus is the key to Art Fair Tokyo's success

It is difficult to criticize Art Fair Tokyo, the commercial art fair that celebrates its ninth edition at Tokyo International Forum in Yurakucho this weekend. Truth be told, it's a wonder that the event has reached nine editions at all, what with the inherent fickleness of the art market and Japan's...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 6, 2014

'Ieji (Homeland)'

Many documentaries have been made about the nuclear-plant disaster in Fukushima and its aftermath, but relatively few feature films. One reason could be seen in the rough handling local critics gave "Kibo no Kuni (The Land of Hope)," Sion Sono's 2012 film set in a near-future Japan that has again experienced...

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