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Reader Mail
Nov 6, 2011

Original sin of Futenma

When U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta came to Japan recently, the first thing he did was to urge Tokyo to move ahead with the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from overcrowded Ginowan City to Henoko in the northern part of Okinawa Island, as had been expected.
Reader Mail
Nov 6, 2011

Deportee's death in detention

I was truly shocked after reading the Nov. 1 Community page article "Justice stalled in brutal (March 2010) death of deportee (Abubakar Awadu Suraj of Ghana)." Thank you for putting this story on The Japan Times Web site. Please keep us informed of the outcome of the court case and truth of what really...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 5, 2011

Micro-hydro power set to light up cherry tree

The city of Motosu in Gifu Prefecture is planning to light up its famous Usuzumi Zakura cherry tree, said to be more than 1,500 years old, during the "hanami" season using electricity from a small hydroelectric generator.
Reader Mail
Nov 3, 2011

Health warning over TPP

Regarding the Oct. 30 article, "Noda to declare Japan will join TPP at APEC," while the Japanese government is planning to join the talks for the TPP negotiations, an increasing number of medical professionals express concern about whether people would be affected by medical insurance liberalization,...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2011

Timing may be everything in TPP

As emerging Asian economies facilitate growth in the region and increasingly stand out as important players in global trade, the United States appears intent on getting its own share of the pie in the form of taking a leadership role in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade framework.
Reader Mail
Nov 3, 2011

Culture shift to make cycling safer

Regarding the Oct. 26 article "Reckless cyclists face crackdown," I don't see that stricter enforcement of existing bicycle safety laws, or levying fines, or even banning bicycles from sidewalks altogether necessarily effectively address the problem of accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 3, 2011

Must-see indie groups coming out of Aichi

Nagoya is the biggest city in Aichi Prefecture and has a population of well over 2 million, so there is no way an article like this can hope to capture the full depth of its musical talent. However, here are a few bands that are well worth checking out.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 1, 2011

Matchmakers in wings as singles rise

How can you meet the spouse of your dreams? To find that special someone to spend the rest of your life with, to have children and grow old together? Who can fit the bill?
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Nov 1, 2011

Ganbatte and gaman stifle debate, hinder recovery

Nuclear debate discouraged Re: "Japan needs less ganbatte, more genuine action" by Debito Arudou (Just Be Cause, Oct. 4):
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2011

Risks attached to station closure

In response to the Oct. 28 article "Keeping Futenma in Okinawa 'impossible,' governor warns," the controversy over the air station reminds me of the Vieques Naval Gunnery range and Roosevelt Roads Navy base in Puerto Rico.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2011

Choices in front of Asia

Regarding the article "Ill omens for Asian economies" (Oct. 24), equality in standards of living and opportunities for advancement are goals that should be common, but the GDP formula of indiscriminate growth must be consigned to history.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2011

Two wheels better for all

Perhaps your next article on cyclists could cover the economic value and eco-friendliness of riding.
Reader Mail
Oct 30, 2011

Kita's writings touched the heart

Following your Oct. 27 article, "Novelist, essayist Morio Kita dies at 84," my heartfelt condolences go to his family.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 28, 2011

'Fair Game'

The Japan release of "Fair Game" comes nearly 12 months after the U.S. opening and a week after the death of Libyan despot Muammar Gaddafi. For a story all about U.S. involvement in Iraq and that other infamous depot, Saddam Hussein, the timing could be right on the money. Still, a sense of discomfort...
Reader Mail
Oct 27, 2011

Detritus horribilis

In regard to the Oct. 22 article, "Briton aims to restore poets' peak to former glory", Stephen Gills, along with all the NGO volunteers, is to be commended for his efforts to clean-up Mount Ogura. The Kyoto-based environmentalist Okiharu Maeda deserves national recognition for his efforts as well. ...
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Oct 27, 2011

Artists who'll go bump in the night

If you catch sight of The Invisible Salaryman, or rather his bandages, dark glasses and business suit, as he loops Tokyo by rail on the Yamanote Line this coming Sunday, you may want to follow him to the "abandoned" hospital hosting the latest ArtGig Tokyo.
COMMENTARY
Oct 26, 2011

Echoes of Subcomandante Marcos' movement

I am sitting at a coffee place in San Cristobal de las Casas, a misty town in Chiapas, in southern Mexico. I am told that occasionally Subcomandante Marcos, the famed leader of indigenous people in the region, used to come here. I wonder if I will see him, although he has not made a public appearance...
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Oct 24, 2011

Ill omens for Asian economies

Even though Asia is still perceived to be the global economic growth center, there are signs of potential dangers of the regional economy heading toward a collapse because of a vicious circle of inflation and wage increases brought about by huge sums of speculative money being poured into Asian countries....
Reader Mail
Oct 23, 2011

Real radiation threat is to young

While Gerry Thomas admits that radiation can be very dangerous, the Oct. 9 article "Like Astro Boy, humans may be able to live with radiation" fails to elaborate on what these dangers might be in the context of the Fukushima accident.
Reader Mail
Oct 23, 2011

Public paying for Tepco's gamble

Tell me it isn't true! In the Oct. 20 article "Tepco ignored higher probability of tsunami," it was reported that a nuclear energy safety expert warned Tepco in 2006 that there was a 10 percent chance that its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant would be hit by a massively destructive tsunami sometime...
Reader Mail
Oct 23, 2011

Opportunity for Tohoku

I couldn't agree more with Roger Pulver's Oct. 16 article "Don't look back, Tohoku." I visited Miyagi Prefecture from Oct. 11-15 for the first time in nearly 20 years. I, too, was shocked by the extent of the impact of the tsunami. But I was equally impressed by the resilience and positive attitude of...
Reader Mail
Oct 23, 2011

What Chinese law can learn

Regarding the Oct. 20 article "Chinese law reform may be a double-edged sword," China should not include the Western convention of allowing lawyers to coach their clients to lie, in any list of reforms.
Reader Mail
Oct 23, 2011

Save now, pay later

In response to the Oct. 19 article "Our children's future no longer looks so bright," surely, the young people whom the burden should be placed on are those very people who become the elderly. At least, that's how I've been structuring my life for the last 30 years.
Japan Times
LIFE
Oct 23, 2011

One woman's Hyakumeizan

As I thumb through the tattered pages of my decade-old hiking guidebook, a sense of satisfaction coupled with disbelief takes over.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 21, 2011

Kabaya starts strong as B-Corsairs evolve

With four games in the books, the expansion Yokohama B-Corsairs now have several relevant things that can be discussed in team meetings. A few trends have started to emerge, too, including the solid play of guards Masayuki Kabaya and Kenji Yamada.
Reader Mail
Oct 20, 2011

Japan's genuine heroes

In answer to the Oct. 8 article by Thomas Dillon ("Where have all the heroes gone?"), there is no shortage of heroes in Japan. The actions and cooperation of those families and individuals in the region impacted by the tsunami, the families that took in family members who lost everything, the many volunteers....
Reader Mail
Oct 20, 2011

Recalling Sony's halcyon days

In regard to the Oct. 14th article "Sony recalls 1.6 million Bravia TVs worldwide," it seems a little ironic to me.
Reader Mail
Oct 20, 2011

Hope springs in time of change

If Robert J. Samuelson's prognosis in the Oct. 19 article "Our children's future no longer looks so bright" is correct, then there is probably no better time to feel better about the future than when things look so dim.
Reader Mail
Oct 20, 2011

Understanding Occupy Tokyo

It is hard to understand how in the Oct. 16 article "Hundreds turn out to Occupy Tokyo," a reporter could write: "In addition to decrying the widening wealth gap between the nation's haves and have-nots, demonstrators spoke out on a variety of unrelated topics ranging from nuclear power to the Trans-Pacific...
COMMENTARY
Oct 20, 2011

Chinese law reform may be a double-edged sword

Reform of the Chinese legal system is desperately needed but the draft of large-scale amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law shows that the current exercise in law reform is potentially a double-edged sword.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?