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Reader Mail
Nov 23, 2008

Tough work finding a guarantor

Regarding the Nov. 18 Zeit Gist article "Prejudice among obstacles facing non-Japanese tenants": I have heard of many foreigners who have complained of this situation. But then again, I have known non-Japanese who would rack up thousands of dollars in unpaid bills and just leave the country.
Reader Mail
Nov 23, 2008

Longest waiting heir to the throne

Regarding the Nov. 15 Associated Press article "Charles at 60: the would-be king": There was one small error of detail in the report. True, Prince Charles is the oldest heir to the throne, as Queen Victoria's son "Bertie" was only just over 59 when he succeeded his mother in 1901 as Edward VII. But...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2008

Salaryman-turned-activist keeps island nation Tuvalu in the picture

Tanned and relaxed, 42-year-old Shuichi Endo has set himself a monumental task: Photograph 10,000 residents of the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu, nearly the entire population.
Reader Mail
Nov 20, 2008

Obama's North Korea policy

Ralph Cossa's Nov. 13 article, "Advice on Asia for Obama," should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt. Cossa fails to distinguish between the arrogant, humiliating, U.S.-backed verification proposal (for the denuclearization of North Korea), which could only be accepted by a nation defeated in war,...
Reader Mail
Nov 20, 2008

Admit to war deeds and move on

Regarding the Nov. 14 article "Aso: What POW servitude?": It's a bit presumptuous of Prime Minister Taro Aso to say repeatedly that no factual details confirm allegations that Aso Mining Co. used prisoners of war as slave labor when U.S. archive authorities had all military and civilian documentation...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 18, 2008

Dancing babies get mom out of the house

In the last year, my son and I have seen concerts by Bob Dylan, Spoon, Alice Cooper, The Raconteurs, The Roots (twice) and Cheap Trick. He worships Ray Charles but is anxiously waiting for The Zutons and AC/DC to tour. His iPod spins a similarly eclectic mix. His younger sister is already showing a marked...
Reader Mail
Nov 16, 2008

Right to bear arms still relevant

Regarding Roger Pulvers' Nov. 9 article, "What a world of difference that one momentous day could make": Pulvers refers to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing the people the right to keep and bear arms, as "outdated and pernicious." Fortunately, most Americans do not share his...
Reader Mail
Nov 16, 2008

Fake gesture to help economy

Regarding the Nov. 13 front-page article "Ruling bloc OKs ¥2 trillion boost": Although the ruling bloc has apparently approved giving every Japanese citizen a token handout to stimulate the economy, major figures within the Liberal Democratic Party vehemently oppose it, viewing it only as an attempt...
Reader Mail
Nov 16, 2008

ASDF chief's views not unusual

In the Nov. 12 Kyodo article "Taipei demands redress, apology for sex slaves," we read that "In a rare show of unity, the island's ruling and opposition parties passed by a unanimous vote the Taiwan Comfort Women Resolution, calling on Tokyo to 'accept historical responsibility for its World War II sex...
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2008

Takenaka urges corporate reforms

Global leaders looking to revive economic growth should complement monetary and fiscal steps with corporate and market reforms, former economy minister Heizo Takenaka said in the Financial Times.
EDITORIALS
Nov 13, 2008

Mr. Tamogami toes his line

Mr. Toshio Tamogami, who was sacked as Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff over a controversial essay, testified Tuesday before an Upper House committee. His statements show that he does not understand what civilian control of the Self-Defense Forces means and how his essay could damage the reputation...
COMMENTARY
Nov 13, 2008

Advice on Asia for Obama

Foreign policy bloggers and pundits are already gushing forth with advice for President-elect Barack Obama. Allow me to add some of my own, at least as far as Asia policy is concerned.
Reader Mail
Nov 13, 2008

Let's pay to maintain Mount Fuji

Regarding the Nov. 8 article "Towns float Mount Fuji 'entry fee' ": Having climbed Mount Fuji from both the Yamanashi and Shizuoka (Prefecture) sides a total of four times, I can guarantee that most visitors would prefer to pay a modest fee -- say, ¥1,000 -- in return for adequate restrooms and officials...
Reader Mail
Nov 13, 2008

Removal of general justified

Andreas Kolb claims in his Nov. 9 letter, "Clear-cut violation of rights," that even if Gen. Tamogami opinion's is stupid and violates the simplest historical facts, he still has a right to it. Government officials -- as opposed to private citizens or elected representatives -- occupy their posts on...
Reader Mail
Nov 9, 2008

Friendlier sports may kill sumo

Regarding the Nov. 2 article "God forbid if sumo goes the way of pro wrestling": I doubt that sumo will ever be legally listed as an entertainment, because I think it's on the up and up most of the time. As for yaocho (match-fixing) and dekiyama (predetermined...
Reader Mail
Nov 9, 2008

More of the same talking points

Regarding the Nov. 4 article "Axed ASDF chief hawk till the end; no apology": For those who have yet to read the entire essay written by former Air Self-Defense Force chief Gen. Toshio Tamogami, I wouldn't bother. With one exception, there are no new revelations. It seems Tamogami merely took the overused...
Reader Mail
Nov 2, 2008

Nuclear warning to all nations

The views expressed by Brad Glosserman and Bates Gill in their Oct. 29 article, "Bush's nuclear deal with India: bigger consequences to consider," are well articulated, albeit with a few gaps. India is not just a rising economic power; it is seen as a major threat by economies that have failed for various...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 2, 2008

Looking back at previous Giants-Lions battles in the Japan Series

The current Japan Series matchup pitting the Yomiuri Giants against the Saitama Seibu Lions is installment No. 6 since the Seibu Railways bought the Pacific League team and moved it to the Tokyo area almost 30 years ago.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2008

U.S. candidates vow to 're-engage' Japan

OSAKA — Eight years ago, on the eve of the 2000 U.S. presidential election, a bipartisan group of Washington experts released the Armitage Report, named after Richard Armitage, one of the main authors and an eventual deputy secretary of state under President George W. Bush.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2008

Japan extends claim to undersea territory

Japan will file a request with a U.N. commission to claim rights to continental shelves in the Pacific Ocean beyond its Exclusive Economic Zone in hopes of tapping into greater undersea natural resources, a government panel on ocean policies said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Oct 31, 2008

A warning to Syria and Iran

By launching armed attacks in Syria last weekend, the United States sent another warning to governments that refuse to stop terrorists who operate on their territory. U.S. President George W. Bush has made it clear that he will not stand idly by as terrorists target American troops, and some scholars...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 30, 2008

Tokyo film competition rewards tantalizing tales

When I was at the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea a few weeks ago, I discussed the Tokyo International Film Festival with some journalists, who disagreed with my assertion that TIFF's Competition section was a dumping ground for movies that couldn't make it at other film festivals. They...
CULTURE / Art / INSIDE ART
Oct 30, 2008

Poof! goes the art work as taboos broken

The skies above the Hiroshima Peace Memorial were perfectly clear last Tuesday morning — until a small plane appeared and started writing in smoke a Japanese word that could be translated as "Bang!"
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 29, 2008

Bush's nuclear deal with India: bigger consequences to consider

HONOLULU/STOCKHOLM — The U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement was signed into law this month after two years of negotiations and bitter debates. The final deal sharply divides arms control and nonproliferation specialists. The focus of an often-emotional debate revolves around a simple question: Is...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 29, 2008

Devoted to the game: Looking back at Oh's career

First in a three-part series
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Oct 28, 2008

DPJ leadership after Ozawa

At an extraordinary convention of the Democratic Party of Japan in Tokyo on Sept. 21, DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa surprised party members by declaring that the upcoming Lower House election will be his last opportunity to lead a nationwide political campaign.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Oct 28, 2008

WWII forced labor issue dogs Aso, Japanese firms

After evading the issue for more than two years, Taro Aso conceded to foreign reporters on the eve of becoming prime minister that Allied POWs worked at his family's coal mine in Kyushu during World War II.

Longform

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