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JAPAN
Apr 17, 2008

Divided Diet forecloses on Fukuda's May Europe trip

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has canceled planned visits to France, Germany and France in early May due to the expected continuation of the political standoff in the divided Diet, government officials said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Apr 16, 2008

Change sweeping North Korea

Drastic changes appear to be taking place in North Korea as its Korean Workers' Party (KWP) further strengthens its grip and its strongman Kim Jong Il tackles three major tasks: to pave the way for announcing his successor, to minimize whatever damage may result from the birth of a new conservative government...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 15, 2008

Hope for Taiwan's future

Even in democracies, if one party holds power for long enough, scandals can occur and popular support can fade. Nevertheless, the result of the Taiwanese presidential election was a landslide victory for the Nationalist Party (KMT) that far exceeded expectations. I felt, though conscious of the heartbreaking...
Reader Mail
Apr 13, 2008

Left unaddressed, issue will fester

Regarding the April 8 article "Official defends 'Yasukuni' screening for lawmakers": Japan is already so notorious for its obsession with censoring anything that might sully the illusion that it has created about itself in its own eyes that its previous prime minister made the activity a central pillar...
Reader Mail
Apr 10, 2008

Mori, an incredible role model

The March 27 article "When natural beauty just isn't cutting it" mentions that beautiful women are not only determined by their appearance, but also their confidence, intelligence and attitude.
Reader Mail
Apr 10, 2008

Don't overlook water problems

The March 23 article "Billions may lack safe drinking water by 2025: U.N." mentions that new ways to provide clean water to citizens are being tested. Water users themselves, however, have very little or no knowledge about the problem.
Reader Mail
Apr 10, 2008

Better alternative for dolphins

The March 22 article "South Seas dolphins face slaughter or life in captivity" reported that villagers from the Solomon Islands hunt dolphins to obtain their teeth for trading and making jewelry. Chris Porter, owner of a dolphin-export business, tries to save dolphins by selling them to aquariums and...
Reader Mail
Apr 6, 2008

Moral badge isn't needed to criticize

In his March 21 article, "Tibet and Olympic Games," Gregory Clark claims that countries should not boycott the Olympic Games in Beijing because their reasons are biased and based on a double standard. Although I do not believe politicizing the Olympics is productive, I believe Clark's interpretation...
Reader Mail
Apr 6, 2008

Better to stay home than dis the flag

Regarding the April 1 article "20 teachers punished over 'Kimigayo' row": In my view not facing one's country's flag at important public functions, especially in the presence of students, is a selfish and highly disrespectful act sending the wrong message about what loyal patriotism for a country...
Reader Mail
Apr 6, 2008

Be thinking about the big one

Regarding the April 3 front-page article "Earthquake will pack millions in tight areas": With the extent of crowding outlined, people would spill out over the roadways. There would be no vehicular traffic, not even emergency vehicles. Perhaps the solution would be to limit freeway traffic to one lane...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Apr 6, 2008

Tom Maschler: A storied life of luck and literary passions

Regardless of whether you take it with a pinch of salt or think this consummate professional is simply being modest, Tom Maschler says that throughout his celebrated publishing career, "luck" has often played a significant role.
Reader Mail
Apr 6, 2008

Capitalize an eco-tourism industry

Boyd Harnell's March 30 article, "Secret film will show slaughter to the world" -- about the making of a documentary on the dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture -- was riveting. I was especially struck by the chasm separating the worldviews of the parties involved: a sophisticated network of international...
SOCCER
Apr 4, 2008

Fenerbahce surprises Chelsea

LONDON (AP) Deivid de Souza scored a late goal Wednesday to give Fenerbahce a 2-1 upset over Chelsea, and Liverpool got a crucial away goal in its 1-1 draw at Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
Reader Mail
Apr 3, 2008

What 'rules' for China and India?

What 'rules' for China and India?
Reader Mail
Apr 3, 2008

Emphasize the levels of mercury

Congratulations on the March 30 article "Secret film will show slaughter to the world". A key to success requires that Japanese people become more involved and active to spread the information at the local level and lobby at the higher level. Foreigners may not be able to bridge the cultural gap; distributing...
Reader Mail
Apr 3, 2008

Domesticate effort to save dolphins

Regarding the March 30 article "Secret film will show slaughter to the world": I applaud the recent heroic actions of the Oceanic Preservation Society, among other groups, in their efforts to prevent the pointless slaughter of dolphins and whales -- by certain parties -- in Japan. However, the thing...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Apr 1, 2008

'Half-alien' group foresees disaster, Japan UFO landing

In December, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura caused quite a stir with his bold statement that "UFOs definitely exist." In subsequent clarifications, the government claimed that there have been no confirmed sightings, but if a UFO was to appear, "fighter jets would be scrambled to attempt...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2008

'Extinct' bird on ¥10,000 note makes dramatic reappearance

It looks like an oversize, long-necked chicken with a piercingly loud squawk and impressive yellow-gold tail plumage.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Apr 1, 2008

Public forums, spinning wheels

A friend sent me a Yomiuri article (Feb. 10) about a neighborhood forum in Kanazawa. Its title: "Citizens consider how to live together with foreigners."
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2008

Cost at pump to drop until April-end vote

Gasoline prices are set to fall by ¥25 per liter after the ruling bloc and opposition camp failed to agree Monday on extending provisional extra levies on gas and other auto-related taxes.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Mar 31, 2008

Oxymoronic sustenance and sustainability

NEW YORK — Earlier this month there was held, in a midtown hotel, an International Conference on Climate Change. Yet another one? you might ask. But, no, this one was to make the case that Al Gore, with his argument in "An Inconvenient Truth" is a fraud, a swindler. One of the conferees' premises was...
Reader Mail
Mar 30, 2008

'Better services' claim rings hollow

Regarding the March 27 front-page article "Report urges closer watch on foreigners": It seems that neither the reporter nor the government panel involved in the story is aware of how the foreigner registration system currently works.
Reader Mail
Mar 30, 2008

Paths of Japan, China, India differ

Regarding Kazuo Ogoura's March 28 article, "Bringing in China and India": The circumstances under which China and India are emerging as global powers are totally different from what Japan faced before and after World War II.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 30, 2008

Flying in the face of common sense in building new airports

Several weeks ago while walking through Tokyo's Ueno Station a friend and I passed a poster advertising the new Ibaraki airport. After we boarded our train, we started talking about the poster. Neither of us were aware that Ibaraki had an airport and we wondered why the prefecture needed one.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 29, 2008

Welcome to Milkland

There is something Bovinian in the air. I am in Hokkaido and I can see farms all around, but no animals. As a matter of fact, you'd think all these farmers were farming snow, because that is all you can see — deep, deep snow behind the fences.

Longform

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