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BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Jun 14, 2013

Proof of 'Abenomics' pudding is in execution

The third pillar of 'Abenomics' approved by the Cabinet may have lacked the impact of its two predecessors, but everything will hinge on the steady execution of all three.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 14, 2013

'Great Gatsby' reunites Luhrmann, DiCaprio

"The Great Gatsby" is a classic novel from 1925 that is often a required part of the school curriculum in North America. However, it has yet to become a classic film.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 14, 2013

'Kiseki no Ringo (Miracle Apples)'

Raised on a small farm in Southern Ohio, my grandfather hunted and grew much of the food we ate at the enormous Sunday dinners my grandmother prepared, from tasty quail and rabbit to fresh sweet corn and tomatoes. The piece de resistance was often apple pie, made from fruit harvested from backyard trees....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 14, 2013

'The Impossible'

Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" had the misfortune of having opened in local cinemas just before March 11, 2011. After the trauma of a real-life tsunami hitting Japan, few were in the mood to see a Hollywood special-effects version of the same.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 14, 2013

'The Great Gatsby'

Baz Luhrmann does justice to F. Scott Fitzgerald's most intriguing creation: Jay Gatsby, the man referred to in the book title as "The Great." As far as adaptations go, Luhrmann's version beats the 1974 version that starred Robert Redford and Mia Farrow hands down. That was a sorrowful, soulful tale...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 13, 2013

'Edo's Four Seasons: Seasonal Events and Scenes of Daily Life in Ukiyo-e'

During the Edo Period (1603-1867), celebrating the characteristics of the four seasons was a popular past time, and it involved hosting traditional events that people still enjoy today. These include hanami (cherry-blossom viewing) in the spring, the Tanabata star festival in summer, tsukimi (moon viewing)...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 11, 2013

Can brain scans explain crime?

University of Pennsylvania neuroscientist Adrian Raine, author of "The Anatomy of Violence," believes that advances in brain imagery are helping to explain the biological roots of crime. American Enterprise Institute scholar and psychiatrist Sally Satel, co-author of "Brainwashed," is wary of the seduction...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 11, 2013

Hague Convention on child abduction may shape Japan's family law — or vice versa

Giant Hello Kitty-emblazoned kudos to Japan for finally signing the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction. Now comes the hard part: actually making it work.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 9, 2013

Imperial Family's car woes sparked Toyota whistleblower

In 2008, Toyota faced an embarrassing problem: The Imperial Family's luxury Century Royal, used to carry Crown Prince Naruhito around Japan, was a dud.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 9, 2013

Darvish impressing experts with his strikeout ability

If you watch the home broadcast for one of Yu Darvish's starts for the Texas Rangers, you will, at some point, hear play-by-play man Steve Busby exhorting, "got him swinging," after Darvish fans a batter.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 9, 2013

'Nutritious' claims need to be taken with a pinch of salt

During a recent visit to the United States, I was impressed by several advertising campaigns. The American Beverage Association (ABA) is running a series of spots that alternatingly complain of what it deems the over-regulation of soft drinks and promote the efforts of member manufacturers to make their...
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 9, 2013

California utility to close San Onofre reactors

In a new setback for the U.S. nuclear power industry, Edison International said Friday it will permanently close the two reactors of its San Onofre plant in California, ending a contentious battle over whether they can be repaired and operated safely after cracks were found last year in the steam generator...
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 8, 2013

U.S. taps servers in vast data-mining program

The National Security Agency and FBI are tapping directly into the central servers of nine leading U.S. Internet firms, extracting audio and video chats, photos, emails, documents and connection logs. U.S. taps firms' servers, mines Internet data
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 8, 2013

Yoga teacher finds creative voice — and success — in 'surreal' Tokyo

While hammering nails and cutting planks in the prop department at New York's Lincoln Center for the Metropolitan Opera in the early 2000s, Barry Silver never dreamed of a life in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jun 8, 2013

Upcoming Clinton biopic stirs speculation

The U.S. presidential election may be three years away, but speculation is already rife about the runners and riders in what is sure to be an epic battle for the White House.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 7, 2013

'Hakoiri Musuko no Koi (Blindly in Love)'

In a recent interview, Steven Soderbergh complained that critics are "too easily fooled." "Their reading of filmmaking is too superficial," he added. While I am as much a fan of deep insight as the next guy, I am also perfectly happy to be fooled. That is, if a director manages to salvage his pig of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 6, 2013

Travis returns with 'Where You Stand' after five-year break

You can't sell as many records as Travis have without dividing opinion.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2013

Lay judges get a peek at prison life

When lay judges hand down a prison term, many focus on the merits of the case itself and not about the life behind bars that awaits the guilty.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 6, 2013

Metal act Gotsu Totsu Kotsu swap vikings with samurai to instill fear in fans

When pop fans hear the words 'death metal,' they may cringe as they imagine songs about nails in the neck or impalements by bands with names like Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus. What may not spring to mind are songs about feudal Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 6, 2013

'Sweet Revenge'

For its latest exhibition, the Kyoto City University of Arts Gallery is showcasing works by five of the university's conceptual design graduates. Through a variety of media — including photography, animation, computer graphics and installations — the show explores the notion of whether art can be...
CULTURE / Music / MONEY AND MUSIC
Jun 6, 2013

Been down so long, it looks like up

I've been to a lot of music-industry conferences over the years, and for the past decade I've listened to the same old song: How can the recording industry fight online piracy, which it blames for plunging music sales?
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Jun 5, 2013

Do self-driving cars need to cost so much?

"The best is the enemy of the good," said the 18th-century French writer Voltaire. It's a maxim that has a particular resonance for tech designers, because it highlights the intrinsic tension between ambition and pragmatism that haunts them. Many perfectly viable products have never made it beyond the...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 5, 2013

Butchery on a London street

The brutal and flagrant murder of an off-duty British soldier on a street in a London suburb in broad daylight on May 22 has caused both shock and horror in Britain. The two alleged assailants were British nationals of Nigerian origin in their 20s who had converted to Islam and been imbued with jihadist...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 4, 2013

Party hale and hearty and don't feel guilty

What's the secret to hosting a memorable dinner party? For 29-year-old Sarah Waybright, it's a trifecta of good company, good food and good wine — plus a menu that won't leave guests feeling sick, stuffed or guilt-ridden.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2013

Lessons on moderation from an 18th-century British conservative aren't applied easily today

The political career of Edmund Burke was mediocre. Still, his 18th-century perspective offers a way to understand modern currents of ethnic/ideological alliances.

Longform

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