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EDITORIALS
Jan 25, 2010

Poverty in Japan

Japan's relative poverty rate as of 2007 stood at 15.7 percent, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced last October. This marks the first time the government has officially released its own data on the subject. Past rates were known only through surveys conducted by the Organization for Economic...
LIFE
Jan 24, 2010

Chipping away at constitutional freedoms

Just as for the United States, the cost to Japan of the Iraq adventure has not been limited to the financial. A series of test cases against antiwar activists has dismayed lawyers and human-rights activists, who say the post-9/11 Japanese state is attacking constitutional freedoms.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 22, 2010

Depp the magical mystery man

HOLLYWOOD — It's no surprise Johnny Depp is starring in a fantastical new movie titled "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," which opens in Japan on Saturday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 22, 2010

'Subete wa Umi ni Naru'

MARK SCHILLINGMost commercial films in Japan, as elsewhere, fall into clearly marked boxes, from genre (horror, romcom) to story (zero-to-hero, teen love/tragic death). Indie films here also follow familiar thematic patterns, with miscommunication and alienation being favorites.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 8, 2010

A feast for film buffs

The Japanese film industry, at least the top end where Toho and its media partners dwell, is looking forward to a prosperous 2010, with a lineup of crowd-pleasers that should thump the Hollywood competition.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 25, 2009

Foreign currency saving: Norway or the highway

Why save yen at zero interest in Japan when you could make your savings become a money-earner overseas?
COMMENTARY
Dec 18, 2009

Illegal wall exacerbates disaster for Gazans

NEW YORK — Collusion between Egypt and the United States in building a wall separating Egypt from Gaza not only threatens Gazans' health and quality of life, already seriously deteriorating because of the de facto Israeli blockade, but also violates international law.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 6, 2009

Turney breaks ground as first foreign coach in history of Giants

Cheers to the Yomiuri Giants for hiring strength and conditioning coach John Turney, recently let go by the Yokohama BayStars after leading the players on that team through stretching and calisthenics during pre-game drills for nine seasons.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 3, 2009

The Kremlin's renegade puppet in Chechnya

MOSCOW — Ramzan Kadyrov, the president of Chechnya, recently proposed to Ahmed Zakaev, a leader of the nationalistic and comparatively moderate Chechen opposition, that he return to Chechnya. Kadyrov promised Zakaev amnesty and various positions ranging from director of the local theater to minister...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 24, 2009

Emperor — poise under public spotlight

This year marks Emperor Akihito's 20th year on the Chrysanthemum Throne.
JAPAN / TIES IN THE BALANCE
Nov 12, 2009

Futenma's defenders stress its regional security role

Second of two parts
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 23, 2009

Pusan fest revels in all films Asian

South Korea's biggest box-office hit of the year is the disaster movie "Haeundae," which has been seen by 11.3 million Koreans. The title refers to the beach-resort area of Pusan, where from Oct. 8-16 the 14th annual Pusan International Film Festival took place. In fact, most of the festival is held...
JAPAN
Oct 21, 2009

First ever poverty rate released by ministry stands at relatively high 15.7%

The national poverty rate stood at 15.7 percent in 2006, according to first-ever figures released Tuesday by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, a fairly high rate for a developed country.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 18, 2009

Time for NPB to get its act together on regular-season schedule

As we are into the Central and Pacific League Climax Series, with the Japan Series coming up later this month, a reader has a complaint we've heard many times before about the way Japanese baseball ends its the regular season.
EDITORIALS
Oct 15, 2009

Full military disclosure

The Air Self-Defense Force was engaged in a transportation mission in Iraq from March 2004 to December 2008 under a special law to provide humanitarian assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq. Details of the mission were unknown.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2009

EU making the world safer

BRUSSELS — 2009 is a landmark year for the European Union's role in the world. It marks 10 years of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), during which the EU became a global provider of security, making a real difference to people's lives all over the world.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 27, 2009

Now or never to settle the Cyprus conflict

ANKARA — Cyprus is back on the international agenda, with leaders of the island's rival Greek and Turkish communities engaged in intense negotiations to resolve the divided country's status. But, although new talks are under way, the international community is, not surprisingly, tired of dealing with...

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan