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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 2, 2010

'The Wolfman'

"The Wolfman" stars Benicio Del Toro, which normally means I would readily suffer pain and humiliation and even demonstrate some nonexistent rock- climbing skills if need be, just to see my beloved. It's a lonely quest in Japan, where Del Toro doesn't have quite the following he deserves: He's too craggy,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 2, 2010

'Kakera (A Piece Of Our Life)'

Sexual orientation is often defined in black-and-white terms: You're either straight or gay — or kidding yourself. Author Gore Vidal has famously objected to this binary classification, claiming that there's no such thing as homosexuality, only homosexual acts.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 31, 2010

The pope's Easter mystery

HONG KONG — As more than a billion Roman Catholics prepare to commemorate the most sacred mysteries of their faith culminating at Easter next Sunday, most eyes will be on the small elderly man in the Vatican palace to see whether he can steer the church through the turbulence tearing it apart.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Mar 30, 2010

A fresh approach to Japanese food

Nicolas Soergel graciously brings two tiny plates to the table. They each contain three pinkish "umeboshi" (salted, dry plums), but those on one of the plates have been preserved for just one year; the ones on the other plate — whose skins are a little more wrinkled — are three years old. "Please...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2010

Lifesaving dialogue past due between Islamic world and West

BEPPU, Oita Pref. — The relationship between the West and the Islamic world is worrisome. Recent events in Western and Muslim countries show the tension between these two civilizations.
Japan Times
LIFE
Mar 28, 2010

Tri-lingual system proposed for world communications

May 15, 1939
CULTURE / Books
Mar 28, 2010

Writer's idle hands drawn to dirty work

In Paul Theroux's 1977 short story "Diplomatic Relations," an American diplomat in Malaysia receives a letter from a female colleague, his former lover, warning of her impending visit. Their reunion in a Singapore hotel is brief and awkward, and the diplomat's sentiments, summed up in the final line...
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2010

All interrogations must be taped: Sugaya

Toshikazu Sugaya, convicted of murder in 1993 and freed from prison last June, and others believed wrongfully convicted are calling for full videotaping of police interrogations to help prevent crime suspects from being forced to make false confessions.
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2010

Hatoyama hopes to keep promises, find fiscal balance

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama expressed confidence Friday in achieving fiscal discipline and keeping the government's election pledges at the same time, saying he intends to continue cutting down wasteful spending and avoid a consumption tax hike.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 27, 2010

Embracing the bicultural identity

Leslie Lorimer defied definition in Japan from the time she was a young child, when her blond hair, blue eyes and fluent Japanese proved a startling mix.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 26, 2010

Art fair to host 138 galleries

Tokyo's commercial art galleries tend to come in one of two types: hole-in-the-wall or out-of-the-way. So any attempt to visit several in a day can resemble a form of urban orienteering. Unless, that is, you plan your excursion for April 2-4 and set your sights for Tokyo International Forum, which is...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 26, 2010

'Shutter Island'

There's a huge dollop of conventionality at work in Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" — but it's hard to say whether that emanates from the story's particular backdrop (suit and fedora-hatted mid-1950s) or Scorsese's own, atypical lapse into connect-the-dots storytelling. Not to say that conventionality...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 26, 2010

'Cassandra's Dream'

Woody Allen has often commented that "making a movie is a great distraction from the real agonies of the world." While he's got a point, some days I wish he'd take up model trains or something else instead. You don't make films just to pass the time (unless you're Andy Warhol); you should be driven by...
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2010

Record fiscal '10 budget enacted

The ruling bloc enacted the fiscal 2010 budget Wednesday, clearing the way to reflect the Democratic Party of Japan's campaign vows while cranking out an unprecedented ¥44.3 trillion in new bonds.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2010

Wanted: more Japanese in the World Bank

WASHINGTON — My visit to Japan (through May 26) comes at a time of momentous challenges for global development. The worst of the economic crisis appears to be behind us, but the recovery remains fragile and uneven. In the developing world, 43 poor countries are suffering effects of the recession, facing...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Mar 25, 2010

Nail artist Chieko Ishijima

Chieko Ishijima, 25, is the manager of Brilliant Nail Shibuya, a salon next door to the Marui and Seibu department stores, smack in the middle of one of Tokyo's hubs of young fashion. She quickly painted and sculpted her way to the top of the highly competitive nail-art industry with intricately layered...
Japan Times
Events / WHERE IT'S AT
Mar 23, 2010

St. Patrick's Day festivities offer sampler of Emerald Isle culture

Irish culture enthusiasts in Tokyo celebrated St. Patrick's Day in the friendly confines of an Irish-style pub Sunday, enjoying traditional performances and Guinness beer at an annual gathering of the Japan-Ireland Society.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Japan Pulse
Mar 22, 2010

Masks off, plugs in: New allergy tools go inside the nose

Along with the dreaded pollen of spring come new products trying to provide sufferers relief from the seasonal sniffles.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Mar 21, 2010

Who ever could make war if they saw it through children's eyes?

The misery of war remains for many long years as scar tissue in the minds of children deeply traumatized by it. And yet, there are not many works of fiction or nonfiction that have conveyed the confusion and pain felt by such children.
EDITORIALS
Mar 19, 2010

Budding economic recovery

The government's monthly economic report for March raised its evaluation of the economy for the first time in eight months, saying it "has been picking up steadily." It appears that a second dip has been avoided, but the deflationary trend is a cause for continuing concern.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 19, 2010

Le Dessin: Designs for both palate and palette

It was one of those hot tips that come our way from time to time. This one, though, was delivered with a caveat: "A fantastic little French place, as good as any in town for the price; but the location's so obscure no one knows about it. It's called Le Dessin."
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2010

Half-year on, Hatoyama struggling

It's been six months since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Cabinet strutted the red-carpet for an inaugural photo session, staging a perfect Hollywood ending to a summer blockbuster election that knocked the Liberal Democratic Party out of almost 50 years of unbroken rule.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Mar 16, 2010

Political hopeful eyes tax law changes

Citizens of the United States living overseas of working age are required to file a U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax form every year, and if they have incomes, may have to pay U.S. income taxes, on top of any levies they also face in their place of residence.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Mar 16, 2010

Darvish's ascent could put strain on Fighters' wallets

Among the NPB's highest-paid players, Yu Darvish is somewhat of a rarity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 12, 2010

How to make a Big Bang in show business

J-pop labels might learn a thing or two from Big Bang, a Korean boy band that gives it up for the fans.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 12, 2010

'Bruno'

After the success of "Borat," people wondered what comedian Sacha Baron Cohen could do next. His comedy derived from launching his over-the-top Kazakh character into situations where people weren't in on the joke, yet a blockbuster hit obviously makes it harder to find willing dupes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 12, 2010

Yazaki opens up about 'Lies'

A leader of Japanese cinema's 1990s New Wave, Hitoshi Yazaki dropped off the radar for more than a decade, returning in 2006 with "Strawberry Shortcakes," a widely praised drama about four lonely women in search of, not just a partner, but reasons for living. In his new film, "Sweet Little Lies," the...

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