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CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 27, 2008

Travel information, talk show product review, family melodrama

In 2007, more than 8 million people visited Japan from overseas, double the number that visited 10 years ago.
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 27, 2008

Deadly weapons forged as art

The slow, rhythmic thrust of a piston covered in tanuki (raccoon dog) skin blasted air from box bellows onto the searing-hot charcoal. A casual glance at his forge was, however, all that Yoshindo Yoshihara needed to know the fire's exact temperature.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 26, 2008

Rudd has lots of 'big ideas'

Bring on a republic. That's one clear demand to come out of the biggest talk-fest ever stage-managed in Canberra. And new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is just the leader to bring it on.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / LIQUID CULTURE
Apr 25, 2008

Judgment by mojito-ability

Two of Tokyo's one-time landmarks reopened last month: one literally rising from the rubble, the other sporting a little cosmetic trim.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 24, 2008

Yet to have peaked?

Japanese artists, as they age, often benefit from the "Hokusai Effect." This is the notion, based on a famous quote from the great ukiyo-e (genre painting) artist, that they only attain real greatness well beyond the normal retirement age for other professions.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2008

Mainstream embraces street dance

Jumping to a heavy rap music soundtrack, Taisuke Nonaka kicked out his legs and launched into a one-handed helicopterlike body spin that had the crowd and the judges whooping and waving their fists in appreciation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2008

Bilateral ties hinge on young: Lee

The future appears to be the key theme South Korean President Lee Myung Bak has chosen to stress during his first trip to Japan since his inauguration.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 17, 2008

Up close with images of faith

W ith its current exhibition of National Treasures from Yakushi-ji Temple, the Tokyo National Museum is offering a not-to-be-missed opportunity to see masterpieces of ancient Buddhist and Shinto art. For the first time ever, they are being displayed in a museum so that they can be studied much more closely...
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Apr 16, 2008

You'll never have to miss a shot or a show

Mini movie maker: Panasonic knows the virtue of small cameras. Its latest contribution to the cause is the SDR-S7, a digital camcorder that fits in your palm and weighs a mere 160 grams, including the rechargeable battery. About the same height and width as a small can of coffee, the SDR-S7 includes...
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2008

U.S. forces commander vows tighter discipline

The commander of the U.S. forces in Japan vowed Monday the military will ensure that servicemen and women exhibit "unwavering professionalism" and "the highest-standards of behavior."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 12, 2008

Bid to link Japan meets with growing reception

When Ken Ohno's Japanese mother-in-law asked him to keep an eye on the family business in Nagano Prefecture in the late 1990s, he had little idea where it might lead.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / FREEWHEELIN' ACROSS JAPAN
Apr 11, 2008

Dreams of the 'One-Eyed Dragon'

As usual, I check into the Sendai City Hotel on Bansui Dori, one of the best deals in town: It sits on the edge of the Kokubuncho entertainment district, has a Christian church opposite for easy penance if things get out of hand, and newly-refurbished single rooms start from a comfortable ¥3,500. The...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2008

Russia's boom times stretch to Niigata

NIIGATA — Ripples from Russia's booming economy have crossed the Sea of Japan, lapping at the shores of Niigata Prefecture and leading to strengthened ties.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 11, 2008

'Chesuto'

Japanese live-action films about teenagers are many, but about children, few. This is largely a box-office calculation — teenagers pay higher ticket prices than children. Also, children usually go to the theater for a feature-length version of a cartoon they know from television, though there are hugely...
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2008

Dalai Lama reiterates support for games, urges nonviolence

NARITA, Chiba Pref. — The Dalai Lama on Thursday again voiced support for China's hosting of the Olympic Games and called on protesters to stick to nonviolent activities during the chaotic round-the-world torch relay.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 11, 2008

A manga drunk on French wine

Hearing a 2001 Mont-Perat described as "just like a rock concert by Queen" is enough to make any self-respecting Frenchman expel a snort of derision from his finely-tuned nostrils.
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2008

Details unveiled on Tokyo congress of architecture

With the stated aim of determining how architecture should evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the 24th triennial World Congress of the International Union of Architects will be held in Tokyo in 2011, organizers announced.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 8, 2008

See it on catwalk, buy it through cell phone

Screams erupted from 22,000 young women in flowery frills, boots, really short shorts and glittery jewelry whenever a model — dressed similarly — waltzed down the runway in a Tokyo stadium.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 8, 2008

National holidays trace roots to China, ancients, harvests

Golden Week is approaching, covering four national holidays from late April to early May.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2008

Official defends 'Yasukuni' screening for lawmakers

Defending the government's involvement in giving lawmakers an advance screening of a documentary on Yasukuni Shrine, a senior Cultural Affairs Agency official argued Monday it was appropriate to show Diet members a film partially funded by taxpayers' money.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 5, 2008

Breaking the bubble of pain and isolation

Nobuaki Kobayashi is a phenomenally kind and dedicated man. Life has never been easy, however. Now his wife is chronically unwell and he too is feeling his age.
COMMENTARY
Apr 4, 2008

The power of Vietnam's feminine side

HO CHI MINH CITY — Powerful women seem to be appearing frequently in Asian news these days. Recent headlines have trumpeted the continued defiance of Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi while mourning the assassination of the Pakistani heir-apparent Benazir Bhutto.

Longform

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