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Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 29, 2005

A gradual rise to excellence

A loss of direction appeared to afflict large parts of the Japanese theater world in the beginning of 2005 as last year's promising stream of new actors and directors failed to live up to their 2004 debuts. Dramatists responded by looking outward for inspiration, creating an upsurge in international...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2005

English immersion of toddlers on the rise

Mana Kitazawa was 18 months old in September 2004 when she first started going to Poppins International Preschool in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 27, 2005

Lighting brilliance from Kouichi Okamoto

Lighting is many things to many people. For many, it's simply a practical tool to combat darkness. For others, it plays the role of mood enhancer. Carefully calibrated lighting can transform a space both subtly and dramatically.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2005

New fast-breeder reactor after Monju eyed for '30

for use at the fast-breeder reactor. The government plans to put the reprocessing plant into operation around 2045 when the existing reprocessing plant in the village of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, is expected to have finished operations.
COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE
Dec 25, 2005

Political 'capital' like dust in the wind

WASHINGTON -- What a year! When 2005 began, there was so much hope and optimism in Washington, even among us Democrats.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Dec 22, 2005

Looking back on 10 years of yakimono

In the 10 years since this column started, much has changed in the worldwide perception of yakimono, Japanese ceramic art. I'm talking about in the contemporary realm, not antiques. The deep and wide world of contemporary Japanese ceramic art is as varied as there are stars in a brilliant winter night...
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2005

79.69 trillion yen budget submitted to Cabinet

The Finance Ministry gave the Cabinet a 79.69 trillion yen fiscal 2006 draft budget Tuesday that will allow it to keep new government bond issuance below 30 trillion yen for the first time in five years.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Dec 18, 2005

What did you read about Asia this year?

Donald Richie THE COLUMBIA ANTHOLOGY OF MODERN JAPANESE LITERATURE, edited by J. Thomas Rimer and Van C. Gessel (Columbia University Press) This new take on Japanese modern classics -- old standbys and lots of recent writing as well -- is big (864 pages and it's only the first volume). It includes examples...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 17, 2005

Japanese metal craft rings up to look like wood

Mary Fidler is pondering, wondering whether her logo as a designer, "mfide," rolls with sufficient ease off the tongue. It does, I assure her -- as long you know it sounds out phonetically as m-f-ide, and not m-fide.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 17, 2005

Nine lives: meditating cats in paradise

Celebrity cat profile
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2005

JH execs Uchida, Kaneko plead not guilty

A former vice president and a former board member of Japan Highway Public Corp. pleaded not guilty Friday to charges they were involved in rigging bids for steel bridge projects undertaken by the now-defunct government highway builder-operator.
JAPAN
Dec 16, 2005

Tax breaks may soon be pulled; hikes eyed

The ruling coalition Thursday recommended scrapping income, residential and corporate tax breaks and raising liquor and tobacco levies in its reform proposals for fiscal 2006, and agreed to discuss a possible consumption tax increase for fiscal 2007.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2005

Osaka mayor's reforms may spark new battles

OSAKA -- Osaka Mayor Junichi Seki has unveiled his detailed proposal for reforming the city government.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 15, 2005

Bridging cultural currents

SEOUL -- It has long been known, though usually not mentioned in public discourse in Japan, that Korea has played a vital role in the transmission of Chinese culture to the country, starting with the introduction of Buddhism in 538. As of Oct. 28, the 60th anniversary of Korea's National Independence...
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Dec 13, 2005

The NHK man cometh

NHK, Japan's beleaguered national broadcaster, is facing revenue losses of around 50 billion yen yen for this fiscal year as a result, it says, of people refusing to pay their subscription fees.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2005

Over decade after accident, Monju may be reborn

channel 9 and through 26 public address towers set up inside the city limits," said Fumiyoshi Kato, an official in the municipal nuclear power safety section. The evacuation areas are mostly elementary schools and public halls. However, Kato said they do not contain much in the way of emergency supplies....
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Dec 9, 2005

Every picture tells a story

Morrison Hotel Gallery is currently staging its third fine art music photography exhibition, "Legendary Rock & Roll Photographers" in Tokyo.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 6, 2005

Pensions, wills and helplines

Pensions I will be leaving Japan soon -- I've been here for two years -- and have been paying into the National Pension System. How do I go about applying for the refund? I have also heard that there are agencies that do the paperwork for a fee.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Dec 6, 2005

How do you ease the hangover pain?

Chisako Ambiru Editor, 23 I drink as much water as possible and take half a day off, if it's during the week. On the weekend I sleep in and have a big breakfast. I take multivitamins everyday, but I definitely need them when I have a hangover.
BASKETBALL
Dec 4, 2005

X League title game set

Quarterback Manabu Tatsumura completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ken Shimizu in the first quarter and made another to tight end Sumitaka Ando in the second period to power the Obic Seagulls to a 13-7 win over the Asahi Beer Silver Star at Yokohama Stadium in the X League Final 6 semifinals...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Dec 4, 2005

Shogo Kariyazaki: Flower power at his fingertips

Shogo Kariyazaki is one of Japan's most flamboyant and outspoken authorities on beauty.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2005

HIV prevention programs need to grow

BANGKOK/MANILA -- In a region that is home to two-thirds of the world's population, an HIV prevalence rate of 0.4 percent -- significantly lower than sub-Sahara Africa -- translates into more than 8 million adults and children living with HIV. More than 1 million people were newly infected with HIV in...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2005

Host communities blast U.S. realignment plan

Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga have been visiting communities with military bases to gain their approval of an interim report on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, but strong local opposition persists.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Nov 30, 2005

'Secret' dolphin slaughter defies protests

Japan's annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins began Oct. 8 in the traditional whaling town of Taiji on the Kii Peninsula of Honshu's Wakayama Prefecture. These "drive fisheries" triggered demonstrations, held under the "Japan Dolphin Day" banner, in 28 countries. The protests went almost entirely...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 29, 2005

Soaking in benefits of a chocolate spa

The Service: chocolate spa The Hype: slimmer figure: smooth skin: stress relief The Lab Rat: a thirty-something female chocolate lover with irregular eating habits The Results: thighs slimmed by 1.1 cm; feeling of relaxation: and - though connection can't be proven - a sudden desire to go shopping.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 27, 2005

Yoko just can't keep her hands off her John

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the death of John Lennon, who was murdered in front of his apartment building in New York City on Dec. 8, 1980. In Japan, owing to the time difference, the anniversary is Dec. 9, a day after the anniversary of that other day that will live in infamy. Recently,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 26, 2005

Gate ceremony: Pomp or circumstance?

"Please come to the opening ceremony for the gate," said the Buddhist priest. I'd never seen a ceremony for a gate before, so my first thought was, "What should I wear?" My second thought was, "I won't even be here for it, so I could probably go naked and no one would notice." I thanked the priest for...
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Nov 25, 2005

Two days of the craziest art

The biannual international art event Design Festa returns to Tokyo Nov. 26-27 for "two days of crazy art, thousands of talented artists, performances from outer space and heaps of imagination," according to the Design Festa Web site.

Longform

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