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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Apr 18, 2007

Cuteness belies killers' true nature

Movement in the snow; the surface bulges, bursts, and out pops a creamy-faced creature with round black eyes like tiny beads and a stare that seems to say "I can kill."
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Apr 15, 2007

Red rubber balls foster fun, motivation and life's sense of adventure

The red rubber ball soared over a wall, traced an arc against the springtime Tokyo sky and fell -- ker-plump! -- into the playground of Takanawadai Elementary School.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 13, 2007

'The Queen'

"The Queen" is, in one sense, a film like so many others these days, trading in the currency of celebrity, using the hook of quality actors doing fine impersonations of famous people to show its pedigree. This is a successful and award-winning proposition for films -- see "Ray," "Capote," et al. -- but...
Reader Mail
Apr 11, 2007

Concerns about missile defense

Regarding Brad Glosserman's March 24 article, "Baseless threats of cold war": In advocating Japan's participation in the U.S. missile defense system (MDS), Glosserman glosses over Russia and China's legitimate concerns, repeats U.S.-made myths and neglects genuine Japanese concerns.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2007

At 6.6 trillion yen, gay, lesbian market no small niche

Japan has an estimated 2.74 million people who are either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and in terms of targeting a niche market, they have a combined purchasing power of 6.64 trillion yen -- the equivalent of the nation's liquor consumption.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 10, 2007

Nuclear power vital but fiasco-prone

Just how much does Japan rely on nuclear reactors? For nearly four decades, atomic power has, after oil and coal, played a key role in meeting Japan's energy needs. Today, 55 nuclear plants provide a third of the nation's electricity.
Reader Mail
Apr 8, 2007

Disaster from good intentions

Having heard the news of the murder of the British woman Lindsay Ann Hawker within the first few days of arriving in Tokyo from London, I have been feeling rather distressed about what has happened.
EDITORIALS
Apr 8, 2007

The annual 'hanami' rethink

Though it happens every year, cherry blossom season still functions as a vibrant experience in Japan. As the blossoms open up, somehow, so do people. Time spent walking or partying under the falling petals makes most people slow down to reconsider what is essential in life. It may be just a bunch of...
EDITORIALS
Apr 7, 2007

U.S. and South Korea make a deal

The United States and South Korea last week made the world's largest bilateral free-trade deal. It took 10 months of tough, point-by-point negotiations and officials worked to the very last minute. One measure of the sensitivities in both countries is that, days after the agreement was reached, the official...
COMMENTARY
Apr 5, 2007

The immorality of the minimum wage

WASHINGTON -- Both houses of the Democratic Congress have approved a minimum wage increase and even many Republicans signed on to the bill. Even the White House has signed on. The hike will soon become law.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Apr 4, 2007

Coaching carousel likely to be especially busy in offseason

NEW YORK -- An always informed source tells me Sam Mitchell may decide to leave Toronto when his contract expires at season's end and sign on with the Bobcats.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 2, 2007

Challenging Russia's energy dominance

WASHINGTON -- When Gazprom, Russia's natural-gas monopoly, cut off supplies to Ukraine and Georgia in January 2006, the move was widely seen as a clear warning of the Kremlin's willingness to use its energy resources to exert political influence over Europe.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Apr 1, 2007

Most fans frozen out of skating worlds

It was a great show, but it could have been better.
EDITORIALS
Apr 1, 2007

Twenty years without end

In a bizarre 5-0 ruling that was 20 years in the making, the Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit filed by the Taipei government against students living in a Kyoto dormitory. Forty years have passed since the lawsuit was filed. One cannot avoid the impression that the top court delayed the decision...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 1, 2007

Comedy interview variety show, Japan history cultural special, 'King Lear' modeled business drama

Life is a journey filled with questions, some of which the new variety show, "Megami no Hatena, (The Goddess of What is That)" (Nihon TV, Tuesday, 11:55 p.m.) will attempt to answer. These are not mind-twisting queries about the meaning of life or natural phenomena, but rather the kind of things that...
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2007

Osaka day-laborers lose registrations

OSAKA -- The Osaka Municipal Government purged the residence registrations of nearly 2,100 day-laborers Thursday, after concluding through a monthlong investigation that the men did not really live at the three welfare centers where they were registered.
EDITORIALS
Mar 30, 2007

Candidates out of the gate

The watershed Upper House election is a few months away. But local-level battles are in full swing. Election campaigns kicked off March 22 for gubernatorial elections scheduled April 8 in Tokyo and 12 other prefectures. Mayoral elections also are set that day in Sapporo, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu and Hiroshima,...
JAPAN
Mar 29, 2007

Briton's suspected murderer on run; father pleads for help

CHIBA -- Police were hunting nationwide for Tatsuya Ichihashi, 28, Wednesday in connection with the death of Lindsay Ann Hawker, 22, in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, as her father appealed to the public for any piece of information that might lead to his capture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 29, 2007

Third point of Roppongi

With the opening of Tokyo Midtown on Friday, the Art Triangle Roppongi concept is now complete. Comprised of the Mori Art Museum, the new National Art Center (NAC) and the elegant new Suntory Museum of Art -- part of the Midtown project -- the idea of a new precinct for art in Tokyo is ready to be tested....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 29, 2007

A haven of hedonism's days are numbered

As any good street tout will tell you, high foot-traffic is the key to success. Sure, he might toss out his chest, flash his best smile and smoothly sell you an explanation for the apparent contradiction between the shapely, high-class ladies he promises and the remarkably low entry price to his establishment,...
Reader Mail
Mar 28, 2007

National anthem out of place?

In the debate on whether teachers should be forced to stand or play piano accompaniment during the singing of the Japanese national anthem, one fundamental question is routinely begged: Why should the national anthem be sung at school opening and graduation ceremonies at all?
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2007

From out of the shadows steps France's 'third man'

WARSAW -- The French presidential election is a great "show" with all the ingredients of a Hollywood blockbuster, including a surprising plot twist: the emergence of a "third man," Francois Bayrou.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / IGADGET
Mar 28, 2007

Good vibrations: Turning your skull into a speaker and manga electric guitars

VIBRATING BONES: Call me old-fashioned, but I feel attached to speakers. Innate pieces of metal and plastic vibrate in harmony to produce sound waves to caress the ear. The idea of substituting my body parts to carry out the vibrating bit of the business just doesn't hit the right note for me. But hey,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 27, 2007

Life in the cloudy Imperial fishbowl

Although the media and insatiable public curiosity can expose the private secrets of superstars, the Imperial family remains largely out of view.
EDITORIALS
Mar 27, 2007

U.N. steps up pressure on Iran

The United Nations Security Council agreed last weekend to sanction Iran for refusing to suspend its uranium enrichment program. The unanimous vote is designed to encourage Tehran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and eliminate suspicions about its nuclear intentions. The...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2007

Road map to fighting drug-resistant TB

GENEVA-- A much larger tuberculosis drug-resistance problem exists than researchers previously thought. New global data on TB, published this month by the World Health Organization (WHO), highlight serious weaknesses in many national TB programs, increasing the potential for widespread TB drug resistance....
BUSINESS / THE VIEW FROM EUROPE
Mar 26, 2007

From steel and coal deal to integration: EU fetes 50 years of history

On Sunday, Europe marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the historic agreement that established such bodies as the European Parliament and the Court of Justice.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Mar 25, 2007

Kitajima poised to regain glory

Can Kosuke Kitajima return to the top?
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Mar 24, 2007

Nugent call up underlines England's problems

LONDON -- When England announced that a Preston North End player had been called up for the squad to play Israel in Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifying tie it was further proof that the current batch of players available to the national team is hardly vintage.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat