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EDITORIALS
Jun 1, 2007

First formal contact in 28 years

The United States and Iran held a meeting earlier this week to discuss how they can improve Iraq's security situation. The meeting was the first formal and scheduled contact between officials of the two countries since the U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Iran following the Islamic Revolution...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 1, 2007

Spencer Doran

Relatively speaking, sampling is a recent art form, but within the fussy world of hip-hop it connotes an old-school sensibility, attracting less attention than it used to. Though Californian youngster Spencer Doran is an accomplished musician who can play a number of instruments, his recorded work is...
CULTURE / Music
Jun 1, 2007

Amerie "Because I Love It"

Amerie's "1 Thing" was the great summer single of 2005, an infectious hiccup of abandon that took the stuttery beat of Beyonce's hit "Crazy in Love" to its logical freaked-out end. Both songs were produced and co-written by Rich Harrison, who oversaw Amerie's first two albums.
EDITORIALS
Jun 1, 2007

Free Aung San Suu Kyi

To no one's surprise, the military junta that runs Myanmar (also known as Burma) has extended the house arrest of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi for another year. The continued detention of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate is proof of that government's contempt for international opinion, fundamental human rights...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2007

Despite economic recovery, suicide rate remains high

The hanging death of the farm minister this week grimly underscored the country's stubbornly high suicide rate — and the government's struggle to discourage large numbers of Japanese from killing themselves.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / SHORT TAKES
Jun 1, 2007

Comandante

Director: Oliver Stone Language: English and Spanish
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 1, 2007

'Pirates 3' raids box office treasure chest to the end

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" opened in Japan and the United States on Friday, May 25. The third installment in the Walt Disney Co. franchise is likely to be one of the biggest box-office movies of the summer, with the film reaping a worldwide tally of $245 million for Wednesday through...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 1, 2007

Yukichi Hattori loses the plot

Director, dancer and choreographer Yukichi Hattori broke from tradition when he created "Rhapsody in Blue," his innovative symphonic ballet. Unlike classic ballet productions, there is no plot, so performers are left to physically interpret the meaning of the music through dance. "Rhapsody in Blue"...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 1, 2007

'Shaberedomo, Shaberedomo'

Japanese are often stereotyped (and tend to stereotype themselves) as bad communicators — or just plain silent. Men, especially, are praised for being miserly with words, though their wives may long for something more than the furo, meshi, neru (bath, food and sleep) that is said to be the sum total...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 1, 2007

'Sketches of Frank Gehry'

In "Sketches of Frank Gehry," director Sydney Pollack films buildings with the same sensuality he brings to on-screen lovers — tracing the surfaces and contours as if they were cheekbones or eyelids, noting the way walls interlock like arms in ecstatic embrace. During his 40-year career, the creator...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 1, 2007

Butagumi: In hog heaven with the pig gang

Gourmet tonkatsu. It sounds like a contradiction in terms, as implausible as haute cuisine hot dogs or Michelin-starred jellied eels. Surely those breaded, deep-fried "cutlets" of pork can be nothing but comfort food: fatty, filling and reassuringly easy on the budget.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 1, 2007

'300'

The long-simmering cold war between Hollywood and the critics has again flared hot with the release of "300," an effects-driven popcorn movie about the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., when 300 Spartan soldiers went down fighting against a Persian horde.
SOCCER
May 31, 2007

Inamoto added to Japan's squad

Two-time World Cup midfielder Junichi Inamoto has been added to Japan's squad for the upcoming Asian Cup warmup matches against Montenegro and Colombia, the Japan Football Association said Wednesday. Inamoto was called up a day after he joined Eintracht Frankfurt after signing a two-year deal with the...
COMMENTARY / World
May 31, 2007

Latin America learns art of the possible

COPENHAGEN — Shortly after he was elected Uruguay's first left-leaning president, Tabare Vazquez declared that, "We have to reconstruct the future from the limitations of our own times."
JAPAN
May 31, 2007

Ruling bloc steamrolls pension bill

The ruling bloc rammed a hastily compiled bill through the Lower House welfare committee on Wednesday, steamrolling testy opposition lawmakers as it raced to put a lid on the explosive pension data fiasco.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji