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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 12, 2007

From a whim to pottery passion

Masayuki Inoue's repertoire includes sky-high monoliths and massive sculptures that span several meters. Many of these monumental works are held together by metal bolts and industrial adhesive, which in itself is not particularly unusual in the world of contemporary art. But here's the twist: Inoue is...
BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2007

Wholesale inflation surges on oil, materials costs

Wholesale inflation accelerated in June as oil and other commodity prices rose, prompting food and packaging companies to pass on costs to clients, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 12, 2007

Graffiti artist comes in from the cold with a varied show that keeps its street cred

Thirty years ago, graffiti stepped off the street to became the darling of the modern art world. With its visual diversity, and despite its defiance of those who viewed it as vandalism, New York galleries came to embrace it during the 1980s in the name of the avant garde. But as Japan's still small-scale...
BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2007

Corporate bankruptcies up 32.4%

Corporate bankruptcies rose 32.4 percent in June from a year earlier, the ninth straight month for the number of business failures to rise, a private research agency said Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 12, 2007

Speaking up for the 'divine' but undiscussed

Summer is the time of year when the Japanese remember the dead, most notably during the Bon festival, and the end of World War II, though the collective memory of the latter fades with each passing year. The Japanese are probably better at forgetting than other people in the world (indeed, the culture...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 12, 2007

Japan's saucy chameleon of Modernism

Japanese modernist art is often described as being derivative of its Western counterpart, but beneath the surface a real difference between them can be likened to that between religion in Japan and the West.
BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2007

Lone Star's acquisitions of golf courses suffering in economic recovery

The economy is so healthy it's bad for business, according to Mitsuo Hirose, who heads golf operations in Japan for John Grayken's Lone Star Funds.
BUSINESS / Q&A
Jul 12, 2007

What is significance of Bull-Dog action?

Bull-Dog Sauce Co. on Wednesday became the first company in Japan to implement takeover defenses, issuing rights for new shares to block Steel Partners' takeover attempt.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 11, 2007

U.S. scores 11 TDs, demolishes South Korea 77-0

During halftime of the United States' game against South Korea a number of Germany's supporters were seen heading to nearby vendors and buying South Korea jerseys. Although the Germans may want to think twice about wearing them lest the Americans suffer a case of mistaken identity Thursday night.
SOCCER
Jul 11, 2007

Kawaguchi rips into teammates

HANOI — Ivica Osim asked for Japan to be judged at the end of the first-round stage after the coach watched his team throw away the lead against Qatar in their Group B opener in Hanoi on Monday evening.
Reader Mail
Jul 11, 2007

Slow response to toxic pollution

Regarding Stephen Hesse's June 27 article, "Is this a poisons coverup?": Some other questions might be: Who was responsible for building the Jinkanpo incinerator so close to a housing area at the U.S. Naval Air Facility at Atsugi? Why didn't the Japanese government take greater care to safeguard the...
Reader Mail
Jul 11, 2007

Physicians' manner is changing

Regarding Peter Link's July 1 letter, "Considerations of a troublemaker": Certainly, it seemed that, some time ago, medical doctors in Japan did not like giving proper explanations to patients. One reason for this is that generally they haven't had enough time for each patient as there always were...
JAPAN / PARTY LINE
Jul 11, 2007

SDP sees Upper House race as vital in protecting Article 9

The Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9 is in danger of being revised by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the upcoming Upper House election is an opportunity to put a stop to this effort, Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima said.
EDITORIALS
Jul 11, 2007

From blunders to loose ends

The question remains as to why the Liberal Democratic Party and its ruling coalition partner, Komeito, forced two bills to abolish the Social Insurance Agency through the just-ended Diet session with such haste. Suspicions also have been raised about the contents of the bills.
Reader Mail
Jul 11, 2007

Apologies don't stop with Japan

Recently a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, for whatever reasons, decided to formally back those who complain about the forced servitude of "comfort women" and other atrocities attributed to Japanese troops during World War II. While I don't disagree that such evils occurred, I don't think...

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years