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Reader Mail
Jan 27, 2008

Recycled opinions shed little light

Regarding the Jan. 13 letter, "Valuable data from whale research," from Dan Goodman of the Institute of Cetacean Research: I was pleasantly surprised to read Goodman's helpful explanation that study design and methods are reviewed by the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee, and that...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 27, 2008

In memory of one for whom Japan was a muse

A month ago I lost a very close friend. This would not be the proper place to write about it, except for the fact that despite her not being Japanese, her profound understanding of Japan and her love for the country were the lifeblood of her artistic career.
Japan Times
LIFE
Jan 27, 2008

A woman who cared

A low-budget film about a woman who operated Japan's first school for disabled children in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) is currently enjoying a long run in Japan and is also being shown in the United States.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 25, 2008

Han Bennink

Unlike most jazz drummers — even those that lead their own band — Han Bennink is a force unto himself, playing in his own inimitable way regardless of who's alongside him.
Reader Mail
Jan 24, 2008

Gifted player deserves coverage

In his Jan. 17 letter, "Accusations by soccer midfielder," Francesco Formiconi states that he does not know why people like Shunsuke Nakamura are given "so much space in the news."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 24, 2008

Quixotic quest of a 'revolutionary'

Breaking away from the herd, exploring new artistic directions and assuming time itself will bring the ultimate vindication is one of the great romantic ideas of avant-garde painting in the 20th century. But rather than defining the field for generations ahead, such an artist risks simply becoming obscure,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 24, 2008

From ordinary to spectacular

Go Aoki is one of Japan's most in-demand playwrights and directors. The small venues where his Gring theater company typically stages his works attract drama-world insiders — as a result, besides taking Gring on the road in early 2008, Aoki has already been enlisted for three high-profile collaborations....
COMMENTARY
Jan 23, 2008

False choices for Tokyo

HONOLULU — A gloom is settling over Tokyo. A recent visit revealed deep and deepening frustration and anxiety as Japanese contemplate strategic options. Decision-makers in Tokyo have framed their choices in overly simple terms that do not reflect the range of possibilities in foreign and security policy....
COMMENTARY
Jan 22, 2008

An idea whose time has gone

LONDON — Back in the 1970s a political idea became very fashionable in Western Europe, and especially in Britain. This was the concept of multiculturalism — the belief that different immigrant and ethnic groupings, who were then pouring into the region, should be left to their own devices and allowed,...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 21, 2008

Insurrections push Philippines to the brink

MANILA —The current president of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo, whose election in 2004 was deeply flawed, but probably not fraudulent, is currently beset by a sea of troubles that threaten to overwhelm her regime.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 19, 2008

Canadian garden of unity and reconciliation

"Hello," wrote an old Japan buddy back on her native British Columbian soil. "I've met a woman — Rumiko Kanesaka — who's helping build a Japanese garden on Salt Spring Island where I live. Would you like to talk with her?"
JAPAN
Jan 18, 2008

Obituary: Makoto Saito

Makoto Saito, a leading expert on the history of U.S. politics and foreign policy, died Thursday of chronic bronchitis in a Tokyo hospital, his family said. He was 86.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2008

Hypocrisy weakens West's whaling protests

PRINCETON, New Jersey — Thirty years ago, Australian vessels, with the government's blessing, killed sperm whales off the West Australian coast. Last month, Australia led international protests against Japan's plan to kill 50 humpback whales. Japan, under mounting pressure, announced that it would...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2008

Takenaka calls for structural reforms to boost Nikkei

Japan will keep failing to attract investors to its stock market unless Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda carries out extensive structural reforms, said Heizo Takenaka, a former Cabinet minister and the key financial reform architect under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 17, 2008

Standing room for sale

A heady atmosphere of spending hung over the opening of this year's Art@Agnes, the "art fair in a hotel" that has in the last four years become a regular fixture of Tokyo's art world. Take 20 to 50 years off visitors' ages, strip them of their designer clothes and their well-polished courtesies, and...
COMMENTARY
Jan 15, 2008

Recurring dream about Asia's prospects

LOS ANGELES — The Grand Asian Master, no more than a few thousand years old, appeared to me the other night (as he does from time to time) and asked what I wish for these days.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jan 15, 2008

Whatever happened to Yamagishi?

Hideyuki Ikuhara's main responsibility at Yamagishi is feeding the pigs. It's a full-time job, but he expects no salary for his efforts. In fact, he quit his work developing high-tech televisions and gave up all his possessions for this lifestyle — and he couldn't be happier.
Japan Times
Reference / SO WHAT THE HECK IS THAT
Jan 15, 2008

Bento grass

Dear Alice,
EDITORIALS
Jan 15, 2008

Taiwan votes for change

Legislative elections in Taiwan have given the opposition Nationalist (KMT) party a two-thirds majority and handed President Chen Shui-bian a stunning rejection. Voters turned their back on Mr. Chen's confrontational politics and his focus on national identity over practical measures to improve the lives...

Longform

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