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JAPAN
Jun 12, 2006

Filmmaker retraces footsteps of Palestinian thinker

"Fighting the jihad with the pen is the same as dying for the jihad," says Mahmoud, a young Lebanese man in a new documentary dedicated to Edward Said, the Palestinian-American intellectual and advocate for the Palestinian cause.
COMMENTARY
Jun 12, 2006

Needed: new energy sources

LONDON -- Naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough used to be skeptical about how far climate change could be ascribed to human actions. He has now declared he is convinced that what we are doing or failing to do has had seriously damaging effects on the climate, and he has been demonstrating...
SPORTS / MULLY'S MISSIVES
Jun 11, 2006

Ron puts on a show in Bonn

BONN -- The Japan national team received a boost this week with the arrival of unofficial mascot Rommel the dog.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 11, 2006

World Cup opens amid pageantry

MUNICH -- The 2006 World Cup got under way with a dazzling opening ceremony at Allianz Arena on Friday afternoon.
SPORTS / E-LIST
Jun 11, 2006

Fun in kitchen with half-baked Central League

The Central League's other shoe finally hit the floor.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 11, 2006

Klose-range win for Germans in opener

MUNICH -- Birthday boy Miroslav Klose scored twice as Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in a record-breaking World Cup curtain raiser in Munich on Friday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 11, 2006

Whither the newspaper?

What does the future hold for newspapers? It all depends on what you think a newspaper is and where on the planet you are standing. If you are a literal-minded type who considers the concept inseparable from actual newsprint and your view is restricted to, say, North America or Japan or Australia or...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jun 11, 2006

It's a mechanical kind of love

LOVING THE MACHINE: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots, by Timothy N. Hornyak. Tokyo/New York: Kodansha International, 2006, 160 pp., profusely illustrated, 2,800 yen (cloth). One of the most popular mysteries of 18th-century Europe was the Chess-playing Turk, a robot-like automaton that won all...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 11, 2006

Can art be judged apart from its creator?

Last month the Comedie Francaise, France's sole state theater, made a momentous decision. "Voyage to the Sonorous Land, or the Art of Asking" by Austrian playwright Peter Handke had been scheduled for production in January 2007 at their second venue in the Latin Quarter. But in early May, theater administrator...
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2006

Activists hold Tokyo rally to protect Article 9

About 1,500 people from diverse citizens' groups across the country gathered Saturday in Tokyo and pledged solidarity to block efforts to revise the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.
Japan Times
LIFE
Jun 11, 2006

Preparing for 'people's courts'

For more than 60 years since its last form of a jury system was suspended, Japan's courts have been the preserve of a largely unseen elite. Now, though, regular citizens are set to take part again too, and 'mock trials' like those popular in America may play a key role in preparing for this momentous...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2006

Ready for global discussion on migrants

NEW YORK -- Ever since national frontiers were invented, people have been crossing them -- not just to visit foreign countries, but to live and work there. In doing so, they have almost always taken risks, driven by a determination to overcome adversity and to live a better life.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 11, 2006

Stick-thin, gay, or preferably both -- a television career awaits

Truth in advertising has never been strictly enforced in Japan, especially with regard to health-related claims. Breweries can get away with promoting "low-calorie" beers as weight-loss aids, while pharmaceutical makers sell vitamin supplements that claim to do everything from clear up your skin to help...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 11, 2006

Nihon TV's "Antenna 22" digs in to Shibuya's Center-gai culture and more

For 20 years the crucible of teen girl fashion and attitude has been Shibuya's Center-gai street in Tokyo.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jun 11, 2006

Gaijin superstars nothing foreign to Sanyo All-Star Series

Continuing here from last week's column about Japan's upcoming Sanyo All-Star Series, this time with the focus on foreign players. There is a limit to how many gaikokujin can be included on the 28-man Central and Pacific League rosters, but with a bit of leeway.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 11, 2006

Explore the beauty of stoneware

JAPANESE WOOD-FIRED CERAMICS by Masakazu Kusakabe & Marc Lancet. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause publications, 2005, 320 pp., $44.99 (paper) The art of making ceramics originated in Japan during prehistoric times, and over recent centuries has evolved to rank higher even than painting in the eyes of this country's...
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 10, 2006

Injured Nakamura feeling better

Shunsuke Nakamura is confident he will be fit to start Japan's World Cup opener against Australia on Monday despite concerns over an injury sustained in training.
EDITORIALS
Jun 10, 2006

Tragedy in a farming community

The investigation into the murder of a 7-year-old boy in a farming community in northern Honshu has taken a bizarre twist. A 33-year-old woman from the community was arrested and she initially admitted that she had abandoned the body of the boy near a river.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jun 10, 2006

Overconfidence could sink England against Paraguay

MUNICH -- England will beat Paraguay in their World Cup opener on Saturday.

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