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JAPAN
Jan 15, 2006

Controversial substitute prison system likely to survive

A panel advising the Justice Ministry and National Police Agency has come out in favor of maintaining the controversial substitute prison system, known as "daiyo kangoku," in effect guaranteeing the system will be maintained.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2006

Maehara ties his future to policy results

Seiji Maehara, chief of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, said Saturday he will not run in the party's presidential election in September if he fails to unify views within the party on foreign affairs, security and other basic policies.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2006

Murakami ups Matsuzakaya stake

An investment fund led by financier Yoshiaki Murakami has become the top stockholder of department store operator Matsuzakaya Co. with a 5.46 percent stake, Matsuzakaya officials said Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 15, 2006

Infamous English word is just an import

HONG KONG -- Apart from Thatcherism and the creation of the modern game of soccer, some cynics say that the major English contribution to modern international life has been the widespread promulgation of the dreadful "F" word.
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Go shop where it's Christmas every day of the year

As memories of festive fun fade and the world returns to its regular routine, spare a thought for the man behind the all-year-round Christmas shop in Takanawa, near JR Shinagawa Station in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 15, 2006

Spreading the word on popular literature

THE BAMBOO SWORD AND OTHER SAMURAI TALES by Shuhei Fujisawa, translated by Gavin Frew. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2005, 254 pp., 2,400 yen (cloth). Japanese critics have long made a distinction between taishu bungaku, "popular literature," which is simple entertainment, and jun bungaku, "pure literature,"...
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Jan 15, 2006

Two writers, two very different North Koreas

NORTH KOREA: The Struggle Against American Power, by Tim Beal. Pluto, 2005, 352 pp., £18.99 (paper). NORTH KOREA: The Paranoid Peninsula, by Paul French. Zed Books Ltd., 2005, 352 pp.,£17.95 (paper). The subtitles of these books reveal the sharply differing points of departure on North Korea for writers...
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Full of the fittest intentions

I nervously typed the numbers onto the Web site -- first my height, then my weight. I held my breath and clicked "Calculate."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 15, 2006

Fighting on the beaches peels away Aussie veneer of tolerance

It has already been a long hot summer in Sydney, Australia, where I am writing this article, and the season still has at least two months to go.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Home sweet 'death-defying' condo homes

Scandal continues to swirl around erroneous -- and potentially lethal -- structural assessments of hotels and condominiums by former architect Hidetsugu Aneha. Few, however, would detract from the universally accessible, "barrier-free" design of most modern Japanese condos. Few except Shusaku Arakawa,...
Japan Times
Features / WEEK 3
Jan 15, 2006

Solo savior on the streets

For the past 14 years, former high-school teacher Osamu Mizutani has had no rest as he has devoted himself to helping troubled youths put their lives back in order.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 15, 2006

NHK has a public duty so how about free streaming from its library?

Since last August the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan (NAB) has been running a nationwide TV ad campaign to promote television commercials.
SOCCER / World cup
Jan 14, 2006

World Cup tickets on sale Sunday

Tickets allotted for Japan's matches in the 2006 World Cup soccer finals in Germany will go on sale beginning Sunday, the Japan Football Association said Friday.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 14, 2006

Can Newell prove sensational bung allegations he claims?

Mike Newell has either been very brave or very foolish.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 14, 2006

Inada, Koshi effectively secure Olympic berths

Japan has secured two spots for the men's skeleton team in the Turin Olympics as it stood sixth in the World Cup rankings after Thursday's event in Koenigssee, Germany.
SUMO
Jan 14, 2006

Asashoryu picks up fifth win of basho

Grand champion Asashoryu of Mongolia defeated compatriot Kyokutenho on Friday to remain one win off the pace at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 14, 2006

Japan to meet Saudi Arabia in Asian Cup qualifier

Japan will meet Saudi Arabia on Sept. 1 in an away match in the qualifying round of the 2007 Asian Cup tournament instead of the originally scheduled March 1 date, the Asian Football Confederation said Friday.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 14, 2006

Wie to play in Japanese men's tour event again

U.S. teenage golf star Michelle Wie, who missed the cut by a stroke at last November's Casio World Open, will play in the top-tier Japanese men's tour event again this year, organizers said Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2006

No-cost childbirth mulled to boost population

The government will consider introducing a system to bear all direct costs for childbirth -- including hospitalization for mothers -- in a bid to encourage young couples to have more kids, a government minister said Friday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 14, 2006

Catching the kabuki spirit

Kabuki, which dates back some 400 years to Izumo no Okuni, the leader of a women's theatrical troupe that caused a sensation in Kyoto, now appears to be riding an upsurge. Recently, the kabuki world saw a series of events that have caught people's attention and increased their interest.

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