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EDITORIALS
Apr 11, 2004

Turn off the television

Of all the modern technological conveniences, the one that gets the worst press -- worse even than the cell phone -- is the television. The ubiquitous box has been accused of destroying traditional cultures, contributing to the breakdown of community, fragmenting family life and promoting obesity and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / NEW ART SEEN
Apr 7, 2004

Mario A -- a 'Japanese artist' who provokes admiration

"This is Not a Pipe," the title of Rene Magritte's 1926 painting of a pipe, succinctly illustrates a paradox in perception. On Magritte's canvas is a representation of a pipe, not an actual pipe, and so the title is perfectly valid. But how tempting to scoff at this, to regard Magritte as mischievous,...
JAPAN
Jan 8, 2004

Fukuda wary of motive behind North Korea thaw

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda remained wary Wednesday over a string of events indicating a possible softening of North Korea's stance toward Japan.
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Apr 13, 2003

Making a stanza for life

HOW TO HAIKU: A Writer's Guide to Haiku and Related Forms, by Bruce Ross. Tuttle Publishing, 2002, 167 pp., 1800 yen (paper); TAKE A DEEP BREATH: The Haiku Way to Inner Peace, by Sylvia Forges-Ryan & Edward Ryan. Kodansha International, 2002, 129 pp., 1,800 yen (cloth); THE NICK OF TIME: Essays on Haiku...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Mar 20, 2003

That's pride messing with you

I once attended a Mike Tyson fight. If you think his fights are vicious on television, you shouldn't see them in person. Tyson hit the other guy so hard that we could feel it in the bleachers.
LIFE / Digital
May 23, 2002

Net making inroads on World Cup

South Korea has already won the World Cup, virtually.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 12, 2002

The free press exercise their muscles

In addition to being Japan's Constitution Day and the United Nations' Press Freedom Day, May 3 marked the 15th anniversary of the unsolved murder of Asahi Shimbun reporter Tomohiro Kojiri in Kobe.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 28, 2002

Stop the presses

At 7 p.m. on Oct. 11, 1946, it was quiet in The Japan Times newsroom in central Tokyo. The deadline for the next day's first edition had passed, and day-shift editors were ready to pack up and leave. Then, with no prior warning, a surprise visitor appeared in their midst.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 4, 2002

Beating the U.N. endgame in Cambodia

CANBERRA -- The U.N. Secretariat's Feb. 8 announcement ending further cooperation with Cambodia on jointly run Khmer Rouge trials has set off a round of international commentary, mostly unfavorable to Cambodia. Here is an attempt to set the record straight, based on reliable public sources.
LIFE / Digital / NAME OF THE GAME
Feb 14, 2002

Utah host to more than Olympics

With the 2002 Winter Olympics happening in Salt Lake City, the world will recognize that Utah is America's greatest mecca for skiing. But Utah is also an exporter of video games.
CULTURE / Film
Apr 25, 2001

All the trimmings

To convince consumers they should update their precious video collections to DVD, movie companies often add enticing extras that can't be found elsewhere. It's a marketing gimmick, but film buffs win, too. Here are five movies that look better on DVD:
LIFE / Digital / CYBERIA
Nov 24, 1999

Web's blog, stardate 1999

The Internet could be blamed for empowering armies of blowhards, chatterboxes and gas bags. While you probably have no shortage of these around you in the real world, you are just as likely to bump into them online, boasting, preaching, whining, ranting, blathering on about whatever has crossed their...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 6, 2023

North Korea says U.S.-South Korea drills push tension to 'brink of nuclear war'

State media KCNA released a commentary criticizing the exercises as 'a trigger for driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion.'
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 2, 2023

North Korea close to completing new nuclear reactor after Kim's bomb-fuel order

Japan, South Korea and the U.S. have all warned that North Korea appears ready to conduct its seventh nuclear blast — and first since 2017 — at any time.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 8, 2023

‘A Kamigata Anthology’: Everyday enjoyments of everyday people

The collection chronicles the rise of the “commoner arts' through genres like travelogs, poetry and easy-reading books that entertained the masses during the Edo Period (1603-1867).
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 18, 2023

In Chinese media, the U.S. is invariably the villain

China believes it is laying the foundation for a new global order more respectful and accommodating to other nations, potentially strengthening its position in the world.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 25, 2023

Extreme floods and heat in China ravage farms and kill animals

Ensuring China’s ability to feed 1.4 billion people is a key piece of Xi’s goal of leading the country to superpower status, but environmental factors are not helping.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 23, 2023

ChatGPT and sympathy for the algorithm

The year 2022 will be seen as when artificial intelligence gained street credibility with the release of ChatGPT, a new AI chatbot.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2023

Russian Muppets or American puppets?

The experience in the 1990s of trying to introduce “Sesame Street” to Russia offers valuable insights into the Russian mind.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 3, 2023

Asia’s winners and losers as region says sayonara to 2022

Say good by to 2022. But as a new year approaches, war, inflation and COVID-19 still endure.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Dec 31, 2022

Xi and Putin meet again, two strongmen in a weak moment

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February, Putin has been isolated and highly dependent on China to maintain a semblance of diplomatic and financial stability.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / 2022 in Review
Dec 31, 2022

Japanese stories captivated overseas audiences in 2022

This year marked increased recognition for female Japanese authors, while Japan-based stories provided the inspiration for Hollywood adaptations such as 'Bullet Train' and 'Tokyo Vice.'
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Dec 23, 2022

China lacked a 'zero COVID' exit strategy. Its people are paying the price.

The abrupt shift has left the nation scrambling to avert a collapse of its public health system.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 21, 2022

Sumo's topsy-turvy 2022 showed hopeful signs for sport's recovery

For the first time in over 30 years, all six grand tournaments in a calendar year were won by different wrestlers, with rank-and-filers sweeping the final three tournaments.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2022

Bans on TikTok gain momentum in Washington and states

In the past several weeks, at least 14 states have banned TikTok on government-issued devices.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Dec 20, 2022

In dealing with Beijing, Tokyo must adopt a strong security front

China's military expansion and its challenges to the existing international order have had a significant effect on the defense policies of Japan and the U.S., not to mention Taiwan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2022

The unmasking of Xi

COVID-19 rules apply to China's masses but evidently not to so much to the country's powerful and elite.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 13, 2022

China braces for ‘massive’ COVID-19 outbreak amid faster reopening

China's swift reopening has surprised many observers and stoked concerns that the world's second-biggest economy faces a rough road ahead.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 9, 2022

Challenging last mile for China's vaccine push after 'zero-COVID' retreat

Health risk analysis firm Airfinity has predicted as many as 2.1 million COVID-19 fatalities at current immunity levels.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 6, 2022

China COVID outbreak cresting as blanket testing measures eased

The nation reported 27,164 cases for Monday, down from 29,171 on Sunday. Infections have fallen each of the past eight days since peaking at 38,808 on Nov. 27.

Longform

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?