Tag - counterpoint

 
Menu
Search
 
July 19, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

COUNTERPOINT

COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 23, 2007
Oh, to be American — with God on Your side
The administration of George W. Bush, with its faith-based mission, is seen by many as a radical departure from the main- stream of American politics. But in fact it is no more than a continuation, in a mildly extreme form, of what has gone before. Bush has changed the typeface, but not the layout, on...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 16, 2007
'Kyoko' shines on as the true star she was
Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the death of a wonderful friend. Actress and author Kyoko Kishida passed away on Dec. 17, 2006, and Japan lost not only a fantastic stage presence but also an immense creative spirit and inspiration to its young actors.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 9, 2007
A moment of opportunity for Australia's new PM
The election of Kevin Rudd as prime minister of Australia last month gives that country an excellent opportunity to broaden the base, and redefine the tenor, of its ties with Japan.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 2, 2007
A country of consumers who salivate over swank
Does any country have as many food programs on television as Japan?
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 25, 2007
Salvation Skype's out for a state of despair
I must confess this Sunday. No, I am not about to blurt out my sins. I would rather keep those to myself, thank you. The confession today is out of total despair. Despair for this country we are living in: Japan.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 18, 2007
How well do you really know Japan?
Well, dear reader, it's time for our annual How Well Do You Know Japan? quiz.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 11, 2007
Why trust the self-serving United States anymore?
I began by asking myself the question linked inevitably to the survival of the United States as a trusted nation in the 21st century: Why can't America admit defeat?
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 4, 2007
Who'd trust conservatives to conserve the countryside?
Farmers in many countries are icons of their nation's ethos. But "American Gothic," Grant Wood's famed 1930s painting of a gaunt, stoic-looking farming couple complete with pitchfork, is by no means the whole story. In fact, today it is not even part of it.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 28, 2007
A rough guide to avoiding ethnocentric cloddery
Writing in The Guardian on Oct. 16, Mark McCrum listed 10 "hot tips to avoid social embarrassment" while traveling overseas. There were three among these travel faux pas that particularly caught my eye.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 21, 2007
The power of telling tales versus making apologies
In his new book, "The Political Brain," Drew Westen analyzes in detail the election debates of 2000 between Al Gore and George W. Bush. Westen points out that it was Gore's dispassionate approach to issues that hurt him. Bush, then as now, presents himself as someone who knows what is right (and moral)...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 14, 2007
To embrace political renewal or cling to continuity
Every four years Americans want to believe they can reinvent themselves. Elections for the presidency offer them the opportunity, as they faithfully see it, to renounce the past and "get this country moving again."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 7, 2007
Disparate values may still a democracy make
US President Lyndon B. Johnson used to say of people, "Once you've got 'em by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 30, 2007
Bilingual blanks are nothing to kobosu your guchi about
Last week in this column, I addressed the trials and tribulations of bringing up a child to be bilingual — both for parents and children. As anyone who has been down that road knows, it's what Japanese people would call shinan no waza (an arduous task).
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 23, 2007
Homes is where the native languages are
"My children are bilingual." How many parents would love to be able to say that — and believe it!
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 16, 2007
Is it right to judge creativity by its 'correctness'?
"Brute! You brute! You beast!" Gloria exclaimed. "You haven't changed, have you? You haven't changed a bit. You're still the little Jew who sold rags and scrap metal in New York, from a sack on your back."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 9, 2007
Americans share blame for Bush's 9/11 'devil'
There is no worse tragedy than one transformed into profanity. The profanity is compounded when it is not recognized as such by the mass of people.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 2, 2007
Cultural affinity bodes well for growing ties with India
Legend has it that in ancient times a mask made its way from India to Japan. One look at today's Noh mask called Beshimi would confirm this legend: Its tea-colored complexion, large eyes and ample nostrils certainly make it look nothing like a Japanese, but like a native of India.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 26, 2007
APEC 'circus' precedes main Aussie drama
The eyes of the world will be on Sydney next month, and as that's where I am at the moment, I can tell you we are expecting the city to be under siege.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 19, 2007
Can justice possibly 'flower' in Japan's new courts?
A new poster at subway stations in Tokyo shows a smiling young woman confidently clutching her handbag along with the slogan: "About the time I turn 20, the courts will change. I guess both the law and the courts will become more familiar then."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 12, 2007
Forsake not the elderly, for they bear a great bounty
They are remodeling the station near where I work in Tokyo, and I marvel at the diligence of the security guards directing pedestrians inconvenienced by the building work. Virtually all the guards are seniors, most likely retirees from other forms of employment. I usually arrive at my station by 6 a.m.,...
Triple whammy takes Japan bankruptcies to decade high
More Japanese firms have gone bankrupt in the first half of this year due to soaring costs, labor shortages and the end of pandemic-related support.
With eye on China, Japan deepens ties with Pacific islands at Tokyo summit
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the Cook Islands' Prime Minister Mark Brown shake hands during 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting on Thursday in Tokyo.
Say cheese: Japanese scientists make robot face 'smile' with living skin
A researcher at the University of Tokyo shows a face mold covered in human skin tissue at its lab.
Rainy season ends in Tokai and Kanto regions
The streets of Tokyo's Ginza district on Thursday. The rainy season appears to have ended in the regions of Tokai and Kanto, including Tokyo, on Thursday, according to the Meteorological Agency.
India’s envoy in Japan calls for boosted supply chain and defense cooperation
Indian Ambassador Sibi George says one of his main tasks in his post is to boost Japanese public and private investments the South Asian powerhouse.
After Tokyo Olympic disappointment, Nadeshiko Japan look for redemption
Japan's Hikaru Kitagawa dribbles past a defender during an Olympic qualifying match against North Korea at National Stadium in Tokyo in February.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Festival overcomes a nuclear accident and COVID
Festival overcomes a nuclear accident and COVID

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER