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July 19, 2024
 

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COUNTERPOINT

COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 26, 2008
A Japanese poet who found his true nature through nature itself
On Sept. 21 on this page, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the death of the poet, scientist and religious thinker Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933), I turned to him for inspired insight into the Japanese view of nature.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 19, 2008
Is anyone watching over Japan's official food-quality watchdogs?
A policeman named Bakichi suspects that a farmer has been selling tainted meat and visits his farm. He discovers that the farmer has, against the law, recently sold flesh from a cow that died of tuberculosis. But Bakichi returns to the police station and falsely reports that the farmer buried the cow's...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 12, 2008
Lack-of-rage rage is all the rage in apathetically raging Japan
A few weeks ago a Sydney radio station held a phone-in about rage. I was floored as I sat and listened to the people who called in to vent some spleen.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 5, 2008
So you think U.S. democracy's dying? Well, you're probably right
The national conventions of the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties are now but fast-fading memories. The only thing that I really wanted to know once they were over was: Who has the balloon concession for these events, because there's obviously a lot of easy money to be made from hot air.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 28, 2008
Talking of fanatics, careerists, cynics . . . and true believers
"We're doing the worst thing to you: We're depriving you of an enemy."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 7, 2008
Japan is both a model and warning for today's rising world powers
The United States of America considers itself the world's democratic social prototype. At least most Americans seem to buy into that national self-image.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 31, 2008
Can poetry in translation ever be as poetic in its new language?
A friend who was visiting recently from Germany posed me a difficult question: How can poetry be translated?
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 24, 2008
'Nation of copycats' maligns Japan's fine science and technology
One of the most commonly discussed issues of national character in Japan revolves around the question of personal creativity. Put simply, it is this: Are the Japanese lacking in the DNA of originality?
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 17, 2008
There's a lot to learn from the life and times of Beate Sirota Gordon
"This film is a requiem to people who have been persecuted and died in war."
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 10, 2008
Engineering a historical oblivion for soldiers of the wrong wars
My dad was a lucky man. Born in 1903, he was just too young for service in World War I and a bit too old for the same in World War II. Not that he couldn't have volunteered for the latter. He certainly could have, but decided not to.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Aug 3, 2008
Lest we forget, it's a story that cries out for telling and retelling
What can be more chilling than the statistics of war? Tens of thousands dying in a single day on the Western Front in World War I. Millions perishing in World War II. India. Pakistan. Korea. Kenya. Vietnam. Cambodia. Rwanda. Iraq. And where next?
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 27, 2008
One of poetry's finest reminds us of our place in the natural world
Skinny frog Don't give up! Issa is here
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 20, 2008
Lemon-picking prof prompts reflection on strange twists of fate
Lately I have been thinking about some wonderful teachers I was blessed with at university. Three, in particular, shaped my life. Had I not encountered them, I doubt that I myself would have become an author of fiction, a translator and a teacher.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 13, 2008
Self-praise abounds in the pages of wheeler-dealers' own obituaries
Japanese politicians are known for their perseverance and ingenuity, and the Diet may well be the last place in the country still offering lifetime employment.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 6, 2008
Was the Japanese language influenced by Tamil? The war goes on
For years I have been watching from the sidelines as the opponents battle it out. For the players this fight will go on and on, and the theater of war is right here.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 29, 2008
286 reasons to reflect on a Japan long gone, but worthy of reflection
I recently gave a talk on Japanese culture to a group of foreign students at Tokyo Institute of Technology. They hailed from a variety of places, including Scandinavia, the United States and Asian countries. I began by asking them to give me a keyword or two that they thought characterized Japanese life...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 22, 2008
Has Japan's dogged idealism of '68 become truly poodled?
On June 7, The New York Times' op-ed columnist Bob Herbert wrote an intriguing piece about the United States in 1968, recalling the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy exactly 40 years ago, and also referring to Sen. Barack Obama clinching the 2008 Democratic Party nomination for the presidency.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 15, 2008
Nuggets of 'wisdom' can speak volumes beyond what's said
"Biting Comments, Curious Statements and Famous Misstatements" is the headline on the lead article in the June 5 issue of the popular Japanese weekly magazine Bungei Shunju. It features dramatic ejaculations of famous politicians, sports figures and entertainers, among others.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 8, 2008
When it comes to the crunch, remaining neutral isn't an option
When a nation is living through a crisis, whether its citizens like it or not, it becomes a crisis of conscience for every individual.
COMMENTARY / Japan / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 1, 2008
Is aging Japan really ready for all the non-Japanese carers it needs?
One of the cliches most bandied about in the Japanese business world is yareba dekiru. An English equivalent might be the title of Jamaican reggae star Jimmy Cliff's great 1972 hit, "You Can Get It If You Really Want."
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

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