change feed

Japan Times

Korean at the forefront of Japan's modern art

At university I had friends who liked art, and we went to see art together and talked about it. But after I graduated, in 1961, I continued to become interested in avant- garde art groups, such as Neo-Dada and Hi Red Center. I thought those guys were fun, so I ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:58 PM

Climber missing in Swiss Alps

GENEVA (Kyodo) A 61-year-old Japanese man has gone missing while climbing in the Alps in southern Switzerland, the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland said Friday. He left his hotel last Sunday to climb the Jungfrau, one of the mountain range's main summits, but the hotel on Wednesday asked police to search ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:57 PM

Lemaitre locks up double with 200 win

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Christophe Lemaitre overcame another poor start to win the men's 200 meters and secure a sprint double, while Russia dominated the women's events at the European Championships on Friday. Lemaitre again recovered from an atrocious start and wobbly run around the bend to surge past four runners ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:56 PM

England leads by 172 against Pakistan

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) Pakistan avoided the follow on but was bowled out for 182 by England on Saturday on the third day of the first test. England leads by 172 runs at Trent Bridge after Pakistan resumed on 149-7 in reply to the hosts' 354, needing 8 to ensure the ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:55 PM

Problematic superconductors

For the record, the maglev in Shanghai rides 10 cm above the guideway, although its interface under the guideway and lateral stability interface are just 1 cm. In addition, the Shanghai system is a magnetic attraction system as opposed to the Japanese superconductor magnetic repulsion system. The cryogenics involved with ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:54 PM

Globalization of crime

Japanese criminals, too, are becoming more internationally minded. According to a white paper released by the National Police Agency on July 23, domestic criminal organizations are forming partnerships with overseas crime syndicates to smuggle drugs and launder money, and foreign groups are increasingly operating within Japan. In recent years a ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:53 PM

Exxon Mobil is paying its taxes

Regarding Stephen Hesse's July 25 column, "Wherefore art thou, corporate social responsibility?": I know that Hesse is not the author, but I just wanted to set the record straight about the claim he cited that Exxon Mobil did not pay U.S. income taxes for 2009. As of July 2, Exxon ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:52 PM

Korean at the forefront of Japan's modern art

For the last several years, Benesse Art Site on the island of Naoshima in the Seto Inland Sea has featured prominently in rankings of Japan's best tourist destinations. The publisher Rough Guides, for example, ranks the Kagawa Prefecture island's hotel and two art museums — set into a series of ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:51 PM

Korean at the forefront of Japan's modern art

Can you tell me a little more about your childhood in what is now the South Korean province of Gyeongsangnam-do? I've heard you took painting classes from an early age.

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:50 PM

Antlers bounce back after draw

KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. (Kyodo) Takuya Nozawa hit a brace as Kashima Antlers returned to winning ways with a routine 3-0 victory over Vissel Kobe in the J. League on Saturday. Nozawa's sixth and seventh goals of the season put Kashima in control at the break and Marquinhos sealed victory 16 ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:49 PM

China rapidly boosts investments in JGBs

China sharply expanded investments in Japanese government bonds in the first months of this year, apparently to increase exposure to stable Japanese vehicles against the backdrop of the European debt crisis, data from the Finance Ministry and other sources showed Saturday. While welcoming the interest from deep-pocketed China, which sits ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:48 PM

Sea turtle eggs found at Mie beach

TSU, Mie Pref. (Kyodo) Loggerhead turtle eggs have been found at a beach near a major industrial complex in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, for the first time since 2003, according to a local conservation group. The 100 or so eggs, which are expected to hatch in about two months, were confirmed ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:47 PM

Tseng grabs four-stroke lead

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) Yani Tseng certainly is consistent. The 21-year-old from Taiwan shot her second consecutive 4-under 68 on Friday, taking a four-shot lead after the second round of the Women's British Open.

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:46 PM

Population falls for first time since '07

Japan's population fell to 127,057,860 in the year to March 31, down for the first time in three years, largely because of an increase in the number of deaths amid the aging of the population, data released by the internal affairs ministry showed Saturday. The population was down 18,323, with ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:45 PM

Fighters wield powerful sticks against Lions

OBIHIRO, Hokkaido (Kyodo) Eiichi Koyano hit two of his team's four homers and drove in four runs as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters held on for a 9-7 win over the Seibu Lions on Saturday, snapping a three-game losing skid. Shota Ono ignited the offense with a solo blast with ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:44 PM

Mom: no remorse for kids' deaths

OSAKA (Kyodo) A 23-year-old mother who was arrested Friday after the rotting corpses of her two toddlers were found at their apartment in the city of Osaka has told investigators that she wanted time for herself, police sources said Saturday. "I thought about a week later they might be dead," ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:43 PM

Eagles sign pitcher Yabu

SENDAI (Kyodo) The Tohoko Rakuten Golden Eagles have signed former major league right-hander Keiichi Yabu to a ¥10 million deal running through the end of this season, the Pacific League club said on Saturday. Yabu, 41, was released by the San Francisco Giants in July 2009 when he was at ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:42 PM

Japanese quotes cast country's life and culture in disparate lights

SECOND IN A THREE-PART SERIES — In its current issue, the popular monthly magazine Bungei Shunju has a long feature titled "Tekichushita yogen 50," meaning "50 predictions that hit the mark." Most of the selections were made by famous Japanese people about the future of their country, and in this ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:41 PM

The changing book world

In a time of major uncertainty for the Japanese book world, the latest winners of two major book awards have been announced. The Akutagawa Prize for promising newcomers went to Ms. Akiko Akazome, and the Naoki Prize for more established writers of popular fiction to Ms. Kyoko Nakajima. Ms. Akazome ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:40 PM

Boat built for ancient sea voyage

MATSUE, Shimane Pref. (Kyodo) A citizens' group in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, on Saturday launched a prototype dugout boat into a lake in preparation for re-enacting an ancient sea voyage between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The group, which held a launching ceremony at Lake Shinji, plans to carry out the ...

Posted on July 31, 2010 at 9:39 PM