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This from Loco in Yokohama: I know it’s difficult to do anything life altering. I didn’t come here planning to alter my life. It just kind of happened and I fought it every step of the way. Which only made it more intense, and more interesting I’d like to believe…the results of which [...]

12,000 join JPC since September last year, 30% of new members are young people
During the period between September 2007 and October 2008, 12,000 persons joined the Japanese Communist Party (JCP).  The JCP held the 5th convention of its Central Committee in September last year. About 30% of the 12,000 are those who are in their [...]

Some of the older heads here at BT have previously shared their various encounters and experiences on “riding the train in Japan” on the BT Forum. Here is an interesting post by Loco in Yokohama:
“Imagination without action is dreaming. But, my imagination is my life and sanity preserver. Without it, I’d drown for sure. For [...]

Japanese universities look abroad in hopes of upping their sagging enrollments

Rie Yoshinaga had a wide range of colleges to choose from.

Globalization: Of the 6,000 students at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Kyushu, nearly half come from abroad, as does the faculty. Classes are taught both in English and Japanese. TOMOKO OTAKE PHOTOS

Having studied at a high [...]

It’s the morning rush and the only train that can get you where you need to go on time will be hissing to the track in two minutes. Meanwhile you have to buy a ticket.
But the guy ahead of you at the ticket machine has stopped cold. Instead of plinking in his coins, he hops [...]

An interesting discussion on why foreigners have bipolar views of Japan:
“Living here in Japan has really opened my eyes to the hearts and minds of the minorities here in Japan (myself included), and the immigrants back home in the States.
Before living here in Japan, I would from time to time make a wise crack or [...]