National

'Abenomics' spiel guardedly praised

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, resolved to end nearly two decades of deflation and revive the economy, explains his economic and fiscal policies to his fellow G-8 chiefs, turning "Abenomics" into an international commitment in the process.

Ova bank presents legal issues

If things go smoothly, a Kobe-based private network will begin in vitro fertilization with ova from donors by yearend. Some legal problems are expected.

Lifestyle | CHILD'S PLAY

Dragons, mist and bouncy clouds await in west Tokyo

by Jason Jenkins

About 45 minutes from Tokyo’s skyscrapers, resting in the hinterlands of Tachikawa there is a land of mist and dragons. It’s a place where rolling hills tumble toward an Aztec pyramid, and children bounce on clouds. The place is called Showa Kinen Koen, and ...

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT

Chatting about Japan with Snowden, the NSA whistle-blower

by Christopher Johnson

Edward Snowden, the fugitive former CIA employee and NSA contractor who leaked secrets about America’s spying operations, often hung out online with foreigners in Japan who shared his interests in anime, video games, martial arts, the stock market and the expat lifestyle. Snowden, who ...

Entertainment

Hacker game's world now frighteningly familiar

Across the colorful show floor at last week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, there were games on display where players could become all manner of things, like a throat-slashing 18th-century pirate, zombie killer, a guardian of the last city on Earth, music-making sorcerer, ruthless Roman general, ...

Basketball

Ginobili brings Spurs to brink of NBA title

Manu Ginobili ran onto the floor as fans stood and screamed. He went to the bench, and they chanted his name. The sights and sounds of so many San Antonio spring nights were back Sunday — and the real party might be just a ...

More Sports / Golf

Ishikawa moves atop leaderboard

Kyodo

KUWANA, Mie Pref. – Ryo Ishikawa surprised himself in his professional debut on the tour after two impressive rounds put him on top of the provisional leaderboard at the rain-disrupted Token Homemate Cup on Friday. Ishikawa birdied the final hole of his suspended first round before returning to the Token Tado Country Club Nagoya course to shoot a second-round 67 as the 16-year-old took the clubhouse lead on 7-under-par 135 at the season-opening event of the JGTO circuit. Steven Conran, a 41-year-old Australian tour veteran, finished two rounds one shot adrift while five players were at 5-under when darkness suspended play for the second straight day.