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August 2019
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JAPAN

Japan Times
Past participants in Japan's lay judge system reveal its challenges
"The accused was sitting right there, so close to me, and yet I felt like there was an unbridgeable distance between us."
Japan Times
Former Vietnamese refugee reunites with the Okinawan ship captain who saved him and 104 others in 1983
For the first time in 36 years, a former refugee reunited with an Okinawan man who rescued him and a hundred others fleeing their home country of Vietnam from a cramped and food-depleted boat sailing on a perilous journey.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2019
Donations to Japan's hometown tax donation program topped record ¥512 billion in 2018
The annual total surged 40 percent, the steepest increase on record, as governments drew interest from around the nation with generous return gifts.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2019
Japan's social security benefits topped ¥120 trillion to hit record high in 2017
Social security benefits paid out in fiscal 2017 reached a record high and exceeded ¥120 trillion for the first time, a welfare ministry-affiliated think tank said Friday.
Japan Times
Job security eludes Japan's growing ranks of post-doctorate part-time lecturers
Yosuke Amaike, 39, spends a busy week juggling work at four different schools, where he works as a part-time instructor.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2019
First engine-powered aircraft to ever fly in Japan returns to Tokorozawa in Saitama
An exhibition featuring the first engine-powered aircraft to fly in Japan opened at an aviation museum in Tokorozawa on Thursday, marking its return to the city in Saitama Prefecture after 74 years.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2019
People involved with Tokyo Olympics to be encouraged to get measles and rubella vaccinations
The government has put together a program to tackle infectious diseases ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, including a plan to encourage those involved in the event to get measles and rubella vaccinations.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2019
Hangings carried out for two Japanese death row inmates convicted of multiple rape-murders
The hangings of rapists and murderers Koichi Shoji and Yasunori Suzuki were Japan's first executions of 2019.

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 2, 2019
Thousands of Hong Kong civil servants rally peacefully behind protesters as wave of demonstrations looms
Thousands of Hong Kong civil servants rallied on Friday night to support protesters and urge authorities to rebuild confidence in the government as escalating protests rock the Asian financial hub.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 2, 2019
South Korean petition to ban imports of sex dolls forces government response
A petition calling for a ban on importing life-size sex dolls into South Korea has gathered nearly a quarter of a million signatures as of Friday, passing a threshold that requires the president's office to respond to the matter.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 2, 2019
Dozens of top Kashmiri separatists still imprisoned as India bids to marginalize leaders
More than five months after they were detained without charge, dozens of separatist leaders from Indian-administered Kashmir remain imprisoned as the government in New Delhi seeks to marginalize them, according to sources and figures from a rights group.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 2, 2019
Trump plays down third North Korean missile test in eight days as allies' concerns grow
North Korea fired two "new-type" projectiles from its east coast, the South Korean military said Friday — the country's third launch in just over a week, but one that U.S. President Donald Trump looked to play down — as a trade and history clash between Tokyo and Seoul threatened joint efforts to...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Aug 2, 2019
India's top court moves politician's rape trial over intimidation fears
India's Supreme Court on Thursday moved the rape trial of a powerful regional politician to the capital, New Delhi, to allay fears he could influence the outcome, a further embarrassment for the Hindu nationalist ruling party.

WORLD

Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 2, 2019
After INF treaty's demise, U.S. seeks funds for missile tests
The United States will no longer be prohibited from having ground-launched intermediate-range missiles once it pulls out of an arms control treaty with Russia on Friday, but funds to test and develop the missiles may soon run out, officials say.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 2, 2019
Astronomers find that Milky Way is a warped and twisted galaxy
Astronomers have created the most precise map to date of the Milky Way by tracking thousands of big pulsating stars spread throughout the galaxy, demonstrating that its disk of myriad stars is not flat but dramatically warped and twisted in shape.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Aug 2, 2019
Joe Biden defends Obama legacy against Democratic criticism during debate
Joe Biden came to Barack Obama's defense Thursday after Democratic presidential candidates' sharp critiques of the popular former president's legacy during the second presidential debate.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 2, 2019
Accused Seattle hacker of Capital One tied to threat to shoot up California social media firm
The Seattle woman accused of a massive hack of personal and financial data from Capital One Financial Corp. threatened to shoot up an unnamed California social media company, according to court records.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Aug 2, 2019
Four killed in renewed Sudan protests, opposition medics say
At least four protesters were killed and many injured by gunfire in the Sudanese city of Omdurman on Thursday, opposition medics said, as hundreds of thousands took to the streets to pile pressure on the country's military rulers.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 2, 2019
Justice Department declines to prosecute ex-FBI chief James Comey over leaks
Justice Department officials have declined to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey for mishandling classified information, including leaking a memo to the media about his interactions with President Donald Trump, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

BUSINESS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Aug 2, 2019
Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods: Paid by U.S. importers, not by China
With U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Thursday of tariffs on another $300 billion of Chinese imports nearly all goods from the country are set to be subject to U.S. import taxes, which Trump says will generate billions of dollars in revenue from China for the U.S. Treasury.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2019
South Korea braces for Japan's tighter export restrictions
As Asian markets slid Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he'll impose more tariffs on China, another trade spat between Japan and South Korea is escalating.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 2, 2019
Yahoo Japan pushes out CEO of partner Askul as public dispute heats up
Yahoo Japan Corp. has pushed out the chief executive officer at partner Askul Corp., intensifying a public dispute between two of Japan's major internet companies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2019
Trump resisted Treasury chief's proposal to warn China of new tariffs, tweeting even as they spoke
President Donald Trump ruled out giving Beijing advance notice of his intent to slap a new 10 percent tariff on $300 billion in Chinese goods in an Oval Office meeting before he announced the duties, according to several people familiar with the discussion.
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2019
Japan officially approves scrubbing South Korea from 'white list' of countries
In response, South Korean President Moon pledged countermeasures that might affect military information exchanges with Japan — a key part of their three-way security pact with the U.S.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2019
Facebook says it dismantled covert influence campaign tied to Saudi government
People connected to the government of Saudi Arabia have run a network of fake accounts and pages on Facebook to promote state propaganda and attack regional rivals, the social media giant said on Thursday.

Opinion

EDITORIALS
Aug 2, 2019
China-U.S. trade woes drag on
Japan must brace for the impact of the U.S.-China trade dispute.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 2, 2019
Is populism finally coming to Japan?
The success of leftist party Reiwa Shinsengumi marks a turning point in Japanese politics.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 2, 2019
Pension reform must accompany consumption tax hike
To end people's fears that the public pension won't support them in retirement, the government must place comprehensive social security reform at the top of the political agenda.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 2, 2019
Iran's next move, and how the U.S. and its allies can stop it
The U.S. and its European allies must get ready to sweep mines, escort tankers, launch cyberattacks and, perhaps, sink Iranian ships.

Sports

Tatsunori Hara has shot at top 10 for most wins by a manager
Tatsunori Hara moved into rarefied air when his Yomiuri Giants beat the Hiroshima Carp on Tuesday night, becoming the 13th NPB manager to reach 1,000 career victories.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Aug 2, 2019
Bill Bradley details Chiune Sugihara's heroism in award-winning radio documentary
Bill Bradley, captain of the U.S. gold medal-winning basketball team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, was recently involved in another winning (and historically important) project with ties to Japan.

LIFE

Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Aug 2, 2019
The little curiosities of Monzen-Nakacho
From craft goods and antiques to unusual galettes and premium sake, Tokyo's Mon-Naka neighborhood has it all.

CULTURE

Japan Times
Ep. 10 'The Boy That Gets Treated'
After last week's barn-burner of an episode, we needed a little bit of a breather. There are still plenty moments of joy this week, but first, let's get the Kenny-Haruka-Risako love triangle out of the way.

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Aug 2, 2019
Linking mental illness to violence tarnishes an entire community
Initial reports on the Kyoto Animation fire tagged the alleged arsonist as dealing with mental illness, but his criminal past should have been emphasized more.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji