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JAPAN

Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 27, 2019
'Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy' spells out capital's plan to take on global climate crisis
Tucked into the tail end of the decade was Friday's release of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy," which unveils a blueprint for achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2019
Japan’s Cabinet adopts plan to send SDF to Mideast amid Iran tensions
The “investigation and research” mission will send the destroyer Takanami into an area where tensions over Iran's nuclear program are high and an attack could drag Japan into war.
Japan Times
Critics assail secrecy over unexploded chemical weapons left by Imperial Japanese Army
At the end of World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army left a number of unexploded shells filled with poison gas used as munitions. In the 2000s, when such artillery shells were discovered and retrieved from the seabed off the coastal town of Kanda, Fukuoka Prefecture, the central government issued an...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Dec 27, 2019
VR builds bridge between staff and young detainees with developmental disorders in Japan
One day in mid-November, instructors at the Miyagawa medical reformatory, which treats delinquent teenage boys with developmental disorders, in Ise, Mie Prefecture, experienced how people with the disabilities perceive the world by wearing virtual reality goggles and watching a video.
Japan Times
Okinawa residents live in fear of stray munitions from U.S. practice range
The proximity of Okinawa Prefecture's Igei Ward in the town of Kin to a U.S. Marine Corps live shooting range puts residents at constant risk of stray bullets and other munitions landing on private property, ripping through roofs or even injuring civilians.
Japan Times
Tokyo Olympic torchbearers from Fukushima hope event showcases recovery
Applicants across Japan have begun receiving notification that they were selected to run in the Japan leg of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay that will kick off on March 26 at the J-Village soccer facility in Fukushima Prefecture, where efforts to recover from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and...
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 27, 2019
Arrested lawmaker Akimoto's 2018 Hokkaido trip linked to Sapporo firm planning casino resort
A family trip to Hokkaido made in 2018 by ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Tsukasa Akimoto, who was arrested Wednesday over bribery allegations, was apparently prompted by a request from a Sapporo tourism company that planned to launch a project to build a casino resort there, it was learned...
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 27, 2019
Osaka panel greenlights metropolis plan, setting stage for second referendum
A joint panel set up by Osaka's prefectural and municipal governments has approved a so-called Osaka metropolis plan to reorganize the city into four special wards governed directly by the prefecture in 2025.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 27, 2019
Amid bribery and cherry party scandals, Abe unlikely to call a snap Japan election
Ruling party members now believe that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is even less likely to call a general election in the near future after the arrest of a former state minister for alleged bribery.

ASIA PACIFIC

ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 27, 2019
Alleged killings of Muslims by Indian police fuel anger in national protests
Zaheer Ahmed had just returned home from work in northern India and stepped out for a smoke before lunch. Minutes later, he was dead, shot in the head.

WORLD

Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 27, 2019
Drones need tracking network for expanded flights, U.S. agency says
All but the smallest civilian drones would have to broadcast radio tracking data to ensure greater safety and prevent terrorism under a sweeping proposal unveiled by U.S. regulators on Thursday.
WORLD
Dec 27, 2019
Ukraine to buy more Javelin anti-tank missile systems from U.S.
Ukraine will purchase a second consignment of U.S. Javelin anti-tank missiles and launch units, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 27, 2019
Archaeologists find 1,000-year-old Mayan palace in eastern Mexico
Archaeologists have discovered a large palace likely used by the Mayan elite more than 1,000 years ago in the ancient city of Kuluba, near the modern day tourist hot spot of Cancun in eastern Mexico, Mexican anthropology officials said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 27, 2019
'The escalator is going up': Alaska to record its warmest year yet
Alaska is set to finish 2019 with a record average high temperature after a year of extremes ranging from a sweltering summer and rampant wildfires to vanishing sea ice and winter rains where heavy snows were once the norm.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 27, 2019
Turkey to send troops to Libya at Tripoli's request, Erdogan says
Turkey will send troops to Libya at the request of Tripoli as soon as next month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, putting the North African country's conflict at the center of wider regional frictions.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 27, 2019
After Cabinet opposed Trump plan to brand Mexican drug cartels as terror groups, he forged ahead
In the weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration this month that he would forge ahead with designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, Cabinet members and top aides from across the government recommended against it, five people knowledgeable about the matter told...
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 27, 2019
Notre Dame restoration enters risky phase with removal of mangled scaffolding
The operation to shore up fire-ravaged Notre-Dame Cathedral is entering a risky stage as engineers resume preparations for the removal of scaffolding that could provoke a further collapse.
WORLD / Society
Dec 27, 2019
British authorities pick up 49 suspected migrants trying to cross Channel in small boats
British border and coast guard elements picked up 49 suspected migrants on Thursday as they were trying to cross the Channel from France in small boats, according to media reports.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 27, 2019
Russian authorities use power tools to raid Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's Moscow office
Russian authorities raided the Moscow headquarters of opposition politician Alexei Navalny on Thursday, using power tools to gain entry before dragging Navalny out by force and confiscating technical equipment such as laptops.

BUSINESS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 27, 2019
Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai, one of the few directors to stand up to Masayoshi Son, exits SoftBank board
Fast Retailing Co. Chief Executive Officer Tadashi Yanai is leaving SoftBank Group Corp.'s board after more than 18 years as one of the few directors with the heft to challenge Masayoshi Son.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2019
China prodding state firms to invest and take more control in Hong Kong
China has called on its biggest state firms to take a more active role in Hong Kong, including stepping up investment and asserting more control over companies in the financial hub, executives familiar with the matter said as Beijing attempts to calm months of unrest in the city.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 27, 2019
Falling output and retail sales signal Japan's economic strains
Industrial output slipped for the second straight month in November, raising the likelihood that the economy will contract in the fourth quarter due to slowing demand abroad and at home.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 27, 2019
Deepening negative rates would do more harm than good, says Bank of Japan ex-deputy
The Bank of Japan has nearly exhausted its policy ammunition for boosting the economy, as deepening negative interest rates — seen as the most likely step if it were to expand stimulus — will do more harm than good, former BOJ Deputy Gov. Toshiro Mutoh has said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 27, 2019
Lawson to allow New Year's store closures in Japan on trial basis
Lawson Inc. plans to allow some outlets to close during the New Year's holiday period on a trial basis, said Sadanobu Takemasu, president and chief executive officer of the convenience store chain, in a recent interview.
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2019
Robots cleaning up at stations and airports in labor-hungry Japan
More and more unmanned cleaning robots are being used in Japan, mainly at public transportation facilities, amid severe labor shortages.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 27, 2019
With image at stake, Seven-Eleven cautious about store closures
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. is cautious about allowing its franchise convenience stores to close, its president, Fumihiko Nagamatsu, indicated in a recent interview.
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2019
Abe and Bank of Japan's Kuroda apply more pressure on firms to raise wages
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda piled pressure on the country's business leaders Thursday, urging them to lift wages to help boost the economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 27, 2019
Asahi Breweries to lift ban on regular workers taking side jobs from Jan. 1
Asahi Breweries Ltd. said Thursday it will allow most of its regular workers to take casual side jobs from Jan. 1.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2019
Ruling against France's Orange over suicides sets precedent for corporate responsibility
A landmark ruling against the former French telecommunications monopoly could pave the way for similar collective procedures.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2019
Turkey's Halkbank fails to halt U.S. prosecution for allegedly aiding Iran
A federal judge in Manhattan on Thursday rejected a request by Turkey's state-owned Halkbank to put on hold a federal prosecution accusing it of helping Iran evade U.S. economic sanctions.

Opinion

EDITORIALS
Dec 27, 2019
Better legal protection for sex crime victims
The Shiori Ito verdict marked an important milestone for women's rights in Japan, but it also revealed how far behind this country is at protecting sex crime victims.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 27, 2019
Nurture Japan's strength to innovate
Japan is lagging behind many other countries when it comes to innovation.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2019
What happens when the internet gets less American?
The popularity of Chinese-owned TikTok raises concerns about security and values.

Sports

Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 27, 2019
Roberto Firmino nets pair in Liverpool win
Liverpool moved 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League after hammering its closest challenger, Leicester City, 4-0 at the King Power Stadium on Thursday with Roberto Firmino scoring twice.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Dec 27, 2019
Rizing Zephyr's Shunto Murakami gives team big lift in fourth quarter against Storks
Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka shooting guard Shunto Murakami was fouled repeatedly in the fourth quarter of Friday's home game against the Nishinomiya Storks.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 27, 2019
Australia takes command in second test on Travis Head's century
Australia's pacemen struck twice to leave New Zealand vulnerable at 44 for two on the second day of the Boxing Day test after Travis Head scored a sparkling century to put the hosts firmly in command.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Dec 27, 2019
Russia confirms it will appeal four-year Olympic doping ban
Russia has confirmed that it will appeal against its four-year Olympic ban for manipulating doping data.

CULTURE

Japan Times
Ep. 27 'I Can't Be Here'
Last episode, we were bombarded with new roommates joining the house, and now it's time to see how Vivi, Tupas and Kai are settling in. It's clear that everyone loves Vivi, and who can blame them? Well, everyone but Hana, probably, because that ray of sunshine is after her man.
Japan Times
CULTURE / 2019 in Review
Dec 27, 2019
In video games, 2019 was the year of Death Stranding
The year saw an array of original titles hit the shelves, alongside a selection of reboots of existing francihses
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Dec 27, 2019
Pucker up for this year's 'Kohaku,' and brace yourself for a kiss to remember
NHK's 'Kohaku Uta Gassen' New Year's Eve television song contest is embracing something a little different this year, with an international metal crossover act.

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