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October 27, 2025
 

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Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Aug 31, 2021

'A huge step forward': NHK brings human touch to computer-generated sign-language commentary

The move is the national broadcaster's most ambitious initiative yet to bring a variety of content to Japan's deaf population.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 3, 2014

Xi, Abe may not meet at APEC summit next week: Xinhua commentary

China's official Xinhua News Agency pours cold water on the idea that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Xi Jinping could have formal talks next week.
JAPAN / Politics
May 10, 2013

Japan protests China's Okinawa commentary

The government has lodged "a strong protest" against a commentary published by a Chinese state-run newspaper that questioned the legitimacy of Japan's ownership of Okinawa, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Mar 11, 2017

'Twenty-four Eyes': A quiet commentary on the inhumanity of war

Any list of Japan's top 10 films invariably includes the 1954 movie version of "Twenty-four Eyes," directed by Keisuke Kinoshita and starring Hideko Takamine in one of her signature roles as schoolteacher Hisako Oishi.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Jun 20, 2015

Shusaku Endo's 'Wonderful Fool' is an incisive commentary on the materialism and spiritual emptiness of 1950s Japan

There's loads of literature that illuminates the foreigner's struggle in Japan. But these tales about "strangers in a strange land" are mostly written from the stranger's point of view. It's more unusual to read the Japanese perspective, which is one reason why Shusaku Endo's "Wonderful Fool" — first...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 13, 2006

World Cup commentary a whole new ball game

It's the season of the Warudo Kappu (World Cup, duh!), the season that screams: Sakka fuan ni arazuba hito ni arazu (Those who aren't soccer fans aren't even people). At least until July 11 (the day after the World Cup final) that is, or until the sakka netsu (soccer fever) abates -- whichever comes...
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Apr 24, 2004

Barkley's commentary makes him look like a buffoon

NEW YORK -- As most of us with a pulse know all too well, Charles Barkley rarely says something that isn't stone stupid unless he has impounded somebody else's original thought. And TNT couldn't be prouder presenting its Master of the Oblivious.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 25, 2023

‘Baby Assassins 2 Babies’: Flying fists with a side of social commentary

Yugo Sakamoto channels Quentin Tarantino in comedy style and verbosity in his action film about a pair of bickering hitwomen who find themselves on the outs with their assassins guild.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 7, 2023

Tips for better diplomatic commentary

As I grow older and wiser, here are seven lessons I have learned as a career Japanese diplomat.
A Philippine flag flutters from a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has been aground since 1999, and became a Philippine military detachment on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea in 2014.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 9, 2024

In media commentary, China urges Philippines to work with Beijing on ties

The Philippines and China have exchanged accusations recently of intentionally ramming vessels, including a violent clash in which a Filipino sailor lost a finger.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, announces a slew of retaliatory measures against China, including sanctions, at a news conference at the White House in May 2020.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2023

Protectionism started the geopolitical fire

The protectionism in the post-pandemic economic shutdowns will also impact international relations.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 8, 2023

Explaining Japan's nuanced approach to the Israel-Hamas war

Japan has the potential to influence the conflict due to its distinctive position within the international community.
A rally in Moscow marks the centenary of the Russian Revolution on Nov. 7, 2017. Vladimir Lenin's belief in principled pragmatism offers important lessons for today's political leaders.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 14, 2024

Lenin’s lesson for Israel and Ukraine

The Bolshevik leader brought strong principles together with concrete analysis, an approach that could guide political leaders in Israel and Ukraine alike.
If the billions of people who will watch this summer's Paris Olympic Games were to take inspiration from history and call for cease-fires in today's wars, many lives could be saved.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 17, 2024

Restore the Olympic peace

International collaboration and moral leadership are essential for achieving peace, paralleling the ancient Olympic Games as symbols of halting hostilities.
Giant figures depicting Russian authors Anton Chekhov, Alexander Pushkin, Daniil Kharms and Fyodor Dostoyevsky are paraded through a carnival in central Moscow in September 2015.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 27, 2024

When art is all that remains

Looking at the Kremlin today, one wonders, “Do they really now know how this story ends?” Art will always have the last word.
Much of the current media coverage is skewing the portrayal of Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, using inflammatory labels that distort public understanding and amplify foreign disinformation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 24, 2025

When media distortion threatens democratic stability

Systematic bias — employing loaded terminology and decontextualized narratives — undermines informed democratic discourse
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 23, 2023

Kishida faces leadership test over Johnny's sexual abuse scandal

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who prides himself on his “ability to listen,” faces a test of his leadership amid the Johnny's sexual abuse scandal.
Central to China’s global media campaign is the aggressive use of new technologies to target and spread messages, silence critics and create a digital infrastructure that is more easily controlled.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 3, 2023

Pushing back against China’s media offensive

China is using propaganda, disinformation, censorship and covert tactics to promote its preferred narrative and suppress critical reporting.
Various student and left-wing organizations march in support of Palestinians in New Delhi on Monday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 17, 2023

Hamas' war and what it means for India

Some strategic thinkers are calling for a broader "Indo-Abrahamic Alliance" that includes not only the I2U2 but also Egypt and Saudi Arabia
A rally in support of Israel is held in Tokyo on Oct. 11 during which participants, including Israelis living in Japan, demanded the immediate release of all hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2023

A primer on the Israel-Hamas war


Japan's image of Israel is shallow and distorted, as many people fail to understand the existential threat that Hamas' aggression poses.
Germany, which likely plays a key role in determining Europe’s China strategy, unveiled its 64-page strategy on China on July 13.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Nov 14, 2023

Germany’s China strategy is epoch-making but ambiguous

While attempting to protect its interests, Berlin has had to deal with business circles attempting to avoid damaging ties with Beijing.
A new study challenges conventional wisdom on income inequality and questions if the top 1% are really pulling away.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2023

America’s top 1% don’t make as much as you might think

A new study challenges conventional wisdom on income inequality and questions if the top 1% are really pulling away.
What’s worrying from the stock market’s perspective is that the Reserve Bank of India is taking more direct steps to rein in debt-fueled consumption.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 7, 2023

The world’s most-loved emerging market is feeling jittery

India's economic prosperity is primarily being attributed to a small elite class referred to as the "Octopus class."
A contingency in the event that China invades Taiwan is emerging as a key focus in Japan’s new defense policy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 17, 2023

Will Japan intervene in a Taiwan contingency? It depends.

If Taiwan puts up a fight against a Chinese invasion, it would likely engender a U.S. intervention that would not be possible without Japan’s assistance.
An image of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the temple in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, the site of his killing in June
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 21, 2023

Western nations grapple with plots to assassinate Sikhs

From undercover stings to diplomatic tensions, unpacking the Sikh hit man plots in Canada and the U.S.
Japan is the only country with a law requiring married couples to adopt the same surname. In 95% of cases, it is women who take their husband's name.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 7, 2024

The land where single surnames are the only option

The business lobby recently joined calls for Japan to accept separate surnames after marriage. What, then, is standing in the way of change? Politics.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the international community is currently experiencing "gridlock" and suffering "colossal global dysfunction.”
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 28, 2024

No one wins in a lose-lose world

Fragmentation of the world economy could derail growth, especially in low-income countries, turning zero-sum thinking into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Humility, recognition of cultural blind spots and a renewed effort are needed to find common ground between China and the United States.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 19, 2024

Addressing the 'blind spots' in U.S.-China relations

The dwindling opportunities for unofficial dialogue between scholars and experts from the U.S. and China are also driving by mutual suspicion and fear.
Around 90% of China’s increased oil demand between 2021 and 2024 comes from chemical feedstocks, driven by the manufacturing of products such as those sold by fast-fashion retailers Shein and Tamu.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2024

China's Shein and Temu are driving oil, not Toyota and GM

The cause behind recent a surge in China's oil demand is not to be found in people's transport habits, including car use, but in fast-fashion clothing.
Bear kills another person in Japan in record year for fatal attacks
Police investigate the scene of a bear attack that killed one person and injured three others on Friday in the village of Higashinaruse in Akita Prefecture.
Tokyo launches English-language international school database
A screenshot of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's international schools portal site
Strong quake shakes Hokkaido as authorities urge vigilance
Kunashiri Island is seen across the Nemuro Strait, just before sunrise from Rausu, Hokkaido. A strong earthquake struck the area at a depth of about 40 kilometers early Saturday.
New tourism minister calls concentration of tourists in certain areas 'very serious'
Tourism minister Yasushi Kaneko holds a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Florian Wiltschko: ‘Shinto helps me understand and live within Japanese culture’
Florian Wiltschko’s interest in Shintoism began with a trip to Japan in his teens. He now serves as the supplicant priest at the 355-year-old Hisai Hachiman Shrine in Mie Prefecture.
Loss to Wallabies doesn't dampen Japan’s optimism
Japan's Michael Leitch controls the ball during the match against Australia on Saturday.
Stars align for Kim-Trump meeting — but any talks will be on N.K. leader’s terms
A South Korean soldier stands next to a TV broadcasting a news report about a possible summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, at the main railway station in Seoul on Wednesday.
New ‘immigration minister’ post signals Takaichi Cabinet’s priorities
Kimi Onoda, economic security minister and minister for harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals, arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Number of suicide cases among students in Japan hits record high in 2024
The health ministry's Suicide White Paper for 2024 has found that numbers for both men and women peak at age 21, with “concerns over future career paths” being identified as the most likely cause.
The newly formed LDP-JIP coalition may not be as solid as it seems
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura sign a policy agreement between the two parties at the Diet in Tokyo on Monday.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.
By Thu-Huong Ha and Mike Fu

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