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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Dec 6, 2019

Stunning turnaround as Suu Kyi set to defend Myanmar against charge of Rohingya genocide

The last time Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi traveled to Western Europe, she was feted as the freshly elected civilian ruler of a fledgling democracy who had brought an end to half a century of military dictatorship.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 6, 2019

Japan bank Sumitomo Mitsui says it takes more than changing dress code to shake things up

Japan's second-largest bank wants to change the mindset of its staff.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 6, 2019

Daihatsu Tanto displaces Honda N-Box in Japan new vehicle sales rankings

Daihatsu Motor Co.'s Tanto minivehicle topped the new vehicle sales rankings in Japan in November, seizing the leading position from Honda Motor Co.'s N-Box minivehicle, industry data showed Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 6, 2019

Most Japanese firms want Abe to finish term, but only 16% support him staying longer

A majority of Japanese firms want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to finish his current term to September 2021 but fewer than one in five say he should stay beyond then, a Reuters poll has showed as allegations that he broke campaign laws erode public support.
Reader Mail
Dec 6, 2019

Parents should be equals in custody battles

Regarding the story "Parents sue state over custodial rights" in the Nov. 23 edition, I am a victim of the unfair system in Japan that deprives a parent of the right to share custody of a child.
Reader Mail
Dec 6, 2019

Using education for social stratification

Roger Dahl, for his editorial cartoon in the Nov. 17 cartoon, drew a Rube Goldberg contraption to demonstrate how English-language education is being reformed. No doubt the reform of English-language testing in Japan is moving forward at the sloth-like pace of a turtle. The education ministry moves slowly,...
Reader Mail
Dec 6, 2019

Teach for utility, not for tests

Regarding the story "Private sector English tests postponed until 2024," I've heard quite a few foreigners complain about very how few Japanese people can communicate with them in English. Living in a globalizing society, this is a problem. Our English education needs to change. However, I believe students...
Reader Mail
Dec 6, 2019

Environmental reform needed

I appreciate Elliot Silverberg and Elisabeth Smith's advice in their opinion piece "Does Japan have a global environment strategy?" in the Nov. 13 edition, but regrettably they place more emphasis on diplomatic courtesy than on reality.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 6, 2019

Five people with ties to Osaka school operator arrested for alleged embezzlement

Public prosecutors on Thursday arrested five people related to Meijo Gakuin Educational Corp. on suspicion of embezzlement, including Mieko Ohashi, a 61-year-old former president of the school operator in Osaka Prefecture.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 6, 2019

Arrangements underway for Iran's Rouhani to visit Japan this month

Arrangements are underway for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to visit Japan later this month for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese government sources said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CULTURE NOTES
Dec 6, 2019

Marie Kondo: The face of 2019

With Marie Kondo's new online store garnering mixed reactions, the year ended almost as it began, with people arguing about the tidying consultant.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 6, 2019

U.K.'s Labour accuses BBC of bias over its election coverage

Britain's opposition Labour Party wrote to the head of the BBC on Thursday to complain about its coverage of campaigning ahead of next week's election, accusing the publicly funded broadcaster of bias.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2019

South Africa makes last-ditch move to save state airline

South Africa's government will cede control of the national airline to a restructuring specialist in a last-ditch attempt to save the cash-strapped business from collapse.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 6, 2019

WHO slams 'collective failure' as measles killed 140,000, mostly kids, in 2018

Measles infected nearly 10 million people in 2018 and killed 140,000, mostly children, as devastating outbreaks of the viral disease hit every region of the world, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2019

Trump's tariff tweet forecloses on talks over future Brazil steel exports to U.S.

Negotiations over future Brazilian steel exports to the United States have been halted since President Donald Trump tweeted earlier this week that he would slap tariffs back on them, the head of Brazil's steel mills body, IABr, said on Thursday.
COMMUNITY / 2010s: Decade in Review
Dec 5, 2019

Trendy neighborhoods in Tokyo came and went during the 2010s, but did capitalist conformity move in for good?

The protester, the party animal, the professional millennial — it seems like the Japanese capital had a place for every foreign stereotype imaginable in the past decade. We look back on a few favorites.
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 5, 2019

Japan tops Global Climate Risk Index as extreme heat hits countries both rich and poor

The report says Japan faced “three exceptionally strong extreme weather events” in 2018.
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2019

Japan considering tax breaks for firms that invest ¥10 million in startups

Government and ruling coalition officials are considering giving tax breaks to small and midsize companies that invest ¥10 million or more in startups, sources familiar with their discussions said Wednesday.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?