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Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / 2019 Outlook
Jan 2, 2019

Japan already in for politically hectic 2019, but may see 'double election'

Japan's 2019 political calendar is shaping up to be a busy year with Emperor Akihito's historic abdication at the end of April and elections in mid-April and over the summer.
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 2, 2019

Veteran F. Marinos midfielder Nakamachi to join Zambian club

Yokohama F. Marinos midfielder Kosuke Nakamachi announced on Wednesday his intent to continue his career in Zambia after turning down a two-year contract extension with the J. League first division side.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / 2019 Outlook
Jan 2, 2019

2019 to test Abe and Japanese diplomats over efforts to secure return of Russian-held isles

2019 will be a big year for Japanese diplomats and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with a number of major events that will be attended by hundreds of top leaders and VIPs from across the globe.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jan 2, 2019

Two women enter Indian temple, defying centuries-old ban

Two women defied a centuries-old ban on entering a Hindu temple in India's southern state of Kerala in the early hours of Wednesday, the state's chief minister said, raising fears of a backlash from conservative Hindu groups.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 2, 2019

Death toll from Philippine landslides, floods climbs to 85

The death toll from landslides and devastating floods in the central Philippines triggered by a tropical depression climbed to 85, officials said on Wednesday, and 20 people were missing as rescuers slowly reached cut-off communities.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 2, 2019

Sho player Ko Ishikawa pushes the boundaries of gagaku with free improvisation

Ko Ishikawa plays the sho, a bamboo free-reed mouth harp that first came to Japan from China in the Nara Period (710-794). Despite what you might expect, however, the way he plays the instrument isn't conventionally traditional.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 2, 2019

'Astral Abnormal Suzuki-san': YouTube comedy series makes it to the big screen

What is the future of films in Japan? Bigger spectacles backed by media conglomerates? Maybe at the top end of the industry. At the lower end, though, indie filmmakers have to find other ways to draw audiences and finance films. Crowdfunding helps some get made, while ceaseless and creative PR on social...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Jan 2, 2019

How the last czar shaped Japan's courts

A botched assassination attempt in 1891 presents Japan's fledgling penal code with an existential dilemma.
EDITORIALS
Jan 2, 2019

What awaits Abe in the new year

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will face an uphill battle this year in his effort to create a lasting legacy for his administration by amending the Constitution.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 2, 2019

Preventing issue fatigue on womenomics

The most critical message that needs to be heard in Japan is that gender equality is an economic issue that helps both men and women live better lives.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 2, 2019

Watch this, ignore that: A guide to U.S. politics in 2019

The impeachment of Donald Trump is possible, but actually removing him from office is unlikely.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / NATURE'S PANTRY
Jan 2, 2019

Could potato flour revitalize a small town in Iwate Prefecture?

According to Katsuyasu Ito, chef and owner of L'Aureole Tanohata, Hidemitsu Kikuchi, is the last person producing imo no kona (potato flour) commercially in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 2, 2019

Italy's Uffizi demands return of Nazi-looted painting, refuses to pay intermediaries

Italy's Uffizi Galleries called on Germany on Tuesday to return a still-life painting by the Dutch master Jan van Huysum, which was looted by retreating Nazi troops in World War II.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jan 2, 2019

Pope bemoans profit-hungry disjointed world, praises unity over diversity

Pope Francis, in his first message of the new year on Tuesday, bemoaned a lack of unity across the world, and warned against a soulless hunt for profit that benefits only a few.
BUSINESS
Jan 2, 2019

China's generic drug makers struggle to survive bulk-buy policy onslaught

Even after a plunge last month that wiped $46 billion off Chinese health-care stocks, domestic drug makers may be far from their floor as a Beijing-led policy shift gathers pace.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 2, 2019

Italian populist Luigi Di Maio promises to cut lawmaker pay via 'wonderful law'

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said there is plenty more to be done on the populist agenda, including cutting the pay of the nation's lawmakers.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 2, 2019

Brazil inaugurates far-right firebrand junta fan Jair Bolsonaro as president

Right-wing nationalist Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to crack down on political corruption, violent crime and ignite a moribund economy with deregulation and fiscal discipline, was sworn in as Brazil's president on Tuesday.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Jan 2, 2019

[VIDEO] Interview with Naoko Yamazaki, former Japanese astronaut

JAPAN
Jan 1, 2019

IN PICTURES: Japan says good night to 2018, good morning to 2019

Japan greeted 2019 — the year of the boar, according to the Chinese astrological calendar — Monday evening and Tuesday morning with traditional visits to both major and minor temples and not-so-traditional events, such as the massive one at the famous Shibuya Crossing, where thousands gathered to...
CULTURE / Books
Jan 1, 2019

Japan's most exciting book releases in 2019

2019's impressive lineup of books on Japan, include classic reprints, new fiction and studies of the nation's international relations.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jan 1, 2019

Kim says North Korea could take 'new path' if U.S. maintains sanctions

In a seemingly Oval Office-esque setting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday delivered a much-anticipated annual New Year's speech, saying his country remained firmly committed to denuclearization and that he was ready to meet again with U.S. President Donald Trump at any time, while also warning...
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jan 1, 2019

[Bonus episode] Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki

After an interview with Managing Editor Sayuri Daimon for The Japan Times' New Year special, Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki spoke briefly with Oscar Boyd about her journey to space and beyond.
JAPAN / New Year Special 2019
Jan 1, 2019

Former astronaut Naoko Yamazaki hopeful for commercial space travel

The year 2019 marks 50 years since the first humans landed on the moon in 1969 as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar mission. In an interview with Managing Editor Sayuri Daimon, former Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki shares her experience in space in 2010 and her views on space development in the coming...

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?