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Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 2, 2022

Beijing 2022 — A second pandemic Olympics

This Friday, the 2022 Winter Olympics kick off in Beijing, the second Olympics to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the first ever to be held on entirely artificial snow.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 10, 2021

The A-word (apartheid) gives Palestinians a new path to normalcy

The new HRW report relies on international legal definitions of apartheid and draws a direct connection between Israeli policies towards Palestinians in the West Bank and inside Israel.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 13, 2020

Taiwan Defense Ministry, Pentagon deny U.S. Marines' presence for training

Taiwan's Defense Ministry and U.S. Defense Department have denied reports of U.S. Marines visiting the island to train Taiwanese forces.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Nov 4, 2020

China’s race for COVID-19 vaccine raises safety questions

Process has been unhindered by common scientific setbacks being reported by Western rivals, raising questions about how stringently they are vetting potential issues.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 21, 2020

Kim Jong Un returns to spotlight as questions over North Korean leader's fate arise

News of his incapacitation or death would have serious implications for Tokyo as Japan and the world continue to grapple with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Commentary
Jun 24, 2019

Will Nissan reforms finally bring end to corporate governance woes?

In many ways, the problems surrounding Nissan Motor Co. have spawned renewed interest in the state of Japan's corporate governance.
COMMENTARY / World
May 13, 2016

For Taiwan, the best defense is a good offense

Taipei needs to develop an approach aimed at deterring Beijing from initiating diplomatic offensives or, once they get under way, at least rolling them back.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2014

Is the Asahi a scapegoat of nationalist media or victim of own missteps?

One of the nation's leading newspapers has been in crisis mode of late — a situation that may bode ill for liberal journalism at a time when nationalism appears to be making public inroads.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 23, 2014

Satellite images show North Korea nuke test unlikely

North Korea is unlikely to be ready to stage a nuclear test timed to coincide with U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Asia, a respected think tank said on Wednesday, based on its assessment of satellite imagery.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 16, 2013

NSA broke privacy rules repeatedly, audit finds

The National Security Agency has broken privacy rules or overstepped its legal authority thousands of times each year since Congress granted the agency broad new powers in 2008, according to an internal audit and other top-secret documents.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 5, 2005

A dicey hypocritical streak

LONDON -- I am glad that March is over. The problem with the month is that it begins with the release of the U.S. State Department's annual reports on human rights violations worldwide (except in the United States, of course). Just as you come to terms with that, in the middle of the month, the six-week...
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2002

Tepco chairman, president announce resignations over nuclear coverups

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday that President Nobuya Minami and Chairman Hiroshi Araki will resign over reported coverups of damage at the utility's nuclear power plants.
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2001

Japan Inc. moves toward true accounting of books

The true standing of Japanese firms in relation to their foreign rivals is slowly becoming clear.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jun 12, 2023

Despite lofty hopes, global spending on nukes continues to surge

The alarming development — 2022 was the third year in a row that spending rose — deals a serious blow to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s vision of a world without nuclear weapons.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 22, 2023

More women describe enduring forced abortions in Nigerian Army program

The accounts of two women, who said they met by chance at a wedding outside Nigeria, buttress the testimonies of more than 30 other women and girls who said they endured forced abortions.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 20, 2020

No ‘negative’ news: How China censored the coronavirus

Officials scrambled to suppress inconvenient news and reclaim the narrative, according to confidential directives sent to local propaganda workers and news outlets.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jul 20, 2020

China expands amphibious forces in challenge to U.S. beyond Asia

New ships and specially trained marines will boost Beijing's firepower and political influence far from its shores, according to military analysts.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 17, 2020

Nine years after Fukushima, Japan can't quit its coal habit

A return to coal has left Japan with long-term climate goals that are unambitious — and increasingly, the subject of international censure.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
May 1, 2019

China's vast fleet seen tipping the balance of power in the Pacific

A generation ago, from mid-1995 into early 1996, China lobbed missiles in the waters around Taiwan as the self-governing island prepared to hold its first fully democratic presidential election. Washington forcefully intervened to support its ally, sending two aircraft carrier battle groups to patrol...
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2016

Contamination: Documents reveal hundreds of unreported environmental accidents at three U.S. Marine Corps bases on Okinawa

Since 2002, at least 270 environmental accidents on U.S. Marine Corps bases on Okinawa have contaminated land and local waterways but, until now, few of these incidents have been made public. Internal reports highlight serious flaws in training and suggest the lessons of past accidents have not been...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 29, 2013

Blame liberals for illegal drone war

Critics of the George W. Bush administration didn't realize that condemning quasi-lawless detention at Guantanamo Bay would lead a Democratic president to break new ground with drones.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Jan 23, 2011

Forests worldwide: a primer

For those living in Japan, it's easy to forget that forests are not a given.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Feb 27, 2008

Even oceans can only take so much

N ow that the wider world has finally recognized the extent to which human activities are altering the Earth's climate, maybe we can also begin to grasp the fact that our oceans, too, are in dire straits.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 12, 2021

‘Everything changed overnight’: Afghan reporters face an intolerant regime

'No one dares to ask the Taliban about their past wrongdoings and the atrocities they have committed.”
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 11, 2019

One year after Singapore summit, hopes fading for progress in U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks

One year after the handshakes, photo ops and circus-like fanfare of the first-ever summit between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader, hopes that Pyongyang will soon give up its nuclear weapons have all but evaporated.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Jun 8, 2018

Okinawa car rental agencies wary of Chinese tourists with improperly obtained licenses

Believing it would be convenient to get around by car in Okinawa, a 30-something Chinese woman decided to access a major online shopping site before her 2016 trip to obtain a driving permit that would be valid in Japan, since Chinese licenses aren't permitted in Japan.
WORLD
Dec 21, 2013

NSA, GCHQ targeted foreign interests, allies, heads of aid groups

British and United States spy agencies targeted the office of an Israeli prime minister, the heads of international aid organizations and a European Union official who oversees antitrust issues involving U.S. technology firms, according to secret documents.
The coal-powered Datang International Zhangjiakou Power Station in Zhangjiakou, in China's northern Hebei province. Many countries support an an aggressive approach to climate change, but face objections by some oil producers and major polluters with rising emissions, such as India and China.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Feb 24, 2025

Nations at odds over major U.N. climate science report

Many countries support an an aggressive approach to climate change, but face objections by some oil producers and major polluters.
People search for survivors and the bodies of victims after an Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 26, 2023.
WORLD
Oct 5, 2024

Emails show early U.S. concerns over Gaza offensive and risk of Israeli war crimes

The emails show the Biden administration’s struggle to balance internal concerns over rising deaths in Gaza with its public support for Jerusalem.
An Iranian newspaper's cover shows a photo of U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Tehran on May 11. The U.S. has started new talks with Iran with the aim of imposing fresh nuclear restrictions on Tehran.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 4, 2025

Any U.S. deal with Iran must tackle nuclear watchdog's blind spots

The International Atomic Energy Agency has lost track of elements of Iran's nuclear activities since U.S. President Donald Trump ditched a 2015 deal with Tehran.

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