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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 27, 2020

Republicans emphasize law and order as Trump wades into Wisconsin protests

Republicans opened the third night of their convention on Wednesday with a strong law-and-order message, casting U.S. President Donald Trump as a supporter of law enforcement amid protests over the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 29, 2020

Look to the American people, not their government, for inspiration

It is increasingly clear that the real source of U.S. influence is its civil society.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 14, 2020

With crisis, old media suddenly has the upper hand

After failing to anticipate the financial crisis, networks and major newspapers have earned a good chance of flourishing in the future.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 26, 2020

Spring Basho provided unique experience but raised concerns

The just-finished Spring Grand Sumo Tournament has left us writers with a wealth of storylines.
Reader Mail
Mar 20, 2020

Now is not the time to bash China

Regarding the opinion pieces "Crisis exposes China's institutional problems" by Stephen R. Nagy in the March 13 edition and "COVID-19 crisis reveals CCP's true colors" by Denny Roy on March 7, both authors use the COVID-19 crisis to bash China and its political system.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 15, 2020

Unmarried single parents find an unlikely ally in scrap over tax deduction

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party submitted an amendment to the Diet in January to expand the "widow's deduction" to cover single parents who have never been married. This system allows single parents who have lost spouses to death or divorce to deduct a certain amount of money from their taxable income...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 12, 2020

How Xi's 'controlocracy' lost control of the coronavirus

The high-tech dictatorship kept a lid on information, allowing the virus to spread.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 6, 2020

Impeachment trial is over, but the final verdict on Trump is not yet in

In Hollywood, it is called a false ending — where the story appears to be heading to a close but is not yet over.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / Fiction
Dec 22, 2019

Christmas on Happy Road: Green inferno

Chapter 3
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 9, 2019

Johnson pledges 'transformative' Brexit as nerves are rattled by U.K. polls and his lead narrows

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was nervous about his narrowing lead in opinion polls ahead of Thursday's election but pledged to deliver a "transformative" Brexit that will allow lower immigration.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 26, 2019

Let will of the people decide succession issue

The emperor's position is determined by the will of the people, irrespective of the historical background of the imperial system.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 25, 2019

Genuine fears and false alarms in Britain

The great hope of the moment must therefore be that a majority pro-deal U.K. government emerges on Dec. 12.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 25, 2019

The British monarchy needs to get serious about brand management

Sweden's experience shows that smaller and cheaper reigning houses are better investments.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Nov 5, 2019

Impeachment panels can't make officials testify without lawyers present, U.S. Justice Department says

House committees conducting impeachment proceedings can't force officials from executive branch agencies to testify about matters that might involve protected information without government lawyers present, the Justice Department said in a new legal opinion.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2019

Resignations offer insights into Cabinet politics

The latest resignations are symptomatic of broader Japanese Cabinet politics.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 16, 2019

Bank of Korea warns of weaker growth after cutting rates again

South Korea's central bank warned Wednesday that economic growth would be weaker than forecast after cutting its policy rate for the second time this year as a global downturn pummels exports and weighs on prices.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2019

Climate change finally concerns Americans

U.S. public opinion is slowly catching up to the scientific consensus.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2019

Japan to demand greater accountability from audit firms

The Financial Services Agency decided Tuesday to demand greater accountability from audit firms that check corporate financial reports, by revising auditing standards.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / The Argument: South Korea-Japan relations
Aug 28, 2019

Moon's anti-Japanese policy at the root of fractured relations

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose distorted perception of Japan has led to the current deterioration in bilateral ties, has stepped up his administration's harsh anti-Japanese policy since Tokyo decided to implement stricter export controls on its neighbor.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 22, 2019

On Iran, Japan faces a difficult decision

Tokyo is being pulled in several different directions when considering whether to join a U.S.-led coalition in the Strait of Hormuz.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2019

U.S. probes Chinese banks' role in North Korean nuclear arms

The U.S. is investigating a chain of financial transactions involving three big Chinese banks that allegedly helped finance North Korea's nuclear weapons program, according to an appeals court opinion unsealed Tuesday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2019

You can trademark whatever words you want now

The Supreme Court takes a big step toward an absolute view of free speech by allowing the registration of a 'scandalous' clothing line name.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 15, 2019

U.S. Treasury chief on solid ground in withholding Trump tax returns, Justice Department says

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin did not violate the law by refusing to provide President Donald Trump's tax returns to Congress because the confidentiality of returns is protected under the law, the Justice Department said in a legal opinion released Friday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 26, 2019

May's Brexit deal hinges on just one man

It's not Jeremy Corbyn, for all his calls for another referendum.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 23, 2019

Waxing philosophical in English class with 'Thinking Experiments'

If you've ever taught English at a Japanese school, you'll likely be familiar with a certain kind of silence — pervasive and tinged with teenage ennui. Authors Alexander Dutson and James Hill want to recommend breaking the ice with philosophy.
EDITORIALS
Dec 24, 2018

Eliminate disparity in the value of votes

Last week's Supreme Court decision that the 2017 Lower House election was constitutional should not slow efforts to reduce the nearly 2-to-1 disparity in the value of votes.
Thousands of demonstrators attend a rally in New York calling for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza, Aug. 17.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 30, 2025

Americans' support for Israel dramatically declines, Times/Siena poll finds

Slightly more voters sided with Palestinians over Israelis for the first time since the New York Times began asking voters about their sympathies in 1998.
Protesters rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on the second anniversary of the Gaza war on Oct. 7.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 15, 2025

The U.S. is losing hearts and minds in Southeast Asia over Gaza

For the first time, more respondents among the 10 ASEAN nations said they would align with China (50.5%) over the U.S. (49.5%) if forced to choose.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes