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Reader Mail
May 24, 2019

Vaccination issue deserves better

I was shocked to read "Japan struggles to ditch its 'vaccine backwater' image" in the May 11 edition. Not so much that Japan has struggled with government-supported vaccination programs, of which I am aware, but because The Japan Times seems to equivocate the opinion of an ex-official with a fringe opinion...
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 16, 2019

Chinese tourists to Japan switch from shopping sprees to medical services

A few years ago, Chinese tourists engaged in bakugai (explosive shopping spree) in Tokyo's Ginza district made headlines.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 13, 2019

Let's discuss iPS cells

Learn about English vocabulary that has to do with genetic research and consider the ramifications.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 11, 2019

Tabloids press pause as nation celebrates dawn of the Reiwa Era

Welcome one and all to Big in Japan, the Reiwa version. During the just-ended 10-day Golden Week holiday, only one general weekly magazine — Aera (May 13) — went to press, giving it the distinction of being the first publication out of the starting gates in the new era. Aera's coverage of imperial...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Apr 23, 2019

Zeljko Pavlicevic recounts abrupt departure from Libya, trip to Tunisia in aftermath of Tripoli attack

Veteran bench boss Zeljko Pavlicevic steered Al-Ittihad to the brink of a potential deep run in the Libyan League playoffs earlier this spring.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 18, 2019

Innovation needs to be a Reiwa goal

To move past the Heisei Era's economic malaise, Japan must invest in an education system that fosters people who can breed new ideas and launch new industries.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 15, 2019

Two Chinese women indicted in America

It's high time for Tokyo to review the nation's postwar era of utopian pacifism and to seriously consider a new era of counter-espionage measures.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 15, 2019

Let's discuss the new Imperial era name, 'Reiwa'

A ready-to-use lesson plan for English learners that includes vocabulary and discussion ideas pertaining to the new Imperial era name.
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 15, 2019

Defining the Heisei Era

Over the past year, as we counted down to the end of the Heisei Era, The Japan Times presented a monthly 12-part series that looked back at the leading issues of the past three decades
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 13, 2019

Japan's news outlets toe the line over Aegis Ashore anti-missile system

On March 21, a female student at the Akita University of Art in Araya Okawamachi, Akita Prefecture, was slated to give a valedictory speech at the college's graduation ceremony. According to the Asahi Shimbun on March 31, the unnamed woman wanted to talk partly about the proposed installation of an Aegis...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 6, 2019

Getting to the bottom of Chicano subculture coverage on Japan

Over the past month and a half, a number of Western media outlets have revisited a topic that has long been a hit for online publications.
Reader Mail
Mar 29, 2019

Can rail survive only in big cities?

Reading the article "Train driver on Tokyo's Yamanote Line lives out childhood dream" in the March 21 edition, I felt mixed emotions. The Yamanote Line, a poster child for prosperous Tokyo, has been improved to the point where they plan a new train with AI, while local rail networks like JR Shikoku and...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 23, 2019

Idols and agencies in Japan navigate a brand new landscape

Television personality Masahiro Nakai made an appearance as a "surprise guest" on the March 10 installment of Nippon TV's law-related variety show, "Gyoretsu no Dekiru Horitsu Sodanjo" (“Line-up Law Office”). Earlier, guest Koji Kato had related an anecdote featuring Shingo Katori, Nakai's former...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2019

Will the Thai elections be free and fair?

And if they aren't, what should liberal and democratic political parties in Thailand do?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 18, 2019

U.S. version of 'one country, two systems'

Is it time for the U.S. to reintroduce the 'fairness doctrine' to prevent the media from broadcasting extreme views?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 16, 2019

Alarming results in literacy survey stir debate on social media in Japan

A Feb. 16 report on the country’s literacy has been causing a stir on social media, prompting a number of users to warn of impending intellectual doom.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 10, 2019

Venezuela's Juan Guaido calls for massive protest as blackout drags on

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Saturday called on citizens nationwide to travel to the capital, Caracas, for a protest against socialist President Nicolas Maduro as the country's worst blackout in decades dragged on for a third day.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 9, 2019

Just how convenient are convenience stores in Japan?

The recent trend of online videos showing "baito tero," or "part-timer terrorism," enacted by part-time workers has sparked another media discussion about the plight of low wage earners. Most of these videos were recorded by people working in food-related businesses, and explanations for why they are...
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 4, 2019

Let's discuss Okinawa's referendum

With Okinawa having recently held a referendum on the relocation of a U.S. military base in the prefecture, we discuss the results.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 2, 2019

Dealing with gun issues in a nation with few guns

Japan's reputation as a country relatively free of gun crime is borne out by official statistics. In terms of individuals charged with crimes committed using firearms, the 2018 white paper issued by the National Police Agency listed eight homicides in 2017 — all of which involved members of crime syndicates...
EDITORIALS
Feb 22, 2019

Would a corporal punishment ban stop child abuse?

To ensure the end of fatal child abuse, steps such as banning corporal punishment must be accompanied by efforts to beef up the numbers and skills of officials responsible for children's welfare.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 14, 2019

In a first, LGBT couples sue Japan over constitutionality of not recognizing same-sex marriage

“We're not demanding anything special; we just want to have a chance to stand at the same starting line in our lives,” said one plaintiff.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 9, 2019

News outlets' coverage of abuse cases can make the situation worse

In her 2017 book, "Thinking About Child Abuse,” Haru Sugiyama describes her correspondence with Yukihiro Saito, who is serving a lengthy sentence for causing the death of his 5-year-old son, Riku, in the mid-2000s through neglect. In his letters, Saito expresses regret, but also says his memories about...
Reader Mail
Feb 1, 2019

The attributes of being Japanese

Kuni Miyake's commentary "How Japanese is Naomi Osaka?" in the Jan. 28 edition is an excellent article that clearly explains some of the attributes of being a Japanese. It also shows that the language is but one part of being Japanese. I was moved by the fact that Naomi Osaka picks up her own trash....
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 26, 2019

Isle dispute with Russia tied to base issues, argues author Koji Yabe

There seems to be little chance that Russia will ever give back any part of the four islands it seized from Japan at the end of World War II, but the Japanese government, as well as some mainstream media, continues to act as if the possibility exists. Prior to last week's meeting between Prime Minister...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jan 21, 2019

Throw out idioms left and right using ... the Japanese words for left and right!

'Hidari' (left) and 'migi' (right) are used in several well known expressions in Japanese that indicate everything from a level of skill to a propensity for spending money.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2019

Don't hijack Brexit, British trade minister warns Parliament

Parliament can't be allowed to hijack Brexit, Trade Minister Liam Fox said in a warning to lawmakers who want to take more control over Britain's departure from the European Union.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 14, 2019

Let's discuss Yusaku Maezawa's great Twitter giveaway

In the latest headline-grabbing move by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the founder and CEO of major online fashion mall operator Zozo Inc. has announced a plan to dole out ¥1 million to 100 individuals to mark a successful New Year's sale.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building