Search - 2012

 
 
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jan 10, 2015

Toritani may have thrived in majors

Two seasons ago, when it was thought Takashi Toritani was considering a move to MLB, many of the Pacific Rim scouts coming in and out of Japan were mostly lukewarm about his MLB prospects. They may had been fooled into thinking he was on a sharp decline by a decent, but un-Toritani-like year in 2011...
EDITORIALS
Jan 8, 2015

A crucial test for the DPJ

The priority for the Democratic Party of Japan, which kicked off the race this week to choose its new leader Jan. 18, is to rebuild itself into a force that can, either on its own or through mergers or alliances with other parties, once again present voters with an alternative.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 7, 2015

Flu widespread in 43 U.S. states: CDC

Flu is widespread in 43 U.S. states, up from 36 states in the prior week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Monday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 6, 2015

Rethinking cancer risks

The takeaway for many after reading a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine study is that personal behavior may influence the incidence of cancer only sometimes. Many incidences apparently are the result of bad luck.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jan 6, 2015

China arrests scholar who helped blind dissident flee house arrest

Chinese authorities have arrested a scholar who helped blind dissident Chen Guangcheng escape house arrest in 2012, the scholar's wife said Tuesday, in a case that activists say signals a tighter grip on civil liberties.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 70 YEARS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY
Jan 2, 2015

As Abe pulls to the right, few go with him

How far has Japan shifted to the right? Is it trying to shed its legacy of postwar pacifism? Experts give their opinions on the LDP's latest moves as the new year opens.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 1, 2015

Curtains up on 2015

Innovation adds sparkle to traditional forms
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 31, 2014

Abe's goal of constitutional reform faces many challenges

This will be a tough year for the Abe administration as the calendar is full of policy goals that are unpopular with voters, observers say, particularly on defense policy.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Dec 30, 2014

Ex-Apache coach Bryant hired to lead struggling Fukuoka

Joe Bryant, the now-defunct Tokyo Apache's original head coach, will take over as the Rizing Fukuoka's next bench boss, the bj-league club announced on Monday evening.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2014

'Plant hunter' on quest to shake up horticulture with rare trees, flowers

From the isolated Socotra Islands off Yemen in the Arabian Sea to the dry forests of Argentina, Seijun Nishihata has traveled to 33 countries over the past 13 years to track down unique plant species for clients all over the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 27, 2014

Concern for Japan's democratic process

Elections are the lifeblood of democracy. They represent an awesome empowerment — the right of citizens to peacefully overthrow their government and choose another.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 25, 2014

Former leader Okada to seek DPJ's presidency again

Democratic Party of Japan policy maker and former chief confirms his latest run for the presidency of Japan's biggest opposition party.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 25, 2014

Sony mulled sale of music division that owns Beatles catalog: stolen email

Sony Corp. was considering the sale of its music publishing business, including a partnership with Michael Jackson's estate, which owns the Beatles catalog, as recently as last month, emails released by hackers show.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 24, 2014

Sony planned to sell music-publishing unit owning Beatles songs: hacked emails

Sony Corp. was considering the sale of its music-publishing business, including a partnership with Michael Jackson's estate that owns the Beatles catalog, as recently as last month, emails released by hackers show.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 24, 2014

France waves discreet goodbye to 75% super-tax

When President Francois Hollande unveiled a "super-tax" on the rich in 2012, some feared an exodus of business, sporting and artistic talent. One adviser warned it was a Socialist step too far that would turn France into "Cuba without sun."
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 23, 2014

Hashimoto quits Ishin leadership

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto resigns as co-leader of Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) to focus on local elections in the spring, a move likely to further weaken the party's clout at the national level.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 23, 2014

Hashimoto to resign as co-leader of Ishin no To

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto reportedly plans to resign as co-leader of Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) to focus on local elections in the spring, a move likely to further weaken the party's clout at the national level.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 23, 2014

Still haunted by WWII, Asia looks for Abe atonement in 2015

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's election victory means he will helm Japan into the 70th anniversary of its World War II defeat in 2015, a watershed year that will set the tone for Tokyo's fraught ties with Beijing and Seoul.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 22, 2014

Abe's election victory means gain for big companies, pain for smaller ones

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's victory in the snap Lower House election earlier this month, an endorsement of his economic policies, may help the nation's biggest companies get richer while extending a surge in bankruptcies among smaller ones.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 22, 2014

Annals of cheap: Narita express buses

Narita Airport is still inconvenient for Tokyoites, but now getting there is less expensive.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2014

Under Xi, China is coming clean on dirty air

Recent developments in China suggest that, after decades of prioritizing economic growth over the environment, the country now seems set to pressure and even embarrass some of its most powerful corporate citizens to curb pollution.
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 18, 2014

Cuomo to ban fracking; health officials deem it unsafe

The New York state health department said fracking for natural gas can't be done safely, dooming prospects that Gov.Andrew Cuomo will end a six-year moratorium.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2014

How regulation spurs growth

The world's richer countries created their regulatory infrastructure over generations, during a time of little direct global competition. Emerging markets need to create theirs in a greatly compressed time frame to strengthen their growth capacity.
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 15, 2014

Ozawa keeps hope for regime change alive

Diet heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa, leader of Seikatsu no To (People's Life Party), admitted Monday that the opposition camp failed to give voters an alternative to the ruling bloc in the Lower House election but stressed that change is still possible if they join hands.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 15, 2014

Abe claims mandate for economic, security policies despite lowest turnout ever

Emerging as the big winner in the Lower House election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declares he has a renewed mandate to keep pushing his policy agenda.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 15, 2014

Kaieda quits as DPJ chief after humiliating ejection from Diet

Humiliated by the loss of his seat in the Lower House election, Banri Kaieda resigns as president of the Democratic Party of Japan.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami