Search - 2014

 
 
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 4, 2014

Natural gas is only as 'clean' as its handling

Shifting to natural gas is at the heart of the U.S. government's proposed new rules for power plant emissions. But gas is only more environmentally friendly if it is produced, transported and burned carefully — without too much leaking into the atmosphere.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2014

Most shared Japan Times stories from July

In case you missed them, here are the most shared stories from The Japan Times for July 2014. The top 10 most shared new stories Welfare ruling stuns foreigners The landmark decision by the Supreme Court that permanent foreign residents of Japan are not entitled to welfare benefits will discourage more...
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 3, 2014

Europe may have weathered financial storm, but aging society will need structural reform

Europe may have weathered the financial storm, but elected leaders face a daunting task enacting structural reforms of labor markets, pension systems and taxes to restore growth.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Aug 2, 2014

Hair-raising trend sweeps across NPB diamonds

The year 2013 turned out to be the "Year of the Beard" for the Boston Red Sox. They won the World Series with most of the regular players sporting thick, full facial bushy growths that became somewhat of a team trademark.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 30, 2014

Global nuclear power contribution falls to lowest level since 1980s

Atomic power's share of the global electricity supply has reached its lowest level since the 1980s, following the shutdown of Japan's reactors after the Fukushima disaster.
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jul 29, 2014

'Eco Edo' art aquarium is a different kettle of fish

Japan loves goldfish, especially in the summer, during which festival goldfish-scooping games are always popular and yukata (light summer kimono) and hand-held fans often sport goldfish patterns. The delicate sound of the furin wind chimes and images of fish swimming in clear water evoke a relieving...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 29, 2014

Avengers in Sci-Fi talk about Zeppelin and the problem with festivals

You don't usually hear Led Zeppelin and science fiction mentioned in the same breath. But for Taro Kohata, who plays guitar and synthesizer, and sings for rock band Avengers In Sci-Fi, the two go hand in hand.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 29, 2014

Why I'll be flying again on Malaysia Airlines

Despite losing its second airliner in four months, Malaysia Airlines says its generous refund policy for 2014 has not resulted in a surge in requests for refunds. There is good reason for that.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 26, 2014

'Space Expo' offers a cosmic sense of wonder

With man's natural curiosity and a potentially endless, undiscovered universe waiting to be explored, it's no wonder that space appeals equally to both the scientist and the fantasist. The "Space Expo 2014" collaborative exhibition being hosted through Sept. 23 by U.S. space agency NASA and its Japanese...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 23, 2014

Diverse joys unite distant theater fests

In early summer this year, I went to the famous theater festivals in two European cities — first the Theater der Welt 2014, which ran May 23-June 8 in the war-blitzed and rebuilt southwest German city of Mannheim, then to the Sibiu International Theatre Festival 2014 held June 6-15 in the Romanian...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 19, 2014

Eldred believes Carp good enough to make impact in CL pennant race

One can only imagine what went through Hiroshima Carp manager Kenjiro Nomura's mind in the Central League dugout when Brad Eldred went down after fouling a ball off his foot in the seventh inning of the 2014 All-Star Series opener on Saturday at Seibu Dome.
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jul 18, 2014

Makuhari Messe takes a trip into space

What happened to the grand days of space exploration? It was only a few decades ago when Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon and solemnly stated: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." But the dreams of adventuring further into space have been all but forgotten, with...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jul 17, 2014

Larkai helps grow the game at NBA clinic in Ghana

After the season ends, many players like to lounge by the pool or the nearest beach.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 16, 2014

Europe rewards edgy dramatists

Tim Etchells, artistic director of Forced Entertainment, the English company whose "The Coming Storm" was a highlight of last year's Festival/Tokyo, told me then that they now play abroad more than at home — mainly because festival organizers pay their costs. In contrast, producers are loathe to take...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jul 14, 2014

Unhappy hour for Kirin as its beer sales tumble in Japan

Kirin Holdings Co. is falling behind in the beer market with no clear fix in sight as it extends a multiyear sales slide and gives up market share to rivals more in touch with changing consumer tastes.
WORLD
Jul 9, 2014

At 37.5 million, auto recalls break single-year U.S. record, with six months to go

With six months left in 2014, automakers have already recalled more vehicles in the U.S. than in any other year on record.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 4, 2014

Pakistan waging a risky war at home

Pakistan's launch of a full-scale military operation in the North Waziristan Tribal Agency, to eliminate terrorist bases and to clear out foreign fighters, will trigger yet another refugee crisis. And that risks spreading the terrorist threat to other parts of Pakistan.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jul 3, 2014

Nash returns to Toyama Grouses for third season at the helm

With a familiar face still in charge, the Toyama Grouses will resume their quest for a championship when the season tips off in October.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2014

Japanese banks trail peers on dividend payouts

Japan's biggest banks, which posted record earnings last year, are less generous than their global peers in sharing profits with investors while they search for more takeovers abroad.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 2, 2014

Belgian beer, food and music

Who doesn't enjoy a frosty cold beer in the hot weather? This weekend you can drink to your heart's content, while enjoying a little culture at the Belgian Beer Weekend in Yamashita Park.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 1, 2014

Time to say goodbye to the business cycle?

The many failures of economics before, during and after the recent financial crisis have left an intellectual vacuum. It seems that governments' past success in stabilizing the economy in the short run encouraged too much debt and instability in the long term.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 1, 2014

Timeline of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement

July 1997: Hong Kong is handed back to Chinese authorities after more than 150 years of British control. Tung Chee-hwa, a Shanghai-born former shipping tycoon with no political experience, is hand-picked by Beijing to rule the territory following the takeover.
COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jun 30, 2014

A breed apart: liberal hawks who buoyed Bush

Those tough American liberal hawks who climbed aboard George W. Bush's war wagon into Iraq a decade ago were a breed apart.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jun 26, 2014

Isa to lead champion Ryukyu again next season

As expected, the defending champion Ryukyu Golden Kings have decided to renew coach Tsutomu Isa's contract for the 2014-15 season.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 20, 2014

China sends four more oil rigs to South China Sea

China has sent four more oil rigs into the South China Sea in a sign that Beijing is stepping up its exploration for oil and gas in the tense region, less than two months after it positioned a giant drilling platform in waters claimed by Vietnam.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health / ANALYSIS
Jun 20, 2014

U.S. scientists brace for 'marijuana meltdown' as laws ease

The only marijuana available for research in the U.S. is locked down by federal regulators who are more focused on studies to keep people off the drug than helping researchers learn how it might be beneficial.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2014

Fukushima evacuees seek end to limbo

Japan's economy may be picking up, but the outlook remains bleak for an often forgotten group of people: the roughly 150,000 evacuees from Fukushima Prefecture.

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