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EDITORIALS
Jan 27, 2016

Troubling TV confessions in China

China's recent televised confessions are a troubling indication of how far the government will go to silence any opposition.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 27, 2016

Rallying to stop Abe from gutting Japan's democracy

Shinzo Abe is treading dangerously close to shutting down freedom of the press and expression, and the opposition must come together to stop his drive to alter the Constitution.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 27, 2016

Abe stands by Amari but expects embattled minister to explain cash for favors allegation

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stands by embattled economy minister Akira Amari, but says Amari has a duty to account for allegations of graft.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 27, 2016

Do your Japanese colleagues drive you nuts? Maybe it's you, not them (or both)

The Trail Mix Incident — where cultural conditioning trumped Japanese social etiquette — highlights how the defense of territory is universal.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 27, 2016

Radiohead set to play new material at Summer Sonic

Following the announcement of a new album in the works, Radiohead has been confirmed as one of this year's Summer Sonic headliners.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 27, 2016

U.S. capital's snow emergency set to be lifted but Congress still idle

Washington, D.C., will end its snow emergency on Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a sign that the U.S. capital is returning to normal after a deadly weekend blizzard on the U.S. East Coast.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 27, 2016

Lockheed F-35 jets to join U.K. air shows, U.S. Air Force confirms

The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday confirmed that it will send a pair of F-35A fighter jets to two air shows in Britain this summer, joining two U.S. Marine Corps jets and at least one British jet that are also slated to appear.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 26, 2016

DPJ chief blasts Abe over Amari's money scandal

With allegations of corruption against economic minister Akira Amari showing no signs of abating, opposition leader Katsuya Okada accuses Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of sharing 'grave responsibility' over the scandal.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 26, 2016

Pyongyang's nuclear test leads Moscow to pivot east

Russia's break from North Korea in the wake of its latest nuclear test should be viewed as a tactical, short-term decision aimed at improving relations with Japan and bolstering its international reputation as a diplomatic arbiter.
EDITORIALS
Jan 26, 2016

What the Ginowan election means

The Abe administration should think again whether the Henoko project will truly serve to reduce Okinawa's U.S. base burden and enhance the stability of the security alliance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 25, 2016

BOJ-fueled Tokyo property boom pricing average earners out of housing market

Rich buyers taking advantage of record low borrowing costs have pushed prices in Tokyo beyond the reach of many ordinary buyers, taking the wind out of property sales.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Jan 25, 2016

Space development program a blackhole for public funds

Japan has poured huge sums of money into its space exploration effort, but with very little to show for it.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 25, 2016

There are many way-zu in Japanese to show there's more than one

In contrast to English, in Japanese the grammatical marking of plurals is optional, meaning the whole matter is dealt with a lot less systematically.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 25, 2016

Two Chinese killed in roadside blast in Laos

Two Chinese nationals were killed and another wounded in a suspected bomb blast in Laos, Chinese state media said Monday, the latest incident in which Chinese have been killed abroad as the country's economic footprint grows.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jan 24, 2016

Eating crow on the issue of the clever critters we consume

The controversies surrounding the eating of various animals in our modern world are numerous: the hunting of bluefin tuna to near-extinction; eating shark fin soup (in which only the fin is used and the rest of the shark is often discarded); the consumption of dogs in various Asian countries; the use...
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Jan 24, 2016

Afrirampo reunion may save 2016

While 2016 kicked off for most of the music world with David Bowie tricking hundreds of thousands of people into buying a jazz-prog concept album about death, the message from the heart of J-pop was loud and clear: "DO NOT WORRY, NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE."
WORLD
Jan 24, 2016

Blizzard turns traffic-free Manhattan into winter playground

An otherworldly quiet descended over the streets of Manhattan on Saturday as a muffling blanket of snow and a complete ban on private vehicles transformed a city renowned for its bustle and horn-blaring traffic into a tranquil pedestrian mall.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 23, 2016

Giants hurler Sugano aims for winning season

Tomoyuki Sugano returned to Japan recently after spending several days training in Hawaii. He told reporters at Narita Airport that his workouts yielded great results and allowed that "my condition is the best it's been in three years."
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 22, 2016

Opposition leaves Diet floor in boycott of Amari speech

Opposition lawmakers mount a humiliating boycott of embattled economy minister Akira Amari's annual policy speech in the Diet.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jan 22, 2016

12 refugees found drowned on Turkish shore; hypothermia claims trio who reached Lesbos

Twelve bodies were found on Turkey's western coast and 26 people were rescued on Tuesday after a boat carrying migrants bound for Greece capsized, the Turkish coast guard said in a statement.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 21, 2016

Amari vows to answer claims over ¥12 million in undeclared funds

Scandal-hit economic minister Akira Amari vows to answer allegations that he and two secretaries received large undeclared donations and hospitality.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past