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Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 7, 2018

The artisans helping preserve the luster of Kishu lacquerware

The future of Kishu lacquerware will depend on young artisans finding the balance between tradition and modernization. But the value of the art lies not only in its beauty, but in the sacrifice and commitment of the artisans who dedicate their lives to carrying on a tradition.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 5, 2018

Moralizing, demonizing and common sense at the U.N.

In a week of speeches that swirled from the sublime to the ridiculous or were simply just boring, the recent United Nations General Assembly debate reached some notable exceptions. Among the sonorous drone of 193 addresses, either restating the obvious or repeating by rote the contemporary global mantra...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 4, 2018

Deaf community looks to bring their own Olympics to Japan after 2020

About seven years have passed since Miyuki Kano, a 41-year-old former Olympic volleyball player, entered into the world of deaf sports as a volleyball coach, taking over the position of her friend who died of cancer.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Oct 3, 2018

Photos confirm U.S.-Chinese warships' near-miss as experts say South China Sea encounter likely to affect allied operations in region

Experts said a near-miss between a U.S. Navy destroyer and a Chinese warship in the disputed South China Sea earlier this week could have dire implications for American allies and partners operating in the waterway and elsewhere — including Japan — after the U.S. confirmed that photos showing just...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2018

Biased research has fueled countless harmful diet fads

Too many scientists set out to prove their popular preconceptions blaming the food industry and consumers. But obesity is about more than calories consumed and burned.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 2, 2018

Pyongyang says declaring end to Korean War can't be bargaining chip for denuclearization: KCNA

North Korea said on Tuesday that declaring the end of the 1950-53 Korean War "can never be a bargaining chip" for getting North Korea denuclearized, and said the country "will not particularly hope for it" if the United States does not want the end of war, according to state media Korean Central News...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Sep 30, 2018

Retro Japan makes another comeback

From Showa Era-style stationery to Heian Period-inspired tenugui towels, contemporary remakes prove 'retro' can still be modern
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 28, 2018

Boris Johnson calls on May to scrap her Brexit proposals

Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson called on Prime Minister Theresa May to rip up her proposal for Britain's exit from the European Union, ratcheting up the pressure on May as she prepares to face her divided party at its annual conference next week.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 27, 2018

Trump backs off timetable for North Korean denuclearization as top U.S. diplomat announces trip to Pyongyang next month

In the latest twist in Donald Trump's shifting strategy on North Korea, the U.S. president on Wednesday backed off a set timetable for Pyongyang to denuclearize, ahead of a planned visit next month to the North Korean capital by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 25, 2018

Could appealing to Trump's ego be key to solving the North Korean nuclear crisis? Moon and Kim think so.

It's said that flattery will get you everywhere. On Monday, South Korean leader Moon Jae-in put that old adage to the test, showering U.S. President Donald Trump with effusive praise as Seoul — and Pyongyang — seek to bring Washington back to the negotiating table and kick-start deadlocked nuclear...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 25, 2018

Disclosure of North Korea's weapons program details regarded as key first step in denuclearization

New pledges made last week by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to curb his nuclear weapons program may have opened the door to further talks with Washington, but just how much impact would they have on the North's nuclear arsenal?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 20, 2018

Constitutional revision, fraught with risk, tops agenda for Abe's next term

As was widely expected, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won Thursday's presidential election to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, allowing him to continue as prime minister for up to three more years if all goes according to the party's plans.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Deep Dive
Sep 18, 2018

Japan's 'danchi': Public housing blocks highlight the complexity of interculturalism

Stroll through Shibazono Danchi in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, on a weekend and you will find children shrieking with glee. They run across its communal playground or splash about in the fountain of the public housing complex as elderly residents enjoy leisurely walks in the background. Apartment...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 18, 2018

Mercian, Japan's oldest winemaker, readies for onslaught of European grapes following trade deal

With the removal of tariffs on European wines as soon as next year, Mercian Corp. is betting on Japanese grapes to weather the onslaught.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 18, 2018

With latest MSDF submarine exercise, Tokyo expertly navigates Beijing's red lines

The revelation this week by Japan that the Marine Self-Defense Force has conducted submarine exercises in the disputed South China Sea is, while striking, unlikely to dampen enthusiasm on either side for improved Sino-Japanese ties, experts say.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Sep 17, 2018

Hands-on diplomacy reveals charms of Nicaragua

Located on the ninth floor of a nondescript commercial building in Nishi-Azabu, and identifiable only because of a row of United Nations-like flags outside, the diminutive yet cheery offices of the Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua are perhaps parallel to that country's influence on the world stage.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 15, 2018

Udon House brings the world to Sanuki udon

Part guesthouse and tour provider and part culture and cooking class, Udon House is a full-immersion experience where guests learn about the Sanuki region where udon noodles were born.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 14, 2018

Taiwan courts security ties with bigger friends such as Japan, India as Beijing snatches allies

As Beijing intensifies its effort to further isolate Taiwan diplomatically, Taipei is actively but discreetly broadening security ties with regional powers beyond its long-standing relationship with the United States.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 14, 2018

China is 'educating' Muslims to avoid extremism's spread, not mistreating them: Beijing official

China is not mistreating Muslims in Xinjiang province but is putting some people through training courses to avoid extremism spreading, unlike Europe, which had failed to deal with the problem, a Chinese official told reporters on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2018

Rising trade war with U.S. the mere 'last push' for Japan and China to improve ties, but officials still cautious

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have long understood the need to improve bilateral ties for their own national interests.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2018

Meet the top contenders seeking to lead Okinawa: Atsushi Sakima and Denny Tamaki

Campaigning for the Sept. 30 Okinawa gubernatorial election officially kicked off Thursday, with two main candidates vying for leadership of the prefecture — Atsushi Sakima, 54, and Denny Tamaki, 58.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 12, 2018

China's small farmers pose huge challenge in swine fever battle

Even after 14 outbreaks of African swine fever across China in just over a month, pig farmer Wang Wu does not believe the threat to his livelihood is real.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 10, 2018

The necessary calamity

Officials should use the Typhoon Jebi experience to improve their disaster management responses.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 10, 2018

Trump nearly sent tweet that could have sparked war with North Korea, Watergate journalist says

Could a single tweet spark a nuclear war? U.S. President Donald Trump may have narrowly avoided such a scenario had he sent out a missive he drafted that North Korea would have seen as a sign of an imminent attack, Watergate journalist Bob Woodward said in an interview Sunday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 8, 2018

Worn to be wild: Tokkōfuku combat uniforms

Tracing its origins back to the heady days of motorcycle gangs in the 1970s, the style is making a comeback with youth in Japan.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?