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LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Aug 6, 2018

Let's discuss daylight saving time for Tokyo 2020

President of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee Yoshiro Mori met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the possibility of introducing daylight saving time during the 2020 Games.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Aug 6, 2018

'Black rain' radiation from 1945 Hiroshima A-bombing can still be detected on survivor's shirt: study

Scientific tests on a shirt worn by a 16-year-old girl who was exposed to rain containing radioactive materials that fell after the Hiroshima atomic bombing on Aug. 6, 1945, known as "black rain," continue to detect slight amounts of cesium 137 more than 70 years after the attack.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2018

LDP lawmaker Tom Tanigawa under fire for saying LGBT relationships are ‘like a hobby’

Tanigawa has suggested “traditional” marriages between men and women, that produce children, prevent Japan from going to ruin, and opposes female succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 28, 2018

Soaring temperatures force Japan to confront entrenched ideas on handling the heat

A  heat wave has gripped Japan over the past week or so, peaking with the highest temperature ever recorded in the country on Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2018

Japan's indigenous Ainu sue to bring their ancestors' bones back home

Activist group's hardball tactics expose rifts in the Ainu community over the fate of bones held at universities.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jul 23, 2018

Let's discuss the flooding disaster in western Japan

Thousands of people are still staying at shelters, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, after special storm warnings were issued in eight prefectures in western and southwestern Japan.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jul 16, 2018

Let's discuss the death penalty in Japan

While the execution of cult founder Shoko Asahara may offer a degree of closure on a string of crimes that shocked Japan, it also creates an opportunity for further debate about the death penalty.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jul 10, 2018

'Akira' inspires generations of foreign animators

Enthusiasts pour their souls into labors of love honoring Otomo's classic anime film and manga series.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 9, 2018

In blow to Britain's May, top Brexit officials quit posts

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May was plunged into the worst crisis of the past year after key members of the government quit over her Brexit plan. Her government is in disarray and her leadership in question just nine months before Britain leaves the European Union.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 7, 2018

Women in Japan fall for an Amuro who isn't the J-pop star

Most people in Japan associate the surname Amuro with the retiring 40-year-old queen of J-pop of the same name, who gave a series of farewell concerts in June that attracted 800,000 people.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jul 6, 2018

Ireland to hold referendum on removing constitutional clause on women's 'life within the home'

Ireland will a referendum to remove a clause in the constitution marking the importance of a woman's "life within the home" and encouraging mothers to shun employment to fulfill domestic duties, the government announced on Thursday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jul 2, 2018

Let's discuss the New Zealand PM's baby

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern becomes the first woman in the country's history to give birth while in office.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2018

Mattis reaffirms U.S. commitment to defense of Japan, in Tokyo meeting

He also agreed with Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera to strive for the removal of all of North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 26, 2018

Dissent surfaces as China begins to question its readiness for trade war with U.S.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to match U.S. President Donald Trump blow for blow in any trade war. Now as one gets closer, some in Beijing are starting to openly wonder whether China is ready for the fight — an unusually direct challenge to the leadership of the world's second-largest economy....
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 25, 2018

Abe's approval rating rebounds, raising chances of becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister

The prime minister's support rate rose 10 points to outstrip his disapproval rating for the first time since February, improving his chances of weathering a series of scandals.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 25, 2018

Let's discuss having more than one job

Japanese workers are signing up for second jobs in record numbers to earn extra cash as wages stagnate, stirring hopes of a rise in consumer spending but adding to fears of overwork.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jun 24, 2018

Can Japanese 'light novels' remain publishing heavyweights?

Two years ago, light novel publisher Kadokawa added Thailand to its list of foreign publishing investments, which already includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and the United States. Now there are signs that English-language readers are catching on.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 18, 2018

Let's discuss Airbnb and minpaku laws

Just over a week before a new law for minpaku (private lodging services) goes into effect, the popular rental website Airbnb has dropped nearly 80 percent of its listings for the services over the past three months.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 11, 2018

Let's discuss a possible casino for Chiba

To the list of Japanese regions battling for a coveted casino resort, you can add Mickey Mouse's neighborhood.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 8, 2018

Days are numbered for ATMs in Japan's banking system

On May 2, Shinsei Bank announced that starting from October it will impose fees for automatic teller machine (ATM) transactions. Shinsei's main sales point has always been its lack of ATM fees, but the bank will start charging ¥108 per ATM withdrawal unless the customer's account satisfies certain conditions....
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 4, 2018

Let's discuss the lack of female leaders in Japan

Only a tiny fraction of female workers have been able to snag the top roles at public, private and nonprofit organizations in Japan, according to a recent report.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Jun 3, 2018

Left-behind dad's last resort: Impeach Japan's Supreme Court judges

Dogged father in Hague Convention case shines a light on a check-and-balance on the judiciary that barely functions.
Reader Mail
Jun 1, 2018

Will the legacy of the Heisei Era be a sad one?

The current Imperial era, Heisei, will end when Emperor Akihito abdicates next April 30. The name of the new era won't be announced until April 1.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
May 30, 2018

How about a study-abroad adventure in Europe?

For Japanese students, continental EU universities offer high-quality courses often at lower prices than U.S. colleges.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 28, 2018

Let's discuss unfair play from Nichidai

The head coach of Nihon University's American football team says he will quit after apologizing to a Kwansei Gakuin University player over a controversial play.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 21, 2018

Let's discuss the scandal surrounding Tokio's Tatsuya Yamaguchi

Tatsuya Yamaguchi, a member of Japanese all-male pop group Tokio, intends to leave the band after coming under fire for kissing a high school student.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 19, 2018

Japan's courts are being asked to define the role of the SDF

As discussed in Media Mix last week, news organizations are on the lookout for signs of whether the country’s Self-Defense Forces are becoming politically active. There have been indications the SDF wants to be the conventional military that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has in mind, but that...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
May 14, 2018

Planned cut in doctors' overtime hours worries Japan's rural hospitals

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration pushes to pass labor reform bills in the current Diet session, many major hospitals in the Chubu region are concerned that the bills, which include a cap on the working hours of doctors, could lead to a deterioration in medical services in rural regions....
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 14, 2018

Let's discuss the capture of the Shikoku prison escapee

A fugitive who eluded thousands of police officers combing a small island for more than three weeks was finally caught 70 km away in Hiroshima.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
May 13, 2018

When 'Japanese only' rules were OK, and other odd Supreme Court cases

Did that headline grab you? I hope so, because how else are we supposed to get you to read an article about Japanese Supreme Court cases?

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