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JAPAN / Politics
May 7, 2018

Rock bottom in opinion polls, Japanese opposition parties Kibo no To and Democratic Party decide to merge

Only 62 of their combined 107 members plan to join the new entity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 7, 2018

Let's discuss relations between Japan and North Korea

Despite what appears to be good news that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is eager to hold a bilateral summit with Japan, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe remains cautious, saying there are many hurdles to be overcome.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 2, 2018

South Korea's Moon says peace deal wouldn't mean U.S. troops' withdrawal

South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivered a denial Wednesday that U.S. troops stationed in the country would withdraw following the possible signing of a peace treaty to end the Korean War, saying that they should stay even if a deal is reached.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 30, 2018

Let's discuss that Seven-Eleven that was forced to stay open in a blizzard

The owner of a Seven-Eleven convenience store in Fukui Prefecture was allegedly forced to work for about 50 hours without sleep in February after the chain rejected his requests to suspend business amid the heaviest snowfall in decades, a labor union has said.
Reader Mail
Apr 27, 2018

Finding the true meaning of identity

Regarding the package of stories exploring dual citizenship in the April 19 edition, identity is not held in a passport. My mom moved to the U.S. in 1959, and today at 86 has not only kept her Japanese passport all these years, when many of her Japanese friends switched to U.S. citizenship, but also...
Reader Mail
Apr 20, 2018

Setting the record straight on Akiba

The March 6 article "Japanese official allegedly did not rule out building nuclear weapons storage site in Okinawa" repeated an allegation by a U.S. researcher that we know not to be true. This is in reference to a 2009 discussion between the U.S. Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 16, 2018

Let's discuss women and sumo

A controversy over gender discrimination in sumo flared earlier this month after a referee urged two women to stay out of the ring as they tried to assist an unconscious official.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 10, 2018

Document suggests Kake Gakuen vet school bid was of personal interest to Abe: report

Report sources document quoting then-secretary to Abe as saying the project was 'the prime minister's matter.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 9, 2018

Let's discuss Easter in Japan

Compared to other imported festivals, Easter in Japan has never really taken off. But why?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Apr 4, 2018

Readers' views on intercultural insensitivity, Japanese schooling, English gaps and an inspirational Indian

Some readers' responses to recent stories on the Community pages:
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 2, 2018

Let's discuss hay fever

With tens of millions of people struggling to cope with hay fever caused by cedar and cypress pollen across Japan, companies are perpetually coming up with new ways to survive the season of itchy eyes and runny noses.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 31, 2018

Japan's companies are beginning to rethink paternity leave policies

When it comes to child care in Japan, women typically take on the lion’s share of the workload. Men, by comparison, are generally too exhausted after work to help out in any way.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 24, 2018

Blog post sparks a constructive debate on office culture in Japan

One person’s cultural observations can be another’s daily gripes but, with any luck, they can lead to an enlightening debate. That was the case last week when a blog post about one non-Japanese individual’s experience working in the country’s information technology sector proved popular with...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 19, 2018

Let's discuss learning English in the Philippines

Ahead of a change to university entrance exams and the Tokyo Olympics, a growing number of Japanese are opting to travel to the Philippines to study English.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 17, 2018

With amnesty or death, Japan seeks to draw a line under Heisei Era crimes

Those with the conviction that members of Japan's Imperial family have negligible impact on the lives of their subjects should bear in mind that for a tiny few, it can literally be a matter of life or death.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 12, 2018

Let's discuss passports and visas

Japanese and Singaporean passport holders have the greatest travel freedom worldwide, according to a survey.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Mar 7, 2018

White supremacists and Japan: A love story

Far-right fanboys see in Japan an ethnostate that gets a free pass on the world stage, but it's a reputation that Japan needs to shake for its own good.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 5, 2018

Let's discuss the Pyeongchang Olympics

The Pyeongchang Olympics had a bit of everything: political theater, incredible athletic achievements, the wrath of Mother Nature, and more Russians caught doping.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Mar 4, 2018

Doling out some truths about Japan's 'share houses'

Many Japanese people are wary of investment as a means of growing their savings. There are a variety of reasons for this caution, so most keep their money in a bank, gaining almost no interest in the process, in the hope that they won't lose any in the long run. However, some salaried workers who understand...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 3, 2018

The color of climate change in Japan's Yaeyama archipelago

Depleting reefs may profoundly reshape Ishigaki Island's tourism industry.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 3, 2018

Japan's media out of step with mental health issues

In January, a couple in Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture, were arrested for allegedly confining their daughter for at least 15 years before she froze to death in December at the age of 33. The couple told police they had kept her in the tiny room where her body was found because she was mentally ill. They...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 3, 2018

Anniversaries loom for gum producer Lotte and the Yoshiwara red-light district

In 1941, a 19-year-old Korean chemistry student named Shin Kyuk-ho traveled to Tokyo to study at a technical college. He remained in Japan following the war and, under the name Takeo Shigemitsu, founded Lotte Co. in 1948. The brand's name was inspired by Charlotte, the heroine of Johann Wolfgang von...
Reader Mail
Mar 2, 2018

LDP electoral plan reasonable

The editorial "LDP's proposed electoral system amendment" in the Feb. 22 edition was critical of a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing each prefecture at least one representative in the Upper House. The proposal isn't perfect, but neither are objections in the editorial.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 26, 2018

Let's discuss that Armani school uniform

A public elementary school in Tokyo's posh Ginza district has decided to adopt new uniforms designed by Armani, triggering protests.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 19, 2018

Let's discuss 'obligatory chocolates'

A recent Godiva ad challenged the culture of 'obligatory' Valentine's chocolates.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2018

Japan lags in fact-checking initiatives, media watchers say

Japan lags behind other countries in fact-checking initiatives and still has low awareness of their importance, according to FactCheck Initiative Japan (FIJ), a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that encourages fact-verifying activities.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 10, 2018

Did press reports of a lawsuit spur an amendment to the welfare ministry's policy on benefits?

On Jan. 16, the Fukushima District Court ruled in favor of a woman and her daughter who had sued the city of Fukushima for cutting their welfare benefits. When the woman’s daughter was in high school, the woman received a grant scholarship to help her child prepare for university by covering expenses...
Reader Mail
Feb 9, 2018

The evils of eugenics

The article "Records of forced sterilizations found" in the Jan. 27 edition reminds us of the dark side of Japanese history.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 5, 2018

Let's discuss cryptocurrencies

Echoing the Mt. Gox fiasco nearly four years ago, Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck disclosed Friday it had been hacked and lost about u00a558 billion ($532 million) worth of its holdings, sending clients into a panic about the fate of their virtual assets.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 3, 2018

Has Christel Takigawa cursed Japan with her 2020 Olympics omotenashi pitch?

"One thing made clear from (our) survey is that the wholehearted looking after guests is not necessarily appreciated."

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