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Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 23, 2014

Retirees swell national debt treating clinics as clubs

Kaoru Ishiyama gets to an orthopedic clinic in Kawasaki early so he can chat with about 20 other retirees while they wait outside for it to open, each sitting on folding chairs brought from home.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 21, 2014

Nigerian journalists fear state censorship

Nigeria's press is traditionally free to write almost anything about anyone — whether it's true or not. But reporters fear a government sensitive to criticism is now cracking down, especially on coverage of the battle against Boko Haram.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK
Jul 19, 2014

New sports center symbol of Haiti's recovery

Haiti's recovery from the 2010 earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation is a slow, difficult process.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jul 16, 2014

Chinese town trades lead poison test results for milk

After a test showed farmer Zhao Heping's toddler grandson had high levels of lead in his blood two years ago, local officials in China's Hunan province offered the child medicine, he says — and milk. In return, Zhao says, officials asked that he hand over his grandson's blood test results.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 15, 2014

YMO's Yukihiro Takahashi recruits Towa Tei, Cornelius, Yoshinori Sunahara, Tomohiko Gondo and Leo Imai for an impressive supergroup

One of the unspoken rules in the progress-fixated world of electronic music is that you don't get bonus points for dwelling on past glories. So when Yukihiro Takahashi — drummer, vocalist and dapper elder statesman of electro-pop — convened a star cast of musicians at Tokyo's Ex Theater Roppongi...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 9, 2014

Goldman's Japan M&A chief sees hunger for more deals

When a 210-year-old vinegar company bought Unilever's Ragu and Bertolli pasta sauce business last month, it showed that Japanese firms are becoming more adventurous in their search for growth, said Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s national head of mergers and acquisitions.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 9, 2014

Tokyo to inspect 'dappo' narcotics sellers

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to inspect stores suspected of selling quasi-legal narcotics, after the Cabinet called for a crackdown on so-called “dappo” drugs.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2014

North Korea test-fires more missiles, but abduction talks likely to continue

North Korea's launch Wednesday morning of what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles prompted a fresh protest from Tokyo, but appears unlikely to derail ongoing talks over the abduction of Japanese nationals.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 8, 2014

Abe declares war on quasi-legal 'dappo' drugs

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declares war against quasi-legal highs known as “dappo” drugs, pledging to adopt a speedier process by which regulators can identify and outlaw products with dangerous narcotic or hallucinogenic ingredients.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 8, 2014

Conductor Hubert Soudant to put down his Tokyo Symphony Orchestra baton

Dutch conductor Hubert Soudant will make his final appearances with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra this month, before his contract with the organization officially expires in August.
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2014

Electricity gold rush heralds end for monopolies

Watami Co., a restaurant chain known best as a hangout for salarymen, is getting into the business of selling power — and it isn't alone.
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.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 2, 2014

Mizuho beats Nomura in bond sales as spreads sink

Mizuho Financial Group Inc. overtook Nomura Holdings Inc. as the No. 1 underwriter of corporate bonds in the first six months as yield premiums on corporate debt fell to their lowest level in eight years.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 1, 2014

World's oldest population drives Asian bonds in quest for yield

Asian bonds are reaping the benefits of Japan's ageing population like never before.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 30, 2014

China suffers karoshi, as white-collar workers die from overwork

Chinese banking regulator Li Jianhua literally worked himself to death. After 26 years of "always putting the cause of the party and the people" first, his employer said this month, the 48-year-old official died rushing to finish a report before the sun came up.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 24, 2014

Ghosn to top executive pay scale again

Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn earned more than ¥1 billion last year, putting him on track to become the best-paid Japan executive for the fourth time in five years.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 24, 2014

China can learn from U.S. how to cut smog

Smog in China's cities is often presented as if it were the same problem as greenhouse emissions and climate change. In fact, China could significantly reduce its air pollution by enforcing the same emission control techniques that have been used in the U.S. and Europe for the last 30 years.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2014

Lawmaker apologizes for sexist jibe

A Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker apologized on Monday for shouting a sexist remark last week at a female colleague from Your Party during a plenary session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 22, 2014

Giants pound Hawks, snatch interleague title

The Yomiuri Giants and Fukuoka Softbank Hawks met in a winner-take-all matchup with a title hanging in the balance on Sunday afternoon. It wasn't the prize the two teams are hoping to play for in the fall, but for the Giants at least, it was a good start.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 20, 2014

Confident LDP plays up victories as Diet session comes to a close

A confident Liberal Democratic Party trumpets its achievements as the 186th Diet session winds down as laying strong foundations for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's security and political goals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 19, 2014

Sony CEO apologizes for another steep loss

Sony Corp. Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai apologized to investors Thursday after the maker of PlayStation consoles and Xperia smartphones projected a sixth loss in seven years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jun 18, 2014

Japan's 'no immigration principle' looking as solid as ever

In contrast to Hidenori Sakanaka's unbridled optimism, I argue that Japan has little prospect of becoming a 'migrant nation' anytime soon.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Jun 15, 2014

Fukushima hotline gets record calls

A suicide-prevention hotline in Fukushima Prefecture received a record 18,194 calls in 2013, signaling that scars from the events of March 2011 still weigh heavily on residents' minds.

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