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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 14, 2022

A SoftBank buyout would look more like Musk than Dell

Rumors persist that SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son wants his company to go private. It's a good idea, if he can afford it.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Dec 14, 2022

Biden signs same-sex marriage bill in ‘vital step’ to equality

The bill signing at the White House was a celebration for supporters of the measure, with prominent members of the LGBTQ community and allies in attendance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2022

TikTok U.S. security deal’s prospects clouded by FBI doubts and state bans

A congressional panel is seeking a way to let TikTok keep operating in the U.S. while also preventing the possibility that the Chinese government could access user data.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 13, 2022

China braces for ‘massive’ COVID-19 outbreak amid faster reopening

China's swift reopening has surprised many observers and stoked concerns that the world's second-biggest economy faces a rough road ahead.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 13, 2022

Crumbling nuclear plant may fuel Philippines after 36-year delay

A nuclear plant the size of the one in Bataan operating near peak capacity would have generated about 5% of the Philippines' power needs last year.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 13, 2022

North Korean spies trick foreign experts into writing research for them

A hacking group has targeted those with knowledge of issues regarding the country, apparently in a bid to gain intelligence, information and insight.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Dec 12, 2022

Delayed pick for 2030 Winter Olympics host puts Sapporo in a bind

The IOC's announcement could further complicate the city's effort, as bid supporters and opponents face off next year — especially in April's local elections.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 10, 2022

Take a journey through the mythic and mundane in 'The Thorn Puller'

Hiromi Ito's semi-autobiographical, transnational novel probes the complexities of life as it follows the struggles of a woman shouldering an impressive load of family troubles.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 9, 2022

ChatGPT could soon be the better way to Google

Answers from the AI-powered chatbot are often more useful than those from the world's biggest search engine. Alphabet should be worried.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 9, 2022

Our future artificial intelligence overlords need a resistance movement

Improving transparency about how algorithms reach their decisions is essential to keeping humans safe from artificial intelligence.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 9, 2022

One year into tenure, CDP chief Kenta Izumi struggling with poor public support

The main opposition party's support ratings have remained below 10% in many opinion polls, falling far behind the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 9, 2022

Morocco's coach breaking new World Cup ground for Africans

The coach has seen several big decisions pay off in recent months and his tactics of allowing Spain possession worked as planned.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 8, 2022

These are not the most expensive cities — unless you are an expat

Lists of the world's priciest urban centers assume you're a tennis-playing, vermouth-drinking expat paid in dollars with a maid and a car.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 8, 2022

Don’t dismiss Europe’s objection to ‘buy American’

The U.S. once championed a simple truth: The world is better off when liberal trade is allowed to do its job.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 8, 2022

Most Japanese firms in poll don't support Kishida, citing leadership and prices

Dissatisfaction among major corporations mirrors public opinion polls showing dwindling support for Kishida amid scandals that have taken down three of his ministers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 7, 2022

Japan needs billionaires like Jack Ma, not just more tourists

Japan has much to offer the ultrarich — it now needs to figure how to attract more of them given how much more money they spend than the average tourist.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 7, 2022

Will Russians choose truth or lies? Ukraine’s fate depends on them

How ordinary Russians deal with their government's propaganda has become a matter of war and peace.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 7, 2022

U.S. answers North Korea missile barrage with vow to stay the course

North Korea has fired off a record number of missiles this year as the U.S. and its allies continue to pursue a policy that is aimed at the full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 6, 2022

Japan to defer tax hikes for defense spending until 2027

The delay is planned in light of economic uncertainties stemming from rising prices, while strong opposition from members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to corporate and other tax hikes was also a factor, sources say.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2022

Drone strikes show Putin his homeland isn’t safe

Ukrainians aren't openly taking credit for the attacks on Russian air bases, but the message was clear: They are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 5, 2022

Climate change costs are eating up the money needed to avert it

Rich countries need to meet their ODA commitments, which would more than double the money available to avert the effects of climate change.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2022

Ukraine’s victories may become a problem for the U.S.

Washington has been a big winner from Moscow's fiasco in Ukraine — but a lengthy stalemate could become a huge burden.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 2, 2022

Amgen has a contender in the weight-loss drug wars

Amgen's obesity drug offers a new twist on proven methods to help people lose unwanted pounds.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2022

Japanese power utilities to face record antitrust fines

The figure dwarfs current record fine of u00a539.9 billion handed to eight major Japanese road-paving companies in 2019 for fixing asphalt mixture prices.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Dec 1, 2022

Only hard options: How China could navigate its way out of 'COVID-zero'

Beijing recognizes the damaging impact of quarantines and lockdowns, but it also understands that ceasing efforts to contain the virus would rapidly overwhelm the health care system.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2022

The soccer world must protect Iran’s team

After losing to the United States in World Cup, Team Melli returns home to a hostile population and a vengeful regime.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 1, 2022

For China’s leader, another dilemma: How to mourn Jiang Zemin

Paying tribute to Jiang while preventing him from becoming a symbolic cudgel against the current regime will be a challenge for Xi Jinping in the coming weeks
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2022

China’s video game ambitions threaten to one-up Japan

Along with the EU, the world's second-largest economy, China, wants to use gaming to promote soft power. Japan should take that as a warning.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 30, 2022

Russia’s mass abductions are genocide

Defeating Putin's troops isn't enough. Kyiv must also get back the hundreds of thousands of women and children the Russians have taken out of Ukraine.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2022

Eisai Alzheimer’s drug sparks debate over benefits as risks like brain bleeding emerge

The key issue is whether the modest slowing of the disease is meaningful to individual patients and their families, especially in light of the potential side effects.

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