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COMMENTARY / World
Jul 8, 2016

Anatomy of the Dhaka attack

Bangladesh today is fighting for its soul. The U.S., India and other states ought to significantly ramp up assistance to Dhaka.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Jul 1, 2016

YouTube poses unique challenges for Japan Sumo Association

Every few days, year-round, I receive emails from foreign visitors to Japan asking just how to gain access to morning training sessions at one of the sport's (current) 44 stables.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 21, 2016

Scandal, other outrages fuel Upper House race

A widespread growing sense of anger and concern among Japanese voters will be a key factor determining the outcome of the upcoming Upper House election.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 16, 2016

China adds U.S. online publishing site Medium to list of blocked sites

Medium, a U.S.-based online publishing platform, has been blocked in China, the company said, the latest service to be affected as Beijing exerts greater control over the Internet.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 13, 2016

North Korea lifts veil on arms program to impress enemies and its own people

Ahead of a rare congress of the ruling party next month, secretive North Korea is revealing details of its weapons development program for the first time, showcasing its push to develop long-range nuclear missiles despite international sanctions.
EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2016

China's tight control of speech

Chinese President Xi Jinping's stringent control of speech and media outlets could increase public frustration — a potential source of social instability.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 23, 2015

Much jaw-jaw about war-war: the year 2015 in quotes

The past year has seen a number of tugs-of-war, as conservatives promoted past glories and preservation of the status quo while liberals lobbied for unprecedented levels of tolerance.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2015

A doomsday machine, or the next best thing

It was no accident that Russia leaked its plans to build an incredibly powerful nuclear weapon capable of laying waste to vast portions of the U.S. or China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 16, 2015

China won't win friends by flexing its muscles

While China has trumpeted its desire for peace, its Sept. 3 display of military prowess is bound to spur concerns in other capitals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 11, 2015

Odds rise on BOJ stimulus next month amid China turmoil, inflation woes

With the economy struggling to gather momentum after a contraction last quarter, more than a third of economists see the Bank of Japan expanding monetary stimulus next month, according to a Bloomberg News survey.
JAPAN / History
Aug 8, 2015

Truth hurts: censorship in the media

"Truth, it has been said, is the first casualty of war." — Philip Snowden, July 1916
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2015

Development finance with Chinese features?

If China can help find a way to balance the need for high standards and safeguards in project lending with the imperative of rapid loan dispersion, global economic governance would benefit significantly.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
May 13, 2015

Filmmakers Ash and Kamanaka discuss radiation, secrets and lives

Two filmmakers who have tackled the Fukushima issue — American and Japanese, storyteller and activist — discuss their work and their films, and consider the notion of 'being a 'foreign' filmmaker.'
EDITORIALS
Apr 17, 2015

Improving Japan-South Korea ties

There are signs of momentum building toward better ties between Japan and South Korea. It must not be impeded.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2015

The not so spectacular BRICs?

According to one forecast, most BRIC economies will fail to meet long-range growth expectations.
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Jan 17, 2015

Reflections on the Kobe quake two decades on

This year, thousands of Japanese around the country celebrated Coming-of-Age Day. In Kobe, however, the occasion was especially poignant, as those who will turn 20 this year were just days old or, most likely, born after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of Jan. 17, 1995. The first generation of adults...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Dec 13, 2014

Twelve ways to spend 2015 with nature

As 2014 winds down and the promise of another year lies ahead, it's time to come up with a few New Year's resolutions. Instead of planning for the future or trying some new-fad diets or exercise regimes, how about a resolution to spend a little more time connecting with our wonderful natural world?
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 2, 2014

With all parties opposed to tax hike, policy debates ring vague

Official campaigning for the Dec. 14 Lower House election started Tuesday, but voter enthusiasm remains low.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 18, 2014

Why better economic policy may not save ailing Japan

Japan's economic problems, particularly its long demographic shift, may not be very amendable to better policy.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 6, 2014

Line fends off fury ahead of lucrative IPO

"What's so exasperating for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ... is the current situation in that platforms, terminals and apps have become dominated by foreign entities," remarked an unnamed writer for a trade publication. "The ministries...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Aug 29, 2014

Corrupt Chinese hiding in Western nations elude Beijing's 'fox hunt'

When Yang Xiuzhu got wind in 2003 that Chinese anti-corruption investigators were looking into her affairs, she boarded a flight to Singapore. A few days later Yang changed her name and flew to New York.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Aug 22, 2014

Haruki Murakami's Cool Japan

I was in New York last week to host a launch event for the English translation of Haruki Murakami's latest novel, "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage." My good friend and Murakami translator Ted Goossen, professor at York University in Toronto, joined me, as did pianist Eunbi Kim, whose...
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Jun 10, 2014

Abe treading on lions' tails

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tendency to stumble in building allied support whenever he makes an aggressive move appears most conspicious of late with his efforts to have Japan exercise its right to collective self-defense and to reform farm policy.
COMMENTARY / World
May 9, 2014

Waiting for a coup that'll install 'good people'

All the street demonstrations and legal obstructionism by Thailand's opposition are ultimately intended to create political paralysis that will provide the pretext for a coup. One problem with that is that a whole generation of Thais has now grown up expecting to have a political voice in their government.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight