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ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 16, 2016

China island-building expands as ASEAN leaders gather in U.S.

China's South China Sea island-building has expanded into the Paracel Islands, according to satellite photos published as Southeast Asian leaders gathered in California for two days of talks with U.S. President Barack Obama.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 15, 2016

Let's discuss English language education in Japan

Junior high and high school students in Japan have failed to meet the government's targets in all four English skills.
WORLD
Feb 11, 2016

Consternation follows Austrian case over Nazi camp survivors called 'a plague'

Concentration camp survivors voiced indignation on Wednesday at an Austrian prosecutor's statement that it was justifiable for a far-right magazine to call people who were liberated from the Nazi camp at Mauthausen a criminal "plague."
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 8, 2016

As perceptions of animals evolve, so does English

In a language like English, which implicitly categorizes animals as things rather than persons, adopting the personal pronoun would embody the same recognition — and remind us who animals really are.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 8, 2016

Let's discuss the 'hometown donation' system

More people are remitting cash to municipalities where they do not live using the tax-deductible hometown donation program.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 1, 2016

Let's discuss Japanese food sold overseas

The government plans to adopt a certification system for chefs of Japanese cuisine, in a bid to guarantee quality at establishments serving fare overseas.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 30, 2016

NHK may need to rethink its 'taiga' formula

An article that appeared in December in the Yomiuri Shimbun weighed the prospects for the 2016 edition of NHK's year-long historical taiga drama series, which premiered Jan. 10. "Sanada Maru" is the title of the 55th marathon show, and the name of a fortification added on to Osaka Castle to protect it...
Reader Mail
Jan 30, 2016

Education a must in Arab world

With regard to Gwynne Dyer's column in the Jan. 20 edition titled "Five years after the Arab Spring," common sense tells us that education is the key to positive progress. Being a good educator, and indeed a good journalist, is not about presenting raw facts but about presenting the truth about the facts...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2016

Will Obama's immigration overreach be policed?

The Supreme Court justices take up the president's immigration policy.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 25, 2016

Let's discuss new map symbols for tourists

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) has released new symbols for foreign-language maps after criticism that some of its current pictograms are hard to understand or even offensive.
Reader Mail
Jan 23, 2016

Keene dives into Japanese hearts

The article "A life found in translation" in the Jan. 3 edition reminds us of our deep respect for Dr. Donald Keene.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Jan 20, 2016

Hatoyama dreams of a Japan anchored within a united Asia

Former leader apologizes for his failures as PM and shares his views on Fukushima, Tokyo 2020 and his hopes for Okinawa, Japan and the wider region.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 18, 2016

Let's discuss My Number

My Number, the new personal identification system for social security and taxation matters, kicks off amid data security fears.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 18, 2016

Photo of Helen Keller's 1937 visit to Gifu school discovered

A photo taken during a visit by Helen Keller, a noted humanitarian who overcame being deaf and blind, to Gifu Prefectural School for the Blind in 1937 has been discovered at a late student's house and was donated to the school.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 4, 2016

Let's discuss healthy eating in Japan

In a country where food culture permeates all aspects of life and society, it is perhaps unsurprising that Japan leads the 'World Health Olympics.'
EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2015

Time for serious electoral reform

Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers from rural areas are already gearing up to fight much-needed electoral reform to reduce the vote disparity between rural and urban areas.
EDITORIALS
Dec 21, 2015

Supreme Court's surname ruling

The Supreme Court's ruling upholding the constitutionality of requiring a married couple to use the same surname included a call on the Diet to examine the issue — which lawmakers should follow.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Dec 21, 2015

Let's discuss the Akatsuki space probe

Japan's space agency says its Akatsuki probe has successfully entered into orbit around Venus.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 20, 2015

More on pensions: what to expect and when you can get it

Following up on the Lifelines special on the Japan pension system, here are some more questions from readers.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 19, 2015

Gangs, girl power and getting old: Japan's magazines ring out 2015

A roundup of the final weekly magazines of 2015 finds many preoccupied with the split within the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza group.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2015

A toothless treaty can't stop climate change

The only good that has come out of the Paris deal is that most of the world's nations acknowledge climate change and the need to do something about it.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Dec 7, 2015

Let's discuss the contest to find a new Tokyo Olympics logo

The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics begins accepting entries for a new logo.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Dec 2, 2015

Cold front clears Beijing's smog and saves the mayor's neck — for now

A cold front that swept choking smog from northern China couldn't have come sooner for Beijing's mayor.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Nov 30, 2015

Let's discuss prenatal screening for disabilities

An Ibaraki education board member has sparked online outrage after suggesting the prefecture back more prenatal screening to reduce the 'burden' on parents of having a disabled child.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 26, 2015

Japan's crack submarine fleet

The Maritime Self-Defense Force has one of the stealthiest and best-trained submarine fleets in the world.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Nov 25, 2015

Japan: surprisingly, sensibly and endearingly low-tech

The common image of Japan abroad as a high-tech country is severely out of step with the everyday experience of those of us who live here.

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