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JAPAN
Oct 4, 2013

China rise may break Russia impasse: expert

China's growing economic and military might may pose a threat to Japan, but it also works in Tokyo's favor when it comes to settling a long-standing territorial dispute with Russia, a former high-ranking diplomat told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 3, 2013

A taxing challenge to revival

As Shinzo Abe goes ahead with a sales-tax increase aimed at getting a handle on Japan's huge debt burden, he risks killing Japan's best chance for an economic recovery.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 3, 2013

High-def 4K taking center stage this year

Electronics makers are promoting their 4K, or ultra-high-definition, display technology in a big way at Japan's biggest electronics fair with the aim of stimulating some demand.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Oct 2, 2013

Households to take hit from tax hike

The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people's financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Reader Mail
Oct 2, 2013

Suffering from the lack of satire

Regarding Noriko Fujita's Sept. 29 letter, "When cartoons don't go our way": Fujita seems to have absolutely no idea what satire is. This is not surprising in a country whose media habitually treat politicians with deference and where any kind of political satire is lacking. Consequently ordinary people...
Reader Mail
Oct 2, 2013

Mindset trumps English ability

In his Sept. 23 article, "The communication skills for vying in the world," Sadaaki Numata expressed concern about Japan's ability to hold its own in international forums and negotiations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 2, 2013

Melt-Banana: Being 'stupid' isn't so bad when it comes to touring

For Melt-Banana, the flip side of popularity overseas is that it is often regarded as a band who has never really lived up to its potential at home.
LIFE / Digital
Oct 1, 2013

Wearable tech such as Google Glass, Galaxy Gear raises alarms for privacy advocates

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smart watch is set to hit stores this week, part of a new wave of wearable technology that some fear could open a largely unregulated door into users' private lives.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 1, 2013

German absence of vision

Chancellor Angela Merkel's pragmatic and cautious defense of Germany's national interest in the age of globalization may yet instigate an aggressive new nationalism in Europe.
LIFE / Digital
Oct 1, 2013

Apple has a secret weapon in iOS7, iPhone5s

When Steve Jobs was still with us, many commentators — yours truly included — used to complain about the "reality distortion field" that surrounded Apple's charismatic leader. Those in attendance when Jobs launched the devices and services (iPod, iTunes, OS X, iMac, MacBook, iPhone and iPad) that...
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 1, 2013

April to see sales tax hike, Abe confirms

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe goes ahead with raising the consumption tax while also offering a ¥5 trillion stimulus package to offset the negative impact on consumer spending.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2013

WEF ranks Japan 15th in worker development

Japan ranks 15th among 122 countries in the World Economic Forum's first Human Capital Index report on countries' abilities to develop and deploy healthy, educated and able workers, the forum said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 1, 2013

Full electric future still far off, says Toyota chair

Toyota Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada rode his pioneering work on the Prius hybrid to the top of the world's biggest car company.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 30, 2013

Japan, U.K. security wonks talk business

Nearly 18 months after Japan and Britain struck a deal to jointly develop weapons and defense equipment, security experts from both nations gathered in Tokyo Monday to discuss ways to expand that to maritime security, cybersecurity and military equipment.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 30, 2013

Cultural and legal hurdles block path to child adoptions in Japan

While more than 7,000 couples applied to adopt or become foster parents every year between 2006 and 2010, only 309 children were adopted in fiscal 2010, according to government figures.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Sep 30, 2013

The build-up to get that housing loan

Several years ago, we went to a bank in Tokyo that was advertising housing loans with easy terms. Though we weren't shopping for a loan at the time we wanted to see what was needed in order to apply for one. The bank's approval criteria seemed simple enough: If you made at least ¥3 million a year, you...
BUSINESS
Sep 30, 2013

Toshiba to halve global TV workers

Toshiba Corp.will halve the number of workers in its television operations outside Japan to 3,000 as it outsources more production.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 29, 2013

Sanctions have warmed up Iran for an accord

As Iran's economy reels and President Hassan Rouhani shows interest in rapprochement with the West, it seems high time to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past