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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 15, 2020

The U.S. Pacific Deterrence Initiative: A chance to turn the corner in Asia

This year's NDAA includes the Pacific Deterrence Initiative , which while a virtual drop in the budget — at $2.2 billion — is a potentially big deal for regional security.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Women of Taste
Dec 12, 2020

Want a deeper understanding of Tokyo’s culinary landscape? Just ask Yukari Sakamoto.

The first non-Japanese to become a shu014dchu016b advisor, this chef, sommelier and tour guide built her career on sharing Tokyo's best with the world.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 12, 2020

For Biden’s economic team, an early focus on climate

One issue that could distinguish Biden's core economic team from its predecessors? Climate change.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / CULTURE SMASH
Dec 10, 2020

Sibling duo Lastlings finds its musical muse in Japan

The half-Japanese, half-Australian siblings, who experienced relentless teasing while growing up in Australia, took refuge in music and created their own blend of electro-pop.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 10, 2020

Biden lacks strategic clarity on China

Aiding China's rise was the greatest mistake of U.S. foreign policy in the post-World War II period. The U.S. actively contributed to the rise of its most formidable competitor
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 8, 2020

Zombie companies feed off the living

Like their namesakes, zombies feed off the living. They are companies that should close their doors but don't, cannibalizing healthy businesses, depriving them of customers and income.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 8, 2020

Has Bacardi solved the world’s plastic problem?

Various types of plastic react differently during the recycling process. If two different types are mixed together, the output will be a mishmash of limited economic value.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 8, 2020

Chuck Yeager, 'Right Stuff' test pilot who broke sound barrier, dead at 97

Chuck Yeager, the steely "Right Stuff" test pilot who took aviation to the doorstep of space by becoming the first person to break the sound barrier more than 70 years ago, died on Monday at the age of 97.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 7, 2020

Is Hong Kong heading toward a Russian-style electoral system?

Dictators have realized that the most effective form of governance in the modern era is not an iron fist, but a birdcage with limited freedom.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 7, 2020

India accuses China of helping rebel groups on Myanmar border

The increased activity along the Myanmar border has sparked concern in New Delhi that India's military is becoming stretched as tensions remain with China and Pakistan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 5, 2020

‘36 Views of Mount Fuji’: Self-discovery through shifts in perspective

Cathy N. Davidson's memoir is a thoughtful and compelling account of a woman gaining a deeper understanding of herself and Japan through her travels.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Dec 4, 2020

He escaped death as a kamikaze pilot. 70 years later, he told his story.

Kazuo Odachi hid his wartime past from almost everyone, but finally published his memoirs, which were recently released in English.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 3, 2020

‘Mrs. Noisy’: Loving your neighbor can be tough

Chihiro Amano's humorous film about rowdy next-door neighbors coming to blows makes a well-meaning plea for tolerance and kindness toward others.
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 2, 2020

Episode 75: What will a Joe Biden presidency mean for Japan?

Sheila A. Smith joined us from Washington earlier this week to give her take on what a Biden presidency might mean for Japan going forward.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 2, 2020

The message of Islamist beheadings

Jihadis represent a tiny minority of the world's Muslims. But, by making clear their willingness to behave inhumanely, they have ensured that few dare defy them.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 2, 2020

Signs of dissent within Thai military as protests grow

Social media is exposing discontent among some soldiers, police and civil servants after months of protests against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha and the monarchy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2020

China’s hard line against Australia is a lesson for us all

Australia is the proverbial canary in the coal mine — and wolves eat canaries in one bite.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2020

A triumph of German innovation and immigration

The great advantage of BioNTech's approach is that it allows for the production of more than one billion vaccine doses within the space of just a few months.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 28, 2020

'There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job': How hard is it to find meaning in the modern workplace?

In Kikuko Tsumura's surreal and humorous novel, “There's No Such Things as an Easy Job,” an unnamed narrator sets her sights on trivial work after giving up her 14-year career.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 25, 2020

‘Tezuka’s Barbara’: A dazzlingly dull descent into madness

Macoto Tezka's adaptation of his father's racy 1970s manga is visually intoxicating, but liable to leave viewers with a hangover.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 25, 2020

Gold is a hedge against bad government decisions

The job of the government and the central bank are simply to create the conditions necessary for people to prosper. They are not doing a very good job at it, judging by the price of gold.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 24, 2020

Japan and Australia put aside wartime baggage to counter China’s rise

Expanding defense ties gives Japan a stake in other countries, creates options and helps knit a thicker weave of security relations throughout the region.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 24, 2020

Why Democrats lost and will keep losing elections

When you expected to pick up tons of seats in the House and take back the Senate, and none of that happens and you just barely win the presidency, you basically got your a-- kicked.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 24, 2020

Hong Kong campus rocked by protest becomes ‘prison’ a year later

Today, what had once been a bustling, freely accessible campus is locked down, its protest movement extinguished in a series of aggressive moves to stifle dissent in the Asian financial hub.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 22, 2020

The new normal that will arise after COVID-19

In the post-COVID-19 world, the coronavirus should prove far less dangerous, eventually becoming as common as the flu. But that doesn't mean life will completely revert to the way it was.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 21, 2020

A passion project that became a literary journey through Kyoto

“Kyoto: A Literary Guide' was painstakingly collated by a group of friends whose dedication to studying the city's literary legacy spans 10 years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 21, 2020

‘The Japanese: A History in Twenty Lives’: Personal stories present a fresh perspective on Japan

Christopher Harding scales Japan's history down to the level of the individual with portraits of the eminent as well as the overlooked.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 21, 2020

Take hot chocolate to the next level

Warm up your winter with these boozy hot chocolate recipes, perfect for both outdoor dining or a cozy night in.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Nov 21, 2020

Kids see many ads but few educational videos on YouTube, study shows

A report found that adverts were present on 95% of videos analyzed, with a fifth of the ads being categorized as age inappropriate.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 21, 2020

Climate change is making winter ice more dangerous

New research on the connection between climate change and winter drownings has found that reported drowning deaths are increasing exponentially in areas with warmer winters.

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