Search - world

 
 
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2019

Mission unaccomplished — Abe's drive to revise pacifist Constitution

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe surged back to power seven years ago, pledging to bolster the nation's defenses in response to a growing threat from China and aiming to amend the pacifist Constitution.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Nov 19, 2019

Let's discuss the imperial line of succession

An English lesson provides an opportunity to discuss the newly annointed Emperor Naruhito and his family.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Nov 18, 2019

Japan digs deep to win Premier12

Samurai Japan finished its Premier12 campaign in successful fashion on Sunday night with a 5-3 victory over South Korea in the gold medal game at Tokyo Dome.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Nov 18, 2019

All aboard the Kyoto Railway Museum

Few countries have embraced rail travel like Japan, so it's no surprise that one of the best train museums in the world is found here: the kid-friendly Kyoto Railway Museum.
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Nov 17, 2019

Yuma Kagiyama, Mana Kawabe leave rivals in dust to win at Japan Junior Championships

Yuma Kagiyama continued his surge toward the elite of the skating world with a dominating victory at the Japan Junior Championships on Sunday night.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 16, 2019

Japanese celebrities are using YouTube in new ways to connect with fans

The baseball offseason has arrived and Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish has taken up a few extracurricular activities. The Osaka-born player has expanded his social media presence, with recent posts on Twitter —  poking fun at teammates and playfully roasting other starters — being picked up by...
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Nov 16, 2019

Kepco's gift scandal casts shadow over Kansai and 2025 Expo

Earlier this fall, it was revealed that 20 Kansai Electric Power Co. officials, including the chairman and president, received nearly ¥320 million in cash and presents between 2006 and 2018 from a powerful, and now deceased, former deputy mayor and political fixer in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW
Nov 15, 2019

Through scandal and stellar sales, AKB48 dominated the past decade in Japan

Do you know the songs? 'Heavy Rotation,' 'Gingham Check,' 'Ponytail to Shushu' .... Even if you don't, you're likely aware of the sales model that AKB48 has exported to the rest of the world.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 14, 2019

America's feeble Indo-Pacific strategy

The United States has allowed Chinese expansionism in Asia to continue virtually unimpeded.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 14, 2019

Japan's economy grinds to near standstill as U.S.-China trade war bites

Private consumption cooled from the previous quarter, casting doubt on the Bank of Japan's view that demand will offset the impact from intensifying global risks.
EDITORIALS
Nov 13, 2019

A 'Michelin guide' to infrastructure in Asia

China's Belt and Road initiative (BRI) casts a long shadow over Asia. Beijing's effort to fill the yawning infrastructure gap — estimated to be in the trillions of dollars — is widely viewed as an attempt by China to extend its influence as well as meet local needs. Japan, the United States and like-minded...
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 13, 2019

North Korea goes permanently nuclear — does it matter?

North Korea's possession of an arsenal of nuclear-armed missiles increasingly looks permanent. The U.S. government will continue to refuse to officially recognize this reality, mostly out of deference to Tokyo. However, the region has settled into a new status quo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2019

Trump says phase one of China trade deal 'could happen soon'

Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here.
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2019

Get India back into the RCEP negotiations

Getting India to return to the RCEP talks and reaching a prompt agreement would show that free trade makes more sense.
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Nov 12, 2019

Satoko Miyahara still formidable, but can she win in future?

Satoko Miyahara earned the silver medal in her Grand Prix season debut at the Cup of China on Saturday, finishing behind Russian teen Anna Shcherbakova.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 12, 2019

Akira Yoshino, winner of Nobel for work on lithium-ion batteries, sees tech as environmental fix

Midway through the 1800s, the English scientist Michael Faraday had the forethought to deliver a series of lectures on an object that was commonplace in Victorian Britain, as a way to get young minds hooked on science.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2019

Alibaba's Singles' Day sales hit $23 billion in first nine hours

Chinese retailer Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said Monday that sales logged from its annual Singles' Day shopping blitz crossed the $30 billion mark late Monday afternoon, putting the event on track to set a record in its 11th year.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2019

Stealing books isn't really stealing

China's technological innovations have been striking enough to put Silicon Valley on edge.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 11, 2019

Why Japan's English education is a fiasco

The first step toward improving Japanese student's English-speaking ability is to ensure their English teachers can speak the language.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Commentary
Nov 11, 2019

Four-day workweek could be just what Japan needs

In the sitcom "The Office," a bumbling manager spends much of his time distracting the hapless employees of a paper company's local sales branch. Somehow, despite all the antics that seem to interfere with getting anything done, the branch consistently manages to be the company's most profitable. Though...
EDITORIALS
Nov 9, 2019

Sustain Paris pact after U.S. exit

Merely calling the Trump administration's decision 'regrettable' is not enough.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 9, 2019

Taiwan warns of possible attack if China's slowdown 'becomes serious'

Beijing could resort to military conflict with self-ruled Taiwan to divert domestic pressure if a slowdown in the world's second largest economy amid a trade war threatens the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party, the island's foreign minister has said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 8, 2019

Global bond sell-off persuades some investors to buy the dip as U.S.-China talks whipsaw market

Recent losses in Treasuries, which crescendoed Thursday into one of the worst days since Donald Trump was elected president, look like a buying opportunity for many investors who have a grim view of the economy's prospects.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2019

Facebook staffers' gripes about 'unethical,' anti-competitive practices rejected by execs in 2012: leaked chats

Facebook Inc. employees repeatedly chafed at what they viewed as anti-competitive or unethical practices by the company, internal chats show. But their concerns, voiced in 2012 and 2013, were overruled by senior managers including Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, who argued that the survival...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 8, 2019

Compromising free trade to save free trade

The RCEP has the potential to be the world's largest free trade area.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 7, 2019

Netflix bets on Japanese anime to battle Disney and Apple in streaming wars

As Netflix Inc. prepares for a bruising battle against the Walt Disney Co. and Apple Inc. for streaming subscribers, it's playing a card that may deliver enough of an edge to fend them off in Asia: Japanese anime.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 7, 2019

Pentagon pushes back after North Korea slams scaled-down maneuvers with South

The Pentagon on Thursday pushed back against North Korean criticism of joint U.S. military exercises with South Korea scheduled for next month.

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