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Japan Times
BUSINESS / 'SUMMER DAVOS' SPECIAL 2015
Sep 9, 2015

'B-class' cuisine: Food that reflects the soul of the people

From the impressive number of stars garnered by restaurants in Tokyo to heads of state visiting the establishments of famed sushi masters, the high end of the Japanese culinary scene gets plenty of attention worldwide. But eating out in Japan doesn't mean you have to break the bank all the time, and...
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 8, 2015

Bill easing regulations on temp workers passes key committee

The ruling bloc bulldozed a contentious bill to revise the worker dispatch law through an Upper House committee Tuesday, clearing a critical hurdle for its enactment that will enable companies to use temporary workers for as long as they wish.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Sep 6, 2015

Why Japan's right keeps leaving the left in the dust

The left keeps losing, and much of it is its own damned fault.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 31, 2015

What if the 2008 crisis comes around again?

The obstacles to effective remedies for a major economic crisis would be formidable, but more political than economic.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2015

Thailand and China build ties of convenience

The Thai military regime, isolated by the West, finds that China is more than willing to fill the void.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 11, 2015

Experts, investors upbeat after Google's surprise overhaul of operating structure

Google Inc. on Monday announced a surprise overhaul of its operating structure, creating a holding company called Alphabet to pool its many subsidiaries and separate the core web advertising business from newer ventures like driverless cars.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2015

How Sony sanitized films to please China's censors

In a 2013 script for the movie "Pixels," intergalactic aliens blast a hole in one of China's national treasures — the Great Wall.
JAPAN / History
Jul 25, 2015

Winds of war: Japan's balloon bombs took the Pacific battle to American soil

In May 1945, a pastor from Bly, Oregon, led his wife and a group of children on a day trip near Klamath Falls. They were all looking forward to hours of fishing and picnicking in fine weather. Everyone got out of the car while the Rev. Archie Mitchell was parking along a remote logging road and unloading...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 13, 2015

Reducing the health risks of electronic devices

The best way to avoid some of the negative effects of portable electronic devices such as cellphones is to use them in moderation and to store them far away from the body.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 9, 2015

U.S. upgrades Malaysia in annual human trafficking report: sources

The United States is upgrading Malaysia from the lowest tier on its list of worst human trafficking centers, U.S. sources said Wednesday, a move that could smooth the way for an ambitious U.S.-led free-trade deal with the Southeast Asian nation and 11 other countries.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 4, 2015

Female chefs give sushi a new lease on life

A chef dressed in white stands behind the immaculate counter of a sushi restaurant with a vast array of raw seafood spread out in front of her. It sounds like a typical scene you might find at any sushi restaurant in Japan ... except in this case the chef is female.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 30, 2015

China hackers defect to other side, become cyber gatekeepers

China, long accused by the United States of rampant cyber aggression, may be synonymous with hacking exploits these days, but that doesn't mean every Chinese hacker is out to pilfer and destroy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
Jun 26, 2015

Rakushin: Austere multicourse dining in a traditional Osaka town house

What does austerity look and feel like? Well, it depends on whom you ask. I imagine for Greeks it’s a sort of endless despair engendering cynicism, but here in Japan, austerity — or, rather, restraint — can engender a sense of luxury, subtlety and even sensuality. Austerity has a long and rich...
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 22, 2015

Diet session extended through September as Abe aims to pass contentious security bills

Abe and Komeito's leader decide to extend the Diet session by the most days in postwar history in a bid to enact the controversial security bills.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 16, 2015

Nissan award echoes a maturing art world

The biennial Nissan Art Award isn't new now, and it wasn't really new when it began in 2013, either — something Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn is fully aware of.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 3, 2015

Director Naomi Kawase has finally made a 'real Japanese film'

Sooner or later, many Japanese directors — be they internationally acclaimed auteurs or industry outsiders — end up making what Sion Sono (a noted auteur/outsider himself) once described to me as "a real Japanese film." To put it simply, this sort of film is aimed squarely at the domestic audience,...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 3, 2015

As key allies bolt, days may be numbered for Canada's Harper

The shock departure of a Canadian Cabinet heavyweight has fueled talk about how long Prime Minister Stephen Harper will stay in power, with some in his party predicting he is unlikely to serve a full term if he wins re-election this October.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 30, 2015

Life inside a juvenile correction center

Young offenders are encouraged to acknowledge the crimes they have committed before learning how to survive in the outside world after their release.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Apr 20, 2015

Why Japan won't join the AIIB

The AIIB will enable China to use funds contributed by other countries for projects that best suit its own strategies.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 8, 2015

Winning Sri Lanka's peace

Sri Lanka is at a crucial moment in its efforts to consolidate peace and secure its long-term benefits.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Apr 1, 2015

Battle over Shibuya park heats up as Tokyo Olympics loom

Mayor vows to appeal after the district court sides with his opponents over the treatment of Miyashita Park's homeless and a deal to grant Nike naming rights.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 24, 2015

White House chief demands end to 50 years of Israeli occupation

The United States expects the next Israeli government to end nearly 50 years of occupation and clear the way for a Palestinian state, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told Jewish Americans on Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 16, 2015

Corruption threatens to implode Bangladesh

With bomb explosions almost taking the life of the prime minister, the opposition leader charged with murder, and violent protests and arson sweeping the capital, Bangladesh again seems poised at the edge of an abyss.
Japan Times
JAPAN / UN WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Mar 14, 2015

Monuments hint at glory of Hiraizumi's golden age

In the town of Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, in the Tohoku region, one can still visit the remains of a brief blossoming of culture and architecture that is said to have rivaled the capital of Kyoto in its time.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 21, 2015

British press roiled by allegation of self-censorship to keep ads

One of Britain's most storied newspapers has been accused of censoring itself for commercial gain, raising awkward questions about a centuries-old press culture that has prided itself on its no-holds-barred approach to telling the truth.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 18, 2015

Rudderless: 'a missed opportunity to really engage with teenage violence'

William H. Macy — long noted as one of the most respected actors of our age (for those who missed him, watch "Fargo" for starters) — has now emerged as a filmmaker.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Feb 18, 2015

Time to shut down this modern-day minstrel show

If Fuji TV airs the modern-day minstrel show it has planned for next month, it will shine a national spotlight on Japan's extreme ignorance about issues of race and discrimination.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 26, 2015

Nous ne sommes pas Charlie: Voices that mock authority in Japan muzzled

Why is there no equivalent of Charlie Hebdo, 'The Daily Show' or 'Monty Python' in Japan?

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