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Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 4, 2019

Venezuela slums once in Maduro's camp now become victims of regime's deadly police crackdown

After Venezuelan police officers clad in black military uniforms and masks stopped 27-year-old Yohendry Fernandez at gunpoint in the Caracas slum of Jose Felix Ribas, they asked him if he had a criminal record. He replied yes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2019

SoftBank's giant debt burden looks worse than it actually is, analysts say

As SoftBank Group Corp. continues its transformation into a giant investment fund, some analysts are increasingly watching a metric more familiar to lenders as they judge its creditworthiness. And by that gauge, they say, its massive debt pile looks manageable.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2019

Feared or celebrated, Amazon's Alexa is star of Super Bowl ads

An android child struggles to control his emotions. Robots threaten to take away human jobs. And a voice-activated device ponders its own existence.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Feb 4, 2019

Zen Buddhist priest touched by kindness in Nepal offers shelter to those seeking refuge in Japan

One day in January, in a quiet Zen temple on a hill in Nagoya's Tenpaku Ward, a priest offered a Nigerian visitor okaki (rice crackers).
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2019

Nissan deals Brexit blow as Theresa May launches new working group to look for a plan B

The automaker cited doubts about the U.K.'s split from the EU in its decision to scrap plans to make the X-Trail at its Sunderland plant.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 4, 2019

Husband-wife trading duo bets big on sake's future in U.S.

When Yumiko Munekyo was a vice president at Nomura Holdings Inc. in 2011, she would take clients to upscale sushi spots around Manhattan. They'd invariably order junmai daiginjō, the highest grade of sake and also usually the priciest, but not always the most interesting or appropriate.
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 4, 2019

WHO and vaccine group back 'critical' cervical cancer shots

A vaccine given to girls to protect them against a virus that causes cervical cancer is a "critical" health tool and access to it should be scaled up as swiftly as possible, especially in poorer countries, cancer experts said Monday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2019

Lunar New Year holiday to be litmus test of Chinese shoppers' resilience

China's consumers have cut back on purchases of everything from Apple Inc.'s iPhones to Swiss watches as the trade war with the U.S. hits the economy.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 4, 2019

Ahead of Lunar New Year, Chinese advised to stop pigging out to help save the planet

As Chinese people celebrate the new Year of the Pig this week, environmental campaigners are urging them to eat less pork and help save the planet.
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2019

D-Day for Aussie banks as inquiry report into misdeeds set for release

The Australian government is due to release on Monday the final recommendations of the independent inquiry that exposed systemic wrongdoing in Australia's financial sector last year, likely leading to sweeping changes to the country's banking industry.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 4, 2019

Russia objects as Trump calls U.S. military intervention in Venezuela 'an option'

U.S. President Donald Trump said military intervention in Venezuela was "an option" as Western nations boost pressure on socialist leader Nicolas Maduro to step down, while the troubled OPEC nation's ally Russia warned against "destructive meddling."
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 4, 2019

Seven passengers killed when express train derails in eastern India

Seven passengers were killed and several others injured when a Delhi-bound train derailed in India's eastern state of Bihar on Sunday, railways officials said.
JAPAN / History / Heisei Icons
Feb 3, 2019

Takafumi Horie: Bane of the old guard

In many ways, Heisei has been an era of reform, peppered with tales of mavericks who challenged those at the helm of an entrenched business and political system they viewed as opaque and rife with vested interests.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Feb 3, 2019

Sunrockers still shine without Ryan Kelly in win over Northern Happinets

With star forward Ryan Kelly given the day off to rest after games on Wednesday and Saturday, the Sunrockers Shibuya relied on the contributions of Faye Samba and Markhuri Sanders-Frison to fill the void on Sunday afternoon.
Japan Times
SATOYAMA CONSORTIUM
Feb 3, 2019

Tours highlight small-town eclecticism

Participants set out for study tours in the town of Jinsekikogen in Hiroshima Prefecture on Oct. 21, following discussions and other programs at the Jinseki Kogen Hotel during a two-day event.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Feb 3, 2019

Former college, JBL teammates Igarashi, Kashiwagi enjoying reunion in Niigata

Star guards Kei Igarashi and Shinsuke Kashiwagi were reunited this season and are cherishing the opportunity to once again don the same jersey, this time for the Central Division-leading Niigata Albirex BB.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Feb 3, 2019

Adventurous choices lead to broadcasting in Japan

Peter Barakan is a familiar and comforting presence to many. People around the nation look forward to his radio programs, where he acts as a sound sommelier of sorts, serving up an eclectic dose of music.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Feb 3, 2019

The story behind anime localization

'The structure of Japanese storytelling does not adhere to a strict three acts. At times, the story meanders and takes the viewer on a seemingly unrelated path. ... Characterizations are richer, deeper, darker. Plots are often complex and convoluted, serving primarily as vessels to display incredible visuals.' — Mary Claypool, anime localization expert
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Feb 3, 2019

This Vindaloo is a real treat for everyone

'Fiery" and "spicy" are words that may come to mind when you hear the word "vindaloo," but this 5-year-old handsome fellow with the same name as the South Indian dish is far easier to swallow.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 3, 2019

Japan is back as a top global contender

Japan's newfound globalization marks a success for Abenomics because it has made Japan strong again both at home and abroad.
EDITORIALS
Feb 3, 2019

Labor ministry's flawed probe of data scandal

The labor ministry's governance as an organization should be scrutinized.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 3, 2019

Geotechnology and the U.S.-China trade war

If data were petroleum in the artificial intelligence era, then China would be Saudi Arabia.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Feb 3, 2019

From cosplay fan to idol, Yuriko Tiger's journey has been a colorful one

It was 1964 when 19-year-old ye-ye singer Sylvie Vartan captured the hearts of Japanese cinemagoers in the French film "Cherchez l'idole," released here as "Aidoru o Sagase" and in English as "The Chase." Her track from that film, "La plus belle pour aller danser," was a hit here, selling more than a...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 3, 2019

There's a radical plan to make South Korea's legislature 50% female

Some South Korean women are so frustrated by the country's stubborn gender pay gap that they are seeking a radical shift: equal political representation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 2, 2019

Facial recognition technology: What would George Orwell say?

This coming June, British author George Orwell's dystopian novel, "Nineteen Eighty-Four," marks the 70th anniversary of its publication. In the United States, Penguin has announced plans for a special 75,000-copy reprint. According to The New York Times, the publisher noted that, sales of the novel have...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 2, 2019

How Japan unleashed Lu Xun's ferocious literary passion

Although he was poised to be a doctor, Lu Xun, the most celebrated of all modern Chinese authors, abandoned medicine for something he felt would truly enlighten and modernize his nation: literature.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Cultivating Craft
Feb 2, 2019

From one keg to 1,000, Baird Beer is still growing

For Baird Brewing, perseverance and the cultivation of a loyal fan base has made it a rarity in Japanese craft beer: a truly independent brewery. Lacking the shelter of a parent company, it has created a line of taprooms to spread its concept of craft beer and hospitality.

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