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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 13, 2019

Sri Lanka blocks social media platforms after attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned shops

Sri Lanka is temporarily blocking some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, it said Monday following attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned businesses in the worst unrest since Easter bombings by Islamist militants.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 11, 2019

Tabloids press pause as nation celebrates dawn of the Reiwa Era

Welcome one and all to Big in Japan, the Reiwa version. During the just-ended 10-day Golden Week holiday, only one general weekly magazine — Aera (May 13) — went to press, giving it the distinction of being the first publication out of the starting gates in the new era. Aera's coverage of imperial...
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 10, 2019

Japan struggles to ditch 'vaccine backwater' image due to policy gaps

Earlier this year, a quiet outbreak of rubella began to sweep Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 6, 2019

Warren Buffett confronts tech-driven change while Berkshire investors question moves

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. overpaid for part of venerable food giant Kraft Heinz Co. and failed to realize the potential of Amazon.com Inc., snapping up stock in the internet retailer only after it had already risen by thousands of percent.
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
May 5, 2019

New 'Ultraman' anime is a family affair

Now a proud father of an slightly insecure superhero son, Ultraman has evolved not only stylistically but also emotionally for the new Netflix anime.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2019

Congress gives U.S. attorney general deadline to release full Mueller report

President Donald Trump and a senior U.S. House Democrat tightened the screws on U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Friday over the Mueller report, making new demands on him after an already tough week for the Justice Department chief.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 30, 2019

Japan's international emperor exits the stage

Emperor Akihito has been much more of a global leader than a national one. That sets him apart from his father — and from many of the world's current leaders.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 29, 2019

Asia is now ground zero for Islamist terrorism

The region's leaders must address the problem at its source or prepare for more bloodshed.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2019

Incoming Imperial monarchs offer Japan something new

Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife, Crown Princess Masako, represent a lot of firsts for the nation's next Imperial monarchs: university-educated, multilingual and with years of experience living overseas, during which the monarch-to-be even did his own laundry.
Figure Skating / Heisei Icons,HEISEI ICONS
Apr 28, 2019

Mao Asada: Magnetism and artistry on ice defined an era

Three-time figure skating world champion Mao Asada became one of Japan's most prominent individuals on the international scene during her storied career, while also taking the sport to new heights.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 27, 2019

Yukio Mishima’s attempt at personal branding comes to light in the rediscovered 'Star'

In 'Star,' Yukio Mishima confronts issues of celebrity, youth and aging in hypercharged and manically subjective first-person prose.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 26, 2019

China's pig pandemic should worry everyone

The way officials have responded to the spread of African swine fever has brought back uncomfortable memories of SARS.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 24, 2019

'The Wonderland': Surface-level charm, but no true wonder

"The Wonderland," the new film from director Keiichi Hara ("Miss Hokusai"), certainly has the building blocks of something wondrous: a skilled director, top production values, and a story by beloved children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 23, 2019

Sri Lanka's pain is going to spread

The South Asian subcontinent once ruled by the British is seeing religious and ethnic identities harden and divisions deepen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 23, 2019

U.S. Supreme Court takes up major gay and transgender job discrimination cases

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether U.S. law banning workplace discrimination on the basis of sex protects gay and transgender workers, as the conservative-majority court waded into a fierce dispute involving a divisive social issue.
BASEBALL / Heisei Icons,HEISEI ICONS
Apr 23, 2019

Ichiro Suzuki: A virtuoso on the diamond

Ichiro Suzuki would become one of the most important players of the Heisei Era, which is slated to end at the end of this month, in Japan as well as in the United States.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 21, 2019

The lesson from one student-led trash pick-up is that everyone needs to do their part

It's April on Shiraishi Island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea. The nights are still crisp, dipping to 4 degrees Celsius, but the sky is clear and the stars arc over the beach like thousands of glittery sequins on a pop idol's stage dress. The constellations are so prominent, even a young child can pick out...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Apr 20, 2019

Shuichi Kotani: Taking soba noodles worldwide

From working at McDonald's in Himeji to making noodles for Japanese restaurants in America, Shuichi Kotani has always looked for and taken opportunities.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 19, 2019

An Okinawa conference, 50 years later

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki's effort to seize the initiative by calling for a new Okinawa conference should be embraced, or at least tried.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 18, 2019

Innovation needs to be a Reiwa goal

To move past the Heisei Era's economic malaise, Japan must invest in an education system that fosters people who can breed new ideas and launch new industries.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2019

Ode to our lady of Europe

The effort should not only be to rebuild the cathedral, but also to protect and defend Europe's cultural and political legacy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 17, 2019

'Just Only Love': Looking for romance in all the wrong places

If you believe everything you read in the news, Japanese romance movies should really belong in the science fiction category. Just last week, a new study estimated that a quarter of people aged 18 to 39 in Japan had never had heterosexual intercourse, feeding the popular stereotype of a listless generation,...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Apr 15, 2019

In ideological battle with U.S., China wins over allies with its censored vision of the internet

A swath of the world is adopting China's vision for a tightly controlled internet over the unfettered American approach, a stunning ideological coup for Beijing that would have been unthinkable less than a decade ago.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 15, 2019

Bear essentials: A forthcoming animated series celebrates Rilakkuma's lackadaisical ethos in all its glory

Few fictional characters in Japan are as laid-back in their overall approach to life as Rilakkuma, which has attracted a loyal following over the years, rising through the ranks to sit alongside such established characters as Hello Kitty and Doraemon.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Apr 15, 2019

Hungary Holocaust march honors Scottish missionary

Thousands of Hungarians attended the annual March of the Living in Budapest on Sunday to commemorate victims of the Holocaust, including Jane Haining, a Scottish missionary who refused to abandon her Jewish charges during World War II.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 13, 2019

Japan searches for remedies at the dawn of the Reiwa Era

Japan's weekly magazines do not consider their primary role to be reporting cheery news. It would be more correct to say their practice is to proceed from a pessimistic perspective and then, after readying readers to rude realities, encourage searches for sustenance and survival, if not salvation.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2019

What you're not eating is killing you

Which is just a dramatic way of saying that you could live longer if you ate more healthy foods.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 12, 2019

Einstein couldn't believe his own black hole theory

A point of infinite density trapping even light? It's pretty far fetched, but its finally been photographed
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 11, 2019

Must Japan's humanities go global?

There's a need for Japan humanities perspectives to be heard more by foreign audiences abroad, to have greater influence in international scholarship and the global public sphere.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji