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COMMENTARY / World
Jun 24, 2014

World needs to take a dose of realism about Iraq

As imbalances of power, wealth and productivity become magnified in our age, ethnic and religious loyalties as well as notions of honor and dignity have become more seductive than iPhones and elections. Just ask the despots who've lost the monopoly of force in Syria and Iraq.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Jun 22, 2014

About half opposes collective self-defense

A Kyodo News survey said 48.1 percent of the public opposes allowing the government to legally exercise Japan's right to collective self-defense and 39 percent support it.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 20, 2014

Americans should be worried about polarization

Americans should worry about a new Pew report on political polarization not because there's too much genuine ideological competition, but because our most energetic citizens appear to be dividing every more coherently into factions that can't stand each other.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jun 5, 2014

Take time out to learn about the environment

Last weekend's heatwave was likely to have had some people concerned about climate change and other environmental issues, and just in time for World Environment Day, which took place on June 5.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jun 4, 2014

Humanize the dry debate about immigration

Lost in the immigration narrative in Japan is the idea that when we import labor, we import people. With lives. And needs. And voices to be heard.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / A TASTE OF HOME
Jun 3, 2014

Tokyoites needn't be sheepish about New Zealand cuisine

New Zealand is famous for its lamb, pasture-fed on the country's rolling green hills. Lamb being hard to come by in Japan, a New Zealand restaurant is a good bet if you're craving lamb chops. There are two big ones in Tokyo: Wakanui (B1F, 2-23-14 Higashi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo; 03-3568-3466; www.wakanui.jp)...
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
May 30, 2014

TPP no longer about free trade

It appears that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be degraded to a system of 'nonfree trade' that will increase the involvement of bureaucrats and inject huge subsidies to certain interest groups.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 24, 2014

Small presses fill a niche in books about Japan

Isobar Press (Tokyo)Speciality: Poetry
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
May 20, 2014

Washington mixes signals about aims toward China

Even while reconfirming its 'pivot to Asia,' Washington tries to construct multifaceted bilateral ties with Beijing, raising questions about the ultimate fate of longtime alliances between the U.S. and a number of Asia-Pacific countries.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 11, 2014

U.S. first lady uses bully pulpit to push concerns about girls

Michelle Obama has taken the unique step of delivering her husband's weekly presidential address to express outrage at the recent kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
May 7, 2014

Japanese firms have much to lose in battles over bogus outsourcing

The biggest reason companies sign outsourcing contracts with regular workers is to avoid all the obligations employers have to regular employees according to labor law.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
May 5, 2014

O'Malley all smiles about return to NPB with Tigers

A wry smile played across Tom O'Malley's lips as he nodded in the direction of a group of Hanshin Tigers players stretching on the ground outside of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows' indoor facility on Sunday as the Swallows wrapped up practice inside.
Japan Times
LIFE / ADOPT ME!
May 4, 2014

A dog named Oboro: Tell me about it

When life weighs heavy and you're tired of two-way talk, there is nothing better to come home to than someone you can throw your arms around, snuggle up against and talk your heart out to. This golden retriever is perfect for just that.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2014

Manga about work at Fukushima No. 1 stirs locals' ire

Cartoon characters who suffered nosebleeds after a visit to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant are turning into a headache for manga publisher Shogakukan.
Reader Mail
Apr 30, 2014

Much ado about 'fluid prejudice'

Regarding the April 28 Reuters article "China releases trove of Japanese sex slave records": It's wonderful to learn that China has released a "trove" of confidential Japanese records on sex slaves, but why weren't these records released decades ago?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 24, 2014

College students' savings habits indicate anxiety about the future

In the last 10 years student savings has increased by 80 percent.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 24, 2014

The amazing thing about a modern Spider-Man

Too often, superheroes are clueless about what women want. Sure, they can catch the villains and save the world, but when it comes to relationships, they stink.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 23, 2014

Bambitious excited about future after debut season

Nobody realistically expected the Bambitious Nara to win 35 or 40 games in their inaugural season. After all, an expansion team must endure a lot of growing pains as a first-year franchise during a challenging 52-game schedule.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 23, 2014

Bambitious excited about future after debut season

Nobody realistically expected the Bambitious Nara to win 35 or 40 games in their inaugural season. After all, an expansion team must endure a lot of growing pains as a first-year franchise during a challenging 52-game schedule.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Apr 23, 2014

In a world of pretense, are Japanese just more honest about lying?

The net sum of lying may be similar in Japan and America, but in their acceptance of life exigencies, the Japanese may be more realistic, more charitable and forgiving about the role that deception plays in our social relations.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Apr 12, 2014

Jun Nakayama: 'Don't think about it, just do it'

Jun means 'charm,' 'profit' and 'moisture.' I think it matches my personality perfectly!
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 7, 2014

Smooth Afghan election raises questions about Taliban's strength

A bigger-than-expected turnout in Afghanistan's presidential election and the Taliban's failure to significantly disrupt the vote have raised questions about the capacity of the insurgents to tip the country back into chaos as foreign troops head home.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 4, 2014

Copenhagen Zoo opts to tell truth about life behind bars

Copenhagen Zoo, which sparked global protests over its killings of a young male giraffe and four lions, will continue to be open about its culling to show the truth about how animals are kept in captivity.
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Mar 31, 2014

Do you feel like people have been deceived about issues surrounding Fukushima? And if so, by whom?

I'm suspicious about the whole thing. I don't know who is covering what up, but I definitely feel there's a lot we're not being told about. There's absolutely no way that everything could be as fine as we are being led to believe after such a massive disaster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2014

Panasonic hesitant about investing in Musk's huge Tesla battery factory

Panasonic Corp., Tesla Motors Inc.'s primary supplier of lithium-ion battery cells for its electric Model S sedans, has not committed to investing in a massive U.S. battery plant proposed by Tesla's Elon Musk.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 26, 2014

A torturer speaks — about the pain and pleasures of Pinter

"Some years ago at Black Stripe Theatre in Tokyo, we did a reading of Harold Pinter's one-act play 'One for the Road,' and I have ever since wanted to put it on.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?