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COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Oct 28, 2015

Who saved Kyoto from the atomic hellfire?

Many Americans have been given credit for sparing Kyoto from bombings, both conventional and atomic, during World War II, but it turns out that an old secretary of war was responsible.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 28, 2012

Hashimoto needs a much thicker skin

There is a breed of political reporter that thrives on misanthropy. These journalists have no use for empathy when trying to understand issues or individuals. They are only stimulated by acrimony, by the need to reveal the darkest impulses of human endeavor. H.L. Mencken, the most eloquent of this ilk,...
COMMUNITY / Voices / HAVE YOUR SAY
Jun 5, 2012

'It's just because ... foreigners know best': readers' views

Some readers' views on John Spiri's May 1 Zeit Gist column, "It's just because . . . foreigners know best":
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2004

SDF dispatch decision like a double-edged sword

When Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi voiced his unequivocal support of the U.S.-led war on Iraq in March, he was left with little choice but to commit Self-Defense Forces troops to the country's postwar reconstruction effort.
JAPAN
Sep 14, 2003

LDP candidates all favor revisions to Constitution

The four candidates for the presidency of the governing Liberal Democratic Party each appeared positive Saturday about the possibility of revising the war-renouncing Article 9 of Japan's Constitution.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
May 24, 2023

Japan's up for fusion — just don’t call it 'nuclear'

The Japanese government sets out guidelines to encourage private sector competition in the field of fusion power. Will a nuclear-wary public get on board?
JAPAN / Explainer
Jul 4, 2023

How to tell if an international school in Japan is reputable

The recent closure of an international preschool in Tokyo has put the spotlight on whether international schools deliver what they promise.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Dec 31, 2022

Xi and Putin meet again, two strongmen in a weak moment

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February, Putin has been isolated and highly dependent on China to maintain a semblance of diplomatic and financial stability.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 24, 2022

Kishida denies ties as magazine links backer to Unification Church

In a politically awkward development for Kishida, a magazine has reported a chairman of a branch of a Kishida support group is under scrutiny for his ties with the church.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 14, 2022

Japan's pro-constitutional reform parties struggle to get on the same page

The four parties remain apart in their positions on not only the top issue of amending the war-renouncing Article 9 but also on less controversial items.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 3, 2022

‘Totally inhumane’: Child separations feed anger in a locked-down Shanghai

The fury and concern of parents over what might become of their children if they fall sick is the latest in a series of crises faced by Shanghai officials.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 22, 2022

Kishida and Biden vow to boost economic cooperation and 'push back' on China

In wide-ranging talks, the two leaders agreed to set up an economic version of a 'two-plus-two' ministerial meeting in a bid to promote cooperation.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 8, 2021

Xi’s ‘common prosperity’ drive triggers a rare debate in China

Competing viewpoints in China's tightly controlled media space point to internal confusion over just how far Xi plans to go in reining in 'disorderly capital expansion.”
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 20, 2021

Did Japan's press drop the ball on the wining-and-dining scandal?

Why did mainstream media outlets take so long to probe the scandals involving the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications that were first uncovered by weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 26, 2021

Mori’s resignation highlights changing gender norms

Yoshiro Mori reportedly decided to resign immediately after the remarks. It was the secretariat of the organizing committee who strongly pleaded with him to stay in his position.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 31, 2020

25 days that changed the world: How COVID-19 slipped China’s grasp

China's delayed initial response unleashed the virus on the world and foreshadowed battles between scientists and political leaders that would play out across continents.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 31, 2020

The background behind Suga’s rejection of top science panel nominees

Council members fail to oppose prime minister's move collectively, casting doubt on how they view their role
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 3, 2020

Financial market website Zero Hedge knocked off Twitter over coronavirus 'bioweapon' story

Twitter Inc. has banned financial market website Zero Hedge from the social media platform after it published an article linking a Chinese scientist to the outbreak of the fast-spreading coronavirus last week.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2019

Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, a political titan who spanned eras, dies at 101

The enduring statesman, who bolstered the military alliance with the U.S. and privatized the Japanese National Railways, led Japan onto the world stage in the 1980s.
Japan Times
LIFE
Apr 15, 2019

Defining the Heisei Era

Over the past year, as we counted down to the end of the Heisei Era, The Japan Times presented a monthly 12-part series that looked back at the leading issues of the past three decades
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 20, 2019

South Korea's ruling party retracts critique of Bloomberg reporter

South Korea's ruling party withdrew personal criticism of a Bloomberg News reporter for writing an article about President Moon Jae-in, after international press groups warned the remarks threatened journalistic freedom and demanded a retraction by the party.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Jan 10, 2019

Mayor blasts Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki as Ginowan city abstains from vote on Henoko land reclamation

Amid long-standing political wrangling over construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa, the mayor of the city of Ginowan in the prefecture has said the municipality will not participate in a prefectural referendum set to be held over reclamation of land in order to build the new military facility, and...
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 7, 2018

Abuse is the norm for Japan's hometown tax donation system

On Sept. 11, then-Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Seiko Noda gave a news conference at which she stated the government's intention to revise laws for local taxes.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 29, 2018

Mass media and democracy in prewar and postwar Japan

Now, more than ever, the free press must avoid the perils of populist pandering and fulfill its responsibility as one of the key pillars of democracy.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 23, 2018

Scandals, immigration and constitutional reform set to dominate extraordinary Diet session opening Wednesday

The 48-day session is likely to include debates on a draft proposal from the ruling LDP to revise the war-renouncing Constitution, among other key issues.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 16, 2018

Abe-Ishiba debate highlights candidates' lack of concrete plans to tackle fundamental problems

A debate illustrates Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba's differences on how to overcome some of the most fundamental problems Japan faces.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 11, 2018

LDP contenders Abe, Ishiba joust over policy in first pre-election face-off

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe repeated on Monday that he wants to revise war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution to clarify the ambiguous status of Japan's military if re-elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Sept. 20.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 21, 2018

Contest between Abe and Ishiba, to lead Japan and ruling LDP, set for Sept. 20

Poll predicted to give Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a historic third term as LDP president, effectively extending his hold on power by up to another three years.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 10, 2018

Document suggests Kake Gakuen vet school bid was of personal interest to Abe: report

Report sources document quoting then-secretary to Abe as saying the project was 'the prime minister's matter.'
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2018

Japan lags in fact-checking initiatives, media watchers say

Japan lags behind other countries in fact-checking initiatives and still has low awareness of their importance, according to FactCheck Initiative Japan (FIJ), a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that encourages fact-verifying activities.

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