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COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 5, 2013

Abe copies China's playbook on protecting state secrets

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is so obsessed with China eclipsing Japan on the global stage that he's adopting some of his neighbor's policies with regard to the protection of 'secrets.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Nov 5, 2013

Toy museum teaches there's pleasure in the simple things

Toy. The word may well evoke images of flashy plastic gadgets, singing and dancing polyglot dolls and rainbow-bright furry aliens — particularly if you are under the age of 5.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Nov 4, 2013

Warming up for the winter chill

In 2000 we moved into an apartment in Tokyo run by the semi-public housing corporation UR. It was new and had a natural-gas heating system. Unlike other gas systems we'd used in the past, however, this one heated water that was then circulated to outlets in different rooms in the apartment. Direct gas...
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 4, 2013

As U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan, poppy trade it spent billions fighting still flourishes

The United States is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan having lost its battle against the country's narcotics industry, marking one of the starkest failures of the 2009 strategy the Obama administration pursued in an effort to turn around the war.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2013

Indulge in 'Morning English' seminars with breakfast

What better way to start the morning than with a plate of eggs Benedict — made from organic eggs, of course — a cup of coffee and a copy of the new Japan Times/International New York Times?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 2, 2013

Hankyu Hanshin scandal is a by-product of the media's food fetishization

As with every food mislabeling furor, the point in the Hankyu Hanshin scandal isn't necessarily that people are eating bad-tasting or unsafe food, but that their pretensions have been exposed.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Oct 31, 2013

Trans Arts Tokyo 2013: 11 sites full of all kinds of art

Why not indulge yourself in art this weekend, and beyond, at Trans Arts Tokyo 2013 in Tokyo's Kanda district. The art festival, which continues through Nov. 10, comprises a variety of exhibitions and events at 11 locations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 30, 2013

'Total abandon' for two landmark duos

Ballet audiences in Japan are widely acknowledged to be among the best in the world, but there's still a lot to be learned here about contemporary dance. However, those seeing a show in a short tour of works by French choreographers Mathilde Monnier and Jean-Francois Duroure can be sure of enjoying a...
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 29, 2013

Flawed assumptions plague latest deficit panel

A false premise of the public, and some budget-cutting politicians, is that the U.S. deficit is spiraling out of control. In fact, the deficit is less than half the $1.55 trillion it was in 2009.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Oct 24, 2013

Uruguay stoked to legalize marijuana production

Uruguay is about to go where no country has gone before by legalizing the cultivation and distribution of marijuana, with the left-of-center government regulating all facets of the trade.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 24, 2013

U.S. keeps Pakistani officials in loop on drone strikes

Despite repeatedly denouncing the CIA's drone campaign, top officials in Pakistan's government have for years secretly endorsed the program and routinely received classified briefings on strikes and casualty counts, according to top-secret CIA documents and Pakistani diplomatic memos obtained by The...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 23, 2013

Fraught reunions

Her long-term boyfriend's death spurs concert pianist Charlotte into visiting her eldest daughter Eva, from whom she's been estranged for seven years. At Eva's house she also meets Helena, her severely disabled other daughter whom she had confined to a hospital for life, but whose care Eva has taken...
Japan Times
TENNIS / MATCH POINT
Oct 23, 2013

Laver considers Federer best player ever

Australian tennis legend Rod Laver was a special guest at the recent Shanghai Rolex Masters tournament. Making his first trip to China, the only man to win the Grand Slam — which he did twice — spoke to a select group of reporters during the event.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Oct 20, 2013

Disaster prevention day

On Sept. 1, the Day of Disaster Prevention, training was carried out in many areas. This is the 90th year since the Great Kanto Earthquake. In some places, participants had to prepare to face many dead bodies in the worst situation, and in other places they sought for ways to deal with a coming crisis by setting up various situations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 17, 2013

TIFF's programming director explains the festival's direction

Since 2007, when he took over as programming director of the Tokyo International Film Festival's Competition section, Yoshihiko "Yoshi" Yatabe has been a point person in TIFF's drive to elevate its status in the region and the world. A former film distributor, publicist and producer, Yatabe joined the...
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Oct 17, 2013

Get beefed up and join the 100-meter BBQ

This Saturday and Sunday the Narita Yume Bokujo Harvest Festival will feature its famous grill — totaling 100 meters in length — filled with sizzling meats. It's the ranch's 21st annual event, and you're invited to experience barbecue in an big way. All kinds of juicy meats will be available, including...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 16, 2013

Nara's Chapman gets off to fast start for expansion team

Each season brings new standouts to Japan, what with nonstop expansion since the league's inception in 2005.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 15, 2013

NSA said collecting millions of email address books, 'buddy lists' daily

The U.S. National Security Agency is harvesting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal email and instant messaging accounts around the world, many of them belonging to Americans, according to senior intelligence officials and top secret documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 15, 2013

Senate leaders nearer deal on raising federal debt limit after flurry of talks

In a long-awaited breakthrough, Senate leaders close in on a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling and end a two-week-old government shutdown as Washington scrambled to avoid the nation's first default on its debt.
Japan Times
PRESS / Events
Oct 15, 2013

"The Japan Times / International New York Times" to launch tomorrow; commemorative event scheduled for Oct.23

Starting tomorrow (October 16th), The Japan Times embarks on a new phase in its 116-year history as it commences a publishing tie-up with The New York Times. From tomorrow's issue, the newspaper will be packaged with The New York Times' international edition, to become “The Japan Times / International...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Oct 10, 2013

Swissôtel's Nankai Osaka's 10th anniversary; autumn afternoon tea at The Strings; Rihga Royal Osaka's fall fair

Swissôtel Nankai's 10th-year specials Swissôtel Nankai Osaka has several special plans in commemoration of its 10th anniversary.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Oct 8, 2013

Stanton finds niche in Japan as tight end, teacher

Football player John Stanton is one of the IBM BigBlue's most feared offensive weapons.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2013

Does China's left turn indicate reforms ahead?

Some analysts believe that China's turn to the left and its crackdown on democratic ideas are tactical moves that foreshadow the launch of major reforms later this fall.

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.