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JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Nov 18, 2017

Japan's shifting attitudes toward prostitution

Sex is a necessity and a pleasure; it's also a problem. It exalts some, degrades others. It generates offspring. It's dynamite. Taboos concerning it are as old as humanity. Laws regulating it predate civilization. Nowhere is the human libido absolutely unfettered. Incest is nowhere tolerated, marriage...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2017

Abe propels a potential constellation of democracies

Japan, the U.S., India and Australia should lead the effort to ensure liberalism prevails over illiberalism in the Indo-Pacific.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 15, 2017

Known for seeking thrills on TV, Daisuke Miyagawa goes for laughs in 'The Stand-In Thief'

Need someone to chase pigs in Thailand? Daisuke Miyagawa's your man. How about punching watermelons in Australia? Miyagawa's your man.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 14, 2017

Trump's Asia visit showcases his 'America first' foreign policy

U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Japan, South Korea and China this month showcased his foreign policy driven primarily by the pursuit of America's interests first.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 14, 2017

How Trump is driving Asian powers together

U.S. President Donald Trump's 'America first' policy is amounting to 'Asia first' in the global economic packing order.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Nov 14, 2017

Good defense has Celtics on 12-game win streak

It wasn't a great start for them — OK, the Warriors aren't going 80-2 — but Golden State is back at the top of the Western Conference, as expected.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2017

With big deals, Trump and Xi both 'lose-lose'

What was missed on Trump's trip to China was an opportunity for the world's two most powerful men to tackle some big decisions on issues that could shape not just the future of the U.S.-China relationship, but the growth prospects and competitiveness of both economies.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 13, 2017

Blue Sky Books is a literary treasure trove

Aozora Bunko is an electric internet library that contains works of literature in the public domain.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 11, 2017

On the quest for the holy grail for as long as we live

Is death inevitable? True, everyone born before Aug. 4, 1900, has proved mortal (the world's oldest-known living person, a Japanese woman named Nabi Tajima, was born on that date). But the past is only an imperfect guide to the future, as the effervescent present is ceaselessly teaching us.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 11, 2017

Kenny Fries: From memoir to mortality and impermanence

When asked about his affection for Pikachu, American author Kenny Fries breaks into laughter. No, he says in an interview via Skype, the iconic Pokemon character had nothing to do with his decision to come to Japan. He came initially because, after applying for various fellowships, he was awarded the...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2017

Couch surfers should compete in Olympics

While the idea of handing out medals for pushing buttons may sound ludicrous to many, it's an overdue development.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 10, 2017

Rape and sexual harassment cut across gender

In the United States, one out of 10 rape victims is male.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 10, 2017

For Japan's casinos to work, keep the yakuza out and deal with problem drinking: experts

As the nation debates how to establish and operate casinos via integrated resorts, it must take measures to keep the yakuza out and manage not only problem gambling but also develop a responsible drinking policy for the casino floor, a group of U.S. experts said in two new reports.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 6, 2017

Asia-Pacific democracies' new entente

By pursuing cooperation, the Indo-Pacific's democratic powers can thwart China's effort to establish itself as the hegemon of an illiberal regional order.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 6, 2017

Japan is at the center of Asia's women problem

It's high time that Japan, and Asia generally, turned today's embarrassing gender dynamics into an economic opportunity for tomorrow.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 4, 2017

World's recycling crisis is Japan's opportunity

There's treasure to be found in the world's trash.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 3, 2017

Grief-stricken families of Japanese abducted by North Korea pin hopes on Trump

Takuya Yokota vividly remembers clutching a flashlight and running to the ocean with his mother and twin brother to look for his older sister in the dark, shouting her name.
WORLD
Nov 1, 2017

Millions of girls forced into sex yet only 1 in 100 seek help, U.N. says

At least 15 million teenage girls worldwide have been forced into sex — often by partners, relatives or friends — yet only 1 in 100 sought help, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 1, 2017

Xi's new power won't stop dissent

The Chinese president's choice to strengthen authoritarian rule rather than loosen it will prove to be a large error, for himself, his country and beyond.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2017

From furaryman to 'Nige-haji'

To encourage more young people to start families, Japan must create an environment in which mothers can work and men do more to help out around the home.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2017

Coronation of Xi is a wakeup call for Abe and Trump

With most roads leading to Beijing these days, Tokyo and Washington would be wise to devise ways to fight strength with economic strength.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 29, 2017

Xi's new strength obscures China's internal risks

Xi Jinping's new strength and power helps obscure China's internal risks, including the fundamental challenge of how to avoid a political hard landing.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 28, 2017

Limit the damage on office battlefields

What a nest of vipers an office is! Tens, hundreds, thousands of people, supposedly united in a common enterprise — yet if looks could kill, how many would make it alive through the day?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 28, 2017

Tsukiji races to exterminate rat infestation before fish market relocation

As the Tokyo Metropolitan Government works with industry groups to finalize the date for relocating the famed Tsukiji fish market next year, it is also mulling how to exterminate the hordes of rats infesting the current location.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2017

Look for Tehran to emerge dominant in post-IS Middle East

The changing balance of power in the Middle East threatens to leave the U.S. on the sidelines.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2017

Game makers deploy deep-learning AI algorithms to keep players coming back for more

In today's game industry, titles like "Clash Royale" and "Pokemon Go" are free for most people to enjoy because there's a small number of players who pay for extras, like special weapons or more lives. Game developers have to strike a delicate balance in this free-to-play model between drawing the masses...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 23, 2017

Abe, post-election, faces a new Trump problem

The odds of Japan getting advantageous terms in direct talks with a U.S. president who's torn up myriad deals since January are tiny.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Oct 22, 2017

Anime tourism invites overseas fans to join festivities

Yuwaku Onsen is a 1,300-year-old hot-springs resort tucked between mountains along the Asano River south of Kanazawa. Ten mid-size traditional inns line its slim main street, leading to a small hillside shrine and a man-made pond.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 22, 2017

Why admitting girls into the Boy Scouts feels weird

Girls in the Boy Scouts makes almost as much sense as allowing Republicans to vote in a Democratic primary.

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