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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 6, 2017

Corporate zombies need 'rich brains'

Japan has lost something. That's a stark but uncontroversial statement. Few whose memory goes back a generation or more will disagree. Controversy arises when the talk turns to what was lost; when, how and why it was lost; whether the nation is the better or worse for having lost it; and, if the former,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 6, 2017

'A Girls' Guide to the Islands': A touching reflection on travel, art and parent-teen relationships

Touring art museums with a teenager may not sound like everyone's idea of a good time, and at the beginning of this pocket-sized memoir, Shikoku-based writer Suzanne Kamata finds herself wondering how she can renege on a promise to take her daughter to a Yayoi Kusama art exhibit in Osaka.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 5, 2017

Researchers find noise pollution caused by humans 'pervasive' in U.S. protected areas

Potentially harmful human-caused noise pollution affects nearly two-thirds of all protected areas in the United States, according to a report released Thursday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2017

The weakness of the new conservative climate argument

Scientists do make mistakes, but scientific methods in many fields guard against unwarranted certainty. And there is a consensus on climate change.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 4, 2017

As it approaches 50, Iwanami Hall remains vital to cinema lovers

The Tokyo neighborhood of Jinbocho is a favorite of mine. Mostly known for bookshops, it is a bastion of quaintness amid a metropolis that can be downright oppressive at times.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2017

Sheryl Sandberg: world's most annoying person

It's that time of year again: Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg is telling Americans how to live their lives.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 2, 2017

Why China's drones are taking off

China's hands-off approach, whether intentional or not, has created an environment in which startups can experiment with trial-and-error, take on increased risk and thrive.
CULTURE / Stage
May 2, 2017

Love is in the air as racy play 'Spring Awakening' comes to theaters

The old never give the young an easy time. "They think they know everything," "They're lazy" — the cross-generational gripes have been around as long as people have.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 1, 2017

Trump suffering a diplomatic deficit

Only by connecting the strategic dots between Afghanistan, Syria and North Korea can the world find a somewhat coherent, but misguided, approach to U.S. foreign policy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2017

Why Beijing's more muscular naval force should worry India

India's scarce naval resources have not been used wisely to counter the growing threat from China.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2017

Asia's American menace

The need for constant adjustment to Trump's policy flip-flops will only stoke greater anxiety among America's allies and partners, who now run the risk that their core interests will be used as bargaining chips.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 26, 2017

Ryuichi Sakamoto resists the prettier path on 'async' and comes out stronger

In the liner notes for "async," his first solo album in eight years, Ryuichi Sakamoto lists some of the strategies he employed during the recording process: capturing elusive melodies at early-morning synthesizer sessions, compiling field recordings of rain and ruins, rearranging Bach chorales until...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Apr 25, 2017

Antetokounmpo no longer just a diamond in the rough

Giannis Antetokounmpo probably is the least favorite player of NBA writers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2017

Trump's dangerous blank check

One should welcome America's re-engagement with the world, but not if diplomacy takes a backseat to bombs and tweets.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2017

Enjoy Earth Day, while you last

Earth's climate will probably recover from this human-fueled round of global warming, but on time scales that are unimaginable to humans. And perhaps without humans.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 24, 2017

Conquering ‘Commendatore’: Murakami brandishes familiar lexicon in latest novel

Murakami's language has evolved over the course of his career, and knowing some of his tricks will help ease you into this 1,048-page novel.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / CULTURE SMASH
Apr 23, 2017

Anime gives Japanese bands a new route to potential fans

"Retro" was the theme at this year's Anime Boston, the largest anime convention in the Northeastern United States, and that idea extended to the event's featured musical acts: veteran pop duo Puffy AmiYumi and 1960s-styled rock quartet Okamoto's.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 23, 2017

There's something about Miffy, the gender-bending bunny

Tackling the mysteries of why Japan is one of the largest markets for Miffy merchandise — and whether Miffy is a boy or a girl.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 22, 2017

Could Japan become a future cultural melting pot?

Why not welcome 10 million immigrants to Japan by 2050? That's Hidenori Sakanaka's pitch, but it's a hard sell.
COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Apr 21, 2017

Terrorism brouhaha, then and now

A person's definition of terrorism usually depends on what side of the fence they're on.
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 20, 2017

Arctic seas called dead end for plastic waste floating from U.S., Europe

The Arctic is a dead end for floating plastic waste dumped in the Atlantic Ocean off Europe and the United States and swept north by ocean currents to a polar graveyard, scientists said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 19, 2017

Britain's May betting an early election will buy her more time to hash out Brexit

Nine months after becoming prime minister, Theresa May is learning how to gamble.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 18, 2017

U.N. credibility is at stake

The U.N. is strugging to reaffirm its raison d'etre as the vanguard of international peace and security.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2017

Time for a real passenger bill of rights

Americans have been mad as hell. Now, it seems, they're not going to take it anymore.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2017

Overbooking is a problem as old as the airline industry

Overbooking was the solution to the costly problem of 'no-shows' — people who reserved a seat but failed to board — that emerged in the late 1940s.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Apr 18, 2017

Angelic Mao's legacy will be part of skating forever

The news hit Japan and the skating world like a thunderbolt last Monday night when Mao Asada announced she was retiring from the sport.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 18, 2017

'The Art of Eric Carle'

April 22-July 2
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2017

'Vagina artist' Megumi Igarashi continues her battle with Japan's definition of obscenity

Artist Megumi Igarashi had never imagined battling investigative authorities over freedom of expression until they claimed she had committed crimes with her works of art.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2017

Nervous China ramps up religious persecution

If Beijing continues its repressive course against religious believers, it will make political upheaval and the collapse of communist rule more likely.

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