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COMMENTARY / World
Feb 9, 2016

The return of fear-based governance in China

With China's international influence growing by the day, the revival of totalitarian scare tactics there has far-reaching — and deeply unsettling — implications for Asia and the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Feb 8, 2016

Aichi university group helping refugees with language study

A group of university students from Aichi Prefecture has started a volunteer group to assist refugees.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Feb 7, 2016

As technology improves, future of organic solar cells looks bright

The stereotypical image of solar cells may be of panels placed on the roofs of homes or of vast rivers of panels lined up on large swaths of land, often called mega-solar projects.
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Feb 6, 2016

A Cat, a Man, and Two Women

It took the wise Junichiro Tanizaki, partial to hanky-panky of all shades, to see that a perfect love triangle (oops — make that a square) involves a cat. True to form, in "A Cat, a Man, and Two Women" Tanizaki flips master and servant, and one of the charms of this light-hearted work, first published...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 5, 2016

Prehistoric cousin of wildebeest boasted dinosaur-like nasal horn

In an ancient streambed on Kenya's Rusinga Island, scientists have unearthed fossils of a wildebeest-like creature named Rusingoryx that boasted a weird nasal structure more befitting of a dinosaur than a mammal.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 3, 2016

U.S. groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicts early spring

Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog renowned for his ability to forecast the onset of spring, did not see his shadow after emerging from his burrow on Tuesday morning, predicting an early spring.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 2, 2016

'Shimura Fukumi'

Feb. 2-March 21
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Feb 1, 2016

Aichi service area to offer halal foods for Muslim travelers

The Okazaki service area on the Shin Tomei Expressway will start selling halal bento (boxed meals) when it opens in February to accommodate the needs of a growing number of Muslim tourists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 31, 2016

Kyary ride does its part for 'Cool Japan'

"Cool Japan Heats Up" declares a sign welcoming visitors to an area of Universal Studios Japan (USJ) devoted to the country's hottest pop culture exports.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 31, 2016

U.S. defies Chinese maritime claims after warship sails near island in disputed South China Sea

The U.S. Navy sent a Japan-based warship within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of an island in the South China Sea Saturday that is claimed by Beijing and others in an effort to challenge what the Pentagon called "excessive maritime claims."
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jan 30, 2016

All at sea: Lack of regulations hurting tuna stocks

Adorning the walls of Kanji Nishi's three-roomed apartment are a dozen framed photos. None features his children, Shota and Chisato, who are sitting cross-legged on the floor shunning smartphones for origami artistry. Instead, Nishi is seen posing alongside a different kind of pride and joy.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 30, 2016

Takayuki Ohira: 'Dreams are always worth chasing, however challenging'

Planetarium creator on handmade rockets, Yuri Gagarin and the Milky Way
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / AEC SPECIAL
Jan 29, 2016

Tourism on the rise across ASEAN region

ASEAN is enriched with attractive tourism destinations that include renowned resorts in breathtaking natural surroundings and historical places that are designated as World Heritage sites.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 26, 2016

Takarazuka's musical gives the Bard new life

Marking four centuries since the death of William Shakespeare in 1616, the 101-year-old all-female Takarazuka Revue company is currently staging a new musical titled "Shakespeare: The Sky Filled With Eternal Words" at its Takarazuka Grand Theater in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, ahead of a Tokyo season...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 25, 2016

Ise theme park uses ninja, samurai in G-7 tourist pitch

Ise Azuchimomoyama Bunkamura, a theme park in Ise, Mie Prefecture, that showcases traditional Japanese buildings and customs, is working on increasing the number of foreign visitors ahead of the Group of Seven summit in May.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jan 23, 2016

As the new year kicks in, so do popular game updates

Nintendo thinks outside the box, again
WORLD / Politics
Jan 23, 2016

Trump retweets neo-Nazi account, drawing outrage

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump retweeted an account called "@WhiteGenocideTM" on Friday, prompting a backlash on social media over the real estate billionaire's sharing of an apparent neo-Nazi's depiction of rival candidate Jeb Bush.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2016
Jan 20, 2016

Turning challenges of cybersecurity into new opportunities for growth

As information and communication technology (ICT) has extended into all areas of society, we have become ever more reliant upon it. The subtle ways in which it is changing the world, though both exciting and frightening, are not widely recognized or understood. This year, Japan will host the G-7 summit...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2016
Jan 20, 2016

Globis initiates Japanese innovation

The World Economic Forum is hosting its annual conference in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 20 to 23, once again set to remind leaders from around the world they have roles to play in improving the state of the world — the nonprofit organization's stated goal.
CULTURE / Art
Jan 19, 2016

'The Great Masterpieces of Museum's Collection: "Red and White Plum Blossoms" and "Tea-leaf Jar With a Design of Wisteria" '

Jan. 29-March 6
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 18, 2016

Photo of Helen Keller's 1937 visit to Gifu school discovered

A photo taken during a visit by Helen Keller, a noted humanitarian who overcame being deaf and blind, to Gifu Prefectural School for the Blind in 1937 has been discovered at a late student's house and was donated to the school.
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Jan 17, 2016

Foreign tourism emerges as bright spot amid Japan's dim economic prospects

With few positive signs of recovery for Japan's slumping economy, foreign tourism remains a sole ray of hope, and tourism authorities, local governments, industry players as well as retailers are eagerly awaiting another possibly record-breaking surge in Chinese tourists during next month's Chinese New...
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Jan 17, 2016

Fukushima town hopes to translate kanji and sake into tourism cash

Residents of Kitakata, a northwestern Fukushima Prefecture city known for promoting antiquated Japanese kanji, are stepping up efforts to attract more tourists by linking the pictographs to sake breweries in the area.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 16, 2016

From sexual liberation to liberation from sex

Young people are forever shocking their elders, and elders, however shocking they themselves may have been to their own elders once upon a time, never fail to play their generation's perennial role of shocked onlookers to shocking youthful behavior of one sort or another.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.