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Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 20, 2020

‘Hojoki’: The paradox of desire and detachment in recluse literature

Kamo no Chomei's 'Hojoki' taps into the universal appeal and cognitive dissonance of a fundamental question of Buddhism: Can humans ever eliminate desire and attachment?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 12, 2020

Virus exacerbates challenges for people in Japan with disabilities

Social distancing recommendations, stay-at-home requests and use of masks can complicate day-to-day activities.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
May 2, 2020

'The Book of Tea' review: Tea ceremony and all its complex subtleties

A.L. Sadler examines in minute detail the origins of tea drinking and the rich and complex components of its ritualization.
CULTURE / Books
Feb 15, 2020

'Introduction to Zen Training': Sogen Omori's road map to enlightenment

An introduction to Zen practice, by one of Japan's leading practitioners.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 12, 2020

South Korea's Moon wants to punish 'almighty' prosecutor over unapproved probes into officials

South Korean President Moon Jae-in wants to punish the country's top prosecutor, who is heading an investigation into former and current government officials, for disobedience, TV outlet Channel A reported, citing an unidentified government official.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 18, 2019

Japan, a kingmaker for Indo-Pacific trade deals

The future of the RCEP depends on how Tokyo will approach India's withdrawal.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 3, 2019

How Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's tycoon 'Superman,' went from friend of China to punching bag

In January 1993, an ambitious Chinese Communist Party boss — 39 years old, chubby cheeks and a mop of black hair — visited Hong Kong. He was seeking out the city's rich among the shimmering skyscrapers, hoping to secure investment in Fuzhou, the second-tier city he ran in mainland China. His name...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 30, 2019

'Travels with a Writing Brush': 1,000 years of travel writing, united by a poetic thread

From 'The Tale of Genji' to Matsuo Basho, Meredith McKinney travels across Japan through 1,000 years of Japanese poetry.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 28, 2019

Capitalizing on the pull of experimental Japanese theater

The latest play by Shuntaro Matsubara, 'Memorial,' sees the playwright team up with a new director for the first time, after a string of successes working with Motoi Miura
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 18, 2019

Trump told U.S. officials to work with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine policy, ambassador to EU testifies

President Donald Trump directed senior U.S. officials to talk directly to his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, about U.S. policy in Ukraine, raising concern that the president was outsourcing American foreign policy to a private citizen, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union said on Thursday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 20, 2019

Getting around Japan: 10 essential and free apps for travel

The idea of navigating your way around Tokyo — with an area nearly three times the size of New York City — can be a little daunting. Here’s a selection of useful apps that will help you get from point A to point B, as well as make the most of your time in Japan. And all of these are free (though...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 18, 2019

'Hello World': Kyoto as you've never seen it before

Tomohiko Ito's anime feature 'Hello World' sees the breaking down of the borders between present and future, and the perils and pitfalls of comupter-generated worlds
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Aug 7, 2019

Seven lessons from a Japanese morality textbook

The textbooks students in Japan use to learn wrong from right are filled with stories of invoices, citizen committees, petitions and other cool stuff kids like.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 5, 2019

The danger in Abe's constitutional amendment proposal

If there is to be any amendment to the Constitution, the substance of the Abe Cabinet's 2014 reinterpretation of Article 9 to allow collective self-defense should be made part of the proposal or withdrawn entirely.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jul 18, 2019

Massachusetts drops Kevin Spacey sex assault case after alleged victim refuses to testify

Massachusetts prosecutors on Wednesday dropped a criminal case accusing former "House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket bar in 2016 after the alleged victim refused to testify.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2019

Candidates with disabilities hope to lay foundation for inclusive Diet in Upper House election

On a recent Wednesday morning, Rie Saito wasn't giving a lengthy, energetic speech about her campaign pledges through a loudspeaker, unlike most of her competitors on the stump.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2019

Developing efficient machine teaching, technologies

At the Japan Times Advanced Technology Forum held in Tokyo on May 31, Akira Sakakibara, chief technology officer of Microsoft Japan Co. and the president of Microsoft Development Co. spoke about what artificial intelligence can do and machine learning processes, and about future possibilities and challenges....
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 9, 2019

U.K. Labour's trade union backers support second referendum on Brexit deal

British trade union leaders linked to the opposition Labour Party have agreed to back a second referendum on any Brexit deal reached by the next Conservative prime minister or a no-deal exit, according to a copy of the agreement seen by Reuters.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jul 5, 2019

Dozens of countries call on U.N. to probe thousands of Philippine drug war slayings

More than two dozen countries formally called on Thursday for a United Nations investigation into thousands of killings in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, activists said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 17, 2019

Huawei ban seen clouding U.S.-China trade talks and tech sector

A U.S. bid to block China's Huawei Technologies from buying vital American technology threw into question prospects for sales at some of the largest tech companies and drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, further ratcheting up tensions over trade.
WORLD / Society
Apr 24, 2019

Bowing to abortion foe Trump's demands, U.N. waters down resolution on sexual violence in conflict

A U.S. threat to veto U.N. Security Council action on sexual violence in conflict was averted on Tuesday after a long-agreed phrase was removed because President Donald Trump's administration sees it as code for abortion, diplomats said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 16, 2019

Absurdist comedy 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' gets its Japan debut

Tom Stoppard is one of the most influential figures in theater today and one of the most internationally performed postwar dramatists.
Reader Mail
Apr 5, 2019

Not too late to choose a new era name

Like many others, I awaited with excitement the unveiling of Japan's new era name on April 1. Sadly, upon learning the new name (Reiwa), I was shocked and deeply disappointed. While kanji can have diverse meanings, to me the first character is strongly associated with the meaning "rule; command," which...
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 1, 2019

Reiwa: Japan reveals name of new era ahead of Emperor's abdication

In a much-awaited moment that heralded the approach of a new chapter in Japan's history, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced Monday that the new Imperial era will be named Reiwa, in one of the final steps toward initiating the nation's first Imperial succession in three decades.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 19, 2019

Taiwan independence backer to challenge President Tsai Ing-wen for ruling party nomination

A former premier and vocal proponent of independence for Taiwan will challenge his former boss, President Tsai Ing-wen, for the ruling party's nomination, ensuring the island's tense relationship with China will be a central focus of the presidential campaign.
Japan Times
Feb 22, 2019

Real-time Multi-language Translation “kotozna chat”
Adds new service “Kotozna Group Chat”

Tokyo, Japan – Kotozna, Inc (formerly known as Jaqool, Inc) adds group conversation capabilities with its new service “Kotozna Group Chat” to its roster of tools for kotozna chat, a multi-lingual real-time translation service for inbound travelers using social media platforms.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 8, 2019

'I am innocent' and 'unfairly detained': Carlos Ghosn in first court appearance

Wearing a navy suit, a haggard-looking Ghosn — handcuffed and with a rope tied around his waist — told his side of the story in a Tokyo courtroom Tuesday.

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