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CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Nov 25, 2014

Pop artifice was never better with Aya Matsuura

When a pop singer who has long faded from the limelight suddenly starts appearing in your Twitter timeline in the form of glowing, nostalgic re-evaluations, they're either gearing up for a comeback . . . or dead.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 24, 2014

Obama: 2016 voters want candidate with 'that new car smell'

President Barack Obama said U.S. voters want "that new car smell" from candidates in the 2016 election and will "want to drive something off the lot that doesn't have as much mileage as me."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2014

Putin has plenty of non-crazy friends in Europe

Whether the current Western leaders like it or not, pragmatism in relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin is part of the political mainstream in Europe, not the domain of fringe crazies.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 23, 2014

Hackers to probe cybercrime defenses at British banks

In the next few months, hackers will try to penetrate the cyberdefenses of Britain's major banks and steal information about millions of customers. But for once they will be welcome.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 22, 2014

Hihōkan: Japan's vanishing sex museums

The real world ends beyond a thick, black curtain. On the other side is one of Japan's last remaining hihōkan (sex museum, literally "treasure palace") in the faded resort town of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture — a strange, dimly lit space of questionable morals and dated fantasies.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 22, 2014

EU Parliament mulls breaking up Google to curb its dominance in search

The European Parliament is preparing a nonbinding resolution that proposes splitting Google Inc.'s search engine operations in Europe from the rest of its business as one option to rein in the Internet company's dominance in the search market.
EDITORIALS
Nov 21, 2014

ASEAN needs a united front

ASEAN members should cast aside their differences and take a strong stance toward China on the issue of regional maritime security.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 18, 2014

At odds with Krugman, economist Posen urges Abe to raise consumption tax

Adam Posen is sticking to his guns in recommending that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raise the consumption tax.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 17, 2014

Okinawa election a big win for opponents of Futenma relocation

With Takeshi Onaga's election as governor of Okinawa, opponents of building a replacement facility in Nago's Henoko district for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma now have a powerful ally.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 15, 2014

Obama pledges $3 billion for global climate fund

President Barack Obama on Friday pledged a $3 billion U.S. contribution to an international fund to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change, putting the issue front and center of the Group of 20 summit in Australia.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 14, 2014

Why Abe will likely opt to call a snap Lower House election

Successive resignations of two female Cabinet members dealt a blow to the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But should the opposition camp be credited for its attack that forced them to step down or did the administration manage to minimize the impact by counteracting quickly?
Reader Mail
Nov 12, 2014

Minister's idea of free expression

With regard to Tomohiro Osaki's Nov. 6 article titled "New justice minister against outlawing hate speech," I'd like to add my two-pence worth. First, I wonder what Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa means by "freedom of expression." It seems that many politicians in Japan believe that freedom of expression...
Reader Mail
Nov 12, 2014

No complaints from the natives

Regarding professor Jiro Yamaguchi's Oct. 20 article, "Perilous spirit of the times": I entirely agree with his observation that "It is pathetic that we have to quote the foreign media to criticize what's going on in this country."
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Nov 10, 2014

Foreign wives of Japan offer NHK and 'Massan' criticism and kudos

Ellie's successors question the character's swift mastery of Japanese and penchant for hugs but welcome the issues she raises.
EDITORIALS
Nov 7, 2014

The GOP retakes Congress

Despite the Republican Party retaking control of the U.S. Senate and increasing its holdings in the House, it's difficult to be optimistic about legislative progress in Washington over the next two years given the deep fissures within the GOP itself.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 7, 2014

What goes around, comes around in American politics

Both the Republican and Democratic parties in the U.S. are going to have to swallow their pride, bid a fond farewell to their dreams of perfect ideological purity, and figure out how to work with the other side if they want to get anything done.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Nov 7, 2014

Readers' letters: carrying ID, subway 'saviors,' JA rackets, Taiji alternatives and goats

A selection of emails received in response to recent Community articles.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 7, 2014

Internet users called to answer to system's ills

Responding to a dizzying array of issues that threaten to break the Internet, from privacy to tax dodging to cybercrime, a group of the world's leading governance organizations say greater user involvement, not top-down control, is needed.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 6, 2014

In possible breakthrough, Abe and Xi likely to hold brief talks at APEC

Tokyo and Beijing are reportedly preparing for a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, but a real thaw remains unlikely.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 6, 2014

An opportunity for Abe and Xi

One reason for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping's newfound flexibility toward each other may be domestic political shifts in both countries that have created a more equal balance between conservative, nationalist groups and more internationally oriented business interests.

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb