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EDITORIALS
May 19, 2014

Hope beats fear in India election

While the prospect of a strong Indian government led by Narendra Modi appeals to those who decry the horse-trading that has sapped the energy of previous Delhi governments, others worry that Modi could prove to be a Hindu nationalist who ratchets up tensions in South Asia.
WORLD
May 18, 2014

Children in targeted city defiant in face of Boko Haram

It is like schools the world over: ebullient children hurtle up and down the stairway as teachers try to keep some semblance of order. There are satchels and lunch boxes, colorful art, rows of wooden desks carved with graffiti by pupils. There is also a school motto: "Knowledge for success." This is...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 17, 2014

Tiananmen's silver year: from protest to massacre

Twenty-five years ago on June 4 the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) turned on Chinese citizens in a ruthless display of violence, not for the first time, slaughtering many in the streets of Beijing to crush a pro-democracy movement lead by university students.
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2014

What Ukraine really needs

The last thing Ukraine needs is domination by either the New Russia or the partisans of an American neocon organization. A federal system of self-governing provinces might work.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 15, 2014

GDP jumps to 5.9% on tax hike in first quarter

The Japanese economy climbed to its fastest pace since 2011 as companies invested more and consumers raced to beat the first tax hike in 17 years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 15, 2014

Time to get over the 'shock' of aging actresses

"Americans can be strange about aging," said French actress Jeanne Moreau, in a brief interview she gave me back in 2005. She was then at the tail end of her 70s and had just co-starred with French heartthrob Melvil Poupaud in "Le Temps Qui Reste," as his sympathetic but alluring grandmother. As the...
BUSINESS / Economy
May 14, 2014

Ex-BOJ policymaker sees scary inflation dilemma

The Bank of Japan faces a "terrifying dilemma" in which inflation could force it to tighten monetary policy at a time when the central bank needs to support the bond market the most, according to a former board member.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 14, 2014

Biden's son gets Ukraine gas gig

The White House on Tuesday brushed aside questions about whether the involvement of Vice President Joe Biden's son in a Ukrainian natural gas company raised ethical issues at a time when the administration is promoting energy diversity in the country.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 12, 2014

Maserati, others taking on Toyota at home

Maserati, Volkswagen and other foreign automakers are riding their best sales streak in years in Japan, as the economy improves and drivers like Taichi Matsukura try to stand out amid a sea of Toyotas.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 11, 2014

Toyama, Akita advance to Final Four for first time; Ryukyu, Kyoto also earn spots

Maybe 13 is a lucky number after all.
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2014

Trouble with revoking citizenship extralegally

In the absence of global citizenship, it may be best for the U.K. government to retain the principle that citizenship is not to be revoked without a judicial hearing.
COMMENTARY / World
May 9, 2014

How a war hero managed to pin down a warfare state

The rise in defense spending under Barack Obama suggests that even an out-and-out 'peace' president is no match for the modern warfare state and the crony capitalist lobbies that safeguard the Moloch-like U.S. defense industry's vast budgetary appetites.
COMMENTARY / World
May 8, 2014

Sunni-Shiite divide pre-empts tranquil future

As long as Sunnis and Shiites refuse to think about their past together, it is difficult to foresee a tranquil future for Iraq.
WORLD
May 7, 2014

U.N. claims Kony hiding in S. Sudan

Warlord Joseph Kony and some of his Lord's Resistance Army commanders are hiding in Sudanese-controlled areas of a disputed enclave in South Sudan bordering the Central African Republic and Sudan, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
May 7, 2014

Iwate: Do you think the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will have any positive effect on Tohoku?

Interviewees in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, are divided on the whether any of the promised 2020 Tokyo Olympic feelgood factor will touch Tohoku.
CULTURE / Stage
May 7, 2014

Surrender yourself to 'Fuerza Bruta' fun

Standing around with a drink in your hand as if you were on the dance floor of a club might not be a good idea at a Diqui James production.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 6, 2014

Taking stock of the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals

Four teams remain in the Eastern Conference playoffs, which points the spotlight on the regular-season conference champion Toyama Grouses and Iwate Big Bulls. As the top two seeds, the Grouses and Big Bulls play host to the Niigata Albirex BB and Akita Northern Happinets, respectively, this weekend....
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 5, 2014

Silk mill took Japan to global level

The historic Tomioka Silk Mill in Gunma Prefecture and its related facilities are expected to become UNESCO World Heritage sites next month.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
May 5, 2014

O'Malley all smiles about return to NPB with Tigers

A wry smile played across Tom O'Malley's lips as he nodded in the direction of a group of Hanshin Tigers players stretching on the ground outside of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows' indoor facility on Sunday as the Swallows wrapped up practice inside.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 5, 2014

Does it matter how we choose The World's 50 Best Restaurants?

The World's 50 Best Restaurants is a quirky list and no one claims it is definitive. Avant-garde restaurants tend to place higher than traditional establishments whose gastronomy has stood the test of time.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
May 4, 2014

Jewelry innovator Shiraki puts ethics at the heart of beauty

Natsuko Shiraki, a jewelry designer and CEO of Tokyo-based jeweler Hasuna Co., vividly remembers the shocking experience in southern India that changed her life.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 3, 2014

Japan inked: Should the country reclaim its tattoo culture?

Tattooing is the most misunderstood form of art in contemporary Japan.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 3, 2014

'Reverse DH' adds intrigue to interleague play

The 10th season of interleague play in Japanese pro baseball begins in two weeks with a new twist. For the first time, a "reverse designated hitter" rule will be in place. Instead of the DH being used in games where the Pacific League club is the home team, it will be in effect in Central League parks....
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 2, 2014

Matsusaka, Hida cows now shine in shoe biz

Leather shoes made out of high-quality hides from such cows as Hida and Matsusaka are becoming increasingly popular in Japan.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 1, 2014

Toyama's Joho named league MVP

Shooting guard Masashi Joho and forward Ira Brown form a dynamic one-two punch for the Toyama Grouses, a partnership that has helped the Hokuriku-based team make significant improvements — notably a steady increase in wins — in each of their three seasons together.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 1, 2014

'Prisoners'

Cinematically speaking, Thanksgiving is beginning to have the same connotations as the white picket fences and manicured lawns of suburban America: symbols of disaster or tragedy. In "The Company Men" (2010), Ben Affleck feels his jobless life unravelling at the Thanksgiving table. In "Four Brothers"...
COMMENTARY / World
May 1, 2014

Heavy metal contaminants stalk China's farms

China released a report in April disclosing that much of its arable land is contaminated with heavy metals that are entering the food chain. It doesn't bode well for consumers and suggests that China increasingly will have to import food.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 1, 2014

'The Piano (Piano Lesson)'

Director: Jane Campion

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight