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COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2018

The end of coal could be closer than it looks

Despite a pessimistic forecast, it's possible to meet consumption-cut targets on the current path.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 10, 2018

No Brett Kavanaugh bump seen for GOP as Democrats hold edge in CNN poll ahead of midterms

The fierce battle to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh hasn't turned into an electoral advantage for Republicans so far, according to a CNN poll that found Democrats with a large lead headed into November midterm elections.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 9, 2018

Freshly minted Justice Brett Kavanaugh gets to work at U.S. Supreme Court

Just three days after he was narrowly confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court despite facing allegations of sexual assault, Brett Kavanaugh is set to take his seat on the bench on Tuesday morning, solidifying a conservative majority for years to come.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2018

Why Banksy's art stunt is economic genius

His shredding trick demonstrates the street artist's talent for exploring the ways in which people value art.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2018

A Nobel reminder of why research matters so much

Co-winner of the 2018 economics Nobel Prize, Paul Romer shows how new discoveries create a virtuous cycle of growth.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 8, 2018

China-U.S. tensions flare in testy Mike Pompeo visit to Beijing

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited "fundamental disagreement" with China's foreign minister during a testy exchange in Beijing that highlighted rising tensions between the world's two largest economies.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 8, 2018

Human tower builders in Catalonia kick off with pro-independence protest

Protesters calling for Catalan independence kicked off Spain's bi-annual human towers building competition on Sunday that is being held for the first time since Catalonia's failed 2017 independence referendum.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 7, 2018

Brazilians begin voting in tense presidential race led by right-winger Jair Bolsonaro

Brazilians began voting Sunday in a polarized presidential race that could result in the election of a far-right former army captain, whose praise of past dictatorships enrages critics but whose promise of a brutal crackdown on crime and corruption has electrified his supporters.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 6, 2018

Kavanaugh on U.S. Supreme Court: Sparks or harmony?

When Clarence Thomas took a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991, he had only barely survived a series of bitter Senate hearings on allegations of sexual harassment that divided the country.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2018

Tokyo adopts ordinance banning discrimination against LGBT community

The rule is the first ordinance at the prefectural level to contain a stipulation prohibiting discrimination against LGBT people and other sexual and gender minorities.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 5, 2018

With Kavanaugh probe firing up Republican base, Trump likely a winner whether judge confirmed or not

The ugly partisan brawl over U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation remains undecided, but President Donald Trump appears likely to come out on top regardless of the outcome.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 5, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh does not belong on Supreme Court, retired Justice John Paul Stevens says

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said on Thursday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh does not belong on the high court because of "potential bias" he showed in his recent Senate confirmation hearing.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 5, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh attempts spin control after Senate outburst as retired justice opposes his nomination

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh wrote in an opinion article Thursday that he "might have been too emotional" and "said a few things I should not have said" during last week's Senate hearing on sexual assault allegations against him.
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2018

Trump picks supporter of coal and nuclear plants for post with U.S.'s top energy regulator

U.S. President Donald Trump has picked Energy Department staffer Bernard McNamee, a proponent of his administration's plan to bail out aging coal and nuclear plants, to join the nation's top energy regulator.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 3, 2018

Abe versus Japan's 'invisible hand'

Will public opinion thwart Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's effort to amend the Constitution?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 3, 2018

The bots awaken: Half of 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' haters were trolls or not even human, study says

How much did movie fans hate "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"?
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2018

Biased research has fueled countless harmful diet fads

Too many scientists set out to prove their popular preconceptions blaming the food industry and consumers. But obesity is about more than calories consumed and burned.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2018

Globalists will love Trump's new NAFTA deal

A playbook is emerging for the Trump administration's trade agreements that bodes well for the Japan-U.S. bilateral talks.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 2, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh college visit to bar erupted in fight in 1985, classmate says

Future Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and two fellow Yale University students were in an off-campus bar back in 1985.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 1, 2018

Why voters keep supporting politicians who keep lying

Experiments indicate that people will overlook dishonesty if it benefits their group.
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Sep 29, 2018

Defining the Heisei Era: When Japanese games went global

The Japan Times presents the fifth installment of a monthly 12-part series that looks back at the leading issues of the past three decades.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 29, 2018

Few question the death penalty for heinous crimes

Should murderers be put to death? Yes, says Japan. No, says (increasingly) much of the rest of the world. Japan swims against the current.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 27, 2018

Countdown to Okinawa's critical election

The Okinawa gubernatorial election is an important one for the prefecture, for the central government, for the Japan-U.S. alliance and for the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 27, 2018

A Japan-U.S. pact looks like the opposite of free trade

Abe can't yield much on agriculture, while U.S. cars face few barriers — and few buyers — in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 26, 2018

Is Japan heading for a leadership vacuum?

The lack of an LDP heir apparent and the absence of a credible opposition force means that Japan may face a leadership vacuum when Abe's tenure ends.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2018

Trump's U.N. speech almost adds up to a doctrine

The U.S. president makes his best case yet for the importance of American sovereignty.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 26, 2018

Seiko Oomori: J-pop's reigning rule-breaker

Pop music often opts for positivity rather than confronting the uncomfortable, but Seiko Oomori has never really adhered to J-pop norms.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan