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JAPAN / Politics
Jan 12, 2018

Abe rejects Seoul's new call for apology on 'comfort women' issue

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says Seoul's apparent demands for a fresh apology are “completely unacceptable” in light of the 2015 agreement Japan and South Korea signed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 9, 2018

Unclaimed remains accumulating in aging Japan

The smell of mold wafted through the small underground room at a municipal-run cemetery in the city of Saitama in late November, where around 600 unclaimed urns filled the shelves.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Jan 7, 2018

Ambassador eager to brand and boost country

'The readiness is all,' utters the Danish title character in the last act of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet.'
EDITORIALS
Jan 5, 2018

'Comfort women' deal should be honored by Seoul

The South Korean government should carefully weigh the potential damage that seeking to rework the agreement would have on diplomatic relations with Japan.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 27, 2017

Teachers and schools in Japan brace for icebergs in 2018

After a year of scandals and promises, the 'five-year rule' and demographic woes cast a shadow over education in 2018.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Nov 25, 2017

Nobuhiro Seki: Espousing the spirit of craftsmanship abroad

'The Japanese manufacturers need new business opportunities from overseas, but are reluctant because they can't negotiate in English or any other language,' says Seki.
BUSINESS
Oct 14, 2017

Balance of power: Shift toward renewable energy appears to be picking up steam

Five years ago, Japan introduced a feed-in tariff system in a bid to promote the introduction of renewable energy on a large scale following the collapse of public trust in nuclear power due to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, and subsequent triple meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1...
JAPAN / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 13, 2017

Japan's student grant system could leave university grads in deep black hole of debt

Everyone knows that a university education leads to a higher salary, but how much higher?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Oct 4, 2017

Five-nation crackdown hits half of Japanese-language schools

New rules requiring greater scrutiny of applicants from five countries have landed Japanese-language schools with that little bit more paperwork.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 23, 2017

In Japan under Shinzo Abe, more power to the PM, but to what end?

In his final Counterpoint column, Jeff Kingston considers where Japan is heading under scandal-hit Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 18, 2017

Japan's free ambulance services stretched by aging population, nonemergency overuse

The sirens are going off about the state of ambulance services.
WORLD
Sep 13, 2017

Saudi coalition probes own airstrikes in Yemen, deems its actions mainly justified

A panel set up by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen to investigate civilian casualties found a series of deadly airstrikes largely justified, citing the presence of armed militiamen at the homes, schools and clinics that were targeted.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 11, 2017

TV ads for Japan Post's ¥1.3 trillion share sale will target individual investors

Japan Post Holdings Co.'s underwriters will seek to attract retail investors to its ¥1.3 trillion ($12 billion) public offering, betting they will shrug off the stock's slack performance and market anxiety over North Korea.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Sep 9, 2017

Confronting youth suicide: Seeking ways to stop young people from taking their own lives

A grand piano stands silently in a tatami room at Naoko Nakashima's home in Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture. It has not been played in almost two years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Aug 9, 2017

More Japanese may be studying abroad, but not for long

Increasing numbers of Japanese are going abroad to study, but a close look at the data reveals that looser definitions are inflating the numbers — and that most students aren't spending much time overseas anyway.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2017

Bad news for Japan's retailers as Chinese tourists cut back on buying

They're still coming in droves — but no longer buying in spades.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 7, 2017

Depopulation, tourism on voters' minds as Nara gears up for mayoral election

Nara voters head to the polls Sunday for a mayoral election that has been dominated by concerns over a shrinking population and an expanding tourist industry.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 12, 2017

Britain's general election results in political mayhem

A weak prime minister with an uncertain future puts Britain in a perilous position as it enters its most important negotiations for generations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jun 3, 2017

LGBTQ abuse victims suffering in silence

Ray Tanaka's high-pitched giggle is infectious. Yet the 51-year-old bears visible signs of less humorous times. Scars peaking through tightly cropped hair are telltale signs of severe beatings at the hands of a former partner who had transitioned to male.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jun 3, 2017

Takashi Miyazaki: Food ambassador to Ireland

Chef Takashi Miyazaki has a Cork accent.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2017

We need an environmental criminal court

There has never been a more dangerous time to be an environmental activist.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / A MATTER OF HEALTH
May 31, 2017

Pro-tobacco LDP clouds chances of indoor smoking ban in time for Tokyo Games

May 31 marks World No Tobacco Day, but the prospect of Japan banning indoor smoking in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics looks hazier than ever.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
May 15, 2017

Kumamoto 'baby hatch' accepted 125 babies in 9 years since launch

'Konotori no yurikago' marks its 10th anniversary

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami