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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 23, 2015

Much jaw-jaw about war-war: the year 2015 in quotes

The past year has seen a number of tugs-of-war, as conservatives promoted past glories and preservation of the status quo while liberals lobbied for unprecedented levels of tolerance.
WORLD / Society
Dec 22, 2015

In Europe, some heed Pope's call to succor refugees, others look away

One Catholic parish in Germany tore out its pews to make space for refugees. Franciscan monks near Rome took a family into their hilltop convent.
EDITORIALS
Dec 22, 2015

Akatsuki's Venus mission

Launched in 2010, the Akutsuki space probe is now set to shed light on Venus' mysteries.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2015

Former Line CEO's new venture aims to track the pulse of world fashion with smartphone videos

Having already spent time in the limelight as the CEO of Line Corp., Akira Morikawa has now started a new venture that targets would-be fashionistas and connoisseurs of popular culture.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Dec 21, 2015

Mie pearl farmer looks to Vietnam for new opportunities, fresh workforce

Ago Bay in Shima, Mie Prefecture, is one of the leading places in Japan where pearls can be cultured. The number of pearl farmers has declined in recent years, however, and they are an aging workforce.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Dec 19, 2015

Hatsune Miku: the 'nonexistent' pop star

My 2015 kicked off with a January concert by Hatsune Miku, Japan's digital pop star, in Las Vegas. It is winding down with a visit to Miku's creator, Hiroyuki Itoh, at his company's head office in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Dec 18, 2015

After California shootings, Muslim American families struggle with identity

Mirvette Judeh began covering her hijab with a hoodie two weeks ago while in the car with her two young children. Someone might want to hurt their mother, she explained to them, because the head scarf easily identifies her as Muslim.
Reader Mail
Dec 18, 2015

The consumption tax needs fixing

If the government is really interested in fiscal health of Japan, a hike in the consumption tax is not the answer.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 18, 2015

EU leaders agree to fast-track new border force

European Union leaders pledged to fast-track the establishment of an EU border and coast guard force at a summit where they again urged each other to implement measures agreed this year to curb migration across the Mediterranean.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 16, 2015

Airbnb: Will Japan kill the golden goose?

Time will tell whether new legislation kills or culls the golden-egg-laying goose that Airbnb has become for hosts and travelers.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 16, 2015

Kiki Sugino: 'I'm always looking for myself'

Kiki Sugino has a one-of-a-kind resume in the domestic movie business. Many are the young "multi-talents" who act, sing and model, but most are recruited, molded and marketed by an agency. From the start, this 31-year-old actor, director and producer took a more independent route toward multi-dom.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 12, 2015

Team chairman Katumbi makes major investments in TP Mazembe

With two clinics, a much-envied youth academy, a modern stadium and their own 40-seat jet, life for African champions TP Mazembe is a world apart from that of their local rivals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 12, 2015

Investors see big returns as Airbnb takes off in Japan

While many see Airbnb as a possible fix for two seious problems in Japan — the shortage of hotel rooms and a steady increase in vacant buildings — others see an investment opportunity.
EDITORIALS
Dec 12, 2015

Abe's anti-terrorism measures

The government should weigh the benefits of measures to prevent terrorist acts against the risk of violating people's constitutional rights.
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2015

Japan again among worst performers in climate protection effort index

Japan ranks among the worst performers in an index comparing the emissions of 58 countries and measures to protect the climate, far below other major emitters like the United States and India, according to a report by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2015

Japan needs to seek out regional allies, view U.S. as 'second resort,' says head of think tank

Japan needs to stop relying on the U.S. for its defense and form a security alliance with other Asian nations if it is to become a respectable global leader in the decades to come, according to the founder and president of Washington-based think tank Economic Strategy Institute.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 8, 2015

Real beauty lies in rustic reality

French society and culture has always had a fascination with the exotic, going back to the Chinoiserie of the rococo period, the Orientalist fascination with the harems and slave markets of the Middle East, and the Japonisme of the 19th century. One might even suspect that this trait could represent...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 8, 2015

For South Koreans, overseas study loses its luster

After years of heading abroad in droves to study, more young South Koreans are opting for education at home as expensive overseas degrees no longer provide an edge in a tough job market — and are even a liability.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 7, 2015

Why Putin makes a bad ally in the war with IS

Russia's interests in Syria drastically differ from those of the West.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 6, 2015

Under Japanese law, there's more to paternity than DNA

A reader asks: Is a DNA test mandatory in order to prove the biological parent-child relationship in paternity cases in Japan?
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Dec 5, 2015

Alien invasion: Vexatious foreign species are increasingly taking up residence in Japan

Shibuya has a rat problem.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 5, 2015

Push for balance can lead to a skewed view

In September, public broadcaster NHK aired a documentary that recounted the news events from the capital this summer. One of the segments focused on the continuing protests led by college students in central Tokyo against the controversial security bills the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had yet to...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE HIGH GROUNDS
Dec 4, 2015

Coffee Amp turns the tables on Tokyo's imported coffee culture

For coffee lovers in Tokyo, the past five years have felt like a never-ending bonanza. Where once you might have trekked halfway across town to get a decent brew, now nearly every neighborhood seems to have its own micro-roaster or fancy coffee stand. Yet when Coffee Amp first opened in early 2010, at...
Reader Mail
Dec 4, 2015

How to reduce Halloween litter

I am writing this letter in response to the article in the Nov. 1 issue about garbage provisions at Halloween in Tokyo's Shibuya district ("Halloween revelers get litter bags").
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHARITY DRIVE 2015
Dec 3, 2015

Kyoto group gives Afghan women literacy classes

Kyoto-based Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development has provided literacy education to about 2,800 women in Afghanistan over the past five years.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?