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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 18, 2017

How a homemade tool helped North Korea's missile program

In 2009, a pop video from North Korea celebrated a new national hero — one that outside experts would later realize was at the heart of the secretive state's banned nuclear and missile programs.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Oct 17, 2017

Olympic legend Button's advice for Hanyu: Don't overtrain

One of the great aspects of being a sportswriter is the people the job puts you in contact with.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Oct 16, 2017

Mie girl, 13, making waves as budding pro surfer, with eye on Tokyo Olympics

A girl in her early teens is making waves in the world of surfing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Oct 16, 2017

British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro wins Nobel Prize in literature

The Swedish Academy is awarding this year's Nobel Prize in literature to Nagasaki-born British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Oct 15, 2017

Fukushima takes camping to a whole new level of luxury with 'glamping'

"Glamping" — i.e., camping but with the comforts of modern amenities — has been growing in popularity in Fukushima Prefecture as more people look to bring a new level of luxury to the great outdoors.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Oct 14, 2017

Cartier Martin brings NBA skills to B. League

Cartier Martin made a dynamic debut last weekend for the San-en NeoPhoenix.
Reader Mail
Oct 13, 2017

Demographics sour, not sweet

All due respect to Jesper Koll in his opinion piece in the Oct. 2 edition ("Japan's demographic sweet spot"), but I found that his logic and evidence fail in substantiating his claim that Japan's demographics are in a "sweet spot."
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Oct 13, 2017

Okinawa innkeeper transforms 'love hotel' into castle with a floral view

Hotel Sha La La is one of Okinawa's newest hot spots, enticing tourists with its castle-like structure.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 13, 2017

China bars British activist from Hong Kong, says territory's affairs are 'purely internal matter'

China said on Thursday it had the right to bar people from Hong Kong, a day after a British activist was denied entry into the former British colony, and that it had complained to Britain after it demanded an explanation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Oct 12, 2017

Motosada Zumoto and the origins of The Japan Times

A 10-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station brings one to a small, white clock tower in the city center. The 13-meter-high Western timepiece is an iconic image of the city and Hokkaido.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 12, 2017

Someone needs to light a fuse under Japan

Danny Risberg, chairman of both the European Business Council in Japan and Philips Electronics Japan, wants Japanese to become fast, smart and independent decision-makers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 12, 2017

Uber, Ola's Indian legal woes put SoftBank's funding in firing line

An Indian taxi company has stepped up its legal challenge against local competitor Ola and U.S. rival Uber, alleging the firms are abusing their market position, and believes that planned investments in both by Japan's SoftBank underscore its view.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Oct 10, 2017

Nagano counselors trial online consultations for troubled teens via Line messaging app

Counselors in Nagano Prefecture were seen typing nonstop in September between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., as they replied to high volumes of consultation requests received via the Line messaging app.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 9, 2017

Some 350,000 stage demonstration in Barcelona against Catalan independence as tensions mount

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Catalonia's capital Barcelona on Sunday to express their opposition to declaring independence from Spain, showing how divided the region is on the issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 7, 2017

Is the response to scams criminally slow?

One of the more cynical dictums in Japanese goes "Shōjikimono ga baka o miru" ("Honesty doesn't pay"). In pre-modern times, neither did crime. The Osadamegaki Hyakkajo — the criminal code enforced by the Tokugawa rulers — prescribed an extensive list of severe punishments for those found guilty...
Reader Mail
Oct 6, 2017

Tanabe tourism office doing great

I read the article concerning criticism of the Tanabe tourist office ("Blame for 'bad tourists' to Japan lies with the advice they never receive," Aug. 28).
WORLD
Oct 3, 2017

In info void before smoke cleared in Vegas bloodbath, fake news quick to flood social media

As law enforcement and news organizations raced to piece together what happened during the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history Sunday night in Las Vegas, web denizens less wedded to the truth rushed in to provide details of their own — which quickly went viral.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 2, 2017

Mayuko Toyota scandal brings to light how working as a Diet secretary can become a living hell

In the past few months, hardly a day hasgone by without a news story popping up on Japan's tabloid TV shows replaying Diet member Mayuko Toyota's now infamous rant.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Oct 2, 2017

Aichi food bank builds dedicated warehouse to support hungry families, reduce waste

Nowami Consultation Center has set up a warehouse next to its office in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, dedicated to storing supplies for a food bank that feeds the homeless, struggling families and foreign residents in need.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Oct 2, 2017

Giant panda cub born at Ueno zoo named Xiang Xiang

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced Sept. 25 that the new giant panda cub born at the Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo has officially been named Xiang Xiang.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Oct 1, 2017

NS Solutions case is latest battle in long war against sexual harassment

The ruling in the NS Solutions case should say a lot about where Japan stands now on the issue of sexual harassment, nearly three decades after the first ruling on this issue.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Oct 1, 2017

Re-registering property: The lie of the land

According to an article that appeared in the Asahi Shimbun last June, authorities are unsure of the title holders to 4.1 million hectares of land in Japan — in total, an area equivalent in size to the island of Kyushu. Though this problem has been evident at least since the 1980s, the government didn't...
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 30, 2017

Kibo no To and Nippon Ishin no Kai agree not to directly challenge each other in Tokyo and Osaka city districts

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui agreed Saturday that her new Kibo no To (Party of Hope) and his Nippon Ishin no Kai will not challenge each other in single-seat districts in their respective cities in the upcoming snap election.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 27, 2017

Surviving sexual assault in Japan, then victimized again

Despite signs of progress, some women still face secondary ordeals at the hands of police after rape and other sexual attacks.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2017

Yuriko Koike's new party, Kibo no To, vows to alter Japan's political landscape

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike launches a new political party, promising to “reset” Japan and restore its international prestige, while also posing a powerful threat to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Sep 27, 2017

China's biggest North Korea taboo: Discussing life after Kim

In discussions between the U.S. and China about reining in North Korea, one topic remains taboo: What would happen if Kim Jong Un's regime collapses?

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji