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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 18, 2017

Trust is falling in Western democratic institutions

One clue to understanding the loss of trust in the professional integrity of the Western media is their unrelenting efforts to demonize Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 18, 2017

Nagoya assembly creates day care room for nursing mom among ranks

The Nagoya Municipal Assembly has created a private day care room for one of its members with a 1-year-old son, the first such facility among governments in the Tokai region and a rarity in other parts of Japan as well.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Jul 16, 2017

Date goes whole hog into boar leather business in Fukushima

Wild boar leather is said to breathe well and resist chafing. It is used in Date, Fukushima Prefecture, to make products like babies' first walking shoes because it is soft and fits well.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 15, 2017

Fundraising loopholes, a political norm

The Liberal Democratic Party lost a large number of seats to Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's upstart Tomin First Party in the Tokyo assembly election. Media surveys reveal that the public is dismayed by recent scandals involving the LDP, in particular the one surrounding educational company Kake Gakuen, which...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 15, 2017

Who is keeping an eye on Japan's surveillance power?

Utopias and dystopias have this in common: surveillance. From Thomas More's "Utopia" (1516) to George Orwell's "1984" (1949), from Plato's "Republic" (c. 380 B.C.) to Yevgeny Zamyatin's "We" (1921), the view prevails that people behave better under scrutiny. Why conceal good deeds? For no reason. Therefore...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 11, 2017

Why Donald Trump's supporters admire Japan

U.S. supporters of Donald Trump find much to admire in Japan.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 11, 2017

Anti-conspiracy legislation fights terrorism and organized crime

The scope of Japan's anti-conspiracy law is much more restricted than similar legal steps taken in other countries.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 10, 2017

In Japan everything counts in its own way

When emails first hit Japan in the mid-1990s, these were counted in u901a (tsu016b), the common classifier for letters. However ...
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jul 10, 2017

Venomous fire ants found at Osaka port

Venomous fire ants, native to South America, have been found, including a queen ant.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 10, 2017

Aichi aquarium displays invasive alligator gar caught in Nagoya Castle's moat

One of the alligator gars caught in the vast moat of Nagoya Castle last year has been turned into a specimen for display at Hekinan Seaside Aquarium in Aichi Prefecture, giving visitors the chance to fully observe the long carnivorous fish indigenous to North America.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 10, 2017

Weakened May appeals to opponents to help deliver Brexit success

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will call on opposition lawmakers to help steer Britain out of the European Union as she seeks to reset after her standing was diminished by last month's disastrous general election.
EDITORIALS
Jul 9, 2017

Poor handling of government documents

The government must come up with a better way to maintain official documents and make them available to the public.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 8, 2017

Shogi: A measure of artificial intelligence

Though last Sunday's Tokyo assembly elections garnered the most media attention, another contest came in a close second, even if only two people were involved. Fourteen-year-old Sota Fujii's record-setting winning streak of 29 games of shogi was finally broken on July 2 when he lost a match to 22-year-old...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 7, 2017

Lower tariffs on EU cheese imports may not translate to reduced prices for 'fromage' lovers

Japan and the European Union just announced a deal on free trade and will seek to reach a final agreement by the end of this year. The EU has already promised to phase out its 10 percent levy on Japanese automobiles, while Japan says it will eliminate taxes on a raft of food items.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2017

Boxing legend Gushiken inspires younger Okinawa generation

Yoko Gushiken, a boxing legend who hails from Okinawa, hopes young people from prefecture will be brave enough to take on any challenge and succeed in any field.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 6, 2017

Modi's actions fail to live up to his words

Three years into his five-year term, it is more accurate to describe Modi's record as 'maximum talk and boast, minimum action and results.'
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 4, 2017

To comprehend Trump, read this

Three books and two magazine articles shed a lot of light on the U.S. president's baffling behavior.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2017

Ministry unveils plan for facial recognition to speed up airport entry/exit process

The Justice Ministry expects the plan, which doesn't require advance registration, to work better than a fingerprint-based system launched in 2007
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 3, 2017

Tokyo election loss places Abe in jeopardy

It wasn't so long ago that Shinzo Abe appeared on course to becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister ever.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 3, 2017

New service connects Japanese travelers to compatriots living abroad

A website created by a Nagoya-based venture firm offering help from Japanese living overseas is gaining popularity with travelers.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jul 3, 2017

Shogi prodigy sets new record with 29th straight win

The youngest professional shogi fourth-dan player, Sota Fujii, 14, set the all-time record for most consecutive wins — 29 official matches.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 2, 2017

'No foreign tenants' — and not much you can do about it

Landlords in Japan are within their rights to refuse to rent to foreign residents, but some services are stepping in to bridge the gap.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Jul 2, 2017

New law to guarantee the guarantor pays

Until the postwar growth period, the majority of Japanese rented rather than owned the places where they lived, but renters in Japan have never had much in the way of rights. Still, it is difficult to evict someone from a home they rent, even when they've been delinquent with payments. The Leased Land...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 1, 2017

The foulest crime, finally brought down?

Idealized notions of America's past are coming into question.
EDITORIALS
Jun 30, 2017

Defense Minister Inada's campaign blunder

A careless gaffe by Tomomi Inada's gaffe calls into question her qualifications to be a lawmaker and minister of defense.
Reader Mail
Jun 30, 2017

Amazing power of dogs' compassion

The article "Service dogs help senile Aussies live at home" in the June 7 edition made me ponder the relationship between dogs and senior owners.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2017

Opposition parties renew demand that Abe open Diet to answer for scandals

The defense minister's gaffe along with Abe's lack of response to earlier calls to convene a Diet session prompts opposition parties to demand answers.

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