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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2015

Honda warns against 'stupid' loans driving U.S. sales gains

A top U.S. executive at Honda Motor Co. said competitors are doing "stupid things" to boost auto sales, including making seven-year-long car loans that harm buyers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 21, 2015

Abe could ease doubts by apologizing over WWII, says former leader Fukuda

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could help remove international doubts about Japan's stance toward its wartime past by apologizing over World War II in a statement he is planning to help mark the 70th anniversary of the war's end, said Yasuo Fukuda, one of Abe's predecessors.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 21, 2015

Obama's State of the Union speech shows populism has gone mainstream in U.S. politics

President Barack Obama reached into his party's progressive past to deliver a robust endorsement of higher taxes for the wealthy, government intervention in the economy and an array of new benefits for lower- and middle-income Americans.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 21, 2015

James Patterson to launch explosive 'Private Vegas'

James Patterson, already among the world's best-selling authors, plans to shake up the publishing industry with the launch of his new novel, "Private Vegas," which will self-destruct within 24 hours.
JAPAN / DAVOS SPECIAL 2015
Jan 21, 2015

Business leaders confident of recovery in coming year

This is definitely the year in which Japan will end its deflationary spiral.
Japan Times
JAPAN / DAVOS SPECIAL 2015
Jan 21, 2015

Switzerland and Japan celebrate 150th anniversary of their diplomatic relations

Switzerland, which is home to Davos, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Japan. The Japan Times had an opportunity to interview Swiss Ambassador to Japan Urs Bucher on the bilateral relationship. He has been the ambassador in Tokyo since October 2010.
Japan Times
JAPAN / DAVOS SPECIAL 2015
Jan 21, 2015

Carrying on 'washi' paper tradition

"Washi," or traditional Japanese handmade paper, was officially added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list last November. It is a remarkable accomplishment that the nation's traditional culture has achieved such recognition for the second year in a row, following the inclusion of "washoku" traditional...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2015

Islamic State threatens to kill two Japanese hostages

In an online video, the Islamic State group threatens to kill two Japanese citizens unless Tokyo pays a ransom of $200 million within 72 hours.
COMMENTARY
Jan 20, 2015

U.K. Muslims' 'special burden'

Do Muslim minorities in Britain and other European countries have a special burden to help track down Islamic extremists?
COMMENTARY
Jan 20, 2015

Proven scare tactics serve Putin well

President Vladimir Putin knows that the canny use of fear and forgiveness will allow him to retain his grip on power.
COMMENTARY
Jan 20, 2015

The Swiss just made Japan's job more difficult

Bank of Japan head Haruhiko Kuroda's monetary 'bazooka' just got outgunned by the Swiss.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 20, 2015

Recipe: Spaghetti Napolitan

On Aug. 30, 1945, newly appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed at Atsugi Airport in Yokohama and headed straight to an elegant hotel overlooking the harbor that had escaped destruction during the war. The Hotel New Grand served as his headquarters for three days,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 20, 2015

The meat and masochism of Swans

When Swans last played Tokyo in 2013, the venue itself seemed to be groaning under the weight of the onslaught. Two hours into a set of tempestuous rock catharsis, the power cut out; once restored, the group kept playing for another 30 minutes.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 20, 2015

U.K. Parliament marks 800 years since signing of Magna Carta with exhibit

The British Parliament is marking 800 years since the signing of Magna Carta, the document that asserted the principle that the country's ruler is subject to the law, with an exhibition highlighting the expansion of rights down the centuries.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015

Magic moments of noncompetitive surfing

Many of the highlights of surfing have more to do with experiencing the splendor and power of the waves than with the competitive ability to ride them.
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015

Charlie and the anti-Muslim media factory

If European Muslims are expected to identify with their citizenships and other secular identities, then their fellow Europeans should not categorize them by their religious identity.
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015

A perceived insult against religion is countered with words, not arms

There is a place for passionate debate on the moral question of how to balance freedom of speech with respect for religion. But the weapons of this debate should be the keyboard — not the Kalashnikov.
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015

Frozen chickens threaten Venezuela's regime

While Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blames 'saboteurs' for hoarding goods and scalping prices in an alleged plot to 'destabilize' the national economy, Venezuelans are steaming over an economy in deadfall, inflation heading to three digits and supermarkets stripped of frozen chickens.
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015

New Sri Lankan president has delicate balancing act

Sri Lankans have sprung a surprise with their commitment to democracy. They have thrown out a strongman president who had brought an end to a three-decade-long civil war and restored high economic growth.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 19, 2015

Bullying finds fertile ground in social media

Smartphones have become an essential tool for people of all ages, but they also pose serious challenges for parents and teachers trying to protect children from online abuse.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 19, 2015

Mystery deaths afflicting tuna at Tokyo aquarium

The Tokyo Sea Life Park, renowned for its breeding program, had 165 bluefin tuna, kawakawa and striped bonito on display. On Monday it had just 11.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 19, 2015

What's worth getting excited about in 2015?

A general sentiment of self-restraint, bukkadaka (物価高, the high cost of living) and enyasu (円安, the weak yen) culminated in an Oshōgatsuyasumi (お正月休み, New Year's holiday) where more people stayed put and fewer traveled to exotic overseas destinations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2015

Subaru puts China production plans on hold as car demand wanes

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the only Japanese automaker without Chinese government approval to start a joint venture, has put efforts on hold to build cars in the country, where demand growth is slowing.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 19, 2015

U.S. started penetrating North Korea's computer network in 2010: report

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) began tapping into North Korean computer networks in 2010, an effort that ultimately helped provide evidence to persuade the Obama administration that Pyongyang was behind the November cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, the New York Times reported Sunday....
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 19, 2015

Mali government declares country Ebola-free

Mali's health minister declared the West African nation free of Ebola on Sunday following a 42-day period without a new case of the deadly virus.
WORLD
Jan 19, 2015

Ex-spy chief says outdated U.K. anti-terrorism laws are not fit for purpose

Britain's ability to prevent terrorist attacks is hampered by outdated laws that are "no longer fit for purpose," a former MI5 chief said in an interview published on Sunday, as the government considers new powers to monitor the Internet.

Longform

Members of the nonprofit group Japan Youth Memorial Association search for the remains of dead soldiers in a cave in Okinawa Prefecture in February.
The long search for Japan’s lost soldiers