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EDITORIALS
Oct 15, 2017

Too much power for the prime minister?

If there is room for abuse, discussions are needed on whether the prime minister's power to dissolve the Lower House should be restricted.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 12, 2017

Catalan conundrum: Spain gives its leader eight days to drop independence declaration, if it was made

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday gave the Catalan government eight days to drop an independence bid, failing which he would suspend Catalonia's political autonomy and rule the region directly.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 23, 2017

Political protest or textbook harassment?

In 1979, The New Yorker ran a very long article by Frances FitzGerald about American history textbooks and how they had changed over the years. She said that the framing of history depends on who is writing it and, more importantly, who is supporting that writing. Publishers present history in such a...
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 22, 2017

Extra Diet session on Sept. 28, Suga confirms

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe formally decided Friday to convene an extraordinary Diet session next Thursday, which Abe is expected to immediately close by dissolving the Lower House despite opposition allegations that it would constitute a violation of Article 53 of the Constitution.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 16, 2017

U.K.'s Boris Johnson reignites leadership speculation with Brexit plans

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson set out his plans for a "glorious" Brexit on Saturday that angered colleagues and reignited speculation he would challenge Prime Minister Theresa May for the leadership of the Conservative party.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jun 10, 2017

Today's web of lies and disinformation: It's a lot to stomach

The advent of the internet has given new life to a lot of old wives' tales and urban legends. With so much information (and disinformation) out there, how does one separate the wheat from the chaff? When spotting errors of fact, whether stemming from simple ignorance, laziness or intentional deception,...
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Mar 26, 2017

Overtime deal marks total capitulation by labor

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, long the champion of labor law deregulation, last year announced it was time to place a legally binding upper limit on overtime hours.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 14, 2016

Nagoya finds no such thing as bad publicity after own survey deems it most unpopular

Nagoya has been featured heavily in magazines and TV programs recently as the city that people hate the most.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 26, 2016

Wikipedia 'deep dives' can help re-create the joys and pains of Japanese-language immersion

You can use Japanese Wikipedia to recreate the mental anguish of language immersion — of encountering a truly alien topic and being forced to reckon with it.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 31, 2016

LDP weighs leader's term limits as Abe angles to stay in power

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to kick off discussions as soon as next month over whether to revise internal rules to allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to run for a third term in the next LDP presidential race to be held by September 2018.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Aug 28, 2016

Japan fumbles for the legal path to an 'Emprexit'

The obvious route to allowing Emperor Akihito's abdication would involve amending the Imperial Household Law, not constitutional change.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 16, 2016

Terrorism and sexual assault cast shadow over Japanese travelers

Surely if a prize were to be awarded for the week's most controversial article, it would go to Shukan Shincho's piece titled "If you're traveling abroad, here is a phrase from the Quran you should memorize."
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 12, 2016

May wins battle to be next British leader but faces tough times over Brexit

Theresa May has won the battle to be Britain's prime minister but she will face a much tougher struggle once in power — overseeing her country's divorce from the European Union.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 27, 2016

Dis-United Kingdom ponders turmoil of EU divorce but legal expert says reversal possible

To leave, or not to leave: That is the question. Still.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
May 8, 2016

Does the Japanese Constitution mean anything?

If the Liberal Democratic Party gets its way, the current charter, full of rights that are barely known, would be replaced with a constitution that's more about duties.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 3, 2016

Abe's revisionist agenda subject of opposing rallies on Constitution Day

Marking the 69th anniversary of the postwar pacifist Constitution, supporters and opponents of constitutional revision held rallies in Tokyo on Tuesday to speak out on their respective causes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Dec 24, 2015

The Japan Times advisory board rates paper's coverage

The Japan Times Media Advisory Board members who have been monitoring the newspapers' reporting met Nov. 18 to discuss progress from the previous board meetings and offer advice for the future.
EDITORIALS
Oct 27, 2015

Hold an extraordinary Diet session

The Abe administration has no compelling reason to reject the call by opposition parties to convene an extraordinary Diet session.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Sep 27, 2015

Legal change will make temp purgatory permanent for many Japanese workers

Eight years ago, a TV drama about temporary workers generated a great deal of excitement around Japan. In "Haken no Hinkaku" ("Dignity of a Temp"), model-actress-singer Ryoko Shinohara played Haruko Omae, a "super-temp" who masterfully tackled the myriad troubles that arose in her ¥3,000-an-hour job....
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 16, 2015

The Abe administration's arrogance of power moment

Before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe flexes his military muscles, indulges himself in historical revisionism and preaches to China about the rule of law, he should observe the principle of rule of law at home.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 5, 2015

Experts' tongue-lashing rekindles Diet debate on reinterpreted Constitution

The surprise tongue-lashing in the Diet meted out by three noted constitutional scholars has reignited debate on whether the Cabinet's reinterpretation of Article 9 last year was legitimate.
JAPAN / Politics
May 7, 2015

LDP seeks all-party talks on revising pacifist Constitution

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party called Thursday for all-party talks on revising the Constitution in areas they can agree upon, in an apparent bid to lower the bar for a first-ever revision of the U.S.-drafted charter.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 20, 2015

Don't underestimate the power of Moore's law

Moore's Law is a quiet rebuke to those who think we control our destiny.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 14, 2015

Japan's prickly revisionists

The Abe government is reacting to foreign criticism of Japan in ways that harm the nation's national interests and reputation.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 6, 2015

Takaichi denies Shukan Post story alleging loan scandal

Internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi flatly denied allegations Monday by a weekly magazine about her brother's involvement in a dubious loan scandal, accusing the publication of fabricating the story.
Reader Mail
Feb 28, 2015

Trying to stop the repetition of stupidities

Bloomberg writer Noah Smith, in his Feb. 24 op-ed article titled "Will Japan become Asia's next autocracy?," warns of the danger in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempt to amend the Constitution with the Liberal Democratic Party's illiberal draft proposals, yet thinks it sensible to repeal Article 9,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 11, 2015

We need to talk about Japan — in English

What commentators who write about Japan in English are doing is not necessarily criticism and could instead be a genuine attempt to understand.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Dec 29, 2014

Discussing sex crimes and Japan's 'safety myth'

A selection of responses to Rachel Halle's recent column, 'Foreign student's account of treatment in rape case points to gaps in Japan's safety myth.'

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