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JAPAN / Politics / Q&A
Jun 13, 2016

Masuzoe clings to office as pressure mounts over funds scandal

Japanese Communist Party representatives in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly announced Monday the party's decision to submit a no-confidence motion against Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe, which could force the embattled governor from office.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 11, 2016

Fuel-efficiency scandal could end up hitting car buyers in the pocket

The entire auto industry has had its image damaged in the mileage scandal, which means the transport ministry will likely require all carmakers to carry out stricter testing that will cost much more money.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jun 4, 2016

The struggles of a local sumo hero

An oft-repeated question these days, and one not necessarily confined to sports media, is whether 29-year-old wrestler Kisenosato will make it to sumo's highest rank. Or is he destined to remain a perennial bridesmaid?
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 21, 2016

The second life of Kakuei Tanaka

In July 1976, the month when 218 million Americans were feting their nation's 200th birthday, dramatic events were taking place on other continents also. On July 4 — America's Independence Day — an Israeli commando force staged a dramatic raid on Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing all but four of...
CULTURE / Books
May 16, 2016

Crime and thriller writer Kanae Minato named winner of Yamamoto Shugoro Prize

The 29th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize will be given to Kanae Minato for her book "Utopia," the award's screening committee said Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 13, 2016

Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe apologizes but remains defiant in face of funds scandal

Yoichi Masuzoe insists his use of political money was legal even as he admits feeling embarrassed and vows to do better for his city.
JAPAN
May 11, 2016

Tokyo's governor becomes embroiled in fresh public funding scandal

Yoichi Masuzoe once again finds himself mired in ignominy, this time over a possible violation of political funding laws.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2016

BOJ board member Sakurai's Ph.D. credentials questioned

Weekly magazine Shukan Post has raised questions about new Bank of Japan Board member Makoto Sakurai's credentials, saying there is no record of him submitting a thesis or graduating with a Ph.D.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 7, 2016

Tokyo's governor is in a high-spending league of his own

The more the media digs, the more it is uncovering about Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe's profligate ways.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 2, 2016

Stalking the elusive subtleties of Japan's political humor

Certain Japanese publications are rife with political word play, and deciphering these puns and riddles can be a fun challenge for language learners.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 30, 2016

Idols put Band-Aids on fragile male egos

Two cities in Tottori Prefecture have set up a facility called the Tottori Deai Support Center, which is a kind of matchmaking service for young residents. In December it published a pamphlet to help people looking for mates better understand what the opposite sex wanted.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 23, 2016

Ebb tide for press freedoms in Shinzo Abe's Japan

A perfect storm is descending on freedom of the press in Japan: The country just sank to No. 72 in the global press freedom ranking issued Wednesday by Reporters Without Borders, down from No. 11 in 2010. And David Kaye, the U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom...
EDITORIALS
Apr 21, 2016

Time for Amari to talk

Former economy minister Akira Amari should follow through on his pledge to account for the millions of yen that he and his aides received from a construction company.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 7, 2016

Hokkaido, Kyoto by-elections a test for both DP and LDP

Two by-elections later this month in Hokkaido and Kyoto will pose the first political tests for the newly formed Democratic Party as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 7, 2016

Yamao apologizes over ¥4.29 million fuel claim in 2012

The new Democratic Party's inaugural policy chief has been forced to apologize after it emerged that her office had claimed up to ¥4.29 million in fuel expenses in a single year.
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Apr 2, 2016

The drug problem that keeps getting older

Former pro baseball player Kazuhiro Kiyohara was released from police custody on ¥5 million bail last month following his arrest and subsequent indictment for alleged possession and use of stimulant drugs.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Mar 30, 2016

Narcotics flooding into Japan

Japan is becoming a paradise for drug dealers.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Mar 27, 2016

Bearded train driver, out-of-pocket teacher and CV faker: How would they fare in court?

A look at three shiny new news items from the gossip columns that take on a different sheen when examined under the piercing light of labor law.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 26, 2016

Pundit didn't need an actual Harvard degree to get top marks in gaming the system

On Feb. 29 a group of veteran journalists held a press conference to protest communications minister Sanae Takaichi's comment that the government could shut down broadcasters if their news programming was deemed to be politically biased. Former Mainichi Shimbun reporter Shuntaro Torigoe said that Takaichi's...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 24, 2016

Author and disabilities champion Hirotada Ototake admits to adulterous affairs

In a blow that could further humiliate the scandal-tainted ruling party, disabled celebrity author and educator Hirotada Ototake, rumored to be tapped for an election run with the Liberal Democratic Party, apologized Thursday for committing adultery following a report by a tabloid magazine.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 19, 2016

'Drop dead, Japan!' moms try to stay on message

Shiori Yamao is a University of Tokyo graduate, former public prosecutor, current Lower House lawmaker and mother. As a force for the opposition, she has been causing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe considerable grief over the past few months.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 20, 2016

Peeling back the layers of money politics

Last week the Asahi Shimbun reported on the relationship between Japan's larger corporations and the Liberal Democratic Party. Since regaining power in 2012, the LDP announced it would cut corporate taxes at rates that are twice those proposed by the previous Democratic Party of Japan government, and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 17, 2016

Breaking into and out of Japanese show biz

Eiji Uchida's scabrous new comedy about the struggles of a down-and-out indie film director, "Lowlife Love" ("Gesu no Ai"), confirms what I have known for years: Japanese show business can be brutal to the weak or clueless. They end up used and discarded, like so many human Kleenexes.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 12, 2016

Paternity leave trailblazer Miyazaki quits over affair

LDP lawmaker and paternity leave pioneer Kensuke Miyazaki quits his seat after admitting to an extramarital affair.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Feb 8, 2016

Disgraced Kiyohara's situation similar to that of former pitcher Enatsu

Last week, a bat used by Kazuhiro Kiyohara during his high school days was removed from an exhibition celebrating the long and rich history of high school baseball at Koshien Stadium.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight