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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 25, 2019

Big history helps understand today's issues

A sweeping study of historical data yields fascinating revelations about the past, present and future.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2019

North Korea: Agree, but verify

Verification is an indispensable element in the step-by-step denuclearization of North Korea.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 23, 2019

Japan's fashion brands look to meet new consumer standards

As the festive season encourages consumers to splash out and treat themselves, there's both good and bad news in the fashion industry.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 23, 2019

'A mini-China story': Vietnam-linked hacking group targets Toyota and others

A Vietnam-based hacking group is learning from China's playbook, using increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks to spy on competitors and help Vietnam catch up to global competitors, according to cybersecurity experts.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 20, 2019

Holiday event welcomes athletes, actors

Philanthropist Haruhisa Handa served up a colorful Christmas fair this month featuring special guests from the worlds of sports and cinema: an Olympic medalist, a champion golfer, a two-time Oscar-winning legend and a screen action star with strong ties to Japan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 19, 2019

Looking back on Japan's security in 2019

2019 had its share of good, bad and ugly moments, but overall it was a net positive for Japanese security.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 19, 2019

Japan ekes out progress in a turbulent year of politicized trade

World trade continued to plunge into chaos this year, as U.S. President Donald Trump continued to petrify trading partners around the world with his unpredictable presidency.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Dec 19, 2019

Myanmar's Suu Kyi calls supporters a 'source of strength' during genocide hearings

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday thanked supporters who staged large rallies on her behalf as she defended the country against genocide charges at The Hague, speaking to the nation for the first time since she returned on Sunday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019

Indian Supreme Court to examine contentious citizenship law

India's controversial religion-based citizenship act will have to pass the scrutiny of the nation's top court, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government pledged to push ahead and implement the law.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2019

The impeachment articles are a vindication for Trump

The Democrats have effectively admitted the U.S. president did not commit any statutory crimes.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 15, 2019

Could merger talks finally produce a credible opposition force in Japan?

With the close of the extraordinary Diet session on Dec. 9, some of the largest opposition parties once again entered talks about merging before year's end, with an eye toward increasing their seats in the next general election. Here's a look at the talks and what they might mean for Japan's political...
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 14, 2019

Masashi Ishibashi, former chairman of defunct Japan Socialist Party, dies at 95

Masashi Ishibashi, who chaired the now-defunct Japan Socialist Party during the 1980s, died in the city of Fukuoka earlier this month. He was 95.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 12, 2019

Can old ideas in a new package deter China?

A fresh doctrine — 'pluralism' — aims to help allies and friends balance Beijing in the Indo-Pacific.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2019

Short electric flight advances fossil fuel-free air travel

A five-minute test flight of an all-electric commercial aircraft by Vancouver-based Harbour Air has taken a significant step in the quest to replace aircraft powered by fossil fuels, a mode of transportation increasingly viewed through the prism of global warming.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 11, 2019

China imprisoned more journalists than any other country this year, report says

China imprisoned at least 48 journalists in 2019, more than any other country, displacing Turkey as the most oppressive place for the profession, a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists report said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 10, 2019

Japan's Iran dilemma

Regional tensions require Tokyo to make a delicate compromise.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2019

Wait until Trump hears about Europe's carbon tax

The climate crisis and trade conflicts are two of the world's top challenges and they might be about to collide in the EU's green deal.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Dec 6, 2019

Stunning turnaround as Suu Kyi set to defend Myanmar against charge of Rohingya genocide

The last time Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi traveled to Western Europe, she was feted as the freshly elected civilian ruler of a fledgling democracy who had brought an end to half a century of military dictatorship.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 6, 2019

Most Japanese firms want Abe to finish term, but only 16% support him staying longer

A majority of Japanese firms want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to finish his current term to September 2021 but fewer than one in five say he should stay beyond then, a Reuters poll has showed as allegations that he broke campaign laws erode public support.
Reader Mail
Dec 6, 2019

Environmental reform needed

I appreciate Elliot Silverberg and Elisabeth Smith's advice in their opinion piece "Does Japan have a global environment strategy?" in the Nov. 13 edition, but regrettably they place more emphasis on diplomatic courtesy than on reality.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 5, 2019

Confessed middleman gives details to Malta court of plot to kill reporter, suggesting possible state link

The self-confessed middleman in the murder of a journalist told a court on Wednesday a wealthy Maltese businessman was the brains behind the killing but said people tied to government might also be implicated.
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Dec 4, 2019

Japan hopes U.S. trade deal will provide bulwark against Trump's unpredictability

The U.S.-Japan trade agreement is a gamble for Tokyo and will show whether concluding such a deal with Trump is a sufficient insurance policy that discourages him from making future demands.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2019

What throws a monkey wrench in trade talks

What makes an area of trade negotiations crucial is not its economic size but its political importance.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2019

Macron, the Atlantic alliance and opposite day

The French government is using psy-ops and parental logic to turn U.S. President Donald Trump into a fan of NATO.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 3, 2019

How Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's tycoon 'Superman,' went from friend of China to punching bag

In January 1993, an ambitious Chinese Communist Party boss — 39 years old, chubby cheeks and a mop of black hair — visited Hong Kong. He was seeking out the city's rich among the shimmering skyscrapers, hoping to secure investment in Fuzhou, the second-tier city he ran in mainland China. His name...
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2019

Japanese rugby's 'One Team' motto declared buzzword of 2019

"One Team," Japan's slogan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was picked as buzzword of the year on Monday after the Brave Blossoms thrilled fans with their historic advance to the top eight.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Dec 2, 2019

Australia says China is holding detained writer Yang Hengjun in 'unacceptable' conditions

Australia on Monday criticized the treatment of a Chinese-born Australian writer detained by Beijing for almost a year and sought details of his case, prompting China to say it was being dealt with according to law, amid the neighbors' prickly ties.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo