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COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 8, 2017

East Asia in the Trump era

What might happen to U.S. foreign policy, in particular its alliance in East Asia, under the leadership of incoming President Donald Trump? Japan faces an increasingly complex security landscape in East Asia. The Trump presidency could make it more uncertain and more unpredictable.
Reader Mail
Jan 6, 2017

Perseverance pays off on the ice and in life

The article "Release and renewal: Ando's life full of joy, challenges" in the Jan. 4 edition made me proud that I learned to skate in Nagoya (when I was a student there), on the same ice rinks that the champion frequented.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 5, 2017

The perils of excessive moralism in foreign policy

The liberal moralistic approach to foreign affairs can be welcome, but there is also an obligation to find the causes of the seemingly immoral behavior of the other side.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 4, 2017

Israel throws a U.N. tantrum

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had only himself to blame for the U.S. decision to not veto a U.N. resolution criticising Israel's settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Jan 2, 2017

Nintendo teams up with Universal Studios

Universal Parks & Resorts and Nintendo are joining forces to add Nintendo-themed areas to Universal parks in Orlando, Los Angeles and Osaka, the companies announced on Nov. 29.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 31, 2016

Japan and the world enter a long night of 'post-truth'

In an essay titled "The Future of Mankind," British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) laid out three possibilities: "The end of human life," "a reversion to barbarism" or "unification of the world under a single government." He saw the third as the only alternative to either of the first two....
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 30, 2016

The top tech stories of 2016

The Japan Times newsroom selected these tech and digital stories as the most important of 2016.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Dec 29, 2016

Japan-U.S. ties under Trump

Japan's lack of strong connections with the Trump team could leave it at a loss as it faces the unpredictable new U.S. administration.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 29, 2016

In China, calls for end to aggressive child custody tactics

Dai Xiaolei last saw her son in 2014 when he was 17 months old and living with her Chinese in-laws outside Beijing.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Dec 26, 2016

UNESCO heritage list adds 33 festivals

Thirty-three traditional Japanese festivals have been added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2016

Yes, 2016 was bad — and 2017 could be worse

This has been a complicated year. Don't count on 2017 being any easier.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Dec 26, 2016

Japan's weak cyberdefense

Japan is ill-prepared for the cybersecurity challenges facing the nation.
JAPAN / History
Dec 26, 2016

Abe's Pearl Harbor visit will do little to dispel theories persisting over the 1941 attack

The die-hard conspiracy theories on Pearl Harbor will continue to stir interest on both sides of the Pacific regardless of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Dec 26, 2016

Aichi holds dubious distinction as nation's burglar capital

Aichi Prefecture is once again ranked at the top of a dubious category, but this time it isn't related to traffic fatalities.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Dec 25, 2016

Worrying times for job security in Japan

The year 2016 was no walk in the park for workers nationwide. At one extreme, we have Matsuri Takahashi, a 24-year-old worker who felt she had no other choice but to take her life as a result of overwork.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 24, 2016

Japan reconsiders and reinterprets the Pearl Harbor attack

In May, U.S. President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to make a historic visit to Hiroshima, the city that became the birthplace of the age of nuclear warfare. It should come as no surprise that Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, is scheduled to make a reciprocal gesture of reconciliation...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 21, 2016

Philippine government files criminal charges against Duterte critic for alleged involvement in drug trade

The Philippine government filed a criminal case in court on Wednesday against a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, accusing her of trying to sabotage a congressional investigation into her alleged involvement in the drug trade.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2016

Should South Korea be worried?

South Korea's domestic political turmoil is a bigger threat to its national security than U.S. foreign policy under a Trump presidency,
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Dec 19, 2016

Museum dedicated to Hokusai opens

A museum honoring Katsushika Hokusai, a ukiyo-e artist in the Edo Period, has opened in Tokyo's Sumida Ward.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Dec 19, 2016

Aichi volunteers carve wooden tribute to first Toyota Corolla

A group of volunteers in Aichi Prefecture has made a life-sized replica of the first-generation Toyota Corolla using thinned wood sourced from Toyota Motor Corp.'s namesake city.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Dec 18, 2016

Namie's high recovery hopes haunted by dwindling coffers, fears of losing vital state dole

A robot testing facility, a robotics research center, a base for renewable energy and a memorial park — these are some of the plans the irradiated town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, has in mind for rebuilding after the triple reactor meltdown at the nearby Fukushima No. 1 power plant in March 2011....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 17, 2016

Charity in Japan begins at home

Domestic nonprofit organizations face a number of obstacles in their attempts to make a difference in people's lives.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 15, 2016

'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' takes some cues from a galaxy not so far away

By the time you read this, the hype will have already begun. Dec. 16 marks the day "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" starts showing in cinemas around the world. Promotional campaigns began in Japan weeks ago.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2016

On heels of Trump affront, GM, Ford shares slide as China warns it may fine monopolistic U.S. carmaker

Shares of U.S. automakers General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co skidded on Wednesday after a Chinese official warned the government could slap a penalty on an unnamed U.S. automaker for monopolistic behavior.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Dec 14, 2016

Views from Kansai: What are your hopes and fears about the coming Trump presidency?

John Ashburne took to the streets of Osaka and Kyoto 
to find out what people expect from the Donald Trump administration in 
the U.S. See the online version of this article or the Japan Times YouTube channel for a video of these vox pops.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 14, 2016

The shape of Japan's foreign policy in the Trump era

It might seem promising that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama this month. But both events actually presage a potentially destabilizing time for Japan — and all of East Asia.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 12, 2016

A Machiavellian U.S. and Japan's Northern Territories

Shinzo Abe will likely be disappointed if he expects progress toward a resolution of Japan's territorial dispute with Russia will be made when he meets with Vladimir Putin this week.

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