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CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 24, 2016

SMAP set to skip year-end 'Kohaku'

NHK announced the lineup Thursday for the 67th edition of its annual "Kohaku" year-end music contest, but the country's top boy band SMAP was not on the list.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2016

Enhancing the youth readership experience

To gather voices from young readers, The Japan Times asked a group of students at International School of Asia, Karuizawa, what they thought of The Japan Times. The following opinions were expressed during a feedback session with the students at their school.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2016

BRICS falls under China's sway

Just as China dominates the other new institutions of which it is a founding member — from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank — it is using BRICS to assertively push its own interests.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 22, 2016

What price will Japan pay for getting islands back?

The rapprochement between Japan and Russia risks being the trigger to reverse the pursuit of a closer alliance between Japan and the U.S.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 22, 2016

Thai internet laws raise questions about privacy protection

Thailand's military government, which has cracked down on online dissent since seizing power in 2014, is pushing ahead with cybersecurity bills that rights groups say could mean more extensive online monitoring, raising concerns over privacy protection.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2016

Appointments will determine Trump's legacy

If President-Elect Donald Trump wants to transform policy, especially involving international affairs, he must not appoint those determined to uphold today's interventionist status quo.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Nov 21, 2016

Pikotaro's 'PPAP' sets Guinness World Record

Comedian Pikotaro's music video 'Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen' has been recognized as the shortest song ever to make the U.S. Billboard Top 100 singles chart.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Nov 20, 2016

When it comes to qualifying for paid leave in Japan, continuous employment matters most

A reader writes to Lifelines with yet another question about a perennial topic of concern, paid leave.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 20, 2016

Did U.S. academia help elect Donald Trump?

U.S. institutions of supposedly higher education are awash with hysteria, authoritarianism, obscurantism, philistinism and charlatanry.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 20, 2016

Easy punditry, hard problems

The experience of the Bush years suggests that the institutions of U.S. democracy are not necessarily strong enough to prevent dangerous and reckless decisions being made. This does not bode well for a Trump presidency.
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Nov 20, 2016

Fukushima mounts winter tourism offensive to draw foreign tourists to its snowy charms

A project will kick off in Fukushima Prefecture this winter to lure more foreign tourists to its snowy hills and mountains to help revitalize depopulated regions.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 19, 2016

Is Japanese pop music losing its relevance?

Shukan Bunshun recently ran some articles describing how last year the talent management company LDH allegedly paid entertainment behemoth Burning Productions to ensure that one of LDH's acts would win the top prize at the 2015 Japan Record Awards (JRA). Accompanying one of the articles was a photo of...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Nov 19, 2016

Can Asia survive the shock of Trump-ageddon?

Donald Trump made some outlandish promises to win the U.S. presidential election. America and the world will survive, but he poses significant risks to the global economy and the peace that has prevailed in East Asia since 1979. His denial of global warming also means America will provide no leadership...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 18, 2016

Trump will have to overcome the U.S. foreign policy 'Blob'

Believe it or not, Donald Trump actually has some good ideas on trade blocs, the economy and foreign policy.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 17, 2016

Half of Japan's firms are rethinking work hours with a view to paring overtime: poll

Just over half of Japanese firms are reviewing rules on working hours with many looking to cut down on overtime, a Reuters poll shows, in a sign that the government has gained traction in its campaign for more employee-friendly labor practices.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / OBITUARY
Nov 16, 2016

Stefan Lippert: remembering an educator in search of excellence

Stefan Lippert, a luminary from our community of Japan thought leaders, died recently at the age of 47.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2016

Blame British Empire for U.S. Electoral College

The accident of British colonial charters gave rise to America's electoral college system — and the great difficulty of amending it.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Nov 15, 2016

Otani's extraordinary skills gain wider exposure during games against Mexico, Netherlands

The only reason Shohei Otani won't be Japan's breakout star at the 2017 World Baseball Classic is because everybody is already talking about the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters star.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 15, 2016

U.S. and Asia: delicate balance, perilous pivot

What can East Asia expect from the Trump presidency?
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 15, 2016

Abe's Cabinet approves more muscular SDF peacekeeping role

For the first time since World War II, Japanese troops under certain circumstances will be allowed to use deadly force beyond self-defense.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Nov 14, 2016

Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize in literature

U.S. music legend Bob Dylan is the first songwriter to win the Nobel Prize in literature in the award's 115-year history.
EDITORIALS
Nov 14, 2016

Hong Kong's autonomy eroded

Beijing's promise to uphold the 'one country, two systems' formula that was designed to protect Hong Kong's distinct features — in particular its political system — looks increasingly empty.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2016

Trump looking at fast ways to quit global climate deal: source

President-elect Donald Trump is seeking quick ways to withdraw the United States from a global accord to combat climate change, a source on his transition team said, defying broad international backing for the plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 12, 2016

Remembering the forgotten woman of Japanese modernism

Chika Sagawa is an anomaly in the history of Japanese poetry. Born in Hokkaido as Aiko Kawasaki in 1911, she became one of Japan's first modernist poets, refusing to use the traditional poetic forms of tanka and haiku. The nation was changing in the early 20th century — Westernizing, nationalizing,...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 10, 2016

President Trump: Japanese-Americans, Japanese in U.S. weigh in

People of Japanese ancestry speak up about their impressions of President-elect Donald Trump.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 10, 2016

Americans in Japan largely dismayed by Trump win

Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential campaign astonished many Americans in Japan, with some fearing it could derail the long-standing bilateral alliance and others worried whether the divided nation can overcome its differences, according to a survey by The Japan Times.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Nov 10, 2016

BuzzFeed Japan: Getting it right in the echo chamber of online news

In a world where users have access to torrents of online information, BuzzFeed Japan sees vetting and correcting stories published by other media as one of its major reasons for being.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 9, 2016

Trump and his policy in Asia remain an unknown for Japan

Trump represents uncharted waters, a situation that could undermine the Japan-U.S. alliance and upend security in Asia.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 9, 2016

What to expect from the Trump administration

Decision-makers in Tokyo and the rest of Asia must determine how to deal pragmatically with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.

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