Search - news

 
 
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 20, 2017

Alibaba dives into mass marketing with reported $800 million Olympic sponsorship deal

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s deal to sponsor the Olympic Games through 2028 is said to be worth $800 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 19, 2017

Abe to pursue contentious law against criminal conspiracies from outset of Diet session

As this year's ordinary Diet session kicks off Friday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to make waves yet again. His newest goal is to make conspiracies to commit crimes a punishable offense.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2017

Russian foreign minister claims Obama tried to stop Japan from improving ties with Moscow

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama tried to prevent Japan from improving ties with Russia and hosting a visit by President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed Tuesday during his annual news conference.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Jan 15, 2017

Japan gropes for cyberattack solution as victims suffer in silence

Last November, chilling news made headlines nationwide — the internal communications network of the Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Forces had been hacked in September, possibly by another nation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Jan 14, 2017

Kansai sizes up ways to work with a Trump administration

In 3½ weeks, Kansai's business leaders will gather in Kyoto for their annual summit. Some of the world's most recognizable firms will send their top executives to the two-day retreat. There, they will rub shoulders with local politicians, academics, and "business consultant" types who, like fortune...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2017

Takata to plead guilty, pay $1 billion U.S. penalty over air bag defects

Takata Corp. on Friday agreed to plead guilty to criminal wrongdoing and to pay $1 billion to resolve a U.S. Justice Department investigation into ruptures of its air bag inflators linked to at least 16 deaths worldwide.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 13, 2017

China, Russia take aim at U.S. anti-missile system planned for deployment in South Korea

China and Russia have agreed to take unspecified "countermeasures" in response to the planned U.S. deployment of an anti-missile system to South Korea — a move that came as Defense Minister Tomomi Inada inspected a version of the system on the U.S. territory of Guam on Friday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2017

Trump's crazed transition is making history

Judging by his post-election transition — which has been, hands down, the strangest in U.S. history — all we really know about how Donald Trump will govern is that we must expect the unexpected.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 12, 2017

After Trump remark, Suga calls Japanese firms in U.S. 'good corporate citizens'

Accumulated direct investment by Japanese firms has totaled $411 billion, and about 840,000 people have been employed, the top government spokesman said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jan 10, 2017

From Iceland to Maldives, Chinese seek 'lung-cleansing' trips

Toxic haze that settled over much of China during the last three weeks has triggered a flight reflex among residents, leading to the rising popularity of smog avoidance travel packages to far-flung locations such as Iceland and Antarctica.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 6, 2017

PGA announces new streaming deal with Twitter

You can follow golfers Tiger Woods, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy on their Twitter accounts. Now you can watch them play there, too.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 6, 2017

U.S. sees 'qualitative' improvement in North Korea's nuclear, missile capabilities

The United States said on Thursday North Korea had demonstrated a "qualitative" improvement in its nuclear and missile capabilities after an unprecedented level of tests last year, showing the needed to sustain pressure on Pyongyang to bring it back to disarmament negotiations.
WORLD
Jan 4, 2017

Turkey says identity of Istanbul attacker established, manhunt continues

Turkey has established the identity of the gunman who killed 39 people in an attack on an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day, its foreign minister said, and further arrests were made on Wednesday, but the attacker himself remains at large.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Jan 3, 2017

Release and renewal: Ando's life full of joy, challenges

Freed from the constraints of competition, retired athletes often change directions. Some go into business, a few into TV, others into coaching or various endeavors.
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....
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 29, 2016

Five dead in attack in China's Xinjiang

Attackers drove a car into a government building in China's unruly far western region of Xinjiang on Wednesday and set off an explosive device, killing one person, the regional government said. All four of the attackers were shot dead.
WORLD
Dec 27, 2016

Russia finds first black box from crashed jet in Black Sea

Russia has found the first flight recorder from a military plane that crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 92 on board, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, amid unconfirmed reports that authorities had grounded all aircraft of the same type.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2016

This year saw a bull market in skinny dipping

It's time to look back at a year when so many smart people were caught doing stupid things.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 25, 2016

Will Trump's foreign policy push Japan to go nuclear?

Japan is dancing with the devil in thinking of an arms race or the nuclear option to make up for lack of Donald Trump's support.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 24, 2016

A realistic view of Japan's island dispute

In the past month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has snuggled up to two of the world's most distrusted national leaders in an attempt to prove his diplomatic mettle and boost support rates ahead of a rumored snap election next year. Abe was the first country head to gain an audience with President-elect...
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 23, 2016

After passing written exam, health check, Santa gets pilot's license renewed in the nick of time

Santa Claus has successfully renewed his commercial pilot's license, passing a written exam as well as a health check — despite high sugar levels — and is good to fly for Christmas, Canada's transportation department said Thursday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Dec 22, 2016

Tanaka, Iwakuma the dream ticket for Japan's WBC roster

Samurai Japan added the first major league player to its roster for the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday, when Houston Astros outfielder Norichika Aoki signed up for his third WBC.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Dec 22, 2016

China launches carbon-tracking satellite into space: Xinhua

China launched a satellite to monitor its greenhouse gas emissions early on Thursday, the latest step in efforts to cut its carbon footprint, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 21, 2016

Finding courage and hope in 2016

The Year of the Monkey is drawing to a close. Despite the events in the real world, this year at least brought us some soulful films. Perhaps the filmmakers wanted to prepare us for the impending yuckiness of future reality. Still, my picks for the best films of the year intriguingly combined sweetness...

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan