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Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Nov 15, 2020

Japanese fashion tackles the issues of the moment

From practical masks and saving sento culture to provocative commentary on gender, brands and designers find their moment.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 13, 2020

How one firm drove influence campaigns for big oil across the U.S.

In early 2017 the Texans for Natural Gas website went live, urging voters to "thank a roughneck” and support fracking. Around the same time, the Arctic Energy Center ramped up its advocacy for drilling in Alaskan waters and in a vast Arctic wildlife refuge. The next year, the Main Street Investors...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2020

How to think about a contested U.S. election

The surge in mail-in and early voting amid the pandemic meant that the chances of knowing whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden won sometime Tuesday night was very low.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2020

Terror attacks in France demand statesmanship, not demagoguery

What leaders say at moments like these matters. And all the more so now because too many leaders have recently been unable or unwilling to say the right things.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 27, 2020

China shocked to discover the developed world views it in a negative light

China risks losing the trade and investment that it needs from the developed world. To be seen as a “responsible major country,” it must behave accordingly.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2020

Jacinda Ardern landslide is a vote for COVID-19 competence

Shutting down New Zealand's economy at a time when there'd been just 102 cases was a political gamble, but one that's paid off.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 14, 2020

Will Donald Trump cause a civil war?

A critical part of Trump's effort to undermine confidence in the election outcome, if it goes against him, is his attempt to discredit millions of ballots preemptively.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 11, 2020

Trump seeks to put COVID-19 behind him and get back to election campaign

The U.S. president, trailing his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in opinion polls, addressed supporters from a White House balcony on Saturday afternoon.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2020

French billionaires seize pandemic opportunities

France is the land of what writer Pascal Bruckner calls 'Bolshevism-lite,” where wealth is publicly hated but privately hoarded.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2020

Japan records most negative view of China as unfavorable opinions surge, survey finds

The jump in negative views of China comes amid widespread criticism over Beijing's global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Top Global Universities in Japan
Oct 5, 2020

Expectations toward universities and global talent

The business world has high expectations for globalizing universities to better prepare students to contribute and lead as global talent. We asked David Macdonald, representative officer and president of Discovery Japan, about his expectations and hopes for universities in the global era.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 30, 2020

If we can’t ban nukes, let’s stigmatize them

Since the end of the Cold War, most people have become much less afraid of nuclear war, when instead they should worry more.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 24, 2020

A new justice wouldn't guarantee a pro-Trump election verdict

For liberal court watchers, the situation is dire. But it is not yet time to write off the Supreme Court.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2020

Sedition laws are the last resort of weak governments

It's highly unlikely anyone will be prosecuted for sedition by the DOJ, but the harm to the independence of the U.S. criminal justice system has already been done.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 14, 2020

Johnson sends Brexit proposals to Parliament as rebellion grows

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will send his Brexit law-breaking proposals to Parliament this week, facing a growing rebellion from his MPs and further criticism from former premiers and European Union leaders.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 9, 2020

What to watch for in the LDP leadership race

With Yoshihide Suga's assured victory, we now have a clearer outlook of Japan's political landscape for the next twelve months.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2020

A bubble scarier than big tech is brewing in China

Much as Beijing has advocated investing in young hard-tech stocks, professionals are still apprehensive.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2020

Should freedom of assembly be an absolute right?

During the coronavirus pandemic, sizeable demonstrations have taken place in Belarus, Germany and the United States.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 4, 2020

Joe Biden's Wisconsin visit stands in stark contrast to Trump's

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden put himself squarely in the middle of U.S. tumult over racial injustice and police brutality on Thursday, visiting strife-torn Kenosha, Wisconsin, and speaking by phone with the Black man shot there by police
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2020

Former Japan defense chief Shigeru Ishiba to run in LDP leadership race, report says

In an interview, Ishiba said Tokyo should deepen ties with its Asian neighbors, including South Korea, amid growing tension between China and the United States.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Aug 26, 2020

Melania Trump offers sympathy on coronavirus and racial suffering in speech

U.S. first lady Melania Trump offered sympathy for victims of the coronavirus pandemic and a plea for racial understanding in a Republican convention speech Tuesday aimed directly at the women voters who have abandoned U.S. President Donald Trump.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2020

Keeping the United Kingdom united

As the U.K. fights its way out of the COVID-19 lockdown, and at the same time stumbles toward the its exit from the EU, a new preoccupation takes hold.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 12, 2020

Rich royals face a millennial COVID-19 reckoning

Former King Juan Carlos's self-exile from Spain is a warning to monarchs everywhere as the virus ramps up social tensions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 11, 2020

Chinese influence operations struggle for traction in Japan

There is little evidence that China has tried to impact debate in Japan as it has done in other countries.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 9, 2020

’History on trial’: Why Japan's wartime labor dispute is more than another tit-for-tat with South Korea

Japan has once again found itself entangled in a recurring skirmish with South Korea over wartime labor — a seemingly intractable row with no end in sight.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 8, 2020

Ayako Zenitani: Dental treatment today is much less painful

Dentist Ayako Zenitani has a few tips for those who are worried about getting their teeth checked.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 1, 2020

A COVID-19 vaccine won’t help if people don’t trust it

As the battle to find a solution continues, planning ahead for convincing the public to get on board becomes crucial.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 30, 2020

Misreading the Chinese tea leaves: A dangerous escalation

Building a U.S. strategy on false premises and no overarching goals is hugely problematic.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 25, 2020

Tokyo’s gubernatorial election results align with recent history

Residents of Japan's capital frequently votes to return the incumbent — though typically for different reasons.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami