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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 19, 2016

Omake Club helps Zombie-Chang escape down her own artistic rabbit hole

Midway through our conversation at a dimly lit Shibuya cafe, Meirin Yung offers to break down any song on her recently released album under the name Zombie-Chang. I choose the slacker-inspired "Semete Kanashii Tokiniwa" (loosely translated as "At Least in Sad Times") that served as the advance preview...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 19, 2016

Beat Takeshi uncovers greatness; using beef for bribery; CM of the week: Daiwa House

The Japanese word "idenshi" means "gene," but a homonym that changes the last Chinese character in the compound to "history" alters the meaning slightly. Both are manifest in the title of the special "Seiko no Idenshi" ("History of Successful Inheritance"; Nippon TV, Mon., 7:56 p.m.), hosted by comedian...
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 19, 2016

Mazda, MMC expand Takata-linked recalls by 2 million vehicles

Mazda Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. added more than 2 million vehicles to worldwide recalls linked to Takata Corp. air bags in response to the latest confirmed death caused by rupturing safety devices.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE UNRELIABLE FOOD CRITIC
Feb 19, 2016

A new ceremony for tea in the rundown heart of Osaka

In Japan — especially in Japan — food and drink have always been about more than merely nutrition or a mere succession of tastes. They have also been a pretext for bringing people together in social rituals that don't have to be ancient, formal or solemn: rituals focused on food and drink can also...
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 19, 2016

Abe eschews further delays, vows to cut 10 Lower House seats in line with census

The prime minister pledges to slash 10 seats in the Diet's House of Representatives sooner than his LDP party has proposed.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 19, 2016

U.S. should stop lecturing China about North Korea

China has demonstrated it has yet to be convinced to destroy its own ally and strengthen America's position in Northeast Asia.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 19, 2016

Apple-FBI legal battle isn't about encryption

Apple is standing up for iPhone users' privacy rights now, but there's no guarantee its stance won't change in the future.
Reader Mail
Feb 19, 2016

NHK anchor a victim of the right-wing state

Regarding Jeff Kingston's Counterpoint column "Anchor's ouster is another blow to quality news" in the Jan. 24 edition, you don't have to be very smart to realize that the conservative right-wing state of Japan is following its pre-World War II modus operandi.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 19, 2016

Asian countries eye stronger maritime surveillance capabilities

The market for spy planes and surveillance platforms is buoyant in Southeast Asia, where countries are facing off against China — and each other — in the resource-rich South China Sea, industry insiders at the Singapore Airshow said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 19, 2016

Monitor claims U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria killed 38 civilians over two days

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said on Thursday that at least 38 civilians were killed in airstrikes carried out by a U.S.-led coalition in Hasaka province in northeast Syria in the past two days.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 18, 2016

Chef Rodolfo Guzman rediscovers his roots

On a cloudless afternoon a little over a year ago, chef Rodolfo Guzman contemplated a plant he had discovered while wandering up to the Salar de Tara salt flats, which lie 4,860 meters above sea level, in the middle of northern Chile's Atacama Desert.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 18, 2016

Neanderthal DNA reveals Homo sapiens mated out of Africa way earlier than thought

Research showing that our species interbred with Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago is providing intriguing evidence that Homo sapiens ventured out of Africa much earlier than previously thought, although the foray appears to have fizzled.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 18, 2016

'Highly dangerous' radioactive material stolen in '15 in Iraq has arms potential

Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material stolen last year, according to an environment ministry document and seven security, environmental and provincial officials who fear it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2016

Japan's first Miss International, Ikumi Yoshimatsu, settles stalking lawsuit

Ikumi Yoshimatsu, who in 2012 became the first Japanese beauty queen to win the Miss International contest, has reached a settlement with a major talent agency executive she had sued for harassment and stalking.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 17, 2016

Refugees, jihad and the specter of terrorism

The Mediterranean holds the key to Europe's security, yet little attention is being paid to shoring up the continent's southern flank.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 17, 2016

'The Wrecking Crew' played the American soundtrack to the 1960s

The 2002 film "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" is a documentary about The Funk Brothers, an anonymous band of studio session musicians that defined the sound of classic 1960s soul music. Now we have "The Wrecking Crew," a documentary about the West Coast equivalent, who played on just about every...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 17, 2016

Third Japanese municipality recognizes same-sex unions

The city of Iga, Mie Prefecture, has announced it will start issuing certificates recognizing same-sex partnerships starting in April, Japan's third municipal government and the first outside Tokyo to take such a step.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 17, 2016

Viral anonymous blogger rails against Abe failure to alleviate chronic day care shortage

An anonymous blog post penned by an irate mother complaining that she has to quit her job after her child was denied admission to a day care center has gone viral on the Internet, shedding light on what she called the hypocrisy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's drive to promote the "dynamic engagement"...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 17, 2016

Canadian behind Rodman trips to bring hockey to North Korea

The Canadian man who once helped bring basketball hall-of-famer Dennis Rodman to North Korea is now eyeing another project: a hockey tournament that could see former NHL players visit the secluded nation.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2016

Apple ordered to aid FBI in unlocking California shooter's phone

A U.S. judge on Tuesday ordered Apple Inc to help the FBI break into a phone belonging to one of the shooters in the December attack in San Bernardino, California, the latest episode in a long-running dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over encryption.

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