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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 6, 2019

Reform the labor practices peculiar to Japan

Many of the labor practices prevalent in Japan are quite extraordinary in light of global standards.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Mar 6, 2019

Robot rights: From Asimov to Tezuka

Asimov's 'Three Laws of Robotics' are fictional rules, so why do we keep looking to them for guidance? The closest thing to real-world robot law we could have more seems likely to develop around the question of when autonomous military drones can make 'kill' decisions without human intervention.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Mar 5, 2019

Rising choreographer Benoit Richaud says Kaori Sakamoto in good form ahead of worlds

Following a disappointing fourth-place finish at last month's Four Continents Championships in California, Japan champion Kaori Sakamoto didn't dwell on her result, but rather went right back to work to prepare for this month's world championships in Saitama.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Mar 4, 2019

Few foreign residents aware of public nursing care plan but more expected to tap it as Japan grays

The number of foreign people living and retiring in Japan is expected to increase following the overhaul of the nation's immigration control law in April, which will introduce new types of working visas.
EDITORIALS
Mar 2, 2019

Revamping the law school system

The government is reviewing the education system for the legal profession. It needs to do a better job this time around then it did a couple of decades ago.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 25, 2019

After strong 'no' vote, Okinawans look to highlight case against Henoko base plan in Tokyo and Washington

“Now that the clear opposition of the Okinawa people has been conveyed, it's up to individuals in the rest of Japan to consider our wishes,” an activist says.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 25, 2019

Observers report dozens killed in Nigeria election violence

As many as 39 people were killed in election violence so far in Nigeria, civil society groups said on Sunday, as the country awaits the results of voting in what is forecast to be its tightest election since the end of military rule in 1999.
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Feb 23, 2019

Defining the Heisei Era: Women in Japan speak out on inequality

Last April, a female reporter from TV Asahi accused Junichi Fukuda, the top bureaucrat at the Finance Ministry, of sexual harassment.
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
Feb 22, 2019

Crown Princess Masako: A symbol of Japanese women's struggles in a male-dominated society

When Rika Kayama attended a violin concert at a Tokyo music hall in February last year, she was stunned to find a certain famous face in the crowd.
Special Supplements / The Emperor’s 30-year Anniversary
Feb 22, 2019

Exercising goodwill in symbolic role

Emperor Akihito marked the 30th year of his reign on Jan. 7, and the government will be holding a ceremony on Sunday to celebrate this milestone. On April 30, after three decades on the throne, the Emperor will be the first living Japanese monarch in about 200 years to step down.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Feb 19, 2019

North Korea's 'socialist utopia' needs mass labor, but growing market economy threatens model

In January, thousands of North Korean students traveled to Mount Paektu, a sacred site where the ruling family claims its roots and where leader Kim Jong Un is building a massive economic hub in the alpine town of Samjiyon.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2019

Bilingual contract recruitment in Japan

In today's candidate-short market, skilled bilingual professionals are in great demand. RGF Professional Recruitment Japan is a bilingual recruitment arm of Recruit Group, the biggest in Japan and Asia, and the world's fourth-largest recruiting and information service company, fulfilling global staffing...
JAPAN / History / Heisei Icons
Feb 14, 2019

Sadako Ogata: Waging peace on war

A 1993 photograph of a diminutive, sexagenarian woman surveying the front lines of conflict has left an indelible mark on the international community as a true example of commitment to humanitarian aid.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Feb 14, 2019

Data ownership after death is 'a complete legal mess'

From photos to personal posts and private messages, social media users leave a long digital trail behind them. Who owns that data when they die?
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 13, 2019

Wrestlers put aside differences to promote U.S. sumo

Kelly Gneiting is a religious fundamentalist.
EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2019

Get to bottom of flawed apartment construction

Both the company and the authorities need to determine why such a large-scale faulty construction was allowed to happen and take steps to ensure such problems aren't repeated in the future.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 13, 2019

LGBT couples to file lawsuit on Valentine's Day in push for equal marriage rights in Japan

Last fall, Ai Nakajima, 40, tied the knot in Germany with her long-time partner, Kristina Baumann, a 32-year-old from Berlin. But in Japan, where they live, Nakajima and Baumann share the fate of all same-sex couples in committed relationships — the denial of the right to formally marry their partners....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Chugoku
Feb 12, 2019

Japan's temples turn to social media, video streaming and apps to lure visitors

Temples across the country, including in the Chugoku region, are increasingly turning to mobile apps, videos and social media to entice visitors.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Feb 12, 2019

More in Japan see U.S. as 'major threat,' while cyberattacks and climate change top concerns, survey shows

The surprising shift in perceptions of the U.S. under Trump was “the largest change in sentiment among the global threats tracked.”
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 12, 2019

Fear of filing? Instead of refunds, U.S. taxpayers finding they may owe IRS

Adam Oleson has enjoyed a tax refund every year for the past couple of decades. He normally counts on it to make an extra house payment, reduce student-loan debts or pay down the credit cards.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 8, 2019

Setsubun: Killing two birds with one bean

Changing food consumption patterns takes time, and weighing the significance of Setsubun can trigger the first step forward.
CULTURE / Music
Feb 8, 2019

Rapper Chanmina is blurring the lines of genre and nationality

Everyone has moments where they have to choose between two paths that will lead to drastically different lives. For Mina Otomonai, it came during her second year of high school when she strongly considered moving to South Korea to pursue a career in music. Her friends convinced her to stay in Japan....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Feb 6, 2019

The Supreme Court hews to the letter of the law on gender identity while laying the groundwork for future challenges

At no point have I ever had to grapple with the decision to have my genitals surgically removed. Perhaps the same is true for you. While these may seem an odd set of affirmations to open with, they help illustrate a basic truth: How we think about a law can vary greatly depending upon whether or not...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 6, 2019

With the G20 facing numerous challenges, do the summit's engagement groups have the answers?

In the run-up to the Group of Twenty Leaders’ Summit in Osaka in late June, several related meetings of what are known as engagement groups are scheduled to take place in Tokyo and around the country. One of the more influential engagement groups is T20, or Think 20, whose members include influential...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 4, 2019

Breaking the spell of aging

Extending the working lives of the elderly by offering better employment conditions is a top priority for Japan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 2, 2019

Stop hating on the weather forecast

It's actually pretty accurate now, even further in advance. The Midwest had plenty of warning this cold front was coming.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 1, 2019

Addressing Japan's demographic problems

Japan should explore every conceivable policy measure to create a society that has the most favorable conditions in the world for giving birth and raising children.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight