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EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2015

Time for serious electoral reform

Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers from rural areas are already gearing up to fight much-needed electoral reform to reduce the vote disparity between rural and urban areas.
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Dec 28, 2015

'Allegiance' and what it meant

The road to immigration and assimilation in America has been at times tortuous, as shown by the U.S.' treatment of Japanese nationals and Japanese-Americans during World War II.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Dec 28, 2015

Cancer drugs: fact and fiction

Collusion between pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions to grab large chunks of medical spending is driving drug prices to stratospheric heights.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2015

China faces twin challenges to maintain growth

China needs to transition away from unsustainable investment-led growth and move toward a more sustainable consumption-led growth model.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Dec 28, 2015

Tokashiki helps Storm rout Sparks in WNBA opener

Ramu Tokashiki has officially begun her brand-new journey with the Storm as she made her WNBA regular-season debut in Seattle's 86-61 season-opening win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday at KeyArena.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2015

Governor and mayor push for Osaka to become Japan's vice capital

Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui and Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura took the first step Monday toward realizing their dream of making Osaka the nation's second — or vice — capital.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 28, 2015

Filipino protesters land on disputed island in South China Sea

A group of Filipino protesters has landed on a disputed Philippine-held island in the South China Sea, a local government official said on Sunday, in a risky expedition that may trigger a strong reaction from China.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2015

Seibu to debut dinner trains featuring local fare on its scenic Chichibu Line from spring

Seibu Railway Co. will debut a dining train service in spring 2016 that offers gourmet meals to passengers traveling the scenic Seibu Chichibu Line.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Dec 28, 2015

Pope pleas for Central America governments to resolve fate of stranded U.S.-bound Cubans

Pope Francis urged Central American governments on Sunday to find an urgent solution to help thousands of U.S.-bound Cuban migrants stranded on the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 28, 2015

Retaliation 'coming' against Zionists, Hezbollah leader warns Israel over militant's Syria airstrike death

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group said on Sunday that Israel miscalculated by killing prominent militant Samir Qantar in Syria last week, saying that retaliation for his death was inevitable, whatever the consequences.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Dec 28, 2015

Kin call on police, mayor to answer for fatal shootings of two black Chicagoans

The families of two black Chicagoans killed by police on Sunday accused officers of having used excessive force and Mayor Rahm Emanuel of having failed them, piling pressure on a city facing a U.S. federal probe over possible racial bias in policing.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 28, 2015

Banned-for-life Salvadoran national soccer player Alfredo Pacheco gunned down at gas station

Alfredo Pacheco, a soccer player who played for the Salvadoran national side before being banned from the sport for life for his involvement in match-fixing, was murdered on Sunday, the Salvadoran attorney general's office said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 28, 2015

Rebels in three Syrian Shiite towns set to evacuate to Turkey under U.N. deal

Besieged rebel fighters in a Syrian border town and families trapped in two Shiite towns in northern Syria are expected to be evacuated on Monday in the second stage of a rare, U.N.-backed deal between warring sides in Syria's war, sources close to negotiations said.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2015

Decade-high 36 aviation accidents, mishaps logged in '15: NHK

The number of aviation accidents and serious mishaps in Japan reached 36 this year, marking a record-high in the past decade, NHK reported Monday, citing data compiled by the Japan Transport Safety Board.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2015

China's planning addiction vs. a free market

As 2015 closes, China's leaders find themselves at a crossroads: They must decide whether to continue trying to control the economy or build a genuinely market-oriented system.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2015

U.N. improves its leadership selection process

The selection of the new secretary-general is arguably one of the most important decisions that the international community will make for the next 10 years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 27, 2015

Does the future of Japanese music depend on streaming services?

When music consultant Mikiro Enomoto asked a class of Kyoto Seika University students how they listened to new music last year, he reckons 80 percent of them mentioned YouTube or YouTube-linked sites. When he asked the same question to this year's class, almost all of them said they don't bother looking...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 27, 2015

Chinese province will probe all waste sites after landslide disaster

China's southern province of Guangdong, one of the country's biggest industrial bases, will check all construction waste sites in the wake of a deadly landslide to ensure none are in dangerous locations or poorly managed, state media said on Sunday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Dec 26, 2015

Catching the last of the season’s leaves at Shiba Daimon

When I exit the Oedo Subway Line's Daimon Station, I find myself inside an ebullient throng of Chinese tourists headed in the direction of the prominent Jodo-shu (Pure Land Sect) Buddhist Zojoji Temple. The temple's oldest structure, the elegant 1622 red-lacquered Sangedatsumon gate, is a National Important...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 26, 2015

Flipping back through the good reads of 2015

Before we turn the page on the year, here's a selection of our reviewers' favorite books.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Dec 26, 2015

Akira Kurosawa: Something Like An Autobiography

We sometimes forget that the great film director, Akira Kurosawa, was also an accomplished scriptwriter. In this, his wonderfully digressive autobiography, he rightly eschews the trivia of opening nights or the demands of leading ladies, to focus on the art of filmmaking, the role of director, the use...
Reader Mail
Dec 26, 2015

In the end, refugee photo doesn't lie

The caption below the photo accompanying the Dec. 4 article "In unexpected twist, Assad ally may become Lebanon's next president," reads, "A Syrian refugee stands behind a door at a makeshift settlement. . . ."
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2015

Tourism surge puts shine on biz hotels, hostels

With the drastic increase in tourism, the lack of lodging in the nation's biggest cities, particularly Tokyo and Osaka, is providing a major opportunity for those running two types of accommodations: "business hotels" and hostels.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 25, 2015

South Korea 'comfort women' dispute edges closer to settlement as Kishida agrees to talks with Seoul

Tokyo's estrangement from Seoul seems closer to resolution as Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida announces upcoming talks.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 25, 2015

Why are Japanese children the healthiest in the world?

In a country where food culture permeates all aspects of life and society, it is perhaps unsurprising that Japan leads the "World Health Olympics," in the words of Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle. In their book, "Secrets of the World's Healthiest Children," the pair proselytize for the traditional diet...
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 25, 2015

Japanese woman held in China since June arrested last month

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday a third Japanese citizen has been arrested in China, on the heels of the arrests of two others earlier this year.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 25, 2015

Indonesia to step up hunt for IS militant Santoso

Indonesian forces are mobilizing for a manhunt in steamy jungles on the far-flung island of Sulawesi to flush the country's most-wanted man from his hideout and deal a pre-emptive blow to the Islamic State group. The real threat could be much closer to home.

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