Search - article

 
 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 28, 2015

China's Japan-bashing: Is there any hope for goodwill?

As China regularly whips itself up into frenzy over Japan, it is easy to forget that the anti-Japanese sentiment is only a recent phenomenon.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2015

Emissions bombshell stretches far beyond VW

The revelation that Volkswagen cheated for years on emissions tests raises a mammoth question: Who else did the same?
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Sep 28, 2015

Aichi city backs regenerative medicine to revive local businesses

The Gamagori Municipal Government in Aichi Prefecture and local businesses have joined hands to promote regenerative medicine in the city, hoping to turn it into a center for the emerging medical genre.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 26, 2015

Ashes to diamonds and the cost of death

'Where do we go when we die?"
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 26, 2015

Working the politics of an idol marriage

Last week the media obsessed over that story about the 17-year-old girl who was sued by a talent agency for violating the terms of her contract, which stipulated that while she worked for them as a member of an idol singing group she could not be involved in any romantic relationships.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 26, 2015

Inevitable looming consumption tax hike keeps the LDP awake at night

The LDP is in a tough spot between an public wary of consumption tax hikes and a Finance Ministry unwilling to budge on the promised move to a 10-percent levy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 25, 2015

The Japanese people must face up to new realities

It is time for Japan to reconsider the old question of national identity, Nihonjinron, and to broaden the Japanese umbrella to cover those who are not racially or ethnically Japanese.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Sep 24, 2015

JR Group's vaunted safety reputation is falling apart

Confidence in Japan Rail is rapidly collapsing as serious accidents and other troubles have been occurring in rapid succession.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 23, 2015

Neither here nor there: the families torn between Nigeria and Japan

Caught between instability in Nigeria and isolation in Japan, African immigrants fear the loss of their children's love.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 23, 2015

Xi seeks to reassure U.S. on trade, security

Chinese President Xi Jinping, facing a skeptical audience on Tuesday, the first day of a weeklong U.S. visit, sought to reassure business and government officials over a long list of irritants, from economic reform to cyberattacks, human rights and commercial theft.
WORLD
Sep 23, 2015

Syrian rebels say Russian involvement will escalate and prolong war

Rebels who have inflicted big losses on Syrian President Bashar Assad say Russia's intervention in support of its ally will only lead to an escalation of the war and may encourage their Persian Gulf Arab backers to pour in more military aid.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 22, 2015

Chinese military: Beijing may find troop cut quest an 'assault on fortified positions'

Bitterness is growing within China's armed forces to President Xi Jinping's decision to cut troop numbers by 300,000 and considerable effort will be needed to overcome opposition to the order, according to a source and commentaries in the military's newspaper.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Sep 21, 2015

Fast Retailing to introduce four-day workweek

Fast Retailing Co. will introduce a new system to allow employees at its Uniqlo casual clothing stores to take three days off a week.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Sep 21, 2015

Medical services in Tokyo area in danger of collapsing

Key players in Kanto-area medical services are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet — and the higher consumption tax is the prime culprit.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Sep 21, 2015

Group compiles, posts song lyrics in Braille online to facilitate karaoke for the visually impaired

Nagoya Braille Network, a support group for people with visual impairments, has started posting lyrics written in Braille online for people who cannot read with their eyes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Sep 20, 2015

Radioactive rain releases can't be curbed due to lack of laws: NRA

Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s stricken Fukushima No. 1 power plant has released rainwater tainted with radioactive substances into the Pacific Ocean at least seven times since April.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 19, 2015

Money matters when it comes to security

Media coverage of the Liberal Democratic Party's plans to bolster Japan's military position in the world has largely focused on the constitutionality of the two bills that allow the Self-Defense Forces to come to the aid of allies overseas. Those who oppose these bills have used this constitutional question...
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 19, 2015

Japan's defense shift is hailed, but weaknesses will remain: experts

Passage of security bills satisfies the U.S. desire for Japan to be more of a regional military player, will strengthen defense cooperation with other countries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 19, 2015

Publishing in an age of pervasive design: An interview with IDEA magazine's Kiyonori Muroga

In Japan, design is not what it seems. In colloquial Japanese, the loanword "dezain" (design) is used regularly in lieu of the two indigenous terms for the design process: "koan" (design conceptualization) and "zuan" (design actualization).
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 18, 2015

Upcoming session will decide the U.N.'s future

The 70th commemorative session of the General Assembly, which begins next week, should be an occasion for providing much-needed hope that the world organization can remain relevant in the coming decades.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2015

Opposition parties' delaying tactics throw Diet into chaos

In an Upper House meeting rife with heckling and wrestling, two disputed security bills are bulldozed through committee, paving the way for enactment by the ruling bloc.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 16, 2015

China won't win friends by flexing its muscles

While China has trumpeted its desire for peace, its Sept. 3 display of military prowess is bound to spur concerns in other capitals.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 16, 2015

A crisis of shame engulfing Eastern Europe

Only when Eastern Europe comes to terms with its murderous past will its people be able to recognize their obligations to save those fleeing in the face of evil.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 16, 2015

Japan's defense reform tarnished by low public support, unconvincing sales pitch

The ruling bloc's effort to pass a pair of controversial security bills has failed in an important respect: to win public support.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 16, 2015

No friend of America, U.K.'s Corbyn faces test over Syria airstrikes

No fan of Britain's "special relationship" with the United States, the new left-wing leader of the country's main opposition party is against Prime Minister David Cameron's drive to join Washington's airstrikes on Syria.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 15, 2015

An Obama visit to Hiroshima would send the right message

A visit to Hiroshima by U.S. President Barack Obama could serve as a step toward realizing his vision of 'a world without nuclear weapons.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 15, 2015

When it comes to art, individuality rises above nationality

In the context of the current debate over Article 9 of Japan's Constitution, the "Artist File 2015" show of up-and-coming contemporary artists at The National Art Center, Tokyo, is tantamount to a declaration of peace. The remit of this annual event is to showcase "some of the freshest and most substantial...

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