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WORLD
Feb 17, 2015

Russian researchers expose breakthrough U.S. spying program

The U.S. National Security Agency has figured out how to hide spying software deep within hard drives made by Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba and other top manufacturers, giving the agency the means to eavesdrop on the majority of the world's computers, according to cyber researchers and former operatives....
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 17, 2015

Liberia reopens dozens of schools as Ebola wanes

Thousands of Liberian children in pristine uniforms flocked back to school on Monday as classrooms opened their doors for the first time after a six-month hiatus designed to stem the spread of the worst Ebola outbreak in history.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 16, 2015

Who benefits from the new overtime pay system?

On Feb. 13, a Labor Policy Council sub-committee submitted to the labor ministry a report with suggestions for a bill to revise the labor standards law. The revision, which the ministry plans to submit to the next regular Diet session, applies to the work of skilled white collar professionals and will allow them to 'work in a manner that demonstrates their achievements' more effectively, which is another way of saying that employers will no longer be required to pay these workers overtime for extra hours on the job, which in turn means that employers cannot be accused of pressuring them to work overtime for no pay, a system popularly known as saabisu zangyo, or 'free overtime.'
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 16, 2015

New Ukrainian peace deal is wrapped in a time bomb

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will find it hard to spin the second Minsk cease-fire deal as his victory. At least Western leaders will still treat him as an ally.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 16, 2015

Japanese deaths stir debate on hostage rescue capabilities

Following the gruesome executions of two Japanese by the Islamic State group, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems more eager than ever for legal authority to deploy Self-Defense Forces elements overseas, saying it is the government's duty to rescue its citizens.
WORLD
Feb 16, 2015

El-Sissi vows to avenge 21 Egyptians beheaded by Islamic State group in Libya

The Islamic State group released a video Sunday that appeared to show the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi warned that his country would respond to the deaths as it saw fit.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 15, 2015

Growth-stunting technology

Though information and communications technology has made remarkable strides since 1991, it appears to have stunted Japan's economic growth rate.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 15, 2015

Liberals work to lure Elizabeth Warren into White House race

The scene in the New Hampshire office is one common to any nascent U.S. presidential campaign in the state that holds the country's first primary contest: Young staffers peck away at laptops and unpack boxes of signs with their candidate's name.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 14, 2015

Journey of 'eat, pray, bathe' awaits pilgrims to Mount Koya

Although pilgrims have been coming to this center of Shingon Buddhism since its foundation in 816, the 1,200th anniversary of the monastic settlement promises an increase in curious tourists who have heard of Mount Koya's serenity and want to experience it for themselves.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 14, 2015

The economics book everyone is talking about, but has anyone read it?

French economist Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" was the surprise bestseller of 2014 in the United States, and it has also become a hit in Japan.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Feb 14, 2015

Japan's public diplomacy is expensive and errant

Global understanding does not come cheaply. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has budgeted ¥70 billion — yes, that's more than $500 million — to help get the word out about Japan and ensure that China and South Korea aren't the only ones controlling the narrative.
EDITORIALS
Feb 14, 2015

Miserly use of vacation days

Japan may be the most miserly country in the world when it comes to getting workers to feel free to use their legally entitled number of paid holidays each year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Feb 13, 2015

Don't let rainy days stop you going out to play

As wintry weather hovers over Japan, parents are constantly on the lookout for indoor places for their kids to play. I'm not a fan of cold weather, so I prefer outings in January and February to be in the comfy confines of climate-controlled museums and movie theaters. That's good enough for me, but...
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2015

Global economy's Chinese headwinds

Last year, interest rates were supposed to start rising in the U.S. and U.K. and quantitative easing would deliver increased inflation in Japan. Twelve months later, economic headwinds from China are a major reason why normality seems as distant as ever.
JAPAN
Feb 13, 2015

'No Game' campaign misfires in Hokkaido

A 'No Game' campaign led by educators in Hokkaido backfires after being taken as an attempt to label video games as harmful.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 13, 2015

BOJ sees extra stimulus as counterproductive for now

Bank of Japan policymakers view further monetary easing to shore up inflation as a counterproductive step at present, amid concern it could trigger declines in the yen that damage confidence, sources said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Feb 13, 2015

Tiled air raid shelter in Aichi hailed as work of art

A private World War II air raid shelter exquisitely lined with colorful tiles has recently been opened to the public in Handa, Aichi Prefecture.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 13, 2015

Ukraine deal leaves Putin stronger, and he loses little if cease-fire fails

The peace agreement in the Ukrainian conflict may be tailor-made to satisfy Russian President Vladimir Putin: It keeps the authorities in Kiev under his thumb while avoiding an escalation of the confrontation that would tip his country's economy deeper into crisis.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 12, 2015

Honda bets that Chinese tastes will prevail in Japan, too

Honda Motor Co. designed the Jade minivan with the extended Chinese family in mind, appealing to the preference for space to carry relatives. The automaker is pitching the same car to Japanese consumers with a twist.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 12, 2015

Red Cross chief offers Abe way to help war victims without taking sides

As Japan grapples with the dilemma of how to aid victims of conflict without appearing to take sides, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has said his group represents a good way to insulate donor nations from risk.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes