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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 27, 2014

Concern for Japan's democratic process

Elections are the lifeblood of democracy. They represent an awesome empowerment — the right of citizens to peacefully overthrow their government and choose another.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Dec 26, 2014

Ryukyu star Burns leading the way in bj-league All-Star voting

Who is the leading vote-getter for the bj-league's ninth annual All-Star Game?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 26, 2014

U.S. moviegoers trumpet free speech as 'Interview' opens to sell-out cinema crowds

"The Interview," the Sony Pictures film about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, opened in more than 300 cinemas across the United States on Christmas Day, drawing sell-out audiences in many theaters where outspoken patrons said they were championing freedom of expression....
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 25, 2014

How Japan's economy put itself out to pasture

Simply put, Japan is a bankrupt nation, even as gross domestic product outgrows that of the U.S. economy on a per capita basis.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 25, 2014

'Kawaii' gets a landmark

While Japanese cool hunters might lament the lack of pop cultural exports in recent years — all the more conspicuous when compared to K-Pop's successful forays westward — kawaii (cute) culture has quietly permeated into global consciousness with all the effortless grace of singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 24, 2014

Mitani sidelined by Abe as GPIF pension fund enters new era

When Takahiro Mitani's term as head of the world's largest retirement fund finishes in March, so too will the old era of Japanese pension management.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 23, 2014

Hashimoto quits Ishin leadership

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto resigns as co-leader of Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) to focus on local elections in the spring, a move likely to further weaken the party's clout at the national level.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 23, 2014

Boston bomb suspect cites Islamic State comparisons in bid to move trial

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is making a last-ditch bid to move his terrorism trial to another city, arguing that local news media are turning potential jurors against him with stories comparing him to Islamic State militants.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 21, 2014

Why the U.S.-Cuba talks had to be kept secret

When reporters needled her for details of delicate Israeli-Syrian talks 15 years ago, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright replied: "Sometimes talks, like mushrooms, do better in the dark."
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2014

Iran's support for Syria tested by steep fall in oil revenues

Syrian businessmen and trade officials are worried that the economic lifeline provided by Iran is under strain from plunging oil prices despite public messages of support from Syria's strongest regional ally.
BASKETBALL
Dec 18, 2014

FIBA chief Baumann strikes tough tone on JBA ban

FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann repeatedly stated that the Japan Basketball Association's "lack of vision" is a fundamental problem stunting the sport's development throughout the nation.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 17, 2014

Jeter, Matsui coming together to aid Tohoku children

Retired New York Yankees greats Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui are teaming up once again, this time in support of children in the Tohoku region.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2014

Ukraine's frozen war brings big changes to global economy

The durability of September's truce between the Ukrainian Army and its pro-Russian rebel opponents suggests that relations between Kiev and Moscow are gradually reverting toward an uneasy form of peaceful coexistence.
WORLD
Dec 16, 2014

Psychologist admits he waterboarded al-Qaida suspects

One of the chief architects of the CIA's harsh Bush-era interrogation program has admitted in a media interview for the first time that he waterboarded terrorism suspects, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN WEB WATCH
Dec 13, 2014

Furor over protest website highlights growing influence of youth

An online stunt by a student activist who poked fun at the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over its decision to call for a snap election has highlighted the advantage young people have in using social media to push their own political agenda.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 10, 2014

DPJ faces uphill battle for swing voters

While the ruling coalition commands a higher number of core supporters, opposition parties are vying for swing voters in an election that is expected to see a low turnout.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Dec 9, 2014

Gold's motive for GP Final pullout in question

When you grow up in a country or culture, you can usually tell when somebody from the same place or background is being insincere. The tone of voice and body language often give them away.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 9, 2014

Methamphetamine use soars in Iran as lifestyles speed up

Women in headscarves and men in tatty clothes puff on a glass pipe as smoke swirls around their faces. The pictures published by Iranian media and blogs in recent months are a sign of a new drug epidemic: shishe, or methamphetamine.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 8, 2014

Relief in Philippines as typhoon Hagupit weakens, leaving 21 dead

Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos returned on Monday to homes battered by a powerful typhoon, amid relief that a massive evacuation operation appeared to have minimized fatalities.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 7, 2014

Putin allies channeled billions to Ukraine oligarch with sweetheart deals

In Russia, powerful friends helped him make a fortune. In the United States, officials want him extradited and put behind bars. In Austria, where he is currently free on bail of $155 million, authorities have yet to decide what to do with him.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 4, 2014

U.S. believes Iran launched air raids on Islamic State in Iraq

The United States has indications that Iran has carried out airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq in recent days, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 2, 2014

Japan's recession may be shallower than first thought

The third-quarter contraction that tipped Japan into recession may not be as sharp as first thought, with economists revising gross domestic product forecasts as the Lower House election campaign started Tuesday.

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb