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COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Nov 3, 2014

Redaction of a 'comfort woman' story

One of the Japanese stories sometimes mentioned in the 'comfort women' controversy was written by the late Taijiro Tamura in the spring of 1947. It depicted Korean 'comfort women,' but the U.S. Occupation 'suppressed' it.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 3, 2014

Paradox of politeness: humbling and exalting at same time

Each year in fall, the Bunkachō (文化庁, Agency of Cultural Affairs) publishes the results of its annual opinion poll on the linguistic state of the nation, officially called Kokugo ni Kansuru Yoron Chōsa (国語に関する世論調査, Survey of the National Language). This time, the survey...
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Nov 3, 2014

'Psychopathic' British banker charged with killing two prostitutes in Hong Kong

A British investment banker appears in a Hong Kong court charged with murdering two Asian prostitutes whose bodies were discovered by police in his apartment.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 3, 2014

China successfully develops laser system to defend against drones, Xinhua reports

China has successfully tested a self-developed laser defense system against small-scale low-altitude drones, according to state media.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 3, 2014

Iraqi Kurds join fight against Islamic State in Kobani

Iraqi Kurdish fighters have joined the fight against Islamic State militants in Kobani, hoping their support for fellow Kurds backed by U.S.-led airstrikes will keep the ultra-hardline group from seizing the Syrian border town.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Nov 2, 2014

Cosmic: a dog named Supernova

Supernova is full of curiosity and into everything. She adores people and loves being picked up.
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 2, 2014

Denmark considers phasing out coal by 2025 in big green shift

Denmark should ban coal use by 2025 to make the Nordic nation a leader in fighting global warming, adding to green measures ranging from wind energy to bicycle power, Denmark's climate minister said on Saturday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Nov 1, 2014

Hokkaido Highway Blues

Sake and sakura can be a dangerous combination. Drunk on both, English teacher Will Ferguson made a bet that he could hitchhike the length of Japan, from the southernmost tip in Cape Sata to the northernmost in Cape Soya, while following the cherry blossom as it burst into life in each part of the country....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2014

North Korea promises abductee probe will be fair, comprehensive: Suga

This week's abduction talks in North Korea shed little light on the questions Japan wants answered, as Pyongyang offered no new information about what happened to Japanese it kidnapped, the government said Friday.
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2014

Info disclosure eyed for suspected Ebola victims

Transport minister Akihiro Ota said Friday the government might disclose information on people suspected of having the deadly Ebola virus.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2014

APEC diplomacy could help thaw chilly ties

Next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing looks like a high-risk enterprise, as it is not even clear if Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Park Geun-hye will agree to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for discussions aimed at lowering tensions in the region.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2014

Six ways to give 'Abenomics' a boost

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies and proposed tax cuts favor companies that employ tens of thousands, they offer little for young Japanese with a laptop and a dream.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2014

Does right-wing extremism threaten Japan's democracy?

Japan's image abroad is suffering as a result of the apparently growing influence of right-wing extremists in the government. It is in Japan's national interest to discourage revisionists from propagating historical lies that might threaten the democratic processes.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 31, 2014

Western nations' mastery

A British scholar and former wartime army intelligence officer will tell you that there's nothing new about Islamic State, that it is in no way integral to the Islamic religion, and that it is a phenomenon that will pass.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 31, 2014

A failure of U.S. democracy and human rights

It is a sad day for democracy when 12 Nobel Peace laureates have to write a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, himself a Nobel Peace laureate, urging him to end, once and for all, America's flagrant use of torture and other violations of international law.
EDITORIALS
Oct 31, 2014

Awaiting Okinawans' verdict

As the campaign kicks off for the Nov. 16 Okinawa gubernatorial election, the Abe administration maintains that it will go ahead with land reclamation off the Henoko district of Nago to build a replacement facility for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, regardless of who wins the race.
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 31, 2014

Scientists call skin-eating Asian fungus a threat to amphibians

A skin-eating fungus that infiltrated Europe through the global wildlife trade is threatening to inflict massive losses on the continent's native salamanders including extinction of whole species and could do the same in North America, scientists say.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 31, 2014

National Guard heads to Hawaii town threatened by river of lava

A contingent of National Guard troops was dispatched to a Hawaii town on Thursday to provide security to the Big Island community threatened by a river of molten lava that is slowly creeping toward the town's main road, an emergency official said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 31, 2014

Quarantined Ebola nurse takes bike ride; Maine governor vows to exert authority

Maine Gov. Paul LePage vowed on Thursday to use the full extent of his authority in response to a nurse who has treated Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, after she left her home in Maine and took a bicycle ride despite a quarantine order.
WORLD
Oct 31, 2014

Islamic State fighters vow safe passage, then execute 220 Iraqis from opposing Sunni tribe

Islamic State militants executed at least 220 Iraqis in retaliation against a tribe's opposition to their takeover of territory west of Baghdad, security sources and witnesses said.
WORLD
Oct 31, 2014

Central Costa Rica volcano erupts; ash sprinkles capital

Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano staged its most powerful eruption in years overnight, belching a plume of gas and ash that was reported to sprinkle the capital San Jose some 50 km (30 miles) away, emergency services said on Thursday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 31, 2014

Sweden recognizes Palestinian state, hopes peace process will restart

The Swedish government officially recognized the state of Palestine on Thursday and said there were signs European Union states would follow its lead.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2014

North Korea didn't offer delegation any new info on abductees: source

KYODO, STAFF REPORT
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 30, 2014

Kunisaki Art Festival shows works worth the hike

To visit Antony Gormley's "Another Time" — a life-sized iron figure which looks eastward across Oita Prefecture's Sento district of Kunisaki from atop a mountain ledge — is a breathtaking experience. Not just because it's a stong piece of art or that the location offers a stunning vista of verdant...
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2014

Skymark says it may collapse if forced to pay A380 contract fine

Skymark Airlines Inc., the nation's third-largest carrier, repeated it is at risk of going out of business should it have to pay Airbus Group NV a penalty after its planned purchase of six A380 superjumbos fell through.

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