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Reader Mail
Oct 1, 2014

Woman who took on 'dinosaurs'

Regarding the Sept. 28 article "SDP's Takako Doi, first female leader of major political party in Japan, dies at 85": I am sad about Takako Doi's passing probably because she was in her political prime when I arrived in Japan, and so her passing makes me reflect on my own age and mortality.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2014

Osaka mayor prepares to tackle anti-Korean group Zaitokukai

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto is finalizing plans for a public debate with the right-wing, anti-Korean group Zaitokukai over the definition of hate speech and the need to balance freedom of expression with others' human rights.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 1, 2014

'Abenomics' colors Japan's art market after years of pallid returns

Just a decade ago, a lithograph by artist Yayoi Kusama would sell for several hundred dollars at best. But now her pieces, some just the size of a magazine, can fetch as much as $74,000.
WORLD / Society
Oct 1, 2014

Iranian prisoner executed for heresy, rights group says

A former psychologist has been executed for heresy in Iran after eight years in detention, human rights groups said, in the latest example of what activists say is a worrying rise in the use of death penalty by the Islamic Republic.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 1, 2014

Rice is nice when the price is right

Is the big drop in rice prices a good thing or a bad thing?
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 30, 2014

U.S. takes cautious line in response to Hong Kong protests

The United States is carefully calibrating its response to pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, showing support for peaceful protests while signaling it has little interest in seeing the situation escalate and risk a harsher crackdown by Chinese authorities.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 30, 2014

Storytelling in the future will be transforming

A new form of analysis is emerging for the future of storytelling that will let us better understand why some tales grip us. If it succeeds, it will fuel new creative forms and make less vulnerable to manipulation by governments and companies.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 30, 2014

Amid Hong Kong street protests, Japan calls for 'democratic prosperity' to prevail

A high-ranking official said Tuesday that Tokyo hopes Hong Kong's "free and open regime will be maintained," indirectly urging authorities there to seek a peaceful solution to the ongoing street protests calling for universal suffrage for local residents.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 30, 2014

Japan begins soul-searching over crimes against unsupervised children

In a nation where young children are commonly encouraged to walk to school on their own, the recent shocking murder of a girl in Kobe raises questions over whether people in Japan are too trusting and should supervise schoolchildren more closely.
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 30, 2014

Paralyzed children are latest worry as virus sweeps across U.S.

As public health officials struggle to track and contain a respiratory virus that has hospitalized hundreds of children across the U.S., there are now concerns that the illness may also cause paralysis in some cases.
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2014

Volcanoes may be next obstacle for Japan's atomic power industry

The deadly volcanic eruption of Mount Ontake over the weekend may strengthen the argument of activists campaigning to keep the country's 48 reactors shut.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 29, 2014

Criminalizing policy rifts

Criticism of policy decisions should not be allowed to curdle into the hateful vitriol that demeans so much public discourse today. Words have consequences and can inflame thuggery or worse.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 29, 2014

The next nasty economic surprise for the U.S.

Without an expanding economy as a shock absorber, will racial, ethnic, religious, generational and ideological conflicts worsen in the U.S.?
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 29, 2014

Developing countries embracing nuclear energy despite Fukushima woes

Three years after Japan closed all of its nuclear plants in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown and Germany decided to shut its industry, developing countries are leading the biggest construction boom in more than two decades.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Sep 28, 2014

Eikaiwa, deal with sexual harassment of teachers before it's too late

If English schools in Japan do not take firm steps to protect teachers, it may only be a matter of time before another Lindsay Hawker is murdered — this time on their watch.
EDITORIALS
Sep 28, 2014

Lower House electoral reform

A panel of experts has begun discussions on addressing Lower House electoral reforms, particularly the vote-value disparity between rural and urban districts, after talks among the ruling and opposition parties failed.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 28, 2014

If you get arrested, police can likely access your phone or tablet

If you get arrested, police and prosecutors can search your cellphone, laptop and other devices — but only when there is the probability that information relating to the alleged crime might be stored there.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 27, 2014

Read up on books about books about Japan

Revving up the metabolism of culture with the pulse of new artistic voices, a good literary journal doesn't usually have much to do with profit — it's all about circulation. Japanese literary journals enjoy a healthy transmission here, thanks to the financial backing of big publishing firms. How do...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 27, 2014

The Rise of Sharing: Fourth-Stage Consumer Society in Japan

Atsushi Miura envisions a society in which we will own little but share a lot in his lively discussion on where consumer society in Japan is headed. I don't buy it — well, not all of it — but nonetheless it's an interesting and engaging analysis of Japan's famously sophisticated and discerning shoppers....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 27, 2014

New idol group The Margarines sing to pay off debts

Japan's entertainment industry has become so filled with idol groups that some call this the age of the "idol war."

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