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Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 21, 2015

Don't take my life, please, as Pakistan's comics roast nation's woes, try not to bomb, blaspheme

The crowd exploded into laughter as Pakistani comedian Shehzad Ghias Shaikh threw them his final punchline, gripping the microphone as he roasted the dating app Tindr and traditional South Asian family matchmaking.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 21, 2015

Trump's 'traitor' remark condemned by accused deserter Bergdahl's lawyer

The lawyer for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the former Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan charged with desertion, on Thursday chastised U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for calling his client a "traitor."
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Aug 20, 2015

Limits of Abe's leadership

Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has been and continues to be a thorn in Shinzo Abe's side, as evidenced by the National Stadium brouhaha.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 20, 2015

Shiga residents slam lawmaker who resigned from LDP amid money scandal

Lower House member Takaya Muto, who quit the Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday over allegations of a financial scandal, has come under fire among his constituents in Shiga Prefecture for betraying their trust, and faces an uncertain future as an independent politician.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 19, 2015

Russia wants to be understood

Russia's image today remains tained by the image of Soviet days, which is why its case over Ukraine, Crimea and flight MH17 still get little attention in the West, even when it is deserved.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Aug 19, 2015

Trail of failed ventures involving American in murder probe leads from New York to Tokyo

The record of dubious projects leads from Peter Gatien-era New York clubland to Singapore and Japan
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Aug 17, 2015

Robots launch operations in bank, hotel

Humanoid robots start work in a bank in Tokyo and a hotel in Kyushu amid concerns over a labor shortage in Japan's aging society.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Aug 17, 2015

NPO backs global certification for Minamiaizu's sustainable forests

In the town of Minamiaizu in southwestern Fukushima Prefecture, local efforts are gathering steam to promote its rich forestry resources to the world by obtaining global certification for quality woodlands.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 17, 2015

Perceived dangers posed by selfie sticks prompt bans at some tourist venues

As selfie sticks become popular among young people and foreign visitors, more tourist facilities in the Chubu region are banning them over the apparent dangers they can pose.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 15, 2015

Growing influence of Japan Conference reflects resentment at Tokyo's postwar settlement with Washington

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in April delivered a speech to the U.S. Congress — the first by a Japanese leader — that lauded deepening trade ties and the military alliance with the United States.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 15, 2015

Add looming poverty to list of seniors' woes

What a sad country this is. Granted, Spa! magazine paints in primary colors. Maybe it's missing a nuance or two? Maybe things aren't really so bad? Maybe. Hopefully.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Aug 14, 2015

Conte thinks WADA testing system a complete joke

Fourth in a four-part series
JAPAN / History
Aug 14, 2015

Emperor's WWII surrender aired amid turmoil in wartime regime

It was a hot day in Tokyo with a daytime high of 32.3 degrees Celsius 70 years ago when Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, declared Japan's surrender in World War II.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 14, 2015

How smuggled workers power 'Made in China'

On a quiet river bend on the China-Vietnam border, a group of people clambered up a muddy bank. They had just glided across the river from the Vietnamese side in a longboat, guided by men on both banks signaling with flashlights.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 13, 2015

Wolf Alice's Summer Sonic stop is another step on the way to the top

When London indie-rock foursome Wolf Alice makes its Japan debut at the Summer Sonic festival this weekend, it will be three years, two EPs, one debut album and countless incendiary live gigs since it first sent alternative music blogs into a frenzy with a single track uploaded to SoundCloud, that most...
Reader Mail
Aug 13, 2015

Nuclear waste disposal woes not going away

Regarding the article "Resumption of Sendai reactor highlights absence of waste sites" in the Aug. 12 issue, the idea that Japan can store its nuclear waste in an underground facility long term is just more pie-in-the-sky thinking.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 12, 2015

Director attacks critics who claim Japanese films fall short of Hollywood standards

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Shinji Higuchi, the director picked by Toho to revive its dormant "Godzilla" franchise, promised that his version of the iconic monster would be larger and more terrifying than its predecessors. However, the most hair-raising comment in the article was...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / THE DOPING EPIDEMIC
Aug 11, 2015

Conte says coverup protected big stars at Seoul Games

Years before he made the decision to 'go down the slippery slope,' and provide performance-enhancing drugs to elite athletes, BALCO founder Victor Conte, a standout triple jumper in high school, made a name for himself as a self-made expert.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Aug 10, 2015

Aomori is Japan's top tourist destination for festivals

Aomori in northeastern Japan is the most popular prefecture for festivals, surpassing Kyoto, a survey by a major travel agency showed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 10, 2015

Consultancy for firms seeking to expand overseas taps Japanese wives living abroad

A consulting agency based in Nagoya is hiring Japanese mothers living abroad as market researchers for companies aiming to expand overseas.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 9, 2015

Even if you don't see Yasutaka Nakata at Summer Sonic, you'll probably hear him

Punters heading off to Makuhari Messe this weekend for SonicMania — the all-night event preceding the annual Summer Sonic music festival — should try to arrive at the venue early to secure a prime spot for the evening's first act: pop trio Perfume.
JAPAN / History
Aug 9, 2015

As Abe gears up for WWII anniversary statement, will Emperor weigh in?

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gets set to deliver his World War II anniversary statement, Emperor Akihito emerges as a possible counterbalance to any watered-down speech.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 8, 2015

Memories of those marked by nuclear war

August, 2015. This is a month of great testimonials: outpourings of guilt, grief, consternation, remorse, atonement and, for those whose ends are not served by an honest reckoning of the past, evasion.
Reader Mail
Aug 7, 2015

Best wishes for Empress Michiko

The article "Empress shows possible signs of heart disease" in the July 31 edition tells us the sad news that Empress Michiko has a possible heart problem.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Aug 7, 2015

Obama again calls for restoration of Voting Rights Act in face of Republican opposition

Half a century after the U.S. passed a law intended to give all its citizens equal access to the voting booth, President Barack Obama said that protection is at risk.
JAPAN / History
Aug 5, 2015

How The Japan Times reported the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

This newspaper described the ebb and flow of the war in considerable detail. Censorship was in operation, but the Nippon Times offered voluminous coverage in English based on statements by the Imperial authorities, reports by vernacular Japanese newspapers and foreign news agency dispatches, archival...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Aug 5, 2015

MLK's fears of nuclear devastation should continue to resonate

In a letter to Japan, Martin Luther King expressed a desire to visit the country and spread his message about the need for nuclear disarmament.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 4, 2015

Of kimono and cultural appropriation

Clueless identity politics activists in the U.S. are no friends of Japan's struggling kimono industry.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years