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COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 6, 2016

Olympic mania sidetracking efforts to revitalize Japan

Tokyo 2020 is diverting attention away from the best chance Japan has had in 20 years to regain its mojo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 6, 2016

Tokyo faces tough decisions over Japan's role in South Sudan

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada has a mission she can't screw up when she visits the South Sudanese capital of Juba starting Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2016

Abe sidesteps opposition grilling on LDP's draft constitution

Abe refuses to respond to criticism of the LDP's 2012 draft constitution in a move DP leader Renho calls “dumbfounding.”
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 5, 2016

Rebels repel Aleppo assault amid Russian airstrikes, efforts to revive truce

Syrian rebels said on Tuesday they had repelled an army offensive in southern Aleppo as Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded residential areas, while nations spoke of rebuilding a peace process the United States broke off this week.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 4, 2016

Can Spotify crack CD-loving Japan?

The music-streaming company may find the world's second largest and most idiosyncratic music market a tough nut to crack.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 4, 2016

China's progress is killing the instant noodle

Rising wages have improved living standards and expectations for millions of Chinese workers.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 4, 2016

Defense chief Tomomi Inada hit with tough Diet grilling as DP resorts to old blame-game tactics

Opposition lawmakers are bombarding rookie Defense Minister Tomomi Inada with a barrage of questions, attempting to trip her up, cast doubt on her abilities and even reduce her to tears.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2016

Nuclear cash cow Monju now a liability for residents as plant faces ax

In February 1983, Mayor Koichi Takagi of Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, spoke to residents in the town of Shiga, Ishikawa Prefecture, who were hoping the town would be chosen as the site for a new nuclear power plant.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Oct 3, 2016

Let's discuss the Rio and Tokyo Paralympics

The 2016 Paralympic Games wrapped up with a festive closing ceremony as Rio de Janeiro handed over the Paralympic flag to Tokyo.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 2, 2016

Xi said consolidating grip on power in China by curbing rival bloc, giving allies more power

One year before a Communist Party conclave that could decide who will eventually replace him as China's next leader, President Xi Jinping is maneuvering to reduce the power of a rival political bloc while seeking to get members of his own faction onto the country's top ruling body, according to three...
JAPAN / History
Oct 1, 2016

Religious reflections: Pope John Paul II's enduring legacy in Japan

The iconic pontiff's visit 35 years ago may offer some insights into what we can expect from a possible papal stopover in 2017.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 30, 2016

Silicon Valley to Japan’s piecemeal startups: first global growth, then IPO

Trace the roots of most modern Japanese tech companies back far enough and there's a good chance you'll stumble across a little-known venture capital firm called Jafco Co.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 29, 2016

Spotify finally launches in Japan, a nation where other music streaming services have struggled

Popular music streaming service Spotify is trying its luck in Japan, where consumer demand for packaged media such as CDs is traditionally strong and the market for streaming still has huge potential to grow.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 28, 2016

New Tokyo Gov. Koike names Toyosu scandal, Olympic overspend as policy priorities

Half pay, clarity in the Olympic overspend and accountability for planning lapses at the new Toyosu food market were among policy priorities Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike set out Wednesday for her term in office.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 28, 2016

'Sully': Ditching the plane to save lives

For a while I thought Harrison Ford should run for U.S. president, but now I'm convinced Tom Hanks is the one, with Clint Eastwood as secretary of state. The two have teamed up for "Sully" (Eastwood directing and Hanks as the titular character), the true-to-life story of an airplane accident that happened...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 28, 2016

Sarkozy reportedly would offer U.K. a new EU treaty if he wins French presidency

French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday that if he wins in 2017 he will offer Britain a chance to reverse its Brexit vote by negotiating with Germany a new treaty for the European Union, the Financial Times reported.
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 27, 2016

Munby's 'Crucible' speaks to societies built on fear

"When the opportunity came to work at Theatre Cocoon in Tokyo, I was so excited about the great dramatist Yukio Ninagawa being the artistic director there," the English director Jonathan Munby declared.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2016

Abe goes toe-to-toe over TPP as Diet debate heats up

Brushing off recalcitrant opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterates his determination to swiftly ratify the multinational trade pact.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2016

In first debate, Clinton rips Trump over Japan comments, reassures nervous Asian allies

In a message that appeared directed at a wary Japan, Hillary Clinton offers reassurances that as president she would honor security commitments in Asia.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Sep 27, 2016

Behind Xi's Senkaku moves

Domestic political considerations play a major role in Chinese President Xi Jinping's Senkaku Islands policy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Sep 27, 2016

'No refuge could save the hireling and slave'

Is the U.S. national anthem racist or are the lyrics of the third stanza merely misunderstood?

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan