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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 30, 2016

Japan's meek media kowtows to the government

Last week I compared the Catholic Church in Boston and Japan's "nuclear village" of atomic-power advocates — two powerful institutions that stifled embarrassing revelations for some time. The Oscar-winning film "Spotlight" depicts the comeuppance of the church hierarchy after investigative reporters...
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2016

Japan's offshore investors on edge as Panama Papers revelations spark Hong Kong clampdown

Earlier this month, major banks in the territory suddenly stopped accepting applications to open accounts, says one financial consultant.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 26, 2016

Hidden poverty growing under Abe, particularly among young and single mothers

As the government tells it, Japanese have it pretty good.
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 2016

Insufficient electoral reform

The ruling coalition needs to explain why the nation is still being kept waiting for the fundamental reform needed to correct the gross disparity in vote values.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 21, 2016

Afghan drone war: data show unmanned flights dominate air campaign

Drones fired more weapons than conventional warplanes for the first time in Afghanistan last year and the ratio is rising, previously unreported U.S. Air Force data show, underlining how reliant the military has become on unmanned aircraft.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Apr 17, 2016

Two years after Japan signed Hague, children have been returned but old issues remain

A couple of years have passed since Japan signed the international convention on child abduction, and there is cause for celebration — and concern.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2016

Kishida, Lavrov lay groundwork for Abe's Russia visit

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discuss signing a peace treaty to end the war and having Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visit Russia.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2016

No end in sight to once-booming Brazil's crises

No one knows where the Latin American nation's mix of economic disappointment and political disillusion is leading.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 4, 2016

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi eyes U.S. regional banks, new CEO says

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.'s main lending unit is eyeing further acquisitions in the U.S. and Asia as part of its long-standing aspirations to become one of the world's leading commercial banks, the unit's new president said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 4, 2016

Honda Fit fires, collisions prompt at least sixth major recall

Honda Motor Co. will conduct at least the sixth round of major recalls involving its top-selling Fit compact in less than three years, as the automaker struggles to move past the quality woes that contributed to a change in chief executive officers.
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Apr 2, 2016

The drug problem that keeps getting older

Former pro baseball player Kazuhiro Kiyohara was released from police custody on ¥5 million bail last month following his arrest and subsequent indictment for alleged possession and use of stimulant drugs.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 31, 2016

U.N. widens sex abuse allegation probe against peacekeepers in Central Africa

The United Nations on Wednesday said it has widened an investigation of allegations sexual exploitation and abuse by foreign peacekeepers in Central African Republic and notified authorities in France, Gabon and Burundi about the charges.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Mar 30, 2016

Narcotics flooding into Japan

Japan is becoming a paradise for drug dealers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 29, 2016

Budget clears Upper House as focus shifts to possible tax hike delay, double election

The Upper House easily passes the hefty fiscal 2016 budget as the opposition focuses on whether Prime Minister Abe will again delay the consumption tax hike.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 26, 2016

In Japan, all other fruits bow to the top banana

Everything you wanted to know about Japan's lingering love affair with bananas but were afraid to ask.
Japan Times
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Mar 25, 2016

Friendly with Germany provides first test for England

Having had what amounted to a bye into the Euro 2016 finals — Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and San Marino barely made England break sweat — Roy Hodgson will have a better idea of how far his team has come since the 2014 World Cup when it takes on Germany in Berlin on Saturday night....
EDITORIALS
Mar 25, 2016

Keep politics out of tax hike decision

The decision on whether to raise the consumption tax next year should not be driven by partisan political interests.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2016

Islamic State a growing threat to East Asia, including Japan: defense review

A defense review released Friday said the threat was highlighted by the kidnapping and killing of Japanese nationals.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 24, 2016

U.S. to charge Iran in cyberattacks against banks, New York dam: sources

The Obama administration is expected to blame Iranian hackers as soon as Thursday for a coordinated campaign of cyberattacks in 2012 and 2013 on several U.S. banks and a New York dam, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 23, 2016

Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford dies after bout with rare cancer at 46

Rob Ford, who catapulted into the international spotlight after admitting he smoked crack cocaine while mayor of Toronto, has died. He was 46.
EDITORIALS
Mar 20, 2016

Pro-business policy won't raise pay

The disappointing results of the annual wage negotiations highlight the limitations of the Abe administration's drive to prod firms to raise wages.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 19, 2016

Manner mode: Defusing tension on the train

Commuting to and from work during peak hours in Tokyo can be an utterly soul-destroying experience.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Mar 14, 2016

Japanese like the look of life in Nagano

Nagano Prefecture is the place that Japanese would most like to move to if they were to relocate to the countryside, a survey shows.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 14, 2016

Let's discuss the recent ruling on dementia

The Supreme Court has dismissed the liability of the family of a 91-year-old man with dementia who was killed by a train after wandering onto railway tracks.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 13, 2016

Why Abenomics is failing

Only when a synergy is achieved between easy money policy and a growth strategy to stimulate private-sector investments can the engine of a virtuous circle get started.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.