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JAPAN / Politics
Dec 19, 2013

Inose calling it quits over money scandal

Scandal-ridden Tokyo Gov. Naoki Inose announced his resignation Thursday for taking money from a hospital operator mired in allegations of election law violations involving a Diet member.
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN WEB WATCH
Dec 17, 2013

Looking at 2013's Japanese social-media scene

In the Japanese social-networking scene, Facebook still isn't dominating the way it does in the United States and many other countries. There are several other networks in Japan, both old and new, that occupy unique positions, though 2013 was an unusually quiet year, with no big takeovers among social-networking...
BASEBALL
Dec 17, 2013

Tanaka informs Eagles he wants to pitch in majors in 2014

The man at the center of the posting system drama finally broke his silence, and it was music to the ears of MLB fans and executives.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2013

Turkey playing 'orientalism' card against West

For many years, most Western journalists defended the Turkish government against the the suspicions of secular Turks who worried about radical Islamic or authoritarian agenda. But the liberal reforms stopped several years ago.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 14, 2013

Beyond Newtown: 71 other young children killed by deliberate gunfire in 2012

The man with the gun burst into the apartment and opened fire. The first victim was a young woman, dead at 21. The second victim was her 25-year-old roommate. But it was the third victim who would cause the most anguished screams when the bodies were discovered. Shot in the head, he was a 6-month-old...
EDITORIALS
Dec 12, 2013

Repeal the state secrets law

Repeal of the recently enacted state secrets law appears indispensable for ensuring that Japan remains an open society with democratic principles fully upheld.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Dec 11, 2013

The year in labor: the Top 5 pains of 2013

For Japan's workers, the last 12 months have been a mixed bag. The Top 5 Labor Pains of 2013 will focus on what really shook things up in terms of labor relations and employment law.
LIFE / Digital
Dec 10, 2013

Startups now have it easy thanks to 'incubators.'

One of my favourite books is John Kenneth Galbraith's "The Great Crash, 1929," which, with John Maynard Keynes' "The Economic Consequences of the Peace," is a great example of how an expert can write elegantly about something that is intrinsically complex. Galbraith wrote the (short) book as a diversion...
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 9, 2013

Secrets law bruises Abe's ratings

The Cabinet's sharp drop in the opinion polls shows that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might have expended too much of his political capital on enacting the state secrets law.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 9, 2013

Yen will return to strength, former BOJ official predicts

The yen will rally to 100 per dollar in the first half of next year because the Bank of Japan won't be able to expand monetary easing by enough to repeat the weakening effect it had this year, a former official of the central bank said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 4, 2013

Judge says Detroit can file for bankruptcy

A federal bankruptcy judge granted Detroit unprecedented powers Tuesday to shed billions of dollars in debt, including the ability to slash city employee pensions despite a state constitutional provision protecting them.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 4, 2013

Russian deals handcuff U.S. on Ukraine

As Ukraine turns away from closer relations with the European Union and further into the embrace of Russia, the Obama administration is saying little about it or the resulting street protests for fear of provoking a fracture with the Kremlin.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 3, 2013

Bitcoins need to be better than real currency

Bitcoins appeal to people's libertarian side, because they challenge the control of money by governments that too often see inflation and deflation as instruments of policy. This virtual currency suggests the possibility of a future in which networks of individuals can make transactions for their own interests.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 2, 2013

Ishiba softens criticism of bill protesters

Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba remains critical of public demonstrations despite retracting part of an earlier comment likening protesters to terrorists.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2013

Lady Gaga gets dolled up in Tokyo

Leave it to Japan's humanoid robotics to outdo the world's most avant-garde diva.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Dec 1, 2013

Crusader for social activism brings Change.org to Japan

The woman who brought Change.org to Japan says the online petition platform is just the ticket to get the normally reticent Japanese to become more active in achieving social change.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 29, 2013

Abe vows to remain steadfast on China

Japan will remain steadfast and cooperate with other countries in addressing China's recent establishment of an air defense identification zone covering the Senkaku Islands, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 26, 2013

Inhyeok Yeo finds fans on YouTube, but seeks glory at the Grammys

Armed with a good ear, a good voice and self-marketing tips that he picked up at school, singer Inhyeok Yeo is aiming for a Grammy. What sets him apart from Adele, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars, though, is that he sings a cappella cover versions of pop songs — performing all the instruments with his...
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 25, 2013

Imperfect Iran deal may be U.S.' least bad option

Critics of a deal on Iran's nuclear program need to answer a question: Is there a better alternative?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2013

Space industry faces choice for next direction

The air is so clear the mountains in the distance look almost fake, as if added digitally. The desert floor is runway-flat, with a few Joshua trees popping up randomly, like lost cowboys. The dominant feature is the sky, preposterously vast, beckoning test pilots, rocketeers and would-be space travelers....
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 24, 2013

Twitter beefs up users' data security

Twitter has announced a significant increase in its data security as it moves to protect users from attacks by the "apex predators" of the Internet.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 23, 2013

'Black' firms exploit staff, 'black' state taxes them

Burakku kigyu014d' refers to companies where management has no desire to reward workers, and where labor laws are intentionally violated. Wages tend to be low, working hours long — with unpaid overtime — and employees are often subjected to 'power harassment' at the hands of their supervisors.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NOTES ON A SCORECARD
Nov 12, 2013

Irabu's career provides cautionary tale for Rakuten pitching star Tanaka

It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out with Rakuten Eagles star Masahiro Tanaka and his move to the majors via the posting system.

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