Search - article

 
 
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 28, 2019

Theresa May's Brexit 'Plan B': A guide to what could happen next in Parliament

Prime Minister Theresa May is aiming to break the parliamentary deadlock over Brexit by proposing to seek further concessions from the European Union on a plan to prevent customs checks on the Irish border.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 8, 2018

Enthusiasm over new year cards wanes as online options grow

Once a tradition firmly entrenched in the national consciousness, the nengajō (new year cards) is facing extinction.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 20, 2018

Conservative magazines set sights on Ikegami

"I don't watch much TV on my own," writes university lecturer Atsushi Iwata in WiLL magazine (November), "but sometimes I watch together with my wife. I don't particularly care about what she watches, but there are times when I ask her to change the channel — particularly when it's a program with Akira...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Sep 23, 2018

Abe's work-style reforms give Japan's employers the green light to demand unpaid and unsafe overtime

New law caps overtime at unhealthy levels and sets up a system that will legitimize the principle of working for nothing.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 27, 2018

The man standing between Abe and his ambitions: Who is Shigeru Ishiba?

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is back in the spotlight.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2018

Birds of a feather do fall out sometimes

Seasoned diplomats are much subtler and more prudent than badgers of the same stripe.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 24, 2018

LDP lawmaker Mio Sugita faces backlash after describing LGBT people as 'unproductive'

A ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker has drawn a fierce backlash after labeling the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community "unproductive" in terms of childbirth, and warning that a society that accepts same-sex relationships risks "increasing unhappy people."
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 14, 2018

Dementia is pushing cancer out of the medical spotlight

 The media love cancer — what causes it, how to prevent it, who has it. Cancer is something that potentially touches everybody in a dramatic way, and therefore public interest is keen.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 4, 2018

Panel balks at proposing the killing of Japan's political fairness clause

The proposal had drawn criticism for potentially opening up the nation's airwaves to a deluge of politically charged programs and internet-driven 'fake news.'
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 13, 2018

Yuta Watanabe reflects on successful hoop career at George Washington

Gratitude best sums up the closing chapter of Yuta Watanabe's college basketball career.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 29, 2018

Let's discuss Tetsuya Komuro's retirement

Music producer Tetsuya Komuro says he will retire from the industry following a recent magazine report about his alleged extramarital affair with a nurse.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 27, 2018

Is artificial intelligence killing Japan's banks?

As part of an ongoing series about artificial intelligence, the Asahi Shimbun on Jan. 11 published a story that asserts the financial industry has adopted AI more readily than any other. Because finance is a data-driven endeavor, designing AI software to do things such as read and analyze reams of economic...
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 15, 2018

Japanese opposition parties DP and Kibo no To agree to join forces

Opposition parties Kibo no To and the Democratic Party strike a deal to team up against the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in the Diet.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 16, 2017

Why do some old men age disgracefully?

It's a universal belief that life is unfair, though there are many ways in which people manifest this belief. Some withdraw from the world, while others engage with it in an attempt to correct imbalances. Sometimes this engagement takes the form of anger.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 22, 2017

Abe's gamble pays off as ruling bloc bags two-thirds majority in Lower House

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition is certain of a resounding victory in the Lower House election that will give it a two-thirds majority.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 30, 2017

Japan's pensioners are literally getting older

Because of the election announced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, the new Cabinet he formed last summer to boost his falling support rate will do no work, since it was launched during the summer vacation and Abe dissolved the Diet as soon as it opened on Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2017

Trump questions whether Japan's first lady can speak English

U.S. President Donald Trump is a man of controversy and nobody would be surprised if he caused another one.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jul 3, 2017

Let's discuss the Kake scandal

A June 8 article in the Asahi Shimbun reported that Japan already has 39,000 working veterinarians.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 5, 2017

Let's discuss the future of Japan's imperial family

Can the Imperial system survive without drastic reforms to its succession system?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 3, 2017

The arrested development of female prisons

Though the prison population in Japan is remarkably small compared to other countries, there have been increases in recent years among certain demographics. The media is particularly sensitive to elderly inmates. Less remarked upon are female prisoners.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 17, 2017

Trump highlights downside of 'Goldwater rule'

The American people and the world deserve to know the psychological profile of the U.S. president.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 3, 2017

Abe, Mattis reaffirm ties on defense

Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis reaffirms Washington's commitment to the U.S.-Japan military alliance amid Japanese concern over the rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 19, 2017

U.N. Charter's anachronistic enemy state clauses

It's high time the U.N. shed its image as an institution created by the victorious Allied powers and create a level playing field for all its members.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 5, 2017

Day after 'economy first' comments, Abe promotes revising postwar Constitution to LDP

A day after stressing that the economy will be his top priority this year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a different message to members of his party on Thursday, saying he will promote discussion on revising the postwar Constitution.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 4, 2017

The silencing of an anti-U.S. base protester in Okinawa

The extended detention of Hiroji Yamashiro is a shocking display of raw government power.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 17, 2016

Undercover journalist infiltrates Uniqlo

In her Dec. 14 Tokyo Shimbun column, media critic Minako Saito mentioned how the press is excited about the buzzword of the year and the kanji of the year. They are much less interested in another annual prize, the Black Company Award for the firm that most egregiously exploits workers. The nominations...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2016

U.S. Supreme Court drops ruling ordering Samsung to pay $399 million to Apple

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with Samsung in its big-money smartphone patent fight with Apple, throwing out an appeals court ruling that the South Korean company had to pay a $399 million penalty to its American rival for copying key iPhone designs.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Dec 5, 2016

Let's discuss SMAP's 'Kohaku' no-show

NHK announced the lineup for the next edition of its 'Kohaku' music contest, but SMAP was not on the list.

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