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Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 2, 2017

Japan plans to levy ¥1,000 departure tax starting in April 2019

Ruling bloc policymakers want to levy a u00a51,000 departure tax on all people leaving Japan by air or sea as part of its tax reforms for fiscal 2018.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Dec 1, 2017

Volcanic science labs offer climate clues

Climate scientists are tracking an erupting volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali for clues about a possible shortcut to curb global warming by injecting sun-dimming chemicals high above the Earth.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 1, 2017

China's investments in Iran surge as those coming from western nations flounder

China is financing billions of dollars' worth of Chinese-led projects in Iran, making deep inroads into the economy while European competitors struggle to find banks willing to fund their ambitions, Iranian government and industry officials said.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2017

Mayor damages Osaka's image by cutting ties with San Francisco

The more Japan complains about 'comfort women' memorials, the more attention it draws to the issue.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 29, 2017

Gender equality and the mass media

Mass media in this country remains a male-dominated community and its understanding of gender equality is far too insufficient.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 28, 2017

Capitalizing on climate unity

The latest round of global climate talks in Bonn show the world's political leaders are more committed to the Paris accord than ever.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 28, 2017

Africa's plastic-bag bans won't solve anything

Plastic bags are just the most tangible symptoms of Africa's inability to collect and dispose of its surging volumes of garbage.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Nov 28, 2017

Bee research may redefine understanding of intelligence

The brain of a honeybee is tiny — the size of a pin head — and contains less than a million neurons, compared to the 85 billion in our own brains. Yet with that sliver of brain, bees can do some extraordinary things. They can count and interpret abstract patterns. Most famously, bees have the ability...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2017

More Japanese livestock farmers using feed rice

While consumption of rice has been declining in Japan, the use of feed rice is on the rise, giving added value to livestock products in some regions.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 27, 2017

A silver lining for a hard Brexit

Despite the costs, a hard Brexit would, at a minimum, discourage other EU members from following the U.K.'s lead, thereby shoring up European stability and helping Britain maintain its national security.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 27, 2017

A clash brewing between the CCP and China's entrepreneurs?

China's rising private-sector corporate stars view Communist Party control as a recipe for economic disaster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2017

As Abe pushes for structural reform, old Japan Inc. culture fights back

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's vaunted third arrow — structural reforms — has generally been rated as unsuccessful, his administration has received high praise from Japan analysts for shaking up the country's corporate management system.
WORLD / Society / FOCUS
Nov 26, 2017

The problem of sexual harassment at work: Where do you draw the line?

From joking about a colleague's sex life to casual butt-pinching, businesses are rife with sexual harassment and pressure to eliminate it is mounting — but which behaviors cross the line?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Nov 25, 2017

Nobuhiro Seki: Espousing the spirit of craftsmanship abroad

'The Japanese manufacturers need new business opportunities from overseas, but are reluctant because they can't negotiate in English or any other language,' says Seki.
EDITORIALS
Nov 24, 2017

Measures to fight passive smoking diluted again

The LDP's pro-tobacco lawmakers are winning their battle against the health ministry's efforts to reduce indoor smoking in public places.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 22, 2017

China seen reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030, survey finds

China's carbon emissions will probably peak on or before 2030, a survey of industry participants found.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 21, 2017

Japan and the Indo-Pacific geopolitical calculus

History warns us against writing off Japan too hastily. It may not be a traditional great power on conventional criteria but it remains a consequential power in the Indo-Pacific.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2017

China gives flying cars a real boost

A Chinese automotive firm's acquisition of a U.S. flying car startup marks an important advance for a technology that could reshape the 21st-century city.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Nov 20, 2017

The false promises of farm exports as a growth strategy

Japan's agricultural export policy depends too much on imports and lacks a food security strategy.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 20, 2017

MLB scouts keep tabs on young players at APBC

There were no elite players like Shohei Otani or Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, but the Asia Professional Baseball Championship served as a good showcase for MLB scouts to try and identify some up-and-coming, and possibly future MLB, talent.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 20, 2017

As Merkel's bid to form new coalition fails, Europe faces a weakened Germany

Chancellor Angela Merkel may be running out of road after 12 years at the country's helm.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Nov 20, 2017

Gender equality critical for Japanese economic success

'I've never been one of those people who's had a passion for Japan since childhood, like some people in Europe,' smiled Helene von Reis, president and CEO of Ikea Japan K.K. Queried by The Japan Times about when the country 'first appeared on her radar,' she let out a hearty laugh. 'Actually, when I was first asked the question, 'Would you like to go work in Japan?''
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2017

Ex-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon hails Japan's 'natural evolution' toward rearming

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon hails as a “natural evolution” Japan's push to play a more active role in global defense and security issues.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 19, 2017

Want to increase workplace productivity?

Companies are not investing enough in strategic employee communications to produce an engaged workforce.

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb