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Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 16, 2014

'Early Mona Lisa' traced to English country home

Researchers into the provenance of a painting dubbed the "Early Mona Lisa" reported on Monday they had identified an English noble who probably bought it in Italy in the late 18th century and a country house where it was found in 1911.
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 16, 2014

About 300 Chinese said fighting alongside Islamic State in Mideast

About 300 Chinese people are fighting alongside the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Monday, a rare tally that is likely to fuel worry in China that militants pose a threat to security.
BASKETBALL
Dec 14, 2014

89ers punish sloppy Broncos

There were several stretches of Sunday's Saitama Broncos-Sendai 89ers game when the home squad's defense was in complete disarray.
BASKETBALL
Dec 13, 2014

Iwate edges Ryukyu in thriller, extends winning streak to 19

For the Iwate Big Bulls, eight was a key number on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Dec 13, 2014

Tokyo Station at 100: all change

“Tokyo Station is not just a station, it is a symbol of Japan. It has always been a part of progress in rail technology but it's much more important than that. It is a landmark that represents Japan.'
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 12, 2014

Ice Bucks strive to build brand, promote league

"Hard work, every day."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 11, 2014

Armies ready for battle in final 'Hobbit' film

There's a scene in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Volume 2" where Michael Madsen's Budd character asks Daryl Hannah's Elle: "Now you ain't gonna hafta face your enemy on the battlefield no more, which 'R' are you filled with: relief or regret?"
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 10, 2014

A vision of love through money and migration

At first glance, Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen's "Ilo Ilo" is a familiar tale. A family in Singapore hire a Filipina maid to care for their irate 10-year-old son, an Asian brat extraordinaire. Eventually the boy bonds with the maid, and the two become closer to each other than their real families,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / DECISION 2014
Dec 10, 2014

Japan's persisting gender gap leaves many single moms in poverty

Yuka Suzuki, 47, has virtually no savings, earns about half the average national wage and cannot see where the money will come from to retire one day.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 7, 2014

International schools in East Asia are as local as they want to be

International schools are not hermetically sealed off from their surroundings. The local culture can have a huge impact on everything from the schools' academic approach and parental involvement to community outreach.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 5, 2014

Bilingirl has plenty to teach you

Chika Yoshida, aka Bilingirl, wears many hats. She teaches English, sings, dances and makes costumes. She could be dressed up as Malificent with horns sticking out of her head, have her face painted white and talk in a squeaky voice like comedian duo Nippon Elekitel Rengo or be singing songs from the...
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Dec 5, 2014

Swansea's Bony making presence felt after being passed over by big clubs

He cost Swansea City just £12 million from Vitesse Arnhem in 2013. That is more like an agent's cut than a transfer fee these days. Yet no player has scored more Premier League goals in 2014 than Wilfried Bony — 18.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Dec 5, 2014

What's really behind the drop in home sales?

Thanks to the upcoming snap election, which is being called a referendum for the government's economic policies, everyone is aware that Japan's GDP has worsened since the consumption tax was raised last April. A large portion of this drop is being attributed to declining sales of new houses and condominiums....
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 4, 2014

Roby powering Akita with strong all-around game

The Akita Northern Happinets (14-4) have played nearly one-third of their 52-game schedule, and forward Richard Roby is having an MVP-caliber season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 4, 2014

Designers illuminate us on their winter wonders

When you think of Japanese art forms, many cultural pursuits will come to mind. The grace of ikebana, perhaps, or the beauty of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. At this time of year it becomes clear, though, that holiday lighting displays — referred to simply as "illumination" — are where the country's...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 1, 2014

What to buy, where to go: 40 steps to maximum merriment this Christmas in Japan

From meeting Pikachu in Fukushima to a laughter ritual in Osaka, here are dozens of ways to make sure you make the most of the festive season.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / ONE-ON-ONE WITH ...
Dec 1, 2014

Iwate's Randall stays focused on winning

The Japan Times features periodic interviews with players in the bj-league. Scootie Randall of the Eastern Conference-leading Iwate Big Bulls is the subject of this week's profile.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2014

Tibet core to Sino-Indian ties

Tibet historically was the buffer that separated the Chinese and Indian civilizations. Ever since Communist China, in one of its first acts, gobbled up that buffer with India, Tibet has remained the core matter with India.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 30, 2014

Gambling debt cripples Macau 'junket' model

Companies that connect China's wealthy gamblers to Macau's casinos are waiting as long as a year for gamblers to repay billions of dollars of loans, crippling the business model of an industry that sustains the world's biggest casino center.
Japan Times
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Nov 28, 2014

Chelsea easily Premier League's standout club

The jury is out on whether this is the worst or potentially the most exciting season in the 22-year history of the Premier League.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 28, 2014

China overtakes Japan as world's second-biggest stock market

China surpassed Japan as the world's second-largest stock market for the first time in three years amid growing investor confidence that policymakers in Beijing will revive the economy with monetary stimulus.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Nov 26, 2014

FIBA bans Japan from international competition

Although nearly a month passed since FIBA's Oct. 31 deadline for the Japan Basketball Association to present a merger plan for the bj-league and the NBL, among other demands, basketball's world governing body delivered the expected news.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 26, 2014

Kaneko, Sugano claim MVP awards

Chihiro Kaneko put up big numbers last season, but was largely out of the spotlight when it was time to give out awards. This time around, the Orix Buffaloes ace was one of the main attractions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 25, 2014

Nuclear power's dark future

Nuclear power constitutes the world's most subsidized energy industry yet it faces an increasingly uncertain future.
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 25, 2014

U.S. physicists solve mystery of why cats rule, dogs drool

Popular web videos showing that "cats rule and dogs drool" have new scientific evidence to support that felinophilic sentiment, at least when it comes to drinking.
BASKETBALL
Nov 23, 2014

Big Bulls beat B-Corsairs to stretch win streak to 14

What has defined the Iwate Big Bulls' performance this season?
BASKETBALL
Nov 22, 2014

Saitama suffers 11th straight defeat to open bj-league season

After a 20-day break and a minor overhaul of their roster, the Saitama Broncos returned to the court on Saturday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Nov 22, 2014

Konami's winning take on 'the beautiful game'

Soccer, more than any other sport, is the world's game. Played by millions, it is unquestionably the most popular sport on the planet.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Nov 22, 2014

From bad to worse

He's a bad man, isn't he?
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 20, 2014

Takamatsu making steady strides

Like the Osaka Evessa, their Western Conference rival, the Takamatsu Five Arrows did not push the panic button after struggling to string together back-to-back wins in early October.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’