Search - announcements

 
 
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2014

End of the Facebook Revolution

When Facebook has already blocked an announcement inviting Muscovites to attend a January rally in support of an anti-corruption activist, imagine what it would do — or, for all we know, has already done — for the U.S. government.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Dec 22, 2014

Refiners Idemistu and Showa Shell in talks for tie-up

Shares in Japanese refiners surged on Monday after two of the largest said they were discussing a tie-up, as falling demand for fuels spurs the industry to consider consolidation.
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 21, 2014

Ishin-DPJ tieup, Kepco's greed to play key roles in April polls

In terms of domestic politics, the recent Lower House election was merely a prelude to next April's nationwide local elections.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2014

Iran's support for Syria tested by steep fall in oil revenues

Syrian businessmen and trade officials are worried that the economic lifeline provided by Iran is under strain from plunging oil prices despite public messages of support from Syria's strongest regional ally.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2014

Obama's surprise for Latin America

Perhaps most remarkable about the Cuba-U.S. agreement to re-establish diplomatic relations is that Latin American leaders were caught napping by the most significant Latin American moment in the last half-century.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 4, 2014

U.S. believes Iran launched air raids on Islamic State in Iraq

The United States has indications that Iran has carried out airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq in recent days, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Nov 25, 2014

Critical time for U.S.-China ties

Finding common ground is the key to a successful U.S.-China relationship. It is one that all concerned countries should hope that they succeed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 24, 2014

Japanese language group puts compound verbs in one place

If nouns are the bones of a language, verbs are the blood that keeps it moving. The thing about Japanese is that there are so many of them that it is close to impossible to know them all, particularly if we include combinations of two single verbs. The good news is that the National Institute for Japanese...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2014

Abe vows ¥2 billion in aid for waterworks in Jordan

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe praised Jordan's efforts to cope with threats posed by the Islamic State group and pledged a fresh grant aid worth more than ¥2 billion to help the country cope with its difficulties.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 5, 2014

Washington takes hands-off stance on future of Myanmar's Suu Kyi

Despite hailing Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as "an icon of democracy," U.S. President Barack Obama is quietly acquiescing to the government's decision to bar her from running for the presidency in next year's election, U.S. officials say.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Oct 28, 2014

Organizational flaws, collusive ties taking a toll on the WHO

Critics of the World Health Organization say its inability to fight Ebola thus far can be traced not only to its own organizational problems but also to its 'collusive relations' with the pharmaceutical industry.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 22, 2014

DLE, Toho to use theater screens as testing ground for new characters

DLE and the movie theater unit of Toho, the creator of 'Godzilla,' announced plans Wednesday to use the slot between trailers and the feature as a content incubator starting next month, pitting new characters in a popularity contest and sharing the intellectual property rights.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 22, 2014

Ebola raises airline bond risk, similar to SARS scare

The bond risk of ANA Holdings Inc. rose the most of any company in Japan as the spread of Ebola to two health workers in the U.S. rekindled memories of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002 and 2003.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 12, 2014

Modi's outreach to U.S. more than pageantry

Though some critics view the Indian prime minister's recent visit to the U.S. as puff and pageantry with no concrete results, Narendra Modi laid the foundation for long-term changes in the way India conducts its international affairs.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 8, 2014

Romney in 2016? Scenario not entirely out of the question

Mitt Romney, day in and day out, hears it wherever he goes, whether at campaign events for Republican congressional candidates, restaurants, or private dinners, the message is the same — run for president in 2016.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Oct 1, 2014

Readers' letters: Ian Thorpe, the Yushukan, racism, teaching English, tipping and sunlight

Some emails received in response to recent Community articles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 24, 2014

Firms revamp menus to tap fruit of Abe's 'womenomics' pledge

While pundits ponder whether women will answer Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's call to join the workforce, businesses are betting on an increase in demand for pizza and wine.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 18, 2014

Corruption exists; it's the response that matters

Contrasting approaches to fighting recent cases of political corruption in the U.S. and China underscore how China remains more a nation ruled by one party than by law.
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2014

Shizuoka governor rapped for posting school scores online

Education minister Hakubun Shimomura on Friday harshly criticized Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu for disclosing the names of public elementary schools that scored above average in this year's nationwide achievement test, saying the move goes against ministry rules.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 16, 2014

Missouri protests reignite over shot black teen

Protesters clashed with riot police in the U.S. state of Missouri overnight after police reports released earlier on Friday said a black teen was a suspect in the theft of cigars from a store minutes before an officer shot him dead.
WORLD
Aug 13, 2014

Israel's Gaza blockade to be challenged

Pro-Palestinian activists said Tuesday they would send ships this year to the Gaza Strip to try to breach Israel's naval blockade, repeating an action that four years ago ended with Israeli marines boarding a vessel and killing nine Turks.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 2, 2014

Fast-food follies have media in a frenzy

Almost exactly a year ago (on July 27, 2013), this column reported on how the print media was inundated with concerns over the safety of foods from abroad. Among the sources cited was Takarajima magazine, which quoted a foodstuffs importer as saying, "The decline of morals due to the pursuit of profits...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 30, 2014

Massive graft, rivalry behind purge of China's oil mandarins

Oil executive Jiang Jiemin rose to power in communist China in time-honored fashion: by hitching his star to a mighty mentor.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 9, 2014

Both candidates in Indonesia election claim victory

Both candidates claimed victory in Indonesia's presidential election on Wednesday, suggesting there could be a drawn-out constitutional battle to decide who will next lead the world's third-largest democracy.
SOCCER / World cup
Jul 2, 2014

Maradona says coaching Venezuela is possibility

Argentine great Diego Maradona has said he could be the next coach of Venezuela, the only South American country that has never made it to the World Cup.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / NOTEBOOK
Jun 17, 2014

Immortalizing Mt. Fuji; research fellowship; summer crafts

events
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jun 16, 2014

Venice Biennale lays down the past

The Venice Architecture Biennale, first staged in 1980 and recurring every two years, has grown to become the world's largest and most influential gathering of architectural thought leaders. The event has come to be seen as providing a global snapshot of contemporary practice and as a weather vane of...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 31, 2014

BOJ steps up growth 'rhetoric'

Japan's risk of spurring inflation without boosting the nation's growth potential is raising the stakes for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's next round of economic restructuring measures, due in June.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years