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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 11, 2017

Japan's regional bank consolidation 'inevitable' as BOJ's prolonged ultraeasy policy hurts profits: FSA

Further consolidation among Japan's regional banks is inevitable given the rapidly aging population and ultralow interest rates, according to an adviser to the Financial Services Agency.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 10, 2017

DP lawmakers unhappy with JCP election alliance consider exiting party

Several Lower House members of the Democratic Party are considering quitting over its election cooperation alliance with the Japanese Communist Party, sources familiar with the situation said.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Sep 9, 2017

Kano Ozawa breathes fresh air into opera direction in Turin

In the Roman amphitheater of Verona, Italy, the elephants and horses in ancient Egyptian regalia marched onto stage to the thunderous chords of Guiseppe Verdi's opera "Aida." The singers filled the balmy night with their voices, soaring over the trumpets and crashing cymbals of the orchestra — and...
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Sep 8, 2017

Okinawa bus tour services share staff with other firms in the off-season to tackle labor crunch

Twenty-one bus tour guides of Naha Bus Co. and Ryukyu Bus Kotsu are now working at a call center in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, to take customer orders for women's clothing.
BUSINESS
Sep 7, 2017

Want hydrogen with your fish? Japan eyes home delivery of clean fuel in rural north

Want a canister of clean energy to go with your basket of carrots and fresh fish?
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW 2017
Sep 5, 2017

Japan must adhere to cap on social spending, new labor minister says

Japan needs to hold fast in limiting the rise of social welfare spending, said Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Katsunobu Kato in a recent interview.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 3, 2017

North Korea conducts sixth nuclear test, says it has developed 'perfect' H-bomb

North Korea claims to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb capable of being loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile, presenting the U.S. and its allies with a new and more potent challenge.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Sep 3, 2017

Line CEO Takeshi Idezawa hears voices guiding smartphones evolution

Since its messaging app debuted in June 2011, Line Corp. has shaken up the online communications landscape in Japan and morphed into a player in smartphone communications infrastructure.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 3, 2017

Tight market and new labor law improving job security for Japan's army of contract workers

Japan's labor market is getting so tight that companies are starting to convert contract and part-time workers into full-time, regular employees to prevent them from leaving — a move that could lift wages and spending but squeeze profits.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 1, 2017

Salvage best parts of TPP for future trade agreements

The best achievements of the Trans-Pacific Partnership don't have to be lost.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 1, 2017

Central government to let ministry staff use pre-marriage names on externally used documents

The government takes another step toward loosening restrictions on the use of pre-marriage names by civil servants by allowing their use on ID cards and in external communications.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 1, 2017

Modi's $87 billion river-linking gamble set to take off as floods hit India

After years of foot-dragging, India will begin work in around a month on an $87 billion project to connect some of the country's biggest rivers, government sources say, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi bets on the ambitious project to end deadly floods and droughts.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2017

Energy hogs: China targets farm animals' waste as a 'clean' power source

China will pay farmers to turn animal waste into fertilizer and power, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday, as Beijing cracks down on agricultural pollution that has for years leaked into rivers and lakes, angering Chinese residents.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2017

Defense spending set to reach a record, as ministry seeks anti-missile measures in budget request

The Defense Ministry on Thursday requested a record-high budget of ¥5.26 trillion for fiscal 2018, underscoring heightened concern over what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the "unprecedented" and "grave" security threat posed by North Korea's military provocations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 60 years of Malaysia-Japan ties
Aug 31, 2017

Many areas continue to benefit from bilateral ties

Japan Times
JAPAN / 60 years of Malaysia-Japan ties
Aug 31, 2017

ASEAN profit seen by investing in Malaysia

History has proven that Malaysia is a resilient nation, despite multiple challenges faced by the global economy. The country has a well-diversified economy resting on the back of solid economic fundamentals. With a stable economic and political environment, good infrastructure and proximity to the large...
Japan Times
JAPAN / 60 years of Malaysia-Japan ties
Aug 31, 2017

Extensive resources to support businesses

What is the mission of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)?
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 30, 2017

Water-borne drill staged by protesters seeking to block Canada oil pipeline, Vancouver terminal

On a sparsely populated island off the coast of the northwestern United States, more than a hundred environmental activists gathered last weekend to practice seaborne drills to disrupt construction on Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd.'s Westridge crude oil terminal.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 28, 2017

Nagoya group looks to turn disposable diaper waste into fuel

Three men whose companies are involved in the manufacture and sales of disposable diapers — the use of which is expected to increase with the aging population — have started an association in Nagoya to research ways to turn them into fuel.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Aug 27, 2017

Shiga tops in volunteerism; Osaka finishes in last place: leisure survey

If you're the kind of person who prioritizes volunteer work, enjoys playing badminton and has an interest in studying, Shiga Prefecture might be your ideal home in Kansai.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 26, 2017

Japan's female politicians showing the way forward on maternity harassment

Since July 12, when Lower House lawmaker Takako Suzuki announced she was pregnant with her first child, the news media has been full of stories about "maternity harassment."
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 26, 2017

Definition of happiness in Japan remains a mystery

Try defining "happiness." "A state of well-being and contentment," says Merriam-Webster's dictionary, unhelpfully. It's like saying happiness is happiness.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / HOOP SCOOP
Aug 26, 2017

Retiring coach Richardson leaves lasting legacy on Golden Kings, Okinawa basketball

Successful organizations have people who inspire others and encourage them to build an environment where success is a top priority.

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