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COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 5, 2014

Japan's 'zombienomics'

The hard reality is that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's vaunted economic reforms will not work unless he shows more guts, much more imagination and a lot more humility in dealing with a modern economy that cannot be commanded by fiat.
EDITORIALS
Dec 3, 2014

Debating nuclear energy

Lawmakers and parties need to lay out energy plans that include measures to reduce emissions that don't rely on nuclear power.
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 2, 2014

Another low for Japan's gender gap, as only 15% of election candidates are female

So much for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's call to empower women.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 24, 2014

Local governments finally getting around to public toilets

There will soon be many more Western-style toilets in Chiba Prefecture's public rest rooms
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2014

Fukushima Reactor 1 dismantling to be delayed

In the first-ever delay in the plans to dismantle reactor 1 at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the government and the utility have agreed to postpone the removal of fuel rods from the spent-fuel pool by two years from the initial plans, NHK reported Thursday....
BUSINESS
Oct 22, 2014

Casino bill delayed again, sources say

Japan's plan to open up to casino gambling has been delayed again, three people familiar with the process said, dealing a blow to one of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy priorities and to hopes the first resort will open in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
BUSINESS
Oct 20, 2014

Casino legalization delay likely, Komeito official says

The plan to legalize casino gambling has likely been delayed again, a senior Komeito official said Monday, dealing a further political blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 20, 2014

Subtle humor of haiku's cousin senryū is on a roll

"Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit," philosophizes the long-winded Polonius in Shakespeare's "Hamlet." That's also a fitting description of senryū — a form of short poetry defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "a three-line unrhymed Japanese poem structurally similar to haiku, but...
Reader Mail
Oct 15, 2014

Official ways for spreading Ebola

With fears about the spread of the Ebola virus in the headlines, I feel that it's important to point out that both the Japanese and U.S. governments have installed an excellent infection-spreading system at their borders.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / SEEN AT CEATEC
Oct 7, 2014

Toshiba unveils a humanoid robot that could be a sign of the times

If you visit the Toshiba booth at CEATEC this week you’ll be greeted by ChihiraAico, who can communicate in sign language . . . and who just happens to be an android.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 5, 2014

Lack of compromise delays trans-Pacific trade

American and Japanese officials should take a look at the clock ticking in their Trans-Pacific Partnership talks. Their failure to compromise thus far on key points is affecting the whole region.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 28, 2014

Abe to shift gears as Diet session kicks off

After drawing a storm of criticism and causing controversy with his Cabinet's reinterpretation of the Constitution earlier this year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party now look ready to avoid contentious security issues and refocus on revitalizing rural economies during the extraordinary...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 24, 2014

Red Obsession: Turning pale as French wine moves to China

Australian filmmaker Warwick Ross ("Reckless Kelly," "Young Einstein") is part of a growing trend among directors and producers — he has a day job.
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.
BUSINESS / Economy / 'SUMMER DAVOS' SPECIAL 2014
Sep 10, 2014

Transforming the corporate mindset

Yoshiaki Fujimori, president and CEO of Lixil Group Corp., believes a true leader must carry out two main tasks: implement innovative changes and educate the next generation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 9, 2014

Tesla's Musk keeps door open to future projects with Toyota

As Tesla Motors Inc. and Toyota Motor Corp. conclude an initial vehicle project that met with mixed results, Elon Musk, Tesla's chief executive officer, said his company may form another partnership with the giant Japanese carmaker.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2014

Tohoku Electric to start coal swaps to hedge price swing risks from liberalization

Tohoku Electric Power Co., Japan's third-biggest coal user, will start trading coal swaps for the first time to manage price volatility risk as it prepares for liberalization of the electricity market.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 3, 2014

Abe matches Koizumi by naming five women to lineup

Only once before Abe's Cabinet shake-up on Wednesday have there been five female ministers at the same time.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami