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JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Jul 1, 2017

Are crime syndicates in Japan sitting on a gold mine?

The Japanese underworld loves gold — it has been the analog bitcoin of crime syndicates in recent years. The origins of gold are difficult to trace, and the material is easy to convert into cash and store. Crime syndicates are increasingly smuggling it, stealing it or robbing it from other smugglers...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 6, 2017

High infidelity: Ayumi Ito reprises her role in 'Hirugao'

A Japanese drama that instigated a nationwide debate about female infidelity and societal values, "Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon" has been made into a heart-wrenching movie that aims to have audiences reaching for the tissues.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 14, 2017

Racial and ethnic hate speech thrives in online games

Spend enough time hunting terrorists or wandering dystopian wastelands in online games and you are bound to come across players hurling xenophobic and racist taunts at each other, from Islamophobes in Europe to South Koreans and Japanese bickering over disputed islands.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Mar 4, 2017

Welcome to the design fold

This month celebrates the art of folding with a selection of products that can be transformed by just a few bends, creases and tucks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2017

Sony to take writedown of ¥112 billion as movie business founders

Sony Corp. said it will take a ¥112 billion ($1 billion) writedown in its movie business after reviewing the future profitability of its operations.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 23, 2016

Ad giant Dentsu declared Most Evil Corporation of the Year

Advertising giant Dentsu Inc. has won the Most Evil Corporation of the Year Award in recognition of its culture of overwork and harassment, journalists and rights activists announce.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 14, 2016

Line seeks to shake up messaging business to spur growth

Line Corp. is planning to shake up its staff and business to build on the 20-plus percent share gain since the messaging company pulled off the tech world's biggest public offering of the year.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 4, 2016

'PPAP' goes the world: How Pikotaro became a viral smash

Pikotaro still can't believe it all. Two days before he sits down with The Japan Times, the performer saw that American DJ duo The Chainsmokers had changed their Twitter name to "Pineapple & Pen," a nod to his song "PPAP." That pair previously claimed YouTube's most popular clip with "Closer" — until...
WORLD
Oct 22, 2016

Cyberattack targets PayPal, Twitter, other sites

Hackers unleashed a complex attack on the internet through common devices like webcams and digital recorders and cut access to some of the world's best known websites Friday, a stunning breach of global internet stability.
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Oct 15, 2016

Fukui poised to benefit from decision to scrap Monju

Big money pull a million stringsBig money hold the prizeBig money weave a mighty web
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 13, 2016

Toyota Suzuki driven toward alliance amid fear that innovators will overtake them

Toyota Motor Corp. sees the technological revolution shaking up the auto industry as a serious enough threat to its survival that the world's most valuable carmaker will consider partnering with one of its fiercest Japanese rivals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 24, 2016

Yahoo faces growing scrutiny over when it learned of data breach

Yahoo on Friday faced pointed questions about exactly when it learned about a cyberattack that exposed the email credentials of 500 million users, a critical issue for the company as it seeks to prevent the breach from affecting a pending takeover by Verizon Inc.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 28, 2016

European carriers aiming for superfast Wi-Fi aboard planes

Starting early next year, travelers on some Lufthansa flights in Europe will be able to surf the web using Wi-Fi that promises speeds and coverage that trounce existing offerings.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 22, 2016

In the electronics doldrums

The main culprit of Japan's economic doldrums during the past quarter century is the stagnation of its electronic equipment manufacturers.
EDITORIALS
Jul 28, 2016

Trump's troubling Russian ties

Donald Trump should provide more transparency about the nature of his financial dealings and interests in Russia.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 23, 2016

Plot against Rio Olympics raises fears of lone wolf terrorist attacks

Brazil held 10 presumed Islamist militants in isolation cells at a maximum security jail on Friday as police combed their computers and mobile phones for information about possible threats to next month's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2016

Do-it-yourself pensions take hold in Japan as state payouts expected to dry up

When Saori Ito went on maternity leave last year and stopped getting a regular paycheck from her cosmetics company, she became worried about her future — and wondered if this kind of anxiety is what awaits her after retirement.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 15, 2016

Selection of next U.N. chief reaches critical stage

The Security Council should select the most qualified candidate for the next U.N. chief, as the U.N. can no longer afford to have less than the best at its helm.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 6, 2016

Beijing using English-language videos, tweets and op-eds in PR push ahead of South China Sea ruling

Ahead of a key international arbitration court ruling next Tuesday over China's territorial dispute in the South China Sea, Beijing has unleashed an unprecedented English-language public relations push to tell its side of the story.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 29, 2016

Ship sank off Italy with hundreds aboard, rescued migrants say

Migrants rescued from two boats in the Mediterranean this past week told humanitarian workers in Italy that they saw another vessel carrying some 400 migrants sink, Save the Children said on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 25, 2016

Abe treads fine line in Ise Shrine tour as Shinto religion faces challenges

Ise Shrine is considered one of the holiest sites in Shinto, a faith whose rituals have been woven into Japan's culture for centuries.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 8, 2016

Forbidden fruit: China bans 'erotic' banana-eating live streams

Bananas may be China's new forbidden fruit — at least online.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Apr 20, 2016

China suspends G-20 anti-corruption task force, members say

China suspended an international anti-corruption task force after taking over the presidency of the Group of 20 earlier this year, according to six individuals in the group, who called it a setback to efforts to crack down on shell companies used to conceal assets.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 23, 2016

'Banksy Does New York' and throws shade on the art world in the process

Who is Banksy? The U.K.'s best-known-yet-unknown street artist/conceptual prankster was in the news again this month after researchers at Queen Mary University of London analyzed maps of Banksy's wall works in London and Bristol to pinpoint a possible suspect. Excited headlines shouted as though Batman's...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2016

Tencent taps ninja Naruto to chase China's $31 billion anime market

A blue-eyed ninja with spiky blond hair and whisker marks is leading Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s campaign to capture the eyes and wallets of China's anime fans.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / David Bowie in Japan
Jan 15, 2016

15 minutes more

One day in 1996, when I was working as an editor/writer on the features desk, I arrived at work and was told as I walked in the door that an unnamed person had called. They were looking for someone at The Japan Times to do a one-on-one interview with David Bowie.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / David Bowie in Japan
Jan 14, 2016

Like some cat from Japan: A tribute to David Bowie

The late David Bowie's appreciation of Japan and its culture was strong. Following his recent death, The Japan Times asked five people who share that connection with the country, and who witnessed the decade-spanning trajectory of this starman, to recall what his sound and vision meant to them.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 29, 2015

Database of 191 million U.S. voters exposed on Internet, says researcher

An independent computer security researcher uncovered a database of information on 191 million voters that is exposed on the open Internet due to an incorrectly configured database, he said on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 12, 2015

Top IT executives pour $1 billion into artificial intelligence startup

Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives are pouring $1 billion into a nonprofit aimed at creating artificial intelligence that augments humans' capabilities, rather than making them obsolete.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Nov 18, 2015

Retracing forced laborers' journey, Koreans finally bring their loved ones home from Hokkaido

A decade-long effort by civic groups in Japan and South Korea culminates in a 3,500-km journey to bring back the remains of wartime forced laborers.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji