Search - 2017

 
 
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 26, 2018

South Korea eases cap on auto imports in return for U.S. steel tariff exemption

The United States agreed Monday to exempt South Korea from steel tariffs, instead imposing a quota on steel imports as the two countries agreed in principle to revise a trade pact that has been sharply criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Mar 25, 2018

Dodgy data spared Japan's workers from a labor system that's ripe for abuse, for now

At first glance, the discretionary work system looks like a dream come true in terms of work-life balance. On closer inspection, though, it has the potential to be a worker's nightmare.
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Mar 25, 2018

Kyoto gubernatorial race puts focus on demographic and economic challenges to come

Faced with a rapidly aging society and a growing socioeconomic gap between its prosperous capital and the rest of the prefecture, Kyoto voters go to the polls April 8 to choose a new governor who will be either a well-connected insider or a complete outsider.
EDITORIALS
Mar 24, 2018

Insufficient wage gains

Companies should share more of their earnings with employees as a strategic investment in manpower that supports their future business.
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2018

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said to side with carmakers' calls to ease fuel rules

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that a landmark Obama-era effort to cut vehicle greenhouse gas emissions is too aggressive and agrees with automakers that the standards should be revised, according to people familiar with the matter.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Mar 24, 2018

Extent of U.S.-China trade fight depends on Trump's goals, experts say

How bad will the U.S.-China trade fight get? That depends on whether President Donald Trump will settle for a reduction in China's U.S. trade surplus or hold out for sweeping changes to China's industrial policies.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 23, 2018

Kagoike certain Akie Abe spoke favorably to him about Moritomo land deal, lawmakers say after detention visit

Politicians pay a visit to the former head of Moritomo Gakuen to ascertain what Akie Abe knew and said about his school's nifty land deal with the government.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2018

Tourism industry tailors more services to well-heeled visitors from overseas as it looks to boost numbers and revenue

In 2017 a record 28.7 million foreigners visited Japan, up 19.3 percent from the previous year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2018

Education ministry works to curb excessive overtime by teachers

The education ministry has kicked off full-scale efforts to curb overwork among schoolteachers and address a longtime problem for educators.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 23, 2018

Vietnam scraps South China Sea oil drilling project under pressure from Beijing

Vietnam's state oil firm, PetroVietnam, has ordered the Spanish energy firm Repsol to suspend its Red Emperor project off the southeastern coast following pressure from China, the BBC reported on Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 22, 2018

Low-cost carriers Peach and Vanilla to merge in 2019: ANA

Vanilla Air and Peach Aviation, two low-cost carriers owned by ANA Holdings, announced on Thursday plans to merge by the end of fiscal 2019.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Mar 22, 2018

Lawson chief bets on health, tech as future of convenience

Back in 2014, Sadanobu Takemasu was asked by his boss to go to Lawson, the convenience store chain known for its white milk can logo on a blue signboard.
EDITORIALS
Mar 22, 2018

Data mining for profit and manipulation

Every day brings new revelations about the protection of personal data and the nefarious uses to which it can be put.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 22, 2018

Ask voters if they want more driverless cars

The ugly optics of the Uber self-driving car accident in Tempe highlight bigger ethical problems with the technology.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 22, 2018

74% of Japanese firms want BOJ to exit stimulus but see no tightening till 2019 or beyond: poll

Three-quarters of Japanese companies say the Bank of Japan needs to exit from its supereasy monetary policy but most do not see that happening until next year or beyond, a poll found.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Mar 22, 2018

It takes one to know one: How YouTuber Chris Okano built an agency to help his fellow J-vloggers

This past week, Japanese YouTube heavyweight Hikakin appeared on NHK's long-running business show "The Professionals" ("Professional: Shigoto no Ryugi") where he discussed the "new job" of being a YouTube content creator.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 22, 2018

U.S. Senate passes bill to penalize websites for sex-trafficking

The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Wednesday aimed at penalizing website operators that facilitate online sex trafficking, chipping away at a bedrock legal shield for the technology industry.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 22, 2018

Fewer new coal plants being built, but too many to meet Paris target, study says

The number of coal-fired power plants built worldwide fell steeply over the past two years, but emissions are too high to keep global warming within relatively safe levels, campaigners said on Thursday.
WORLD
Mar 22, 2018

Ukraine tightens entrance requirements for Russians

Kiev will tighten control over travel by Russian citizens to Ukraine, according to a decree signed by President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday, a further move by the authorities to distance Ukraine from its neighbor and one-time ally.

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