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COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2014

Ukraine's vote, Russia's fate

When Ukraine's voters go to the polls on Sunday, not only the fate of their country will be at stake; so will the future of a significant part of Europe.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2014

Who's afraid of a gas cut to the EU this winter?

The danger posed to the EU by a stoppage in Russian natural gas supplies this winter depends on whether countries are willing to sacrifice for another and unify in their response.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 22, 2014

The Borgias (Season Three)

Language: English
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 22, 2014

India working its magic on Narendra Modi

The difference between the BJP and all other major Indian political parties today can be boiled down to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's energy, charisma and political capital.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2014

Future of Chinese democracy

The Chinese government's insistence that candidates for election to the post of Hong Kong chief executive first be approved by Beijing makes a mockery of its undertaking to introduce universal suffrage.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2014

Uneaten food threatens China's environment

Despite the fact that 11.5 percent of the China mainland's population was undernourished between 2010 and 2012, Chinese still manage to waste more food grains than Americans on an annual basis.
COMMENTARY
Oct 21, 2014

Abe's 'womenomics' is little more than skin deep

The sudden resignations of two female Cabinet ministers over separate spending scandals suggest that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prefers to appoint warm, telegenic figures to help him sell unpopular policies rather than strong, independent-minded women.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2014

Hosei students prepare to publish their own English-language newspaper

A joint project between The Japan Times and Hosei University in Tokyo is helping students learn reporting skills for an English-language publication.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 20, 2014

Modi's BJP makes big gains in Indian state polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party has made big gains in two Indian state elections, results showed Sunday, in an endorsement likely to encourage him to step up the pace of economic reforms.
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Oct 19, 2014

Abe's shift to regional woes fails to erase mistrust in LDP

Local experts and ex-bureaucrats pan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to rejuvenate stalled local economies, saying the idea is another half-baked initiative from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2014

Barriers to economic progress for women

New evidence is emerging of the lingering cultural barriers to women's economic advancement, which must be addressed if the world is ever to attain its goal of gender equality.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 16, 2014

China's next export could be deflationary spiral

Given China's darkening data, it's looking like the global financial system will need all the liquidity it can muster, not less.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 15, 2014

North Korea's elites are a threat to Kim Jong Un

North Korea is frequently described as 'the world's last Stalinist state,' but this is no longer the case. The North is now home to a large and growing private economy.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 15, 2014

For Americans abroad, old 'Duke' flicks can transport us home

As expats, our Americatown is the corner DVD shop, where we know who we are and have roots.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 15, 2014

China rebukes Taiwan for 'irresponsible' comments on Hong Kong

China's top body in charge of relations with Taiwan rebuked the self-ruled island on Wednesday for officials' "irresponsible" comments on the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, and took an apparent swipe at the protests that often happen in democratic Taiwan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 15, 2014

Ebola.com domain name is for sale, for $150,000

Amid the world's worst Ebola outbreak a Las Vegas company hopes to cash in by offering the domain name Ebola.com for sale for $150,000, a partner with the firm said on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 14, 2014

Saudi Arabia's oil enigma

Saudi Arabia is sometimes likened to a central bank managing the global oil market, adding or withdrawing supplies to control prices. But that vastly overstates the degree of influence, let alone control, that the kingdom exercises over the market.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2014

The war against Islamic State

History says an asymmetric war has never been won by air power alone. So who does U.S. President Barack Obama think is going to fight Islamic State?
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2014

The best interests of the Caucasian talk circle

The Caucasus is among the world's most divided and incoherent regions, as the three republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have failed to learn, economically or politically, from similarly linked groups of countries such as the Baltic states. Is it too late for the Caucasus to change course?
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 8, 2014

Sanctions on Russia will backfire on U.S. and EU

As things stand now, Russia, the U.S. and the EU are being hurt by the West's sanctions on Russia. It is a truly no-win situation for all those involved.
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.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 7, 2014

Abenomics' women problem

The key to Abenomics' success may turn on whether the Japanese people are convinced that more women in the workforce are essential to their country's economic revival, and on whether they will support efforts to establish institutions that support working women.
EDITORIALS
Oct 7, 2014

A resurgent U.S. economy

The U.S. economy is posting the strongest growth since the end of 2011, outpacing the forecasts and confounding experts who saw a country that had lost its vitality.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2014

India's illusory nuclear gains

The subcontinent's history since 1998 belies expectations at the time, in both India and Pakistan, that the nuclearization of weapons would prove to be a largely stabilizing factor.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2014

Split-power accord starts new phase for Kabul

As Afghanistan takes a major step toward its political future with its first democratic transfer of power, India will now have to articulate a policy response.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Oct 6, 2014

Tokyo: What can be done to restore Japan's relations with China and South Korea?

An international bunch around Tokyo offer their views on possible ways to rebuild trust between Japan and its East Asian neighbors over historical issues.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 5, 2014

Anti-EU U.K. Independence Party on cusp of winning first parliament seat

As he walks through the southeastern English seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea with a large banner for the anti-EU U.K. Independence Party under his arm, there is no doubt who 47-year-old builder Phil Drew will vote for in an election this week.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 4, 2014

Manga, the Rising Sun and Abe's history problem

During his recent visit to the United Nations, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reasserted his eagerness to improve relations with Japan's East Asian neighbors, but the reaction from Beijing and Seoul was tepid.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 3, 2014

America's 'love of war' is overstated by polls

Support for airstrikes against the Islamic State does not prove that Americans are war-happy. It may simply reflect that drone wars or airstrikes only touch a small segment of the U.S. population, and become just another issue people think about only when pollsters call.

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