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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 27, 2015

Crowdfunding helps revive quake-hit small businesses in Japan

When an 18-meter tsunami demolished his soy sauce factories in 2011 and killed an employee, Michihiro Kono despaired about the future of the company his family founded two centuries ago.
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jan 26, 2015

Sex slave wrangling misses human picture

When a dispute arises between the South Korea and Japan, such as the 'comfort women' controversy, the South Koreans who most fiercely criticize Japan are 'liberals' while the Japanese who criticize South Korea are 'conservative rightists.'
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2015

Hostage crisis puts work of aid groups on nation's public agenda

Groups with a stake in the Islamic State hostage crisis include aid teams who at times have struggled to keep the Syrian refugee crisis on the agenda back home.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 26, 2015

Two women hanging at Kim's side compete for influence

One sports a Christian Dior handbag and favors Western clothes. The other carries a notebook and wears dark uniforms. These fashion opposites are the two most influential women in North Korea.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 26, 2015

Afghan air force ascent slow, imperiling battle with Taliban

Afghanistan's armed forces are so short of combat-ready aircraft that, late last year, they began fitting machine guns and rockets to Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopters, dubbed "flying tractors," to bolster their air power.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2015

ASEAN captain Malaysia prepares to set sail into maritime disputes, 'democratic recession'

As Malaysia takes over the ASEAN chairmanship for 2015, it faces the challenges of intractable territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the 'democratic recession' in the region.
BASKETBALL
Jan 24, 2015

Takamatsu snaps 14-game losing streak

The Takamatsu Five Arrows collected their first victory since Nov. 16 on Saturday, topping the visiting Rizing Fukuoka 88-86.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jan 24, 2015

Monkeying around in Sarugakucho

Sarugakucho — which loosely translates as "monkey fun town" — is a hot spot near Daikanyama Station in Shibuya, Tokyo. As a place to hang out, this area sets the bar pretty high: Its backstreets are a zoo of uber-cute boutiques offering exclusive jeans, aromatic drip coffee made with gourmet beans,...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 24, 2015

New heir to Saudi throne is said to be relatively liberal outsider

Saudi Arabia's new Crown Prince Muqrin represents the biggest break from the kingdom's tradition of any of his predecessors in the role — both because of his lowly maternal birth and his foreign education.
Japan Times
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 23, 2015

Little hope on horizon for long-suffering Aston Villa

Such is the apathy among Aston Villa fans that even a planned protest against manager Paul Lambert and owner Randy Lerner failed to materialize.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 23, 2015

Democrats fine-tune gaffes with homemakers

American Democrats have a knack for saying stupid things about full-time homemakers. And two of President Barack Obama's recent proposals with regard to tax credits reflect this weakness.
CULTURE / Music
Jan 23, 2015

Former owner of club Noon sees acquittal upheld

The former owner of an Osaka nightclub charged under Japan's controversial "no dancing" law has been cleared of wrongdoing after a High Court upheld his acquittal last year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 23, 2015

Japan, Korea scholars join hands on history in fence-mending bid

Researchers in Japan and South Korea are working together to file a joint request to get historic materials documenting the Korean missions to Japan placed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register to help improve the strained diplomatic relationship.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 23, 2015

Euro falls toward 11-year low as ECB targets government bonds

The euro slid toward an 11-year low against the dollar as the European Central Bank expanded its bond-buying program to include government bonds, a policy that tends to debase the currency.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 22, 2015

Improved 'competitiveness' key to wage hikes, labor chief says

Restoring industrial competitiveness is the key to fueling wage gains that the Abe government and the central bank are counting on to ensure inflation takes hold, according to labor minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 22, 2015

Mitsui Fudosan to build office tower in Manhattan

Mitsui Fudosan Co., Japan's biggest developer, will build an office tower in Manhattan with an expected cost of ¥150 billion.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 22, 2015

Israeli arrested over Madonna song leak

An Israeli man was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of hacking Madonna's computer and selling the pop icon's songs online, a private investigator involved in the case said.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2015

Respected journalist Goto aims to tell world of Syrians' suffering

Kenji Goto is among a rare breed of journalists who, while reporting from conflict-ridden Syria, has never regarded himself as a war reporter. Instead, he has tried to capture the voices of ordinary citizens whose fates have been irreversibly changed by war.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jan 21, 2015

Forty years after Zainichi labor case victory, is Japan turning back the clock?

Efforts against nationality-based discrimination in Japan have made zero progress in the four decades since a landmark court case against Hitachi.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 21, 2015

Avignon chief sees culture and politics sharing the stage

"The Avignon Festival is not only about shows and theater, but also about thinking, searching and seeking to understand the world and its politics — and offering an opportunity for three weeks' intellectual life experience every year," Olivier Py, the event's artistic director, declared with passion...
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2015

Government earmarks funds to deal with caregiver shortage

A crisis in nursing care is brewing. The government estimates that the nation will be short of 300,000 professional caregivers by 2025, when postwar baby boomers will be 75 or older and many will need regular care.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 21, 2015

Obama's State of the Union speech shows populism has gone mainstream in U.S. politics

President Barack Obama reached into his party's progressive past to deliver a robust endorsement of higher taxes for the wealthy, government intervention in the economy and an array of new benefits for lower- and middle-income Americans.
Japan Times
JAPAN / DAVOS SPECIAL 2015
Jan 21, 2015

Switzerland and Japan celebrate 150th anniversary of their diplomatic relations

Switzerland, which is home to Davos, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Japan. The Japan Times had an opportunity to interview Swiss Ambassador to Japan Urs Bucher on the bilateral relationship. He has been the ambassador in Tokyo since October 2010.

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