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Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2020

Japan issues guidelines to prevent rush on hospitals as COVID-19 cases surge

The health ministry releases guidelines on how people should react if they fear infection with the coronavirus.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 17, 2020

Osaka referendum: Merger gets second chance, but are voters on board?

Five years after voters in the city of Osaka narrowly voted down a referendum on consolidating its 24 wards into five with more autonomy and eliminating the municipal assembly and mayor, another referendum is set for later this year.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Feb 17, 2020

Climate change to open up 'frontier' farmland, but experts urge caution

Kenya’s livestock herders planting chile peppers, Pakistan’s mountain farmers rearing fish and tropical fruits being grown in Sicily — farmers around the world are already shifting what they grow and breed to cope with rising temperatures and erratic weather.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Feb 17, 2020

Bureaucrats are to blame for copy-happy hotel clerks

With data privacy being a huge issue, you may feel uneasy about hotels photocopying your passport. However, Colin P.A. Jones says the rule is more about bureaucratic culture than privacy.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Feb 17, 2020

Shy Sue is ready to form a bond with a special person

Sue and her two siblings were rescued one rainy day as kittens more than two years ago. The three of them still currently call ARK home.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2020

Over 1,000 ex-Justice Department officials call on U.S. Attorney General William Barr to resign

More than 1,000 former U.S. Justice Department officials Sunday called for Attorney General William Barr to resign over his handling of the trial of a longtime adviser of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 16, 2020

With Javid's departure, Johnson has seized control

Sajid Javid's replacement, Rishi Sunak, is less likely to stand up to No. 10 and Dominic Cummings. U.K. spending may become more lavish as a result.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 16, 2020

Canada and Hong Kong to evacuate passengers from virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship

Canada and Hong Kong are planning to charter planes to evacuate their citizens onboard the Diamond Princess cruise liner docked in Yokohama, the two governments said in separate statements Saturday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2020

SoftBank plans to invest $1 billion from Latin America fund, with eyes on 650 firms

SoftBank Group Corp. will continue to invest in Latin America this year, focusing on industries including e-commerce, health care and fintech.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 15, 2020

News outlets weigh whether new virus will affect Olympics

Since mid-January, the name on the lips of increasing numbers of TV news announcers and commentators has been "Bukan," which is how the Chinese city of Wuhan is pronounced in Japanese.
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2020

From Tokyo to Wakayama to Okinawa, Japan on edge as COVID-19 spreads

Japan was on high alert Friday due to the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide, including that of two taxi drivers and a doctor, as well as the nation's first death blamed on the virus.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 14, 2020

Even before COVID-19, Japan economy likely took biggest hit since 2014

Economists estimate the economy shrank at an annualized rate of 3.8 percent in the third quarter and that the virus will likely push Japan into recession.
Reader Mail
Feb 14, 2020

To grow a tree, start with just a seed

The article "The first Indian voice in Tokyo politics" in the Feb. 6 edition, about Yogendra "Yogi" Puranik, led me to ponder our relationships with people who have different backgrounds.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 14, 2020

'Shape of Red' shows what Japanese women really want

Yukiko Mishima addresses the dangers of traditional gender roles with her latest film, 'Shape of Red,' adapted from a Rio Shimamoto novel.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 14, 2020

U.S. top lawyer Barr slams Trump attacks over Stone trial as juror calls meddling 'appalling'

U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Thursday pushed back against Donald Trump after the president's attacks on the prosecutors, judge and jury in the trial of a longtime adviser, saying Trump should stop tweeting about Justice Department cases and that he would not be "bullied" by anyone.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 13, 2020

SoftBank chief welcomes activist investor Singer as Vision Fund logs loss

SoftBank Group Corp. founder Masayoshi Son opened the door to making at least some of the changes championed by activist investor Paul Singer, after the company reported a second quarter of losses from its startup investing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Feb 13, 2020

Upscale jazz over dinner and Champagne

There's never a dull moment in Tokyo with its thriving entertainment scene, reputation as a first-class dining destination and the indulgent combination of both.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 13, 2020

Taiwan says U.S. flies B-52 bombers near island after Chinese drills

The U.S. military flew three Air Force planes — including two B-52 bombers — near Taiwan on Wednesday morning, the country's Defense Ministry and the U.S. Pacific Air Forces said, after China sent its own bombers and fighter jets for exercises near the island on Sunday and Monday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 13, 2020

Trump denies meddling in Roger Stone case and then scolds prosecutors

President Donald Trump denied meddling in his former associate Roger Stone's criminal prosecution, saying that tweets he issued about the case don't amount to political interference.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 12, 2020

Japan faces COVID-19 test kit shortage as infections on ship rise

Daily reports of new COVID-19 cases on the Diamond Princess, quarantined near Yokohama with thousands trapped aboard, have raised a question: Why can't Japan test all passengers at once?
Japan Times
Places
Feb 12, 2020

Best ume (plum blossom) spots to visit across Tokyo

If you're in the Tokyo area in early spring, check out our list of the best plum blossom viewing spots.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2020

Facilities for the elderly bracing for mass COVID-19 infection

Care homes for elderly people are taking full-fledged measures to prevent mass COVID-19 infections.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 12, 2020

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals stay true to their roots in a Wild West industry

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals bring their brand of blues and folk-tinged roots rock to Japan for their first tour in 14 years.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 12, 2020

Sudan agrees ex-President al-Bashir should appear before ICC over Darfur crimes

Sudan's government and rebel groups in Darfur agreed on Tuesday that all those wanted by the International Criminal Court should appear before the tribunal, a list that includes ousted president Omar al-Bashir.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Feb 11, 2020

Batterymates Katsuya Nomura, Joe Stanka shared special bond decades after playing for Hawks

The ball that brought an end to the 1964 Japan Series between the Nankai Hawks and Hanshin Tigers landed, as so many others had over those seven games, in Hawks catcher Katsuya Nomura's mitt.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 11, 2020

Paul Singer versus Masayoshi Son: Billionaires playing nice — for now

Paul Singer earned his reputation as a take-no-prisoners brawler by challenging the interests of Argentina's government and South Korea's family businesses. With his latest investment, though, the American activist investor appears to be taking a more collaborative approach.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Feb 11, 2020

As long as you learn 'sae ... areba,' communication in Japanese will get easier

The 'sae ... areba' pattern is used to express ideas like 'if only' and can be used in several simple situations as well as more complex ones.

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb