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WORLD / Politics
May 31, 2017

Trump pulling U.S. out of Paris climate deal: Axios

U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Axios news outlet reported on Wednesday, citing two unidentified sources with direct knowledge of the decision.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 31, 2017

Abe government clashes with U.N. rapporteurs critical of Japan

Weeks after a U.N. special rapporteur released a surprise open letter slamming a state-backed conspiracy bill that critics warn could erode privacy and free speech rights, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has shown no sign of letting up on its targeting of the statement.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 31, 2017

Takayasu's rise built on solid family support

When yokozuna Hakuho was interviewed ringside on Sunday, after wrapping up his first title in a year, he congratulated the people of the Philippines on the imminent promotion of Takayasu to ozeki. It was a nice nod to the Taganoura stable man's mother, who hails from an island in the south of the country....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 31, 2017

Love comes as a light in the dark in 'Radiance'

'Radiance,' winner of the Ecumenical Prize at Cannes, is being promoted as a love story, but director-scriptwriter Naomi Kawase has more on her mind than getting her age-inappropriate pair into a clinch.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 31, 2017

Commercial plutonium a bomb material

The usability of reactor-grade plutonium for weapons threatens the whole nuclear fuel-cycle concept of Japan's Council for Nuclear Fuel Cycle.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 31, 2017

Budget furniture king Akio Nitori discounted his way to a fortune

Embarrassed by the recall of thousands of kitchenware pots after they appeared to leach lead when heated, discount-furniture king Akio Nitori took an unusual step. He hired a team of auto industry engineers to revamp the quality assurance and testing division.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / A MATTER OF HEALTH
May 31, 2017

Japan violating anti-smoking treaty by bowing to tobacco industry, expert says

The government's move to ban smoking in indoor public places ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has hit a snag due to staunch resistance from lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party trumpeting smokers' rights and the need to protect the tobacco industry.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 30, 2017

The terrorism threat: three denials and a hint of racism

Those who raise uncomfortable questions about how the West's foreign and domestic policies elevate the threat of terrorism do not deserve being tarred as traitors or Islamophobes.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
May 30, 2017

Hanyu set for Cup of Russia, NHK Trophy

The annual release of the Grand Prix assignments by the ISU traditionally signals the start of the new skating campaign. It came last Friday, so the Olympic season has officially begun.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 30, 2017

Olympic stadium architect sees wood as way to change Tokyo's concrete legacy

Look around Tokyo and you can still see the concrete legacy left by the 1964 Olympics and the subsequent economic "miracle." Wood can change that, says the architect of the main stadium for the 2020 Games.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 30, 2017

Trump administration's policy review on Cuba near completion, sources say

The Trump administration is nearing completion of a policy review to determine how far it goes in rolling back former President Barack Obama's engagement with Cuba and could make an announcement next month, according to current and former U.S. officials and people familiar with the discussions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 29, 2017

Potato chip panic: why Japan's future food security depends on solutions from its past

Climate change is uncharted territory, but by balancing our appetite for untested solutions with practices that have worked for generations, we can adapt with confidence.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 29, 2017

Favoring Osaka, Macau billionaire says Tokyo doesn't need a casino

Lawrence Ho, the billionaire owner of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, said he favors building a casino in Osaka rather than Tokyo because there are more opportunities to develop the smaller city as an entertainment destination.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 29, 2017

Let's discuss Basquiat's painting auction

A Japanese billionaire bought a Basquiat masterpiece for $110.5 million.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2017

BITPoint in talks to add bitcoin payments to outlets across Japan

BITPoint Japan, the company behind Peach Aviation's move to let travelers use bitcoin to pay for tickets, is planning to give hundreds of thousands of retail outlets the ability to accept the digital currency.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 29, 2017

Brewing Kake Gakuen scandal points to alleged Abe favoritism

On Thursday a former top ministry official dropped a bombshell in a hastily held news conference in Tokyo.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 29, 2017

New French president promises tough talk at first Putin meeting

New French President Emmanuel Macron is promising tough talk at his first meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday, following an election campaign where his team accused Russian media of trying to interfere in the democratic process.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
May 29, 2017

Chinese buy condom business as sex-savvy youth spur demand

April Zhang, a 21-year-old student from Shanghai, reflects the fast-shifting attitudes of China's younger generations toward sex. She's confident to talk about a topic once taboo here and is well educated about the risks.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 28, 2017

'WannaCry' lesson for the Japan-U.S. alliance

The rapid and destructive spread of ransomware highlights the need for a coordinated international response by Japan and the U.S.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?