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Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 21, 2014

How economist Krugman's meeting with Abe may have swung decision to postpone tax hike

When economist Etsuro Honda heard that Paul Krugman was planning a visit to Tokyo, he saw an opportunity to seize the advantage in Japan's sales-tax debate.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 21, 2014

Translator moved to action by Malala

Malala Yousafzai, who at 17 became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, has influenced countless people all over the world as an activist for female education. One of those is Yoshiko Nishida.
WORLD
Nov 21, 2014

British telecom firm helped government spy on millions, TV station claims

Telecommunications firm Cable & Wireless helped Britain eavesdrop on millions of Internet users worldwide, a British TV channel reported Thursday, citing previously secret documents leaked by a fugitive former U.S. National Security Agency contractor.
WORLD
Nov 21, 2014

Construction of Nicaragua interocean canal to begin Dec. 22

Construction of Nicaragua's $50 billion Interoceanic Grand Canal, expected to rival the Panama Canal, will begin Dec. 22 after feasibility studies have been approved, the committee overseeing the project said on Thursday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 21, 2014

Award-winning American director Mike Nichols dies at 83

Mike Nichols, a nine-time Tony Award winner on Broadway and the Oscar-winning director of films such as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," "The Graduate" and "Carnal Knowledge," died on Wednesday at age 83, ABC News said.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2014

Shimomura wants to make English classes mandatory for fifth- and sixth-graders

Education minister Hakubun Shimomura proposes a root-and-branch overhaul of the elementary, junior high and high school curricula.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 19, 2014

Filmex brings art and brutality to Tokyo cinemas

Now in its 15th edition, Tokyo Filmex is Japan's leading art-over-commerce festival, offering a lineup packed with films screened earlier this year at major festivals around the world, while disdaining the glitz and glamour of the recently ended Tokyo International Film Festival. The Filmex guest list,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 19, 2014

Open Windows: 'Sliding into the creep zone'

What has happened to Elijah Wood? The former child star whose career out-survived most of his contemporaries is slipping further and further into the creep zone. In the decade since his signature role as Frodo in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, his roles have gone from nerdy and vulnerable to nerdy...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 18, 2014

Abe to dissolve Lower House on Friday for Dec. 14 election

After weeks of leaks and speculation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Tuesday he will dissolve the Lower House on Friday for a snap election next month, after his administration decided to delay a second consumption tax hike planned for next October.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 18, 2014

Abe is banking on getting a new voter mandate

It's finally official. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday he will dissolve the Lower House and call a snap election next month, after his administration decided to delay the next hike in the consumption tax until April 2017.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 18, 2014

Actor Ken Takakura, who defined image of yakuza anti-heroes, dies at age 83

Beloved as 'one of the last true movie stars,' Ken Takakura was a true phenomenon of Japanese cinema.
EDITORIALS
Nov 18, 2014

Economic downturn continues

In the upcoming election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has much explaining to do about the state of the economy.
EDITORIALS
Nov 18, 2014

Shortage of nursing care workers

With the nation's population rapidly graying, the government must take steps to boost the number of nursing care workers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 18, 2014

Engineer mobility at Samsung is a lesson for troubled Sony

Samsung Electronics Co. is giving Sony Corp. a lesson in quick decision-making by moving engineers from its smartphone unit less than a month after posting a profit slump in the business.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 17, 2014

For whom the Berlin Wall fell?

A quarter century after the fall of the Berlin Wall, democracy and prosperity have not really arrived for most people in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

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