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Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 31, 2014

National Guard heads to Hawaii town threatened by river of lava

A contingent of National Guard troops was dispatched to a Hawaii town on Thursday to provide security to the Big Island community threatened by a river of molten lava that is slowly creeping toward the town's main road, an emergency official said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 31, 2014

Sweden recognizes Palestinian state, hopes peace process will restart

The Swedish government officially recognized the state of Palestine on Thursday and said there were signs European Union states would follow its lead.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / NFL NOTEBOOK
Oct 30, 2014

Don't hold your breath waiting for an expansion franchise in London

In the week before the Detroit Lions defeated the Atlanta Falcons 22-21 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, there were several reports that mentioned the possibility of a future NFL franchise in London.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2014

Will Hong Kong go beyond self-flagellation?

Hong Kong and mother China should be working together on ameliorating the social and economic pressures threatening to pull Hong Kong down far more dramatically and dangerously than today's governance dispute.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2014

Yamagata co-op markets bank account that offers love interest

Deposit your money at a bank in northern Japan and you could get more than interest payments. You might end up getting married.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 29, 2014

Pale Moon: Bored bank teller embraces the root of all evil

American bank robber Willie Sutton, who allegedly made more than $2 million over a 40-year criminal career, once told a reporter that he robbed banks because "that's where the money is." In the usual heist movie, however — with Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing" (1956) serving as a template — the stolen...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 29, 2014

Son of a Gun: 'Gritty prison realism replaced with impossibly glamorous molls and heavy-firepower heists'

'Son of a Gun" begins in a prison in Perth, Australia, with 19-year-old JR (Brenton Thwaites) facing his first incarceration for a minor crime. He realizes, from the sight of a terrorized and sodomized cellmate, that things are going to get ugly pretty quickly. He cuts his pretty-boy hair and keeps his...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2014

DPJ's Edano admits financial misreporting, promises correction

The opposition parties may have smelled blood over the recent Cabinet minister funding scandals, but they now have a spending irregularity of their own to deal with.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 29, 2014

Nomura sees four years of overseas losses nearing an end

Nomura Holdings Inc. says its four years of losing money abroad may soon be over as it rebuilds businesses outside of Japan after cutting costs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 29, 2014

High drama at Festival/Tokyo

News in March that 38-year-old Chiaki Soma had suddenly been removed from the post of program director of Festival/Tokyo, which she had held since it started in 2009, set many theater lovers worrying about the future of the flagship drama event whose stature at home and abroad had only grown with her...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 29, 2014

Millepied's L.A. Dance Project arrives with a triple bill of disparate delights

Two years after its inaugural performance, L.A. Dance Project is already a must-see company. In part that's because its founder and artistic director is the legendary French-born ballet dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied — but also because of its trendy innovations in contemporary dance and...
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Oct 29, 2014

'Maternity harassment' verdict benefits women, men — and our humanity

The landmark quality of the Supreme Court ruling cannot be overstated. If women can be demoted for getting pregnant, then women who care about their careers will hesitate to have children at all.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 29, 2014

Stretch your fright nights right into the weekend

This year, many people in Japan celebrated Halloween early. Last weekend saw parades, parties and trick-or-treating at special events across the country, but for those who grew up in places that historically celebrate the holiday, Oct. 25 may have been a bit too soon to get spooked.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 29, 2014

Lava nears homes of Hawaiian village

A stream of lava from the Kilauea volcano slithered across fields on Tuesday, burning grass and other vegetation as it closed in on a village on Hawaii's Big Island, with the nearest home only 70 yards (64 meters) away.
EDITORIALS
Oct 27, 2014

The rule of law in China

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party pledged last week to 'comprehensively advance the rule of law.' But can the rule of law really take root as long as a party central panel remains in overall control of initiating corruption probes against high-ranking officials?
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Oct 27, 2014

Japan holds separate military drills with Russia, U.S.

Japan begins exercises with the U.S. Army in Hokkaido, a day after it started naval maneuvers with Russia 800 km away off the coast of Vladivostok.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 27, 2014

Air bag maker in crisis used unique chemical explosive

The emerging crisis over air bags traces back to a little-known Tokyo company that for over 20 years has supplied the safety devices to automakers including Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and General Motors Co.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2014

Computer role-playing game helps potential lay judges prepare for trial

The "saiban-in" (lay judge) system thrusts ordinary citizens into a position of responsibility in major criminal trials, and efforts are underway to prepare them better to handle the evidence they may see and the decisions they may face.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 27, 2014

For Panasonic, life after gadgets enriched by self-driving cars

Panasonic Corp.'s ratings upgrade last week shows that its investment in self-driving autos and car batteries has breathed new life into the company as it scales back on consumer electronics.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 27, 2014

'Comfort women' issue refuses to go away

"Comfort women," as Japan refers to the females who were forced into sexual servitude for the nation's wartime forces, have been a constant source of controversy since the early 1990s, when the media started to take a serious look at their ordeal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 26, 2014

As Abe's political ratings fade, top official calls for delay in next sales tax hike

A top government official said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should delay a planned consumption tax increase, the strongest sign yet that economic weakness is causing concern among those close to Abe ahead of his final decision on the levy.
COMMENTARY / Japan / COUNTERPOINT
Oct 25, 2014

Abe downsized, comfort women reprised

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe now understands why political gurus say that a week is a short time in politics.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Oct 24, 2014

Nico Nico moves into Ikebukuro

Since launching in 2006, online video-sharing service Nico Nico (originally Nico Nico Douga) has become one of Japan's central hubs for aspiring artists and entertainers to share their talents with users across the country. They've fostered a millions-strong community capable of influencing mainstream...
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 24, 2014

Give Abe a break on 'womenomics'

What matters for Japan — after two female ministers resigned this week from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet — is not the number of women in the Cabinet, but whether Japanese women get good jobs en masse.

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