Search - environment

 
 
JAPAN
Oct 8, 2014

New Japan-U.S. defense guidelines will stress global reach

Japan and the United States released an interim report Wednesday on revising their bilateral defense cooperation guidelines by the year's end, in which they call for more global military cooperation between the two countries that will "benefit the (Asia-Pacific) region and beyond."
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Oct 6, 2014

Frontiers place title hopes in Cameron

In order to finally win the X League championship, the Fujitsu Frontiers have perhaps found the last piece of the puzzle with the acquisition of American quarterback Colby Cameron.
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2014

World Bank cuts developing East Asia forecast on China woes

The World Bank has lowered its forecasts for growth in developing East Asia this year and next, as China's expansion slows down and policymakers brace for tighter global monetary conditions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Oct 5, 2014

Educator reverses school's fortunes by reviving progressive principles

When Evernote Corp. CEO Phil Libin visited Tokyo's Shinagawa Joshi Gakuin in May, the combined junior and senior high school for girls came under the media spotlight — not only because it was unusual for a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur to visit a girls' school, but also because of the progressive...
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Oct 5, 2014

Families run into twin 'walls' as they seek after-school care

The gulf between day care for preschoolers and after-school care for elementary school students can come as a major shock to the system for parents and children alike.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 5, 2014

Lack of compromise delays trans-Pacific trade

American and Japanese officials should take a look at the clock ticking in their Trans-Pacific Partnership talks. Their failure to compromise thus far on key points is affecting the whole region.
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Oct 4, 2014

The bear cheek of our woodland friends

When I came to live here in Kurohime in the hills of northern Nagano Prefecture almost 35 years ago, I got a gun licence and joined the local hunter's association — not because I wanted to kill things, but to help me learn about the mountains, rivers, woodlands, plants and wildlife in this area.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 3, 2014

Don't look to Shanghai as next financial hub

If there's any likely winner from China's unprecedented clampdown on Hong Kong, it's Singapore. All it needs to do to attract the giant banks, hedge funds and multinational firms is sit back quietly as Beijing's henchmen do their worst.
EDITORIALS
Oct 2, 2014

Checkered business sentiment

Worrying signs appear to outweigh the bright spots in the Bank of Japan's latest 'tankan' survey. The government-laid scenario of steady recovery in consumer spending after the consumption tax hike in April has not materialized.
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 2, 2014

Lack of ice forces some 35,000 walruses to chill on Alaska shore

Fast-melting Arctic sea ice has forced some 35,000 Pacific walruses to retreat to the Alaska shoreline, scientists from several federal agencies said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 1, 2014

Conjuring the strange brutality of Agota Kristof

Those who loved poring through Agota Kristof's 1986 novel, "Le Grand Cahier," have been waiting for a film adaptation for almost two decades.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 30, 2014

Storytelling in the future will be transforming

A new form of analysis is emerging for the future of storytelling that will let us better understand why some tales grip us. If it succeeds, it will fuel new creative forms and make less vulnerable to manipulation by governments and companies.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 29, 2014

Mount Fuji finds mixed success with tolls

As the Mount Fuji climbing season drew to a close earlier this month, authorities were assessing the success of a new ¥1,000 voluntary climbing fee, which almost half of hikers skipped paying. It was introduced this year following a trial in 2013.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 29, 2014

Developing countries embracing nuclear energy despite Fukushima woes

Three years after Japan closed all of its nuclear plants in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown and Germany decided to shut its industry, developing countries are leading the biggest construction boom in more than two decades.
EDITORIALS
Sep 28, 2014

Nursing care worker shortage

Japan's population is graying rapidly even as a large number of nursing care workers quit their jobs every year, leaving nursing care facilities in dire need of staffing.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 28, 2014

Europe could jump-start a sustained recovery

Europe has a real chance to conclude a bargain if member countries implement fiscal and structural reforms in exchange for short-run relaxation of fiscal constraints focusing on growth-oriented investments.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 27, 2014

Scotland's independence referendum inspires an Okinawan discussion

As sometimes happens when a news story that has nothing to do with Japan becomes topical worldwide, the Japanese media tried to find a local angle for the Sept. 18 Scottish referendum. The coverage fell into two categories: greater autonomy for Okinawa, and the use of referendums.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 27, 2014

The tricky path abroad for Japanese games

On the website Change.org, there is a petition addressed to Bandai Namco Games signed by 711 people, as of Sept. 25, that reads simply, "Bring 'God Eater 2' to North America and EU."
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Sep 27, 2014

India and its incredible pollution problem

Incredible India! is the Indian government's marketing slogan to attract tourism. And I agree. India is truly incredible in countless ways, both captivating and heartbreaking.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 26, 2014

Kojima's terrifying world of the unknown

Hideo Kojima's "P.T." isn't even a full game, and it still might be the scariest video game experience of the year. It is atmospheric, unfailingly creepy, and in future years might be looked back on as the first step in the reimagining of the horror genre.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2014

Transit hotel to serve layover passengers at Haneda

Passengers changing flights at Tokyo's Haneda airport will get a new option for layovers when their body clock demands nothing but a place to crash.
MULTIMEDIA
Sep 26, 2014

Okinawa set to invite Universal Studios Japan to build theme park near Nago

Okinawa is planning to formally invite Universal Studios Japan to open a theme park in the Nago area, a prefectural official said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 25, 2014

Transforming the splendor of Japanese art

Every culture treasures its arts, and art museums are at the forefront of art preservation, engaging curators and specialists to ensure works remain as faithful to the originals as possible.
EDITORIALS
Sep 25, 2014

Safety net for nuclear power

A new system being considered by the government to guarantee a certain price for electricity generated by nuclear reactors — even after the retail sale of power is deregulated — would amount to the subsidization of nuclear energy by consumers.

Longform

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