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BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Jul 14, 2019

New, more agile robots speed takeover of jobs once done only by humans

At a vast greenhouse in the central Danish city of Odense, a squad of robots move thin plastic pots of herbs for shipping without even putting a dent in them. For moviegoers used to seeing humanoid machines in action, that might not seem special — but in truth, it is a remarkable feat.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 14, 2019

Elephant and rhino populations rebounding in Tanzania after crackdown on poaching

Elephant and rhino populations in Tanzania have begun to rebound after a government crackdown dismantled organized criminal networks involved in industrial-scale poaching.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 13, 2019

Asylum-seekers in Japan are stuck in bureaucratic limbo

At the end of June, a Nigerian man in his 40s died at an immigration detention center in Nagasaki. According to a support group, the man had been on a hunger strike to protest his lengthy confinement, which had continued for more than three years. The detention center has yet to reveal the cause of his...
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jul 13, 2019

Ryo: Traditional uchiwa fans say 'summer'

There's no doubt about it — a colorful yukata (light cotton kimono) accessorized with a flat uchiwa fan says “summer.”
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jul 13, 2019

Mister Donut's Roll-nut: A perplexing doughnut and roll cake fusion

Mister Donut and patisserie Mon Cher combine their signature doughnut and roll cake to create a new frankensweet: the Roll-nut.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 12, 2019

Japan's place in coalition-building against Iran

Japan's participation in any coalition in the Persian Gulf region is far from a foregone conclusion
BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2019

Goldman Sachs joins Wall Street chorus warning about possible U.S. FX intervention

The buzz around possible U.S. currency intervention is growing louder as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has now weighed in on an idea that has been making the rounds on Wall Street.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 12, 2019

Trump's Pentagon pick says won't be bullied into making 'stupid decisions'

U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to become his top uniformed military adviser told Congress on Thursday that he would not be "intimidated into making stupid decisions," saying he would always give his best advice, regardless of pressure.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jul 11, 2019

Viral Momo Challenge hoax, based on sculpture by Japanese artist, being turned into Hollywood horror film

Momo, the goggle-eyed creature created by a Japanese artist that triggered a viral social-media hoax terrifying children and parents alike, is receiving a Hollywood makeover.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jul 11, 2019

Fruity sweets painted with a summer palette

From July 20 to Sept. 30, the ANA InterContinental Tokyo invites guests to taste summer with a wide selection of tantalizing sweets.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Jul 10, 2019

July 11, 2019

Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 10, 2019

'Five Million Dollar Life': Assessing the value of a single life

The weight of expectations — from family, friends, community — can be tough on any young person. Now imagine those people once paid $5 million to save your life.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 10, 2019

U.S. hopes to see 'freeze' of North Korea's nuke program as starting point — not endgame, State Department says

The United States hopes to see a "freeze" of North Korea's nuclear weapons program as a starting point — not an endgame — for Pyongyang eventually relinquishing its arsenal, a State Department spokeswoman said Tuesday ahead of a fresh round of talks expected to kick off later this month.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 9, 2019

Moving from #MeToo to #MenToo

False accusations of sexual assault have spawned the #MenToo movement in India, which demands gender-neutral laws and investigative procedures.
SUMO
Jul 8, 2019

Sumo 101: Charismatic rikishi

One of sumo's most defining features is the stoicism of its wrestlers.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2019

Get ready for a Cabinet reshuffle

The Upper House election is unlikely to produce a significant change in the composition of the Diet, but it will still shape the near-term political landscape significantly.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jul 8, 2019

Syrians return to their home city by Lebanese border in state-organized trip

Qusayr, a once bustling commercial hub in western Syria, has not seen any fighting since government troops, with the help of Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah group, drove out Sunni Muslim rebels six years ago.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 8, 2019

Trump frightens Republicans but 'doesn't scare me,' says quitting GOP Rep. Justin Amash

A U.S. congressman who is leaving the Republican Party said on Sunday that President Donald Trump's personal attacks against critics intimidate others in the party from speaking out against him, but said, "It doesn't scare me."
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 8, 2019

Taliban car bomb kills at least 14 as group holds peace talks in Qatar

A Taliban attack on a government security compound in central Afghanistan on Sunday killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 180, including scores of children, hours before a meeting in Qatar aimed at preparing the ground for peace talks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2019

African leaders launch free trade zone in what could be economic game changer

African leaders met Sunday to launch a continental free-trade zone that if successful would unite 1.3 billion people, create a $3.4 trillion economic bloc and usher in a new era of development.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 7, 2019

Does Japan's experience vindicate MMT?

Japan's experience doesn't prove that Modern Monetary Theory works, as some have argued. But increasing deficit-financed spending, in Japan and elsewhere, may still have merit, despite inflationary risks.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 6, 2019

Hot new Japan book releases for the sweltering summer

Time travel, yakuza, street photography and more feature in the best upcoming J-Lit releases for this summer (and beyond).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 6, 2019

Ginzasa: Washoku refinement, noodle simplicity

When it first opened more than eight years ago, Ginzasa flew in the face of prevailing ramen orthodoxy.But, it's the noodles that really set Ginzasa apart. Or rather, the clear broth they bathe in.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Jul 6, 2019

As Japan prepares to open casinos, gangs won't be afraid to test security

Japan is currently creating a legal framework to operate casinos via a system of integrated resorts, but concerns persist that they'll be prime targets for organized crime once they're finally up and running by 2024.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 6, 2019

Former ambassador to Vietnam may be North Korea's new point man in U.S. nuclear talks

North Korea appears to have appointed a longtime veteran of international diplomacy as point man in the new round of denuclearization talks with the United States, a diplomatic source in Seoul has confirmed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 5, 2019

Quiet luxury in lesser-known Kansai

The Kansai area — think Kyoto, Osaka and surrounds — has some of the country's best anaba (little-known spots) where you can encounter the rich depths of Japanese culture, minus the crowds. Reserve one of these nine luxuriously uncrowded options to take your travels to new levels.

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