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Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2017

Threat of North Korean EMP attack leaves Japan vulnerable

Forget the missiles — all North Korea would have to do to wreak havoc on Japan is trigger an electromagnetic pulse to cripple its electrical grids, transportation and banks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 7, 2017

Former diplomat fears war on horizon

A former key Foreign Ministry negotiator sees a window of opportunity in which both sides can be persuaded to pull back, but it will only last a year or so.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Sep 6, 2017

The other eclipse: Nazism recasts its shadow in Japan and the U.S.

It seems Nazis are the new black. It took two days for U.S. President Donald Trump to belatedly denounce American neo-Nazis and other white supremacists. In Japan, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, voicing admiration for German Nazis ("paleo-Nazis"?), suggested that Adolf Hitler, "who killed millions of...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW 2017
Sep 5, 2017

Japan must adhere to cap on social spending, new labor minister says

Japan needs to hold fast in limiting the rise of social welfare spending, said Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Katsunobu Kato in a recent interview.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 5, 2017

Japan seeks oil embargo on North Korea but China will resist cutting lifeline

Even before North Korea detonated its most powerful nuclear bomb yet, Japan was calling for moves to cut off its oil supply.
EDITORIALS
Sep 4, 2017

Pyongyang ratchets up its provocations

Pressure must be increased on North Korea to help halt its weapons development programs, but diplomatic efforts directly involving Pyongyang should also be explored.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2017

Two-day nuclear disaster drill kicks off at Genkai plant in Saga

The government begins a two-day disaster drill based on a hypothetical nuclear accident at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai power station in Saga Prefecture.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Sep 3, 2017

How Japan got new contract law it neither wants nor needs

One possible explanation for the inexplicable change in contract law: It is a giant experiment driven by academic hubris and bureaucratic ambition.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 3, 2017

New DP leader Seiji Maehara to pick ex-policy chief Shiori Yamao as secretary-general

Democratic Party President Seiji Maehara plans to appoint Lower House lawmaker Shiori Yamao, the party's former policy chief, as secretary-general of the main opposition party, it was learned Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 1, 2017

Struggling DP elects Maehara as next president

Conservative lawmaker Seiji Maehara wins the Democratic Party's presidential election, raising the chances of the scrambled opposition camp realigning itself to take on the ruling coalition.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 1, 2017

Modi's $87 billion river-linking gamble set to take off as floods hit India

After years of foot-dragging, India will begin work in around a month on an $87 billion project to connect some of the country's biggest rivers, government sources say, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi bets on the ambitious project to end deadly floods and droughts.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 1, 2017

Chemical plant blasts spark new worry in storm-soaked Texas

Explosions at a chemical plant near Houston posed a fresh worry for storm-battered Texas on Thursday while rescuers searched block-by-block for survivors of Hurricane Harvey and the death toll rose to 35 people.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2017

Defense spending set to reach a record, as ministry seeks anti-missile measures in budget request

The Defense Ministry on Thursday requested a record-high budget of ¥5.26 trillion for fiscal 2018, underscoring heightened concern over what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the "unprecedented" and "grave" security threat posed by North Korea's military provocations.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 29, 2017

Tokyo pushes back after Beijing's rebuke

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi learned an important lesson in Manila earlier this month: He can't pressure Foreign Minister Taro Kono by invoking his father's name.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2017

Why Donald Trump is doomed (and no it's not the Nazi thing)

Trump's defense of Nazis and Klansmen isn't a radical departure from the GOP political norm. Where he's gone off the rails by American standards is a question of style.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Aug 29, 2017

Japan adopts guidelines to cut long work hours in construction, transport sectors

The government adopted guidelines on Monday aimed at addressing long work hours in the construction and transport industries.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 28, 2017

Ex-Thai leader's exile spurs debate: Is Thaksin era over?

The self-imposed exile of another popular Thai leader means the junta won't need to deal with a high-profile prisoner. Yet another question remains: Can Thaksin Shinawatra's family finally be beaten at the polls?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 27, 2017

Maehara leads Edano in DP presidential race but half of chapters undecided: poll

Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara has the backing of 14 of the Democratic Party's prefectural chapters for the DP leadership race, His sole opponent, ex-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, has 10.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 26, 2017

North Korea launches three short-range missiles after nearly monthlong hiatus, U.S. says

After a nearly monthlong hiatus, North Korea launches three short-range ballistic missiles, one of which explodes almost immediately, amid war games held by the U.S. and South Korea.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 24, 2017

Vacationing Abe has a laugh with a posse of past prime ministers

As he grapples with mounting challenges both at home and abroad, it has become increasingly uncommon to see Prime Minister Shinzo Abe crack a smile in public.

Longform

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