Search - events

 
 
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 19, 2014

Parliaments need a say on war

Democracies urgently need to modernize procedures and structures for going to war with parliamentary debate and sanction, instead of by government fiat based on the instincts of a strong-willed prime minister or president.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Sep 19, 2014

Aichi mountains provide dramatic setting for terra-cotta amphitheater

In the mountains of Mihama, Aichi Prefecture, a curious art space is emerging. Ceramics artists Ximena Elgueda and Steven Ward are building "The Mountain Plaza," a terra-cotta amphitheater.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 18, 2014

West African powerhouse Cote d'Ivoire battles to keep out Ebola

The billboard depicts a masked health worker in a biohazard suit looming over a bed-ridden patient. Above them, bright red letters warn commuters on a busy Abidjan street that "The Ebola risk is always there".
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2014

Ukraine's uneasy compromises please no one

The concessions Kiev made to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine come at an enormous cost in human lives, lost trust and broken relationships between Ukraine and Russia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 17, 2014

Korea's new 'Goddess' of musicals

The central Seoul district of Daehangno is renowned for its small theaters in much the same way as Shimokitazawa is in Tokyo. But whereas the latter boasts teens of venues, Daehangno has upward of 140 — so really there's no comparison.
BASKETBALL
Sep 16, 2014

FIBA spells out demands to JBA as deadline approaches

FIBA last week repeated its mandate that the Japan Basketball Association deadline for a merger between the bj-league and the NBL is Oct. 31.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 16, 2014

The ghost of Emperor Hirohito

The recently completed 61-volume record of the life of Emperor Hirohito shows him hopelessly ambivalent about how to end Word War II as he sought 'another brilliant military gain' for Japan so that it would have diplomatic clout in negotiating a settlement.
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 16, 2014

NASA's hunt for dangerous asteroids faltering despite 10-fold budget hike

NASA won't meet a congressionally ordered goal to find 90 percent of nearby and potentially dangerous asteroids larger than 460 feet (140 meters) in diameter, the agency's inspector general said on Monday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Sep 14, 2014

Next consumption tax raise painting Abe into a corner

Ever since the Cabinet Office released preliminary figures last month that showed an annualized 6.8 percent decline in first-quarter GDP, a war of nerves has flared up between the prime minister's office and the Finance Ministry. The next consumption tax hike could be delayed.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Sep 14, 2014

All-Japanese families take a chance on international schools

In a notoriously homogeneous society where parents can face criticism for going against the grain, what drives these parents to shun local schools and instead seek out what the education ministry calls 'foreigner schools'?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 13, 2014

Social media aids rehashing of historical hate

After rain caused deadly mudslides in Hiroshima Prefecture last month, rumors spread over the Internet about burglaries of evacuated homes by "foreigners," including Zainichi (ethnic Korean residents of Japan). Such rumors tend to accompany disasters, so Tokyo Shimbun talked directly to police in the...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2014

Abe recommits to 'womenomics'

At an international conference focusing on women, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday renewed his pledge to promote the status of women in society.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Sep 12, 2014

For toddlers, Anpanman doesn't have a use-by date

He has a big red nose, two rosy cheeks and an edible head that is regularly rebaked in his uncle's oven.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Sep 11, 2014

Translator Takamori leaves Niigata

All professional basketball leagues have people working behind the scenes or in roles that are less glamorous than the starting five or head coach.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 11, 2014

Dreams made in a galaxy far, far away

Is Chris Pratt on his way to becoming Hollywood's next big action hero? The guy whose face you may recognize from various romcoms, but more likely know as Andy Dwyer from the U.S. sitcom "Parks and Recreation," has been raking in the praise for his latest film, "Guardians of the Galaxy."
EDITORIALS
Sep 11, 2014

Gaps in record of late Emperor's life

The Imperial Household Agency has made public a 61-volume, 12,000-page record of the life of Emperor Hirohito, who reigned from 1926 to 1989. The compilation took more than 24 years, but the record does not include what the emperor said about Japan's war in the 1930s and '40s.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2014

Canceled Tottori mascot makes controversial comeback in manga

A Tottori mascot that was ditched by the city three days after its July debut due to its depressing appearance has made a surprising — if somewhat controversial — comeback.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2014

Disappointment for Nishikori, but Asian tennis stars are on the rise

Tokyo's morning rush hour probably flowed a little smoother than usual Tuesday as millions delayed their journeys after finding a TV showing a 24-year-old wielding a tennis racket on a patch of concrete in a New York suburb.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2014

Fans rally behind Nishikori despite loss

Despite a disappointing loss for Kei Nishikori in the U.S. Open final Tuesday in New York, Japanese fans rallied behind the young tennis star, saying that his improbable run to the final will be a valuable experience for him.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2014

Raise U.S. defense spending now

The Obama White House and Congress are systematically reducing America's military power as if the Ukraine crisis, the expansion of the Islamic State's footprint and China's harassment of ships in disputed waters have not happened in the past year.
EDITORIALS
Sep 8, 2014

Can Kansai airport take off?

As business picks up thanks to the launch of new low-budget airline flights and a surge in the number of foreign passengers, the government-owned operator of Kansai International Airport plans to sell its management rights in a bid to get out from under a massive 20-year debtload.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 6, 2014

Yoshio Taniguchi: thriving in the shadow of greatness

Architect Yoshio Taniguchi generally doesn't like having his photograph taken for use in the media. In a way, it's a logical extension of his approach to his work, which could be described as architecture by subtraction. Having painstakingly removed everything extraneous from a design, and having overseen...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 6, 2014

Veteran Tokyo editor turns his mind to crime

"Japan has her secrets, as you well know," a Kyoto art dealer named Takahashi tells American Jim Brodie. "Many are open secrets. We Japanese are aware of them, are ashamed of them, and don't speak of them often, if ever. Our embarrassing moments remain, for the most part, confined to these shores. The...
EDITORIALS
Sep 6, 2014

Social media damps debate

A new American study finds that regular users of social media sites are among the least likely to share opinions or start a political debate, either online or in person.

Longform

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