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COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2014

Russia's wish to sideline self will shake up the alphabet

Russia is set to sideline itself from the global economy, and by doing so, it will usher in a new era in global relations. International sanctions are only the first consequence.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2014

Putin's speech as benevolent czar

Russian President Vladimir Putin's truly regal speech to Parliament heralded Russia's unabashed resurgence as an unscrupulous, unpredictable player in a world where lies and raw might trump any kind of legal framework.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 20, 2014

$73 billion payoff for SoftBank's ventures fuels push into Japan startups

Japan's biggest companies have a case of SoftBank envy, and that's good for entrepreneurs like 23-year-old Takumi Shimizu.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 20, 2014

All aboard Chiba Prefecture's Lab Train

The easternmost point of the Kanto region in Chiba Prefecture offers panoramic views of the coastline with rugged towering cliffs that resemble those of Dover — one of England's most recognizable landmarks. It's a place that many visit to watch Japan's first winter sunrise.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 20, 2014

Join in the fiesta as Shima Spain Village celebrates 20 years

Shima Spain Village amusement park in Mie Prefecture is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with a series of events that include the introduction of new parades, anniversary decorations and menus featuring special meals in its restaurants.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 17, 2014

Economic stakes for Putin

Regardless of the West's response to the Crimean crisis, the economic damage to Russia will be vast. First, there are the direct costs of military operations and of supporting the Crimean regime. Then there are the costs related to the impact of sanctions on trade and investment.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 16, 2014

Ukraine, Russia agree short truce as Crimea referendum gets under way

The Ukrainian and Russian Defence ministries have agreed on a truce in Crimea until March 21, Ukraine's acting defence minister said Sunday.
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Mar 15, 2014

Trade deals trump sex slave issue for Osakans

When Osaka Mayor and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) co-leader Toru Hashimoto uttered his infamous remarks last May that Japan's wartime sex slave system was necessary at the time, he was roundly — and rightly — condemned at home and abroad.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 15, 2014

All change — for a Transition Town near you

For anyone who cares about nature — or their own future — Earth in the 21st century can be a worrying place to live. The planet is warming and climate-related disasters are growing more frequent; plants and animals are going extinct at rates not seen in 65 million years; and in many places, key resources...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 15, 2014

Olympics highlight the need for foreign blue-collar laborers

In a recent column, Tokyo Shimbun sportswriter Masaru Ogawa called on past and future Olympic athletes to come forward and talk about what he sees as the biggest problem facing the Tokyo 2020 Games: lack of construction workers. Next year, work on venues will start in earnest, but Japan is already burdened...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 15, 2014

Portrait of the assassin as a young man

Sometime in the 1970s, as more Americans began to rally against the Vietnam War, an unknown cynic parodied the U.S. Army's promotional recruitment tagline with the slogan, "Join the Army! Travel to unusual places. Meet interesting people, and kill them."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Mar 15, 2014

Scandal

When a respected Catholic novelist by the name of Suguro meets an inebriated woman at a party, he is astounded to hear that she recognizes him from a portrait hanging in a club she claims he patronizes in one of Tokyo's more sleazy night quarters. Though in fierce denial, curiosity gets the better of...
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 13, 2014

Man asserts death wish in 'Basuke' threats

A man accused of making hostile threats linked to a popular basketball manga admits full guilt, demands severe punishment and says he wants to kill himself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 13, 2014

Ueno Park to welcome springtime with a song

The cherry trees of Ueno Park are inspirational in full bloom. Come early spring and Tokyoites head to the area early to snag spots beneath the pink blossoms, which inspire romance, revelry and perhaps more than a few visionary ideas.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Mar 13, 2014

Sebastian Masuda's mission to take Harajuku art global

New York is not a city one automatically associates with the Japanese concept of kawaii — lovably, irresistibly, dependably cute. But if Sebastian Masuda, the so-called "king of kawaii," has his way, the mean streets of "Goodfellas" may one day emanate a candy-colored glow.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Mar 13, 2014

BitSummit reveals tantalizing homemade worlds of play

After a successful debut last year, former Q-Games producer James Mielke once again shone a light on Japan's independent gaming scene with the second edition of BitSummit, a gathering of independent developers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2014

Jaczko recalls chaos of Fukushima early days

The central government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. fell into chaos when the triple meltdown crisis started at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission also faced a tough crisis-management situation characterized by limited information and mounting pressure to act,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Mar 12, 2014

J. League and media must show red card to racism

On Saturday, during their J. League match against Sagan Tosu at Saitama Stadium, some Urawa Reds fans hung a 'Japanese only' banner over an entrance to the stands.
Reader Mail
Mar 12, 2014

Expansionism allied with racism

Regarding Paul de Vries' March 6 letter, "The crimes of an imperial power": De Vries' attempt to dissociate Japan and Germany during World War II is based on a less-than-complete understanding of Adolf Hitler's war, which was a unified, flagrantly imperialist-expansionist push, exactly as Japan's venture...
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 12, 2014

Brokerage watchdog warns of bitcoin risks

The bitcoin digital currency can expose people to significant losses, fraud and theft, and the lure of a potential quick profit should not blind investors to its significant risks, a brokerage industry watchdog warns.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 12, 2014

From loyal aides and 'inner voice,' Putin hears no dissent on Crimea

Surrounded by faithful aides, President Vladimir Putin hears no opposition to his plans in Crimea, allowing him to drive Russia's bid to reclaim Ukraine's southern region guided by little more than his "inner voice."
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 11, 2014

Ukraine batters a broken world

Surely the prize for the most cynical news item of the month should go to the announcement from Oslo that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2014.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 11, 2014

Obama gambles by slashing defense spending

The Obama administration's 2015 military budget cuts may embolden potential adversaries and abet miscalculation.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 11, 2014

Diplomacy over Crimea at standstill; pro-Russian forces open fire at base

A pro-Russian force opened fire in seizing a Ukrainian military base in Crimea on Monday and NATO announced reconnaissance flights along its eastern frontiers as confrontation around the Black Sea peninsula showed no signs of easing.
EDITORIALS
Mar 10, 2014

Rebuilding shattered lives

Three years on, life is still nowhere near back to normal for many of the people in the Tohoku coastal areas devastated by the massive earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear power plant disaster.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 10, 2014

Contradictions over Ukraine

Western criticisms of Russia's move into Ukraine's Crimea region reek of double standards. Much of what is Ukraine today would not have existed if not for the creation of the Soviet Union.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 9, 2014

I hereby take myself as my lawfully wedded yome

I was trudging home the other night with a dōryō (同僚, colleague) after another in a series of sābisu zangyō (サービス残業, unpaid overtime) sessions, debating whether to skip dinner or stop off at the nearest 24-hour sūpā (スーパー, supermarket). Out of the blue, my colleague asked...
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 9, 2014

Scientists spot new 'quantum droplet' particle

In the field of quantum physics, you might call this a droplet in the bucket.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years