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EDITORIALS
Dec 27, 2012

Mr. Abe has his work cut out

Liberal Democratic Party leader Mr. Shinzo Abe on Wednesday formed his Cabinet after the Diet nominated him as Japan's new prime minister. This is his second tenure as prime minister, with the LDP returning to power after an absence of three years and three months.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2012

Formed in childhood, roots of Abe's conservatism go deep

Shinzo Abe, 58, who becomes prime minister again Wednesday, is regarded overseas, particularly in Asia, as one of the most-known — and probably most notorious — hawkish politicians in Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Dec 25, 2012

Stuck on a Good Design Award winner

The Good Design Award winners were announced last month and there are plenty of great ideas to take in — make sure to check out the GDA website to browse through all of the new ideas.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 25, 2012

Home air conditioning in U.S. cut deaths on hot days: study

As winter begins to tighten its grip over much of the United States, air conditioning does not seem like much of a survival strategy. But a new study has found that home air conditioning played a key role in reducing American death rates over the past half-century, by keeping people cool on extremely...
CULTURE / Books / THE YEAR IN BOOKS
Dec 23, 2012

Seasonality, internal awareness

"Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons: Nature, Literature and the Arts" (Columbia University Press) by Haruo Shirane. The whole seasonal consciousness of Japan, so meticulously considered and observed, is an intangible cultural tradition, though it has a certain physical embodiment in saijiki, the...
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET EARTH
Dec 23, 2012

How to care for the children when we're at odds with the planet?

Perhaps this column should begin with a disclaimer like those found on CDs and DVDs that are intended to help protect kids from obscenity — Parental Advisory: Explicit Content.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 23, 2012

Public works funds best spent fixing aging infrastructure

Last week's Lower House election was all about what people didn't want — the Democratic Party of Japan — but the issue foremost in voters' minds was the state of the economy, and new prime minister Shinzo Abe has made that his first priority by pledging to boost inflation through monetary easing...
Reader Mail
Dec 23, 2012

The porous pipeline of science

In his Dec. 6 letter, "Details from scientific sources," E. Watters claims that I made "a few errors" in my rebuttal. I would argue that we have different opinions based on available data regarding the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Japan Pulse
Dec 20, 2012

2012: Food and drink trends in Japan

Hot beer, frozen soup, and haute cuisine on the cheap: the year in food in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ANALYSIS
Dec 20, 2012

'Fiscal cliff' deal could carry long-term risks for economy

Now that's what a negotiation looks like.
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2012

Obama calls Abe, eyes summit in U.S. next month

When President Barack Obama phoned Shinzo Abe, the prime minister-in-waiting, on Tuesday, they agreed to arrange a summit in the U.S. as early as January, according to an official who took part in the 10-minute chat.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 18, 2012

Building an inclusive society for the disabled

The 2012 London Paralympics captivated the world's attention with the strength of the human spirit demonstrated by people with disabilities. We were all moved by the determination and perseverance of the athletes to overcome the odds that defeat so many of us.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 17, 2012

Sino-Indian border deadlock raises tensions; ambiguity of past accords hinders settlement

Indian national security adviser Shivshankar Menon went to Beijing the week before last to have his last formal meeting with his Chinese counterpart, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who will be retiring in March next year.
EDITORIALS
Dec 17, 2012

LDP back in the saddle again

The Liberal Democratic Party, which was badly defeated in the Lower House election in August 2009 and had to give up power to the Democratic Party of Japan after ruling the nation almost without interruption since 1955, made a comeback in Sunday's general election. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the...
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 16, 2012

Corinthians face major challenge against Chelsea

Corinthians manager Tite is aiming to channel the passion of his club's fanatical supporters in Sunday's Club World Cup final, but warns that Chelsea will need no second invitation to exploit any lapse in his players' resolve.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 16, 2012

Arashi looks at Japan's future; Christmas and the single woman; CM of the week: Nissan

Boy band Arashi has been getting a lot of work recently from NHK. In addition to their second consecutive hosting gig for the year-end song contest, they've been tapped to navigate "Asu ni Kakeru Tabi" ("Travels Building a Bridge to Tomorrow") a series of five programs, three of which air this week (Mon.-Wed.,...
Reader Mail
Dec 16, 2012

The criminally noisy politicians

Michael Hoffman's Dec. 2 Timeout column, "Silent majority blasted by political noise," lent me yet another moment to think about Japanese politics and election campaigns.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ELECTION 2012
Dec 15, 2012

JGB market braces for Abe's return

The worst prime minister for Japanese government bonds in almost two decades is poised to return, ousting the best since 2006.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2012

Perception gaps prolong soured Japan-China ties

The diplomatic row and anti-Japanese sentiments in China over the Senkaku Islands dispute may become a prolonged issue as long as perception gaps remain between the two countries, a scholar said at a recent seminar in Tokyo.
EDITORIALS
Dec 12, 2012

Getting off the deflationary path

Political parties that are competing in the Dec. 16 Lower House election should present convincing proposals to prevent Japan from continuing down the deflationary path. But they must be careful to ensure that their efforts to end deflation will not lead to price rises that are not supported by enlivened...
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2012

Nitto Denko counters TV slump with smartphones

Nitto Denko Corp., the world's largest maker of optical films used in liquid crystal display panels, said demand from smartphone manufacturers is helping it mask a slump in sales to television makers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2012

Book reveals human drama in Fukushima No. 1 crisis

Experts and journalists have written a number of reports, some even running several hundred pages, about the cause of the triple meltdown crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant and the chain of events that followed.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Dec 11, 2012

Childbirth in Japan: Plan, prioritize for a smooth delivery

Emotions during pregnancy and childbirth run the gamut, from excitement and trepidation to joy and even fear. Foreign women who find themselves pregnant in Japan may experience additional stress as they cope with cultural differences, language issues and being away from their own families. Add in talk...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 9, 2012

Chernobyl factored in the fall of a corrupt regime — Fukushima may too

There are approximately 7,000 exhibits in Kiev's Ukrainian National Chornobyl Museum. (The location of the nuclear plant that exploded on April 26, 1986 is spelled this way in Ukrainian.) Among the documents, photographs, maps and objects at this museum that opened on the sixth anniversary of the accident...

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan