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Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 6, 2020

‘Echo on the Bay’ review: Weird doesn’t quite do it

“Weird” and “quirky” are adjectives readily bandied about when reviewing Japanese literature. So what happens when something truly bizarre comes along?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 11, 2020

Japan moves to limit foreign investment in half of listed firms

The law came into force on Friday with full implementation set to begin on June 7 after a 30-day transition period.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 18, 2020

Hard-to-trace coronavirus cases put pressure on Japan’s hostess bars

In the fantasy world conjured up by Japan's hostess clubs, the coronavirus pandemic has delivered an unwelcome dose of reality.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2020

Japan's next restroom revolution? Phasing out squat toilets for Tokyo 2020

On southwestern Miyajima island, Hiroshima Prefecture, a short walk from one of the country's most famous ancient temple sites, there's a brand new attraction for tourists — a state-of-the art public toilet block nearly as big as a tennis court.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2020

Nintendo shares drop most since April after profit misses estimates

Shares in Nintendo Co. fell the most in nine months on Friday after the firm missed estimates for quarterly profit and forecast full-year earnings that were short of expectations, raising concern about demand for its Switch game console.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 18, 2020

Toshiba CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani to be given additional title of president in April

Toshiba Corp. Chief Executive Officer Nobuaki Kurumatani will add the title of president effective April, part of a revamp among top management aimed at speeding up decision-making.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Outlook 2020
Jan 2, 2020

What will Abe do to cement his legacy?

If you look at Japan's 2020 political calendar now, it will look like it is going to be a relatively quiet one.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 1, 2020

New year, new opportunities: What to expect in the Year of the Rat

The smallest of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, the rat had only an outside chance in the Jade Emperor's race to determine the zodiac's order. Yet its intelligence, agility and quick-thinking enabled it to win the contest and become the first year in the system's 12-year cycle.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 20, 2019

Working mom fights the odds to become sole female LDP lawmaker in Kyushu

On a recent chilly November morning, aspiring politician Maiko Takahashi was undergoing a trial by fire as she stumped for just the second time in her life, addressing an ebb and flow of commuters near Oita Station.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 13, 2019

Japan's Hoya to launch $1.4 billion counterbid for Toshiba unit NuFlare

Hoya Corp. said Friday it would make a $1.4 billion counterbid for NuFlare Technology Inc. in what could become a hostile offer for the Toshiba Corp. unit the electronics conglomerate plans to buy out.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2019

Some of slain Japanese doctor's ashes to be buried in Afghanistan

Some of the cremated remains of Tetsu Nakamura, the Japanese doctor who was shot dead in Afghanistan last week, will be buried in the country based on his wishes, a person close to him said Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 9, 2019

Abe granted brief respite as scandal-hit extraordinary Diet session draws to a close

During the course of the session two ministers resigned, a plan for reforming college English-language tests was withdrawn and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was accused of breaching election campaign laws.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Dec 7, 2019

Tohru Miyano: Reverse-engineering an unlucky situation

Though nomadic and grueling, Tohru Miyano's experience of being moved from factory to factory across East Asia and the U.S. has, he says, left him feeling liberated and more open-minded.
COMMUNITY / 2010s: Decade in Review
Dec 5, 2019

Trendy neighborhoods in Tokyo came and went during the 2010s, but did capitalist conformity move in for good?

The protester, the party animal, the professional millennial — it seems like the Japanese capital had a place for every foreign stereotype imaginable in the past decade. We look back on a few favorites.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2019

Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, a political titan who spanned eras, dies at 101

The enduring statesman, who bolstered the military alliance with the U.S. and privatized the Japanese National Railways, led Japan onto the world stage in the 1980s.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 29, 2019

Diet deliberations slow as opposition hounds government over cherry blossom-viewing scandal

The opposition camp's boycotts over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's handling of the campaign violation affair is putting the ruling bloc under pressure as the extra Diet session comes to a close.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 28, 2019

Top 10: Where to go skiing and snowboarding in Japan this winter

Winter is approaching fast and with it Japan becomes a bucket list destination on the mind of any skier and snowboarder, with fresh powder snow and Etch A Sketch skiing conditions.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 27, 2019

Abe shows uncharacteristic openness in burasagari interviews, as looming year-end adds to pressure over recent scandals

Since reshuffling his Cabinet in September, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has seen two ministers resign in close succession amid scandal, the thwarting of an educational reform plan at the Diet, and debate about a referendum law key to constitutional revision grind to a halt.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 26, 2019

Let will of the people decide succession issue

The emperor's position is determined by the will of the people, irrespective of the historical background of the imperial system.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2019

Abe's push to change Japan's Constitution hits roadblock as parties scrap Diet discussion

LDP sources have said the party has all but given up hope of passing the bill this year, reports have said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 20, 2019

Abe becomes Japan's longest-serving prime minister

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the nation's longest serving prime minister on Wednesday, beating previous record holder Taro Katsura by having served for a total of 2,887 days.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 13, 2019

Japan and South Korea still in game of chicken after superficial signs of detente

A handout photo of the two countries' leaders, taken on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting, has become another source of controversy in the ongoing quarrel between Tokyo and Seoul.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 1, 2019

Lawmakers from Japan and South Korea push for top-down resolution to crumbling bilateral ties

About a year after South Korean courts ordered Japanese companies to compensate for the emotional suffering of Korean wartime laborers, lawmakers from both countries Friday agreed on the need to halt the deterioration in ties and called on their leaders to resolve the stalemate at a summit.
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2019

Sadako Ogata, first female U.N. refugee chief, dies at 92

News of the death of Ogata — known for her decisive, pragmatic leadership at the U.N. for years — immediately drew condolences from diplomatic and academic leaders across the world.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Oct 27, 2019

Sunrockers get back on track in win over Brave Thunders

The Sunrockers Shibuya delivered a gut-check performance on Sunday afternoon, ending a two-game losing streak.

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person