Search - 2018

 
 
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jan 11, 2017

Time ripe for Lions hurler Kikuchi to prove worth on mound

There is a chance that by 2019, pitchers Yusei Kikuchi and Shohei Otani could both be major leaguers. In 2009, MLB scouts flocked to Hanamaki Higashi High School, in Iwate Prefecture, to flirt with Kikuchi, a fire-balling lefty, before returning a few years later to put a full-court press on Otani.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 11, 2017

World Bank says Trump tax cuts could boost growth but trade barriers could have opposite effect

President-elect Donald Trump's tax cuts and spending plans could deliver a shot in the arm to the U.S. economy, lifting growth around the world, although uncertainty about his trade policies adds to the risks, according to the World Bank.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 10, 2017

Relief sought for Japan's teachers forced to supervise extracurricular activities

The education ministry said Tuesday it is calling on boards of education nationwide to provide a holiday for overworked junior high and high school teachers, many of whom are exhausted from having to supervise extracurricular activities such as sports, even on weekends.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 9, 2017

Nonfatal Osprey crash in Okinawa brings safety fears to fore

The MV-22 Osprey accident last month in Okinawa rekindled concerns about the tilt-rotor aircraft, which was once known as the "widow maker" for those killed during its development.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jan 8, 2017

Japan's human rights issues fared better in 2016

Welcome back to JBC's annual countdown of the top issues as they affected Non-Japanese (NJ) residents of Japan. We had some brighter spots this year than in previous years, because Japan's government has been so embarrassed by hate speech toward Japan's minorities that they did something about it. Read...
EDITORIALS
Jan 8, 2017

Energy policy needs overhaul

Japan's energy policy is at a crossroads. The government's basic energy plan revised in 2014 — after the March 2011 triple meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima No. 1 plant led to the shutdown of most of the nation's nuclear power reactors — continued the heavy reliance on nuclear power and...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2017

Nissan ending joint development of luxury cars with Daimler

Nissan is halting joint development of luxury cars with Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, sources close to the companies told Reuters, suspending a key project in their seven-year partnership and potentially hitting profitability at a new shared factory in Mexico.
JAPAN / GEARING UP FOR THE GAMES
Jan 6, 2017

Japan aims to overcome language and cultural barriers before 2020 Games

Last of six parts
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 4, 2017

Economists see growth on horizon for 2017

Economists say growth is expected on the back of the weak yen and due to government steps to stimulate sluggish consumption.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 3, 2017

How ties to an 'equestrian princess' landed Samsung at the center of the Park scandal in South Korea

Samsung Electronics' sponsorship of the equestrian daughter of a longtime friend of President Park Geun-hye has helped to land South Korea's top company in the center of the country's influence-peddling scandal.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2017

As world closes doors to refugee surge, Aceh aid expert urges Japan to open up, play lead role

The global refugee crisis is stoking anti-immigration sentiment in Europe and the United States, but Japan could take the initiative to become a leading voice to protect those who are displaced, an expert on assistance to such people in Asia has said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / 2017 NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Jan 1, 2017

Big changes likely in '17

A year of surprises has come to a close, but its unresolved questions will generate many more quakes in 2017. Where are the fault lines, what about President-elect Donald Trump, and what does all this mean for Japan?
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 1, 2017

Abe has no reason to rock the boat by calling early-2017 snap election

After weeks of speculation that 2017 may start with a snap election in late January, the prime minister said on NHK that it will not happen.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 31, 2016

Congo's Kabila agrees to step down after elections

Congolese President Joseph Kabila will step down after elections to be held by the end of 2017 under a last-minute deal struck by political parties on Friday, the lead mediator of the talks said.
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Dec 30, 2016

Premier League champion Leicester's rapid descent easy to see coming

One of the attractions of football is the inability to understand how the near impossible happens. The best coaches, the leading pundits, the most experienced observers and the club's fans could not really explain how or why Leicester City won the Premier League last season. You still think you should...
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 25, 2016

Train, casino, reactor woes to grab Kansai headlines in '17

A casino, an expo, tourists, trains, and old nuclear power plants. These are just some of the major issues the Kansai region faces in 2017.
EDITORIALS
Dec 22, 2016

Review the failure of Monju

Before the government launches another expensive undertaking aimed at keeping its nuclear fuel cycle policy alive, it should first examine why the Monju fast-breeder project ended in failure.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 22, 2016

Kremlin says almost all dialogue with Washington is frozen

The Kremlin said on Wednesday almost all communications channels between Russia and the United States have been frozen but the U.S. State Department disputed that statement.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 20, 2016

Bank of Japan caps tumultuous year with upgrade to outlook

The Bank of Japan closed a tumultuous year for monetary policy with an upgrade to its assessment of the economy while keeping its yield-curve and asset-purchase programs unchanged.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?