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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 12, 2016

Poverty coverage reinforces prejudice

In the middle of August, NHK ran a feature on its evening news show about a high school girl as part of its coverage of child poverty. The girl's name and face were revealed in the report, which described how her educational future was at risk because of her financial situation. In one scene, she was...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2016

Girl group's Nazi-like costume draws online backlash

The idol group Keyakizaka46, a branch of Japan's top-selling girl band AKB48, has sparked outrage on social media over their Halloween costume, which resembled the uniform worn by Nazi SS officers before and during World War II.
COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Oct 21, 2016

Anthem refuseniks, and ancient legends

Japan knows all about people taking a public stand by refusing to rise for the national anthem.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Oct 9, 2016

9/11: the day Japan's Supreme Court went (slightly) postal

How the Supreme Court dealt with its mail problem says much about the way the law works in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 3, 2016

Britain's May to trigger EU divorce by end of March

Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would trigger the process to leave the EU by the end of March, offering the first glimpse of a timetable for a divorce that will redefine Britain's ties with its biggest trading partner.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Sep 18, 2016

'Same work, same pay' principle doesn't stop at 60

Recently, the Tokyo Public Law Office has seen a surge in inquiries similar to the following:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 17, 2016

Renho and the 'pure blood' mythos

Despite the best efforts of certain individuals on Twitter, lawmaker Renho became the head of the Democratic Party last Thursday. Of course, those loosely linked online individuals that are sometimes referred to as netto uyo (internet right-wingers) don't really care about the DP, but they were undoubtedly...
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Sep 12, 2016

Let's discuss helping foreign residents and tourists in natural disasters

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, enterprises in the public and private sectors are taking steps to make sure foreign residents and tourists will know what to do in the event of natural disasters.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 10, 2016

Pricing system offers scant protection as Amazon Japan hacks away at bookstores' benefits

Japan's saihan seido system may not be enough to save the country's remaining bookstores, whose advantages Amazon.jp has systematically worked to nullify over the years.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Sep 5, 2016

Let's discuss ANA's dog-friendly flights

All Nippon Airways Co. is considering launching tours that allow pet dogs to travel in the cabin with their owners.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Sep 4, 2016

JBC marks 100 columns and a million page views

Column has been shining a critical light on issues affecting Japan's foreign residents since 2008.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Aug 29, 2016

Let's discuss the men's 4x100 relay at Rio

Japan came close to sabotaging Usain Bolt's bid for Olympic immortality but settled for a first-ever silver medal in the men's 4u00d7100-meter relay at the Rio Games.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 23, 2016

Risking political suicide, LDP veteran Funada challenges Abe over Constitution

Like other Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers, Hajime Funada is a strong proponent of amending the postwar Constitution, but not the way Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 20, 2016

How to teach moral education in a relative age?

The wartime moral ideal was blind obedience and self-sacrificing devotion to the nation. Could the upgrading of moral education be a first step on the road back to that?
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2016

Reform elected membership of the U.N. Security Council

Expanding the U.N. Security Council's elected membership and increasing their terms could make the body more effective.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Aug 8, 2016

Let's discuss the Emperor's possible abdication

Emperor Akihito does not necessarily intend to relinquish the throne early but has indicated he is prepared to abdicate if he becomes unable to fulfill his duties.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2016

Emperor signals wish to abdicate in near future

Emperor Akihito expresses concern about how his advanced age is affecting the performance of his public duties.
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Jul 31, 2016

For Abe, it will always be about the Constitution

Nobody here on the Community page has weighed in on Japan's Upper House election last July 10, so JBC will have a go.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 30, 2016

Commuters fight back against groping

Takako Tonooka's life at high school did not start out the way she had anticipated. On the very first day she attended class, she was groped on the train — and that was only the beginning of her nightmare. For a year and a half, she was the victim of persistent groping attacks during her commute to...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 30, 2016

Crimes that imperil Japan's safe image

On July 22, The Japan Times ran an article with the headline, "Crime set to hit postwar low this year, first-half data shows." In it, the National Police Agency reported that the number of criminal offenses is on track to fall below 1 million for the first time since World War II ended, down from the...
COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jul 29, 2016

Terror, terror on the wall, who's the biggest of all?

The word 'terrorist' can and should be applied to a wider range of killers.
LIFE / Language
Jul 25, 2016

Looking at vocabulary in the runup to 'Pokemon Go'

'Pokemon Go' fans in Japan are vexed by the wait for the popular game.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 23, 2016

A dark age dawns for politics in Japan

"Historic," that much-overused word, seems almost acceptable as a description of the Upper House elections earlier this month that gave Japan — for the first time in its postwar history — a government strong enough to get serious about rewriting the Constitution.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 11, 2016

Focus on economy, failure of opposition clears way for Abe's LDP in national elections

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on a solid electoral winning streak, and the opposition isn't putting up much of a fight.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jul 11, 2016

Let's discuss the chances of a drought in Kanto

The Kanto region may experience a serious drought this summer due to an 'unprecedented' shortage of water in lakes and reservoirs supplying the area.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2016

Is Brexit really inevitable?

Brexit isn't a foregone conclusion. There are three main scenarios that could keep Britain in the EU.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 10, 2016

Voting kicks off in Japan as Abe seeks Upper House supermajority

Voting began Sunday in an Upper House election that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has billed as a chance to pass judgment on his economic policies. Opposition parties, however, are focused on preventing a resounding victory for the prime minister that would allow him to take the next step toward revising...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji