Search - 2014

 
 
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 25, 2013

Casino quest governor's hole card?

As Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima's Futenma base decision, speculation is growing that he's holding out for the promise of a casino resort.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 25, 2013

Ryukyu not missing a beat with Okinawan Isa at helm

The Ryukyu Golden Kings' sustained excellence is the gift that keeps on giving for the team's rabid fans.
JAPAN / YEAR IN REVIEW 2013
Dec 25, 2013

A look back at the year's top 10 Japan news stories

Japan Times editors selected the following domestic stories as the most important in 2013.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 24, 2013

Blazers look for real with Aldridge, Lillard, 'flow' offense

It's no surprise that going into the final week of December, the Portland Trailblazers had the best record in the NBA.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 24, 2013

Japanese indie bands to watch out for in 2014

While the Oricon charts tend to look more or less the same (perhaps a little worse) year in year out, the indie scene remains a haven of small delights, with new discoveries constantly cropping up to brighten your day. Here are five discoveries from 2013 that would be well worth keeping an eye out for...
EDITORIALS
Dec 23, 2013

Federal Reserve's taper begins

Although last week's long-awaited decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board to begin tapering off its bond-buying program proved to be a surprise, it was still the right move.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2013

Winners of 2013's behavioral economics oscars

The Oscars won't be awarded until March, but those who hand out the annual Behavioral Economics Oscars (Becons) are famously impatient, and it is time to announce this year's winners.
EDITORIALS
Dec 22, 2013

Reducing the toll on taxpayers

As government subsidies for discounted expressway tolls are set to be scaled back in April, the current scheme that relies heavily on taxpayer money should be replaced with a more sustainable one that takes into account the need to renovate aging infrastructure this century.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 22, 2013

Osaka joins rush to attract foreign tourists

If you asked many Kansai-area foreigners, and not a few Tokyoites, to come up with a slogan to promote Osaka internationally, you might get a response along the lines of: "Osaka: When You Can't Get a Hotel in Kyoto."
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 22, 2013

Record budget unveiled as debt burden mounts

The government and the ruling coalition agreed on a record budget for the next fiscal year, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe boosts spending on social security, defense and public works while trying to contain the growth of the world's biggest debt burden.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 20, 2013

Putin to pardon tycoon Khodorkovsky ahead of Olympics

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he intends to pardon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, his country's most famous political prisoner, in a broad amnesty that comes just weeks before the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 19, 2013

Senate passes deal to avoid new shutdown

Congress declared a holiday truce in the budget wars Wednesday, sending President Barack Obama a blueprint for funding the government through 2015. But the next skirmish was already on the horizon: an election-year fight over the national debt.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 19, 2013

Mitsubishi Estate to hike office rent in Marunouchi

Mitsubishi Estate Co. plans to increase office rents for the first time in about five years in 2014 as the supply of new buildings slows.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 19, 2013

Acura gets U.S. twist in bid for pizazz

Honda Motor Co.'s No. 2 executive, asked to identify the automaker's weak spot, spoke bluntly: Acura luxury sedans have to get better.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Dec 19, 2013

Osaka Hilton countdown party; Winter accommodation plan; Hakone hot springs and fugu stay

Osaka Hilton countdown party The Hilton Osaka will be counting down to 2014 with a party at The In Place lobby lounge Dec. 31.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2013

SMBC Nikko and Daiwa increase hiring

SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. and Daiwa Securities Group Inc. have increased their hiring targets for university graduates to bolster retail brokerage operations as stocks rally.
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN WEB WATCH
Dec 17, 2013

Looking at 2013's Japanese social-media scene

In the Japanese social-networking scene, Facebook still isn't dominating the way it does in the United States and many other countries. There are several other networks in Japan, both old and new, that occupy unique positions, though 2013 was an unusually quiet year, with no big takeovers among social-networking...
CULTURE / Music
Dec 17, 2013

New Year's single, Christmas concert get Meyer into festive spirit

Jazz pianist and singer Emi Meyer has a lot of fond memories of the holiday season.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 17, 2013

U.S. and EU must focus on re-engaging Ukraine

The Obama administration should make clear to Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych that his legacy would be destroyed should he give in to Russian pressure to reduce ties with the European Union.
BASEBALL
Dec 17, 2013

Tanaka informs Eagles he wants to pitch in majors in 2014

The man at the center of the posting system drama finally broke his silence, and it was music to the ears of MLB fans and executives.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 17, 2013

Fukushi, Kiryu honored by JAAF

Veteran long-distance runner Kayoko Fukushi received the athlete of the year trophy and high school sensation Yoshihide Kiryu also grabbed the spotlight with two accolades at the annual JAAF Athletic Awards on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2013

'Tankan' signals drop in spending

Big businesses pare their spending projections for the year, signaling headwinds for 'Abenomics' ahead of April's tax hike and doubts the recovery is sustainable, the 'tankan' report says.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2013

Hapless qualities for which Obama will be remembered

The wars that he has not ended and the moral climate he has sustained in American government will be the remembered qualities of Barack Obama's presidency. This seems a disheartening.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami