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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 2, 2019

Examining a jealousy that's a long way from the green-eyed monster

'Comparison is a very foolish attitude," said Indian mystic Chandra Mohan Jain, popularly known as Osho (1931-90), "because each person is unique and incomparable. Once this understanding settles in you, jealousy disappears."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2019

Resignations offer insights into Cabinet politics

The latest resignations are symptomatic of broader Japanese Cabinet politics.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2019

New Japanese trade minister hopes for RCEP agreement by the end of the year

Japan is ready to take a leadership role in finalizing an Asian free trade deal by the end of the year, newly appointed trade minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said Tuesday, days after his predecessor stepped down over a gift scandal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 25, 2019

Eye-catching Japan equity rally splits Wall Street titans on what comes next

After being seen as one of the worst-performing markets in the developed world, Japan's recent equity rebound is drawing differing views from Wall Street observers on where it will go next.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Oct 25, 2019

Ep. 20 'The Third Flower'

This week's episode of "Terrace House" starts off on a sad note as Kaori gets ready to move out to pursue her career in London, leaving Haruka and Ruka as the last original members still living in the house. To mark Kaori's departure, Ruka does what he does best — invents a new dish and prays that...
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 23, 2019

Bail granted to top Canadian police intelligence official charged with leaking secret info

An Ontario court on Tuesday released on bail a top Canadian police intelligence official charged with leaking secret information last month, the country's public prosecution service said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Oct 20, 2019

Encourage the little Van Goghs of the family

It's one of the world's most iconic expressions of a night sky: a bold yellow moon, a milky expanse of stars and gradated shades of blue alongside the swirling silhouette of a cypress tree and a distant sleeping village.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 19, 2019

Uncontrollable rage is largely a sober phenomenon

How we hate each other.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Oct 18, 2019

Ep. 19 'The Stray Sheep'

After saying goodbye to one member and hello to another, this week's episode of "Terrace House" is all about trying out new pairings with the housemates — and things get a little messy.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 16, 2019

Building bridges with Islam at Tokyo Camii

With hoodies and scarves covering their heads, a group of Japanese high school students point and whisper in awe upon entering the main hall of Tokyo Camii as Muslim worshippers prostrate beneath a glittering dome set against a bright sky.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 16, 2019

GM and union close to deal to end month-long UAW strike after CEO Mary Barra joins talks: sources

General Motors Co. and the United Auto Workers union were near a deal on Tuesday to end a 30-day strike that has cost the automaker about $2 billion after Chief Executive Mary Barra and President Mark Reuss took part in contract talks, according to two people briefed on the matter.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 12, 2019

Consumers look for ways to blunt impact of consumption tax hike

Japan's consumption tax on goods and services has arguably been unpopular from the get-go. Introduced at 3 percent in 1989 as a means of improving public finances, the rate was raised to 5 percent in 1997, 8 percent in 2014 and, from Oct. 1 of this year, to 10 percent.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2019

Tokyo's Toyosu fish market still pestered by problems a year after move from Tsukiji

The first anniversary of the costly and contentious relocation of Tokyo's famous Tsukiji fish market from Chuo Ward to the site of a former gas plant 2 km south along Tokyo Bay was commemorated by a tuna auction Friday morning.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Oct 11, 2019

Ep: 18 'Bros Before Hoes'

"Terrace House" served up two shockers this week: the sudden disappearance of Shohei and an unexpected crash course in the mantra of immature idiots, "Bros before hoes."
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 8, 2019

Paris knife attacker had USB drive with info on police HQ colleagues: media

An IT worker who killed four people at Paris police headquarters with a knife last week had a USB drive with personal details about his colleagues, French daily Le Parisien reported on Monday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 6, 2019

Fighting against Bank of Japan may not be crazy after all

Going against a central bank is an investment strategy fraught with peril, but some bond market analysts think the Bank of Japan will fail to steepen the yield curve.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 6, 2019

When everything in life boils down to a bad smell

An 8-year-old schoolgirl having trouble making friends thought it might be because she smelled bad. She sweated heavily. There's not much you can do about it, except wash, and wash, and wash, but the smell remains — in your own mind if not in the nostrils of your classmates — and it grows on you...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Oct 4, 2019

Ep. 17 'This is Not a Place to Slack'

The latest episode of "Terrace House" was like a cup of hot cocoa: sweet, heartwarming and the perfect thing to lull me into a peaceful frame of mind.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 4, 2019

Indonesian student protests threaten Jokowi's reform pledges

Indonesia's biggest student demonstrations in decades are testing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's pledge to go all out in his second term to boost growth in Southeast Asia's largest economy, a former finance minister and a government adviser say.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 28, 2019

Cabinet reshuffle raises a slew of new questions

Since the new Cabinet was announced on Sept. 11, the focus has been on Shinjiro Koizumi as environment minister. Described by some as earnest but lacking in substantive ideas, the 38-year-old lawmaker has tried to make the most of the spotlight, commenting on Japan's role in addressing climate change...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 28, 2019

New generation of quasi-gangsters fly under police radar

Mainstream media last month broke a long-standing silence they've had concerning the activities of Japan's organized crime groups, which are referred to in official circles as "boryokudan" (violent groups) or, colloquially, as "yakuza."
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Sep 27, 2019

Let's talk about the best dates on 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' so far

While we not-so-patiently wait for the next episode of "Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020" to become available, we decided to pass the time by listing some of the best date locations the housemates have ventured to so far. From gardens to fireworks shows to golf, here are our top spots from the first 16...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 21, 2019

Getting to the bottom of what civilization means in Japan

Progress: good, or bad? Bad, thought Confucius, who for hundreds of years taught Japan to seek its ideals in the ancient past. Good, thought 19th-century modernizers, who redirected the nation's gaze to the future.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Sep 20, 2019

Ep. 16 'Orange Flavor First Kiss'

This week's episode of "Terrace House" was all about creating art — and some plot lines were totally drawn out.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 18, 2019

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joins other teens on Capitol Hill to urge climate action

Swedish teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg joined other youth leaders to urge U.S. lawmakers to support "transformative climate action" during two days of meetings and speeches on Capitol Hill, starting on Tuesday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 17, 2019

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to hold dialogue aimed at easing tensions

Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, said Tuesday she and her team would begin dialogue sessions with the community next week, while reiterating that violence that has roiled the city over three months of protests must end.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 16, 2019

Violence and vandalism leave Hong Kong's world-class subway in crisis mode

From Sydney to Stockholm, governments looking for help with their rail systems turn to Hong Kong's MTR Corp., renowned for its speedy, clean and reliable commuter trains.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 14, 2019

Of cats and rabbits: UNESCO World Heritage candidate caught in a bind over tourism drive

UNESCO designates World Heritage sites in order to preserve cultural or natural assets deemed significant to humanity. The idea is to maintain these assets for future generations, but UNESCO itself doesn't pay for maintenance. It is up to the countries where the sites are located and UNESCO will remove...

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