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EDITORIALS
May 10, 2013

A shaky win for Mr. Najib

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his ruling coalition have prevailed again in a Malaysian election, but will his shrinking majority enable him to keep up reform efforts?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 9, 2013

Replaying people's actions with a twist

Much of Belgian artist Francis Alu00ffs' work and life have been determined by chance.
WORLD / EU SPECIAL 2013
May 9, 2013

Milestones on the road to a united, integrated Europe 63 years in the making

Europe Day, May 9, which is celebrated as the birthday of the European Union, is the anniversary of the proposal known as the Schuman Declaration.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 8, 2013

China questions Okinawa ownership

Two scholars from an official Chinese research center suggest re-examining the ownership of the Japanese island chain that includes Okinawa, adding to tensions over the Senkaku territorial dispute.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 8, 2013

U.S., South Korea show united front on North Korea

U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korea's new leader warn North Korea against further nuclear provocations, with Obama declaring that the days when Pyongyang could 'create a crisis and elicit concessions' were over.
COMMENTARY / World
May 8, 2013

Putin's hand in radicalizing a secular rebellion

It was Vladimir Putin's refusal to distinguish legitimate Chechen demands for independence from terrorism that created the jihadist movement in the North Caucasus.
JAPAN
May 8, 2013

Kyoto's cultural treasures at mercy of Fukui reactors

Each spring, thousands of tourists visit the ancient capital of Kyoto to enjoy what, for many, is the quintessential Japanese experience of viewing cherry blossoms in the cradle of the nation's traditional culture.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 7, 2013

Anticipation: How high will mortgage interest go?

After 20 years housing loan interest rates are ready to rise.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 6, 2013

'Abenomics' meets curse of the second 100 days — will the mirage last?

The accomplishments of the first 100 days in office are a favorite benchmark for democratic leaders. It's thought to offer a preview of his or her worldview, ambition and political fortune.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 6, 2013

Experts question value of DNA tests

What does your DNA really reveal about your health?
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2013

Austerity era appears over (for now)

Something remarkable has happened in the last few weeks. It looks like world financial leaders are focusing on too few jobs instead of the risks from government debt.
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2013

Beware China's civilian-military relationship

Do China's rulers have full civilian control of their country's military? The U.S. and Japan should ask that question as Beijing hardens its stance on its maritime claims.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
May 5, 2013

Dai Tamesue: Japan's 'samurai hurdler' keeps rising to new challenges

Though word-class track athlete Dai Tamesue may have hung up his spikes, he has plenty of insights to share on how sports can play a bigger role in society.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
May 5, 2013

Our tree dragon fires new hopes for tsunami survivors

Ever since the massive Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, and the catastrophic tsunami it triggered, badly hit villages, towns and cities in the Tohoku region of northeastern Honshu have been struggling to recover and rebuild.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 5, 2013

Revealing the many masks of Mishima

This is a whale of a book — both unusually massive and extremely informative and stimulating. The title means "mask" in Latin and is probably an allusion to Yukio Mishima's first full-length novel, "Confessions of a Mask," published in Japan in 1949 and translated into English by Meredith Weatherby...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 3, 2013

'Gangster Squad'

You know the drill," says L.A. gang lord Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) to his henchmen, and they immediately pick up actual drills and get to work on their victims. The screen gets sprayed with enough blood to relieve a drought. So if Mickey Cohen says "Hammer it out," are those henchmen going to get hammers...
Japan Times
WORLD
May 3, 2013

Ghost of Iraq looms as U.N. evaluates Syria

A few days ago, a little-known Swedish scientist with a career devoted to studying lethal warfare agents paid a quiet visit to London. He was there to examine evidence that British officials believe shows that Syrian forces used chemical weapons against their own people.
JAPAN
May 2, 2013

Heritage status will mean big changes

Local and prefectural governments and businesses surrounding Mount Fuji welcomed the news that the World Heritage Committee is expected to designate Japan's most famous and popular mountain as a World Heritage site, despite concerns about what it will mean to the local environment and questions about...
EDITORIALS
May 2, 2013

The Boston bombings

Investigators continue to fill in the blanks, but one large question continues to hang over the terror attack during the Boston Marathon on April 15: Why?
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2013

Americans risk repetition of isolationist cycle

As the case for U.S. political and economic retrenchment gains new traction in Washington, Americans are in danger of repeating a cycle of isolationism.
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
May 1, 2013

Is Hakuho on his way to becoming the greatest ever?

On sumo's list of all-time yusho winners, Hakuho currently stands tied with Kitanoumi on 24 championships to date. Just three men stand between the Mongolian and the all-time record: Asashoryu at 25, Chiyonofuji at 31 and Taiho at 32.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / JAPAN-CHINA SYMPOSIUM
Apr 30, 2013

Japan, China at risk of losing sight of true interests

As Japan deals with China, the nation needs to get an accurate picture of what the giant neighbor is and where it is headed, rather than be swayed by what could be a larger-than-life image of the new economic and military power in East Asia, China watchers said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2013

Anniversaries, talk shows showcase division in Russia

Opposition critics, left and right, of Russian President Vladimir Putin seem to be loud but toothless opportunists. In many cases, they are nostalgic for Josef Stalin.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 29, 2013

Perceptions of brothers don't fit neatly into pre-existing box

Chechen? American? Immigrant? Citizen? Muslim? Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may be all of the above, but how Americans attempt to come to grips with the attacks allegedly perpetrated by the brothers has much to do with how Americans identify them.
WORLD
Apr 29, 2013

U.S. wary of warning Iran on cyber-attacks

The United States, concerned that Iran is behind a string of cyber-attacks against U.S. banking sites, has considered delivering a formal warning through diplomatic channels, but has not pursued the idea out of fears that doing so could escalate hostilities, according to American officials.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 28, 2013

Cook Islands paradise isn't plain sailing for all

They span an area the size of western Europe, but the Cook Islands may seem like the ends of the Earth when viewed from Japan — an 11-hour flight away south to New Zealand, followed by a four-hour "local hop" to the capital, Avarua, on the main island of Rarotonga.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 28, 2013

A Pacific idyll where some go to escape, others to connect

A woman from western Japan, who calls herself "Amy," couldn't find paradise in Thailand, Cuba, Brazil or French Polynesia, so with the last of her $300 savings she bought a one-way ticket from Tahiti to Rarotonga. Then, claiming to be penniless, she walked from the airport to the police station and...

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’