Search - 2016

 
 
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 2, 2016

'15 saw Abe keep nationalism in check, reset Seoul, Beijing ties

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's diplomatic gains last year may give him momentum for the crucial Upper House election and his life-long ambition of revising the Constitution.
EDITORIALS
Jan 2, 2016

Education deserves more attention

The government's conservative agenda is exposed by the rise in defense spending while funding for education remains static.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 2, 2016

Five planes above tight-security Rose Parade write message in the sky: 'Trump is disgusting'

Five planes flew over the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on Friday writing messages in the sky that included "America is great! Trump is disgusting. Anybody but Trump, US," as onlookers craned their necks for a view.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 1, 2016

Syrian, Iraqi militants said to have been plotting New Year's attack in Germany

Germany received a tip hours before midnight that named militants from Iraq and Syria were planning attacks in Munich but police have been unable to find the suspects and are not even sure if they exist or are in the country, the Munich police chief said Friday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 1, 2016

New Year's holidays are a time to revisit traditions, customs

O-shogatsu, or New Year's holidays, is a special time for Japanese people, who typically go back to the basics of their long-standing traditions. It's a time when those who left their hometowns for the big cities for work or school go back to visit their families, invite relatives and friends to their...
MORE SPORTS
Dec 31, 2015

Super featherweight champion Uchiyama defends title for 11th time

Hard hitter Takashi Uchiyama posted a third-round technical knockout victory over Oliver Flores on Thursday night, defending his WBA super featherweight title for the 11th time at Ota City General Gymnasium.
OLYMPICS
Dec 31, 2015

Brazil eases Olympic travel for some

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States will not have to get a visa to travel to Brazil for next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the government said in the official gazette on Wednesday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Dec 31, 2015

Kawabuchi using strength to spark basketball revival

Japanese basketball marked an unprecedented dark year in 2015 as its national governing body was suspended by FIBA. It was a tough penalty handed down in November 2014.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 31, 2015

Supporters share 'ekiden' drama with athletes

As Daichi Kamino crossed the finish line at the end of the first day of last year's Tokyo-Hakone collegiate ekiden (relay marathon) championship, he ran straight into the arms of his ecstatic teammates.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 31, 2015

Even if Abe camp prevails in next summer's poll, bid to revise Constitution no given

After taking Japan's helm for the second time in December 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has had three good years, leading his Liberal Democratic Party to victory in two consecutive national elections, getting highly unpopular laws enacted without dooming his Cabinet, and winning three more years as...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 30, 2015

Russia to revise space program amid economic troubles, including cuts to moon exploration

Russia is to revise its space program, the national space agency said on Tuesday after a newspaper published a report that billions of dollars of cuts may be on the way, including to ambitious moon exploration plans.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 30, 2015

Georgia, with eye on 2016 election, switches prime minister

Lawmakers in Georgia voted on Tuesday to approve Georgi Kvirikashvili as the ex-Soviet state's new prime minister, an appointment widely seen as an attempt to boost the ruling coalition's flagging popularity amid an economic slump.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 30, 2015

2,500 deaths, 6,200 orphaned, Guinea now deemed Ebola-free; Liberia counting the days

Guinea was declared free of Ebola transmission on Tuesday after more than 2,500 people died from the virus in the West African nation, leaving Liberia as the only country still counting down the days until the end of the epidemic.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2015

An education antidote to Islamic radicalization

The way to counter Islamic extremism is to increase educational and employment opportunities for young Muslims.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 29, 2015

Database of 191 million U.S. voters exposed on Internet, says researcher

An independent computer security researcher uncovered a database of information on 191 million voters that is exposed on the open Internet due to an incorrectly configured database, he said on Monday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 29, 2015

Switzerland has kept records for 150 years and this December clocks in as the warmest

Switzerland will mark its warmest December since the country that founded winter tourism began keeping records 150 years ago.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 29, 2015

Army sensing victory, Iraq's leader vows to obliterate Islamic State in '16, retake Mosul

A triumphant Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared on Monday that the coming year would see his forces defeat Islamic State, after his military achieved its first major victory since collapsing in the face of the fighters 18 months ago.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 28, 2015

Bad year for Asian democracy

Malaysia and Thailand are just two reasons to doubt Asia's commitment to openness and accountability.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2015

Trump's machismo may not work against Hillary

Donald Trump's macho posturing has taken him to the top of the GOP's presidential contenders, but that tactic could backfire on him if he employs it against Hillary Clinton.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2015

Seibu to debut dinner trains featuring local fare on its scenic Chichibu Line from spring

Seibu Railway Co. will debut a dining train service in spring 2016 that offers gourmet meals to passengers traveling the scenic Seibu Chichibu Line.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 28, 2015

Trump chides Rubio-endorsing Republican panel chief's Benghazi probe debacle

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assailed a leading committee chairman in Congress on Sunday for backing Marco Rubio, Trump's rival for the party's nomination.

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