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Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 30, 2015

China's journey from new normal to stock market crisis epicenter

In late January, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang shared a proverb with global leaders in a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 29, 2015

Mishima, Murakami and the elusive Nobel Prize

Will he or won't he? It's about the time of year when the Japanese media descends into a frenzy of speculation about whether Haruki Murakami will land the Nobel Prize in literature, becoming the first Japanese literary laureate since Kenzaburo Oe in 1994.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2015

Tokyo native looks to put innovation, not money, into creative sports open to all

While Japan looks forward to hosting the world's biggest and glitziest sports event five years from now, a Tokyo man is promoting a series of innovative, quirky sports that are played simply for the fun of it.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2015

War on Islamic State has given Jordan new life

Tiny, oil-poor Jordan has parlayed the war against Islamic State into tangible gains.
BUSINESS
Aug 28, 2015

Abe sends envoy to Jakarta in high-speed rail bid

Shinzo Abe has sent an envoy to Indonesia to offer a sweeter deal to build a high-speed railway, a Japanese Embassy official said on Thursday, highlighting the importance of the multibillion dollar project that China also wants to win.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 26, 2015

Osaka governor demands Ishin no To secretary-general resign as party division intensifies

Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party), the second largest opposition party, is on the brink of disintegration once again as a confrontation between its Osaka-based and Tokyo-based members intensified Wednesday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 26, 2015

Flooding in North Korea kills 40, strands thousands

Heavy rain in North Korea killed 40 people, stranded thousands in flash floods and caused "massive" damage on the weekend, the International Federation of the Red Cross said and North Korean media said.
EDITORIALS
Aug 26, 2015

Expanding sports for the disabled

Japan should strive to increase opportunities for disabled people to engage in sports.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 26, 2015

Will another Miyazaki save Japanese cinema from Hollywood?

In the 1990s, when I was reporting on the Japanese film business for a British trade magazine, big-budget Hollywood movies with splashy special effects dominated the local box office. And the industry consensus was that resistance — in the form of made-in-Japan effects extravaganzas — was futile....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 25, 2015

'Soma' project dances over divides

If you took a handful of aspiring Japanese contemporary dancers and blended them with a few members of Tanztheater Wuppertal — the world-famous German troupe formed in 1973 by the modern dance icon Pina Bausch (1940-2009) — what kinds of artistic chemistry would you get?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 25, 2015

The value of China's devaluation

China's currency devaluation has advanced its strategic goal of turning the RMB into an international reserve currency — and, in the long term, into a credible global challenger to the U.S. dollar.
EDITORIALS
Aug 25, 2015

Defense Ministry internal document

The Abe administration needs to provide sufficient explanations on the SDF's activities and operations related to the bills to the Diet to prevent the SDF from making decisions while keeping the Diet and the public in the dark.
EDITORIALS
Aug 25, 2015

Market turbulence and the yuan

Japan should brace for a 'China shock' to the global economy.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 24, 2015

Aichi meets challenge of surge in non-Japanese students

Schools in Japan are struggling to meet the needs of children with non-Japanese parents who come from a diverse range of countries.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2015

Schools' wheelchair repairs give new life to people in need

Every summer, students from local high schools in Akita Prefecture gather to learn how to repair secondhand wheelchairs to be sent overseas.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Aug 22, 2015

Surviving the postwar Soviet detention camps

Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, marked the end of the most devastating global conflict in history.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 22, 2015

Abe catches heat from the weeklies in the dog days of summer

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces such a constant stream of stumbles and irritants, it's hard to identify which of them is causing his biggest headache.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 22, 2015

The same old story on rural depopulation

A story that is constantly upbeat quickly becomes tiring. Conflict and resolution are necessary to maintain interest, and while happy endings are still more popular than depressing ones, characters should go through some sort of emotional turmoil before arriving at them.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Aug 22, 2015

Newest "Super Mario," Forza Motorsport" and Metal Gear Solid" games set to impress

"Super Mario" takes you to a whole new level
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Aug 21, 2015

How yakitori went from taboo to salaryman snack

The grilled chicken skewers known as yakitori are good at any time of the year, but they go especially well with ice-cold beer. They also have an excellent chance of becoming the next big Japanese culinary hit worldwide — after sushi and ramen.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE PERSISTENT VEGETARIAN
Aug 21, 2015

The best ways for vegetarians to get tied up with summer noodles

There seems to be a noodle shop almost everywhere you look in Japan. All varieties can be had at almost any hour and any cost. They may be ubiquitous, but appreciating different noodles as the seasons change from hot to cold is what makes them special.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2015

Advent of yuan diplomacy

China has been transforming from a follower of rules to a rule maker and even a rule breaker thanks to the weight of its economy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 21, 2015

Chip burgers and burger chips hit convenience stores

Fast-food chain Lotteria is currently selling a limited-edition burger containing a handful of Calbee potato chips placed on top of the meat patty. For those not ready to sink their teeth into that crunchy creation, Lotteria and Calbee have also teamed up on a special chip that tastes like Lotteria's...
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Aug 20, 2015

Limits of Abe's leadership

Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has been and continues to be a thorn in Shinzo Abe's side, as evidenced by the National Stadium brouhaha.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 19, 2015

Russia wants to be understood

Russia's image today remains tained by the image of Soviet days, which is why its case over Ukraine, Crimea and flight MH17 still get little attention in the West, even when it is deserved.

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic