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EDITORIALS
Mar 31, 2013

Testing English versus teaching it

The proposal that all students take TOEFL to enter university shows that the LDP sees the need for better English in Japan but is missing the answer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2013

Appliance makers get serious about beauty products

'Beauty' may not be the first thing that pops into people's heads when they think about electronics, but struggling Japanese home electronics manufacturers see a great deal of promise in a range of beauty gadgets targeting women, from high-tech hair dryers to steam skin moisturizers.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 29, 2013

Defense institute seeks integrated efforts with U.S.

Amid the changing security situation in East Asia, Japan should be equipped with more flexible and integrated defense capabilities and enhanced coordination among the Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Coast Guard and the U.S. military, according to the 2013 East Asian Strategic Review released Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 26, 2013

Curse or cash cow: Japan ready for casinos?

Lawmakers are seriously considering legalizing casinos so Japanese can roll the dice without having to travel to gambling houses in the United States, East and Southeast Asia.
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2013

Abe wants TOEFL to be key exam

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not satisfied with revising monetary policy — he also appears bent on reviving another failing field: the public's ability to speak English.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 21, 2013

Auto sales driven by gas mileage

Japanese carmakers compete over fuel efficiency.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2013

The West is in decline, but its values still prevail

The first ever non-European pope takes over at the Vatican, while Italy's economic ills and ungovernability foretell, it's argued, the wider decline of the West. First World Catholics enmeshed in scandal in Europe and the United States have turned to a devout Argentinian to clean up their mess.
EDITORIALS
Mar 20, 2013

BOJ must proceed with caution

The Bank of Japan has agreed to adopt a 2 percent inflation target, but the BOJ is asking for trouble if it makes such a price rise its ultimate goal.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2013

Higher English test hurdle awaits ministry applicants from fiscal '15

Would-be bureaucrats may soon have to take an English-language proficiency test before getting a shot at a ministry job.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 19, 2013

TPP entry could pave way for U.S. LNG deal

Japan's bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations may make it easier for it to import liquefied natural gas from the United States, a prospect that is raising the hackles of environmental groups.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 18, 2013

Anti-poverty programs show dubious success

Amid enduring poverty, rising inequality and lackluster growth in many developing countries, the success of past antipoverty policies looks dubious.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 14, 2013

Abe push to weaken currency erodes Japanese tourist spending in South

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to weaken the yen is echoing through the duty-free shops and tourist sites of South Korea, where Japanese visitors spent about $4.5 billion last year.
WORLD
Mar 14, 2013

Pentagon to form cyber-attack teams

The Pentagon's Cyber Command will create 40 offensive cybersecurity teams by the fall of 2015 to help defend the nation against major computer attacks and assist combat commands as they plan offensive capabilities, Gen. Keith Alexander said Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 12, 2013

TPP a risky venture for Japan

If Japan joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership its food self-sufficiency rate would be in danger of plunging from the current incredibly low 39 percent to about 13 percent.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 9, 2013

Asia's dammed water hegemon

China's announcement of three new dam projects on the Brahmaputra underscores the emergence of water as a new divide in Sino-Indian relations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / TOHOKU TRAPPED IN TIME
Mar 8, 2013

Traumatized port struggles to stay together, move on

When the Kinoya fish processing company in Ishinomaki opened its brand new flagship factory last month, it gave employees a ray of hope that it would recover from the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed much of the city.
EDITORIALS
Mar 7, 2013

Mr. Kuroda's high hopes

Bank of Japan presidential nominee Haruhiko Kuroda tells confirmation lawmakers that he will do anything he can to push Japan off its deflation path.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2013

BofA surge affirms Buffett bet as Moynihan's gaffes fade

Brian Moynihan was impatient. It was August 2011, and the Bank of America Corp. chief executive officer was reviewing plans to impose a $5 monthly fee on debit-card users.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 5, 2013

Sony aiming for mobile-device unit profitability by 2014

Sony Corp. plans to make its mobile-device business profitable next year as it boosts shipments of smartphones, the head of the unit said Monday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Mar 5, 2013

Buying property in the age of Abenomics

According to most business media, now is the time to act if you are thinking about buying a home. Though the Liberal Democratic Party has yet to confirm that it will go ahead with the consumption tax increases the Democratic Party of Japan passed last year, it seems likely that the first hike to 8 percent...
EDITORIALS
Mar 5, 2013

A chance to host linear collider

The government and science community should encourate discussions on bringing the International Linear Collider to Japan as public support is indispensable for this expensive project.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 4, 2013

Too high to drive? Pot-legal Colorado mulls blood-level limits

When is someone too stoned to drive?
EDITORIALS
Feb 28, 2013

Challenges for President Park

Park Geun Hye, South Korea's first female president, has taken the reins of a country beset by stubborn internal as well as international problems.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear