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Japan Times
JAPAN
May 2, 2014

Lawyer gives Article 9 some coffee shop buzz

One morning in late April dozens of mothers, some with children, gathered at an Italian restaurant in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, hoping not only to dine, but also to learn what kind of future might await their children if the Constitution is amended.
BUSINESS
May 1, 2014

Corporate tax rate to be reduced by April '15, Nishimura says

Tokyo will start making significant cuts to the corporate tax rate by April 2015 in line with its aim of making the economy more competitive and of spurring a recovery driven by spending and massive monetary stimulus, deputy economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said.
EDITORIALS
Apr 30, 2014

Risky medical deregulation

The government should give up its attempt to introduce mixed medical treatment and instead speed up the process for approving coverage and use of new drugs and medical technologies under the public health insurance system.
Reader Mail
Apr 30, 2014

Growing more women scientists

The April 16 AFP-JIJI article "Japan's scientists: just 14% female" must be frustrating for the Japanese government, but nowhere near as frustrating as it is for the women trying to mark their way in a field traditionally dominated by men.
Reader Mail
Apr 30, 2014

A government that can't reason

It is unbelievable how thick, stubborn and stupid the government of Japan is on some essential questions that project the Japanese people's reputation widely across the world.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 28, 2014

Abe's 'third arrow' crucial for Asia: IMF

Asian policymakers must push ahead with structural changes to ensure the region continues to lead global growth and withstand volatility as the United States reduces monetary stimulus, the International Monetary Fund said, naming Japan and China as potential sources of risk.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Apr 28, 2014

Five activists win court fight but battle against Tokyo university is not over

The Tokyo High Court recently upheld the acquittal of the 'Hosei Five' on charges under the Law for the Punishment of Acts of Violence in a case that became a rallying point for students across Japan.
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: ARCHITECTURE
Apr 28, 2014

Japanese architecture on show in Venice, and the loss of a legend

Architects often claim to be deeply concerned about protecting the distinctive soul of places and regions, which would seem to imply that architects should stay close to their roots. Yet the export of architectural services and the global circulation of architects has never been higher. This paradox...
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Apr 27, 2014

Off-the-radar Kansai offers advantages to startups

Ever since St. Francis Xavier arrived in Kagoshima in August 1549, official Japan has preferred foreigners of a certain type: prestigious leaders who are status-quo-oriented and have a large organization backing their ventures here.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 26, 2014

Mini-revolutions may add up to a change

1949. The war was over. Slowly, a numbed populace rose from the dead. That year, 2.7 million babies were born — a record high, never surpassed.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Apr 26, 2014

Lucy Birmingham: 'Don't give up on your dream no matter how many people tell you it's wrong'

'The world can learn a lot from the Japanese about how to get up and start over again despite unimagineable tragedy.'
Reader Mail
Apr 26, 2014

Depending on Obama to curb Abe's notions

Regarding U.S. President Barack Obama's trip to Japan last week: Animosity among Asian leaders is nearing a critical mass as governments of the main players becoming increasingly hard-line and intolerant. America must insist that Japan cease its deliberate tit-for-tat aggravations that risk serious...
Reader Mail
Apr 26, 2014

Scuttling a chance to end the ill will

Regarding the April 20 AFP-Jiji article "Diet ranks vow to defy ICJ ruling": It was with considerable satisfaction that I heard of the recent 12-4 ruling by the International Court of Justice in favor of Australia's lawsuit against Japan's whaling program.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2014

Costs keep mounting for idled reactors

Since March 2011, the government has focused on the cost of cleaning up after Fukushima, the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Now, the bill is coming due for another unbudgeted consequence of that calamity — shutting down the nation's 48 remaining nuclear reactors for costly safety reviews that...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 25, 2014

Bill Granger's reciprocal love affair with Tokyo eating

Over the past few years, several American-style pancake joints — Eggs n' Things and Cafe Kaila, for example — have washed up on Tokyo's shores. Now, the tide is going the other direction.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 24, 2014

Painful love in decaying Hokkaido port town

My interview with Mipo Oh, the director of the turbulent new love drama 'Soko Nomi Nite Hikari Kagayaku (The Light Shines Only There),' did not begin smoothly.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 24, 2014

Rebuilding trust in Tepco

Tepco's task of regaining the trust of Japan's public will be just as difficult as resolving the technical challenges in the decades-long work of decommissioning the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2014

H.I.S. eyes island off theme park for casino

H.I.S. Co.'s Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park along the Nagasaki coast is considering buying a deserted offshore island in an expansion to boost its appeal as a possible site for a casino resort.
Japan Times
JAPAN / TELLING LIVES
Apr 22, 2014

Ex-refugee uses own experiences to help others

As a former refugee who was forced to leave his own country during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, Iranian-born Sena Vafa hopes to raise awareness about the plight of refugees here in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 22, 2014

Simi Lab delivers a mixed message on 'Page 2: Mind Over Matter'

Few genres are as freighted with the politics of authenticity as hip-hop. Just last month, the New Yorker kicked off a fresh round of controversy when it ran a profile of Lord Jamar, a cantankerous middle-aged rapper who rails against what he sees as the softening — and whitening — of modern hip-hop....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 22, 2014

'Jazz mecca' Osaka to host star-studded global concert

What comes to mind when you think of Osaka? Maybe takoyaki (octopus dumplings), the Hanshin Tigers, Universal Studios Japan, wacky comedy and down-to-earth, unpretentious people.

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan