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Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 21, 2015

Kiev accuses Russia of sending more tanks to eastern Ukraine

Kiev accused Russia on Friday of sending more tanks and troops into eastern Ukraine and said they were heading toward the rebel-held town of Novoazovsk on the southern coast, expanding their presence on what it fears could be the next battlefront.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 20, 2015

Temporary housing; famous siblings; CM of the week: Meiji

The temporary housing built for the survivors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami is usually depicted as being dark and cold, inhabited by sad people. But according to the NHK regional documentary, "Egao no Kasetsu Jutaku" ("Temporary Housing of Smiling Faces"; NHK-G, Mon., 12:40 a.m.), at least one community...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 20, 2015

Blame Obama for Libya's descent into chaos

U.S. President Barack Obama destroyed Libya, just as George W. Bush destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan earlier. Obama doesn't deserve a historical pass.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 18, 2015

Abe's JA reforms no salve for core problems, experts say

Takashi Tomita, who heads an agricultural cooperative in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, is considered a ray of hope for a farming sector on the brink of collapse.
Japan Times
PRESS / Events
Feb 18, 2015

The 6th Japan Times Spelling Bee to be held March 14

WORLD
Feb 18, 2015

Turkey to help U.S. train and equip Syrian opposition fighters

The United States and Turkey have reached a tentative agreement to train and equip moderate Syrian opposition fighters and expect to sign the pact soon, U.S. and Turkish officials said on Tuesday, with Ankara predicting a signing in days.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 18, 2015

Brazilians compete for kissing crown at Rio's Carnival

Wagner de Aguiar is acting like a big baby, but the women do not seem to mind.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 17, 2015

EU hangs tough, waiting for Greece to bend as euro wilts

European Union finance ministers piled pressure on Greece on Tuesday to remain in an international financial rescue program as the euro weakened on fears of disruption when Athens' credit lines expire in 10 days.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 17, 2015

Monetary easing won't be easy for China

Today's China finds itself much where Asia did in 1997 — dependent on exports and excessive borrowing, and at the mercy of markets that have no trouble seeing through government spin.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 17, 2015

Masa's Kitchen 47 defies stereotypes with bold take on Chinese cuisine

Gleaming white tableware, understated decor and not a single dragon or red lantern in sight: Masa's Kitchen 47 boldly defies the stereotype for Chinese restaurants in Tokyo. Which is just as it should be. So does the food.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 16, 2015

Who benefits from the new overtime pay system?

On Feb. 13, a Labor Policy Council sub-committee submitted to the labor ministry a report with suggestions for a bill to revise the labor standards law. The revision, which the ministry plans to submit to the next regular Diet session, applies to the work of skilled white collar professionals and will allow them to 'work in a manner that demonstrates their achievements' more effectively, which is another way of saying that employers will no longer be required to pay these workers overtime for extra hours on the job, which in turn means that employers cannot be accused of pressuring them to work overtime for no pay, a system popularly known as saabisu zangyo, or 'free overtime.'
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 16, 2015

Japanese deaths stir debate on hostage rescue capabilities

Following the gruesome executions of two Japanese by the Islamic State group, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seems more eager than ever for legal authority to deploy Self-Defense Forces elements overseas, saying it is the government's duty to rescue its citizens.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Feb 15, 2015

Iwate's Oketani earns 300th career victory

When the bj-league tipped off in the fall of 2005, Dai Oketani was working as an assistant under Oita HeatDevils head coach Jawann Oldham, a former NBA big man.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Feb 15, 2015

Spare a thought for the junior-high students going through 'exam hell'

Adolescence has never been easy, but add the pressure of having to pass an important high school exam and you have what's commonly known as 'entrance exam hell.'
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 15, 2015

'Nut rage' prompts South Korea to consider law against 'high-handed' conduct

Resentment has mounted so much in South Korea against what has come to be known as "gabjil," high-handedness by the rich and powerful, that parliamentarians are proposing legislation to punish some of the worst abuses.
EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2015

Negative savings rates loom

The first-ever annual drop in Japan's household savings rate into negative territory might have been the result of people's rush to buy goods before the consumption tax hike last April. Yet, the long-term downtrend in the savings rate is forecast to continue.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2015

Foreign recruits are Islamic State's cannon fodder

Aspiring jihadists looking to join the Islamic State army are often lured to the front lines with promises of changing the course of history, but at least for less-skilled foreign recruits, especially those from Central Asia, the experience of fighting for the new caliphate is oftren brief and bloody.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 13, 2015

Vintners see bright future for Koshu wine

Making wine comes naturally to Ayana Misawa, having spent her childhood in vineyards watching her father and grandfather nurture cherished Koshu grapes, a variety known for its fresh and fruity overtones.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 13, 2015

Saitama Gold Theater Company; Aum Shinrikyo sarin attack anniversary; CM of the week: Takarakuji

The Saitama Gold Theater Company, supervised by Japan's most famous theater director, Yukio Ninagawa, is made up of seniors — average age 75 — who were stage amateurs before they auditioned for the troupe. Now they play to thousands of paying customers every year, even overseas.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 13, 2015

Ukraine deal leaves Putin stronger, and he loses little if cease-fire fails

The peace agreement in the Ukrainian conflict may be tailor-made to satisfy Russian President Vladimir Putin: It keeps the authorities in Kiev under his thumb while avoiding an escalation of the confrontation that would tip his country's economy deeper into crisis.
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 13, 2015

China offers hand to Greece, seeks long-term access to port

Premier Li Keqiang has told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that China is prepared to boost investment in the debt-ridden country after conflicting messages about the sale of the country's biggest port.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 12, 2015

Abe sidesteps expanded SDF role in Diet policy speech

Delivering a key policy speech at the Diet, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated his determination Thursday to push for economic reforms but avoided touching the most controversial issue expected at this year's ordinary Diet session: security bills to expand the scope of Self-Defense Forces missions....
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / TYSON-DOUGLAS SHOCKER REVISITED
Feb 12, 2015

Ringside reporters recall date with destiny

Fifth in a series
WORLD
Feb 12, 2015

Obama asks Congress to authorize war on Islamic State

U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday sent Congress his long-awaited formal request to authorize military force against Islamic State, meeting swift resistance from Republicans as well as his fellow Democrats wary of another war in the Middle East.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 12, 2015

Ketchup-maker Kagome hikes prices but fears consumers aren't ready to pay more

For Tokyo-based condiments maker Kagome, and perhaps for the government, the challenge of breaking with a decade and a half of deflation boils down to the price of a bottle of ketchup.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 11, 2015

With focus on wartime past, Japan's global PR message could misfire

A campaign to correct perceived bias in accounts of Japan's wartime past risks muddling the positive message in a mammoth public relations drive to win friends abroad.

Longform

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