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Japan Times
WORLD
May 11, 2014

U.S. first lady uses bully pulpit to push concerns about girls

Michelle Obama has taken the unique step of delivering her husband's weekly presidential address to express outrage at the recent kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
May 11, 2014

High-tech Japan jumps on wearable device bandwagon

Japanese firms are jumping into the race to manufacture a new generation of wearable devices that will link people more intimately with the Internet as they grow more dependent on gadgets to manage their lives.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 10, 2014

Brush up on pop idol feuds before the exam

Last month, Meiji University's law department announced it would offer a social-psychology course on the boy band Arashi. The syllabus includes lectures about the group's individual members; its work in TV dramas and advertising; and the "culture of Johnny's Jimusho," Arashi's powerful production company....
COMMENTARY / World
May 9, 2014

Supremes answer town's prayers

The upshot of the May 5 U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold prayer before a town council meeting is that as long as no one is coerced, nonsectarian prayer is a political virtue but not a constitutional requirement.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 9, 2014

Ukraine rebels ignore Putin call to delay self-rule vote

Pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine ignored a public call by Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone a referendum on self-rule, declaring they would go ahead on Sunday with a vote that could lead to war.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 8, 2014

Roses to inspire life in the pink

Don't panic if you almost forgot that it's Mother's Day on Sunday. The International Roses and Gardening Show could be just the ticket to stay in Mom's good graces. Why not give her a gift of flowers and then take her to an event showcasing nearly a million different roses, arranged by breeders and flower...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 8, 2014

Entertainment takes to the streets of Ibaraki

Street performances, known as daidōgei in Japan, are usually performed at random, so to see many shows all at once is a rare opportunity. The Hitachi Kokusai Daidogei in Ibaraki has invited 30 artists from Japan, France, China and England for a wide variety of performances, all taking place this weekend....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 7, 2014

Lawyer for Japan's Universal offered to pay ex-staffer to stop helping casino probe, document indicates

A lawyer for pachinko machine maker Universal Entertainment offered to bribe an ex-worker to retract a claim the firm paid bribes over a casino project, documents show.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
May 7, 2014

Economic divide fueling surge in Xinjiang unrest

Hundreds of migrant workers from distant corners of China pour daily into the Urumqi South railway station, their first waypoint on a journey carrying them to lucrative work in other parts of the far western Xinjiang region.
CULTURE / Stage
May 7, 2014

Surrender yourself to 'Fuerza Bruta' fun

Standing around with a drink in your hand as if you were on the dance floor of a club might not be a good idea at a Diqui James production.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 7, 2014

Bunraku legend gets set for his grand finale

On the occasion of his retirement after three decades as a bunraku narrator, the designated living national treasure Takemoto Sumitayu VII will present part of a program of traditional puppetry (ningyō jōruri) being staged by the National Theatre in Tokyo from May 10-26.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 6, 2014

Japan meets most conditions for 'vital' EU trade talks: documents

The European Union is to tell Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday that Brussels is broadly satisfied with Japan's progress in negotiations toward an ambitious free trade deal, likely allowing talks to continue, according to EU documents.
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2014

Is Modi too big a man for India?

The biggest problem with the rise of political superhero Narendra Modi is that it follows the 'Big Man' model, which is flawed many times over in the case of diverse India.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
May 5, 2014

Money that must go down the pan

In almost all of Japan's major cities, close to 100 percent of the population are connected to public sewerage systems, but the farther away from cities you get the more the number drops. Tokushima Prefecture is the lowest, at 16.3 percent.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
May 4, 2014

Rifōmu-suru rashii-no-yo. It seems they are having their house remodeled

Rifōmu-suru rashii-no-yo. (It seems they are having their house remodeled.)
EDITORIALS
May 3, 2014

Nightclub beats rap on dancing

In a prod toward a modern legal view of sexual morals, an Osaka nightclub owner beats a charge, based on a 1948 law, of allowing patrons in his club to dance without a special permit for dancing.
EDITORIALS
May 2, 2014

Protecting the peace Constitution

As a majority of polled Japanese oppose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to overturn the government's traditional interpretation of a constitutional principle that has enabled Japan to enjoy nearly 70 years of peace and prosperity, he should focus on improving ties with Japan's closest neighbors.
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2014

Ending Asia's zero-sum games

Perhaps if Asia's leaders viewed East Asia's rapid economic transformation, geopolitical dynamics and historical animosities like a recenlty arrived space alien, they would see what they need to do to halt the dangerous trends.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 2, 2014

Rethinking Japan's whaling

Although many Japanese seem indifferent to the question of whether they can get whale meat, pro and con reactions in and out of Japan will affect those who still live by whale hunting on a local scale.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 1, 2014

Toyama's Joho named league MVP

Shooting guard Masashi Joho and forward Ira Brown form a dynamic one-two punch for the Toyama Grouses, a partnership that has helped the Hokuriku-based team make significant improvements — notably a steady increase in wins — in each of their three seasons together.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 1, 2014

A golden time to dine outdoors

Now is the golden season in Tokyo: balmy days, mellow temperatures, low humidity and no mosquitoes. There's nothing better than a nice, leisurely (and maybe even boozy) lunch outside — dinner, too, as long as you bring a warm jacket or throw.
Events / Events In Tokyo
May 1, 2014

Meat lovers get ready for a delicious festival

Looking for a tasty way to beef up your protein needs? Try the Food Nations Meat Fes, which will be held in Tokyo's Komazawa Olympic Park from May 2 to May 6.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Apr 30, 2014

Tackling the 'empathy deficit' toward non-Japanese

Sympathy is not the same as empathy, and that is one reason why discrimination against foreigners and minorities is so hard to combat in Japan. Japanese society is good at sympathy, but empathy? Less so.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 29, 2014

Before Iraq polls, Shiite militias unleashed war on Sunni insurgents

The Sunni militants who seized the riverside town of Buhriz late last month stayed for several hours.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 29, 2014

Shooters Sports Bar and Grill: A taste of America in Nagoya

Having first opened its doors in 1997, Shooters is the longest running and most successful international restaurant in Nagoya. But it is not only its longevity that makes this a great place to hang out: It also boasts friendly staff, a well-stocked bar and generous portions of Americana cuisine.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 27, 2014

Hundreds of thousands watch two popes become saints

Pope Francis proclaimed his predecessors John XXIII and John Paul II saints in front of more than half a million pilgrims on Sunday, hailing both as courageous men who withstood the tragedies of the 20th century.

Longform

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