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Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 18, 2015

'Mercury Fur' exposes a caring kind of depravity

After the premiere of "Mercury Fur" at Theatre Tram in Tokyo's lively Sangenjaya district this month, Issey Takahashi, who stars in that dystopian 2005 play by Philip Ridley, declared: "I think this is a very dark prophecy, but as I was acting my character Elliot today, I also felt it's a story of hope...
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 18, 2015

'Commie-loving' mainlanders targeted in election at Hong Kong's top university

A campus election at a top Hong Kong university has degenerated into an acrimonious campaign against mainland Chinese candidates, highlighting simmering tensions two months after prodemocracy protests led by local students paralyzed parts of the city.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 17, 2015

Danish Jews' affection for their country runs deep

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's calls for Jews to move to Israel after attacks in Paris and Copenhagen may strike a chord with thousands of French Jews, but it will likely fall on deaf ears in Denmark.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2015

Artwork by Kenji Goto on display at Tokyo gallery

Journalist Kenji Goto's efforts to aid people living in conflict zones may have gone widely unnoticed if his kidnapping and beheading by the Islamic State militant group had not caused outrage worldwide last month.
WORLD
Feb 16, 2015

Britain's HSBC apologizes over past standards at Swiss bank

HSBC apologized to customers and investors on Sunday for past practices at its Swiss private bank after allegations that it helped hundreds of wealthy clients dodge taxes.
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.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Feb 15, 2015

LGBT students may be ready to come out, but are Japan's schools ready to accept them?

When university student Osamu Inoue, 19, came out openly in high school two years ago and admitted he was gay, he had hoped that at least his school would have adopted a more positive attitude toward sexual minorities.
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Feb 14, 2015

Winter offers a wake-up call for local revitalization drive

Kansai's corporate titans gathered in Kyoto earlier this month for their annual retreat, formally known as the Kansai Economic Forum. While there was no shortage of the usual slightly daft old men with slightly daft ideas, this year saw two important, positive changes.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2015

The pope prompts a rethink about contraception

As Pope Francis was returning from the Philippines to Rome last month, he raised the issue of whether it is legitimate for outside agencies to promote family planning in developing countries. There are several reasons why it is.
EDITORIALS
Feb 12, 2015

Putting reporters on a leash

In an unprecedented move, the Foreign Ministry last week ordered a freelance photographer who planned to go to Syria to return his passport for his own good.
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.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 11, 2015

Has Australia caught the revolving leader bug?

With three prime ministers in the past two years and maybe a fourth before long, has Australia caught the dreaded Japanese disease of revolving leaders?
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 11, 2015

Jeb Bush talks immigration, education, releases emails as he eyes 2016 bid

In a visit to Florida's state capital on Tuesday, Republican Jeb Bush focused on the politically explosive topics of immigration and education reform, while emails were released from his time as governor there in an effort to burnish his credentials as he eyes a 2016 presidential bid.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 11, 2015

Parents of slain Islamic State hostage confirm U.S. woman's death

U.S. aid worker Kayla Mueller, held hostage by Islamic State militants for 18 months, is dead, her family said on Tuesday, but the circumstances were unclear and President Barack Obama vowed to hunt down the culprits.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS / TYSON-DOUGLAS SHOCKER REVISITED
Feb 10, 2015

Douglas reflects on Tyson fight 25 years later

The youngest heavyweight champion in history, making his 10th title defense, entered the fight with a 37-0 record and had never been knocked down during his pro career; Douglas was the 42-1 underdog. Tyson's reign ended 28 minutes, 22 seconds into the fight, at precisely 1:22 into the 10th round.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 10, 2015

Robots and foreigners are the answer as Japan's population ages, says investor Sawakami

As Japan's population ages and slowly declines, bring in the robots and foreigners.
WORLD
Feb 10, 2015

Boko Haram forces attack Cameroon village, kidnap bus passengers, military sources say

Boko Haram militants attacked a border village in northern Cameroon and are suspected of kidnapping at least 18 people traveling on a bus, two military sources told Reuters on Monday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Feb 9, 2015

Injuries to Okinawa anti-base protesters 'laughable,' says U.S. military spokesman

In an email, a top marine official likens protesters hurt in demonstrations to diving soccer players.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 7, 2015

'Everyone is different, regardless of their disability': Hirotada Ototake

Life can be rough for those who look a little "different" from others in society. You would expect no one to know this better than Hirotada Ototake, who was born without arms or legs due to a genetic disorder called tetra-amelia syndrome. Surprisingly, however, the 38-year-old says he was fortunate to...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 7, 2015

Options allow Tokyo to be more accessible

Former anchorwoman Christel Takigawa referenced the country's spirit of selfless hospitality in her presentation to the International Olympic Committee in 2013, a speech that helped persuade the IOC to give Japan the rights to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 7, 2015

In violent times, young Japanese just shrug

The weekly Shukan Kinyobi discerns a "new fatalism" among young people. Meaning what? A feeling that effort reaps no rewards and so is not worth making; that the world is what it is and cannot be changed — at least not by me, even if I felt like changing it, which I don't; that luck or inborn talent...
JAPAN
Feb 6, 2015

Evangelion fan bid to re-create lunar 'spear' scene held up by controversy

A group of volunteers has launched a project to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion by re-creating a scene from the popular anime series on the moon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 6, 2015

Amputee women in Japan proudly step forward

Japan isn't the easiest place to live for people with disabilities. Buildings and transportation aren't always accessible; people are apt to regard disabilities as shameful; and a societal tendency to turn away from anything unpleasant makes it difficult to effect change. Nevertheless change is possible,...
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 6, 2015

Secret burials thwarting efforts to stamp out Ebola, U.N. says

Efforts to stamp out West Africa's Ebola epidemic are being thwarted by villagers touching and washing the infectious bodies of dead victims at secret burials and difficulty in tracing those exposed to the virus, U.N. officials said on Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 5, 2015

Facebook diplomacy on the Ukrainian front

Dramatic dispatches of diplomacy from a Ukrainian tank officer underscore social media's ability to keep soldiers and their commanders on Ukraine's eastern battlefield in touch with friends and families.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 5, 2015

Ruben Pater: Current advancements in drone technology are worrying

Dutch artist Ruben Pater discusses drones and survival in the modern age:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 5, 2015

Netflix to bring its video-streaming service to Japan this fall

Netflix Inc. will enter the Japanese market this fall as it seeks out a bigger share of the global video-streaming business.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Feb 4, 2015

At age 50, seeing the writing on the wall

At half a century old, I only look forward — to see how much time is left before my clock runs out.

Longform

Members of the nonprofit group Japan Youth Memorial Association search for the remains of dead soldiers in a cave in Okinawa Prefecture in February.
The long search for Japan’s lost soldiers