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OLYMPICS
Aug 16, 2012

Team Japan makes triumphant return from London

After the 17-day extravaganza of the London Olympics, the Japanese delegation — which gave the country excitement and insomnia on a daily basis — made a triumphant return home on Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Aug 15, 2012

The minimum wage dilemma

The number of people receiving livelihood assistance known as seikatsu hogo (literally, livelihood protection), Japan's final social safety net, increased for nine consecutive months and reached a record 2,108,096 as of March 2012.
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2012

Noda forges on as temperatures rise

Tokyo is in the dead of summer and if anything, things are only getting hotter in the political hub of Nagata-cho.
EDITORIALS
Aug 6, 2012

Half-baked notions of revitalization

The Noda Cabinet on July 31 adopted the Japan Revitalization Policy, which incorporates the strategy for economic growth through fiscal 2020. It aims to achieve average economic growth of 3 percent nominally and 2 percent in real terms by focusing on eco-friendly industries, medical services, and agriculture...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 31, 2012

Latynina watching Phelps' achievements with interest

For 48 years, former gymnast Larisa Latynina has held the record for most Olympic medals (18). And now that swimmer Michael Phelps is closing in on her record — he helped the United States nab the silver in Sunday's 4x100-meter freestyle relay, an upset loss to France, by the way, for medal No. 17...
OLYMPICS
Jul 27, 2012

Takeda elected to IOC

As expected, Tsunekazu Takeda now has greater recognition and responsibilities — and gravitas — within the global Olympic community.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 24, 2012

Adapting to climate change in the Asia-Pacific

Rising, warming and increasingly acidic seas threaten the very survival of Pacific island countries.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 24, 2012

100 years of Summer Games

When the 293 Japanese athletes compete in the London Games that start Friday, they will represent a century of the participation in the Summer Olympics, starting with marathoner Shiso Kanakuri and sprinter Yahiko Mishima in Stockholm in 1912.
COMMENTARY / World / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Jul 16, 2012

Nuclear engineers ditching Japan for a bigger paycheck

Although Japan is reputed to be one of the most technologically advanced nations in nuclear power generation, it now faces a serious "brain drain" as some of its highly experienced nuclear engineers are lured to work in other countries for much better remuneration than they could hope to receive at home....
EDITORIALS
Jul 16, 2012

Resuscitating women workers

Relevant Cabinet ministers on June 22 adopted an action plan to support women who try to find employment or start businesses. The government plans to incorporate it into the "Japan resuscitation strategy" this summer.
OLYMPICS
Jul 15, 2012

Speculation increases on who will light flame

There's plenty of speculation and anticipation about who will light the Olympic flame on July 25 at the London Games Opening Ceremony.
OLYMPICS
Jul 5, 2012

Olympics just keep getting bigger

In the 64 years since London hosted the 1948 Summer Olympics, the ways in which global athletics are promoted and produced have gone through dramatic changes. The challenge to produce a bigger, flashier Olympics is ever-present.
COMMENTARY
Jun 28, 2012

China's iron fist in a velvet glove

China could easily grab control of the disputed Scarborough Shoal fishing grounds in the South China Sea using its increasingly modern and powerful armed forces. Chinese naval, air and amphibious units, working in unison, already have the capability to enforce Beijing's claims of island ownership and...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2012

Tax hike risks stunting growth in '14

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda risks stalling the economy by pushing through his consumption tax increase, which may dampen spending even as it aids efforts to tame the world's largest debt burden.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Jun 24, 2012

Mutombo using stature to make a difference in world

Dikembe Mutombo commands attention, and it's not because he towers over people at 218 cm, or the fascinating fact that he speaks nine languages (including five African dialects) or blocked 3,289 shots during his 18-season NBA career. Simply put, the big fellow has lived a remarkable life.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 24, 2012

Languid Lumbini: Just visit and you'll understand

It's a pilgrimage site, a UNESCO World Heritage site — and a building site. Lumbini in southern Nepal, less than 10 km from the Indian border, should be a name as familiar as Jerusalem, Bethlehem or Mecca, the holy places of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It's where, in 563 B.C., the Buddha-to-be,...
EDITORIALS
Jun 10, 2012

Exporting 'Japanland'

The government's Cool Japan strategy of promoting the country abroad has taken another step as the trade ministry plans to recreate trendy districts of Tokyo in cities across the globe. The plan is aimed at promoting Japan and encouraging exports by organizing areas for Japan-style shops, restaurants...
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2012

Nuke share may fall 50%, Tokyo Gas exec says

Japan may cut its reliance on nuclear power in half through 2030, according to Shigeru Muraki, executive vice president of Tokyo Gas Co.
EDITORIALS
May 21, 2012

Planning a new environment policy

The Noda Cabinet has adopted a new environment basic plan, the fourth since the first plan was adopted in 1994. It incorporates the experience of the Fukushima nuclear crisis and says that the idea of safety should serve as the basis of the endeavor to achieve the main goals of the plan.
COMMENTARY
May 21, 2012

Who will support aging Japan?

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore more than a decade ago adopted the growth strategy of making the medical industry the core of the nation's industrial development.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 20, 2012

TV: no longer the drug of the people

Last week, Japan's fifth largest discount electronics retailer, Bic Camera, announced it would soon obtain a 50 percent share of Japan's sixth-largest discount electronics retailer, Kojima, thus making the combined companies Japan's second-largest electronics retailer. Bic operates 34 stores in large...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 15, 2012

Exporting culture via 'Cool Japan'

The auto and electronics industries have served as the economy's main locomotives for decades, but now they are being eclipsed by heavier global competition, particularly from their aggressive Asian rivals.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji